Wake UP!

At the age of 20, Ven. Tenzin Palmo left her home in London for India to pursue her spiritual path. There she met her guru, His Eminence the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche and became one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. In 1976, seeking more seclusion and better conditions for practice she found a cave in the Himalayan Valley of Lahaul where she lived for 12 years, the last three in strict retreat. In 2000, she founded the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery to give young nuns of the Drukpa Kagyu Lineage the opportunity to realize their intellectual and spiritual potential.

Video: http://www.globalonenessproject.org/video/Tenzin-Palmo/1

Global Oneness Project

A friend shared this wonderful website with me, and I feel it is well worthwhile to share with you. Click on the link to learn more.


"The Global Oneness Project, a special project of Kalliopeia Foundation, was created to discover and document the diverse ways in which the emerging consciousness of oneness is impacting people's lives. We are traveling worldwide with a small camera crew, asking people from a variety of disciplines whose work is grounded in a perspective of oneness for their stories and insights. The video interviews from our travels are freely available through this website, which will be growing and changing as the project evolves. In addition to the web site, we are pursuing the possibilities of making a film and using the material for educational outreach."

SHAMANISM

Early this morning a fox ran across the road in front of my car. Being interested in Shamanism, I immediately wondered what the symbolism of the red fox represented.

"Fox Medicine" at www.birdclan.org/fox.htm says:

" If fox shows up in your life it is a sign that you are to be aware of the actions of the world around you. The world is shape shifting and growing into new patterns all the time. Use the art of camouflage and keep cunningly silent about who and what you are observing. After observing for a while you will become aware of certain patterns of predictability in situations and you will know what to do. Fox's medicine of camouflage teaches Oneness with all."

Several years ago I took an introductory Shamanism class where I learned how to journey and a bit about Power Animals and Spirit Guides/guardians.

The basic practice of contemporary core shamanism is the shamanic "journey." This is an experience that usually lasts from 10 to 20 minutes. Rhythmic sound from a drum or rattle can be used to guide the "journeyer" into a receptive relaxed state, and she has an experience like a lucid dream, which unfolds as she lies or sits quietly and travels to non-ordinary reality in her imagination. The journeyer asks questions for guidance. In shamanic journeys, people can swim like fish, fly over mountains, visit the spirits of people not physically present, and it feels real. Everyone's experience is unique and personally meaningful to them.

As I journeyed, I kept a log. Some of my journeys were incredibly complex, and the instructor felt they were highly symbolic. Two memorable journeys included my guardian Lumen, the cougar, who was also a power animal along with Abbo, the crow.

June 24, 2004
I entered the tunnel and went through the doors to the Polynesian ruin. Lumen joined me immediately, and we walked to the rainforest pool. I retrieved the sand dollar. We went through the waterfall into the jungle. We found the ape (chimp) with the book. I asked him what his name was -- received Myth/Mist. It became clear that his name was Myst.
I told him I wanted to discover the meaning of the remaining points of the star (in the sand dollar). The first three were TRUTH, TRUST, and LOVE.

Myst (ape) directed Lumen and me to a path. We walked down that path and the crow joined us. I asked the crow what he was called/known by, and he replied, ABBO.

The three of us eventually came into a clearing. In the clearing was a labyrinth which was in the shape of the star in the middle of a sand dollar. We entered the labyrinth, Abbo on my shoulder, and Lumen beside me. There were five traverses around the five points of the star. In the process of walking, I found the meaning of the remaining two points: HONOR/RESPECT and PEACE. All three of us completed the walk and sat within the center of the labyrinth. Abbo gave me a black feather from his wing.

When we left, we returned the way we had come. We met up with Myst again and I told him I had found the remaining meanings of the star points.

Abbo faded out of the picture, but Lumen and I returned to the pool through the waterfall. We parted there. I took the black feather with me, walked through the fire and back to the present.

Research -- Abbo was a Benedictine monk who lived in the late 900's. He was a scholar and wrote about astronomy, physics, philosophy, etc.

June 26, 2004
Lumen met me at the Polynesian ruins. I told him my intent for the journey -- to find the Indian chief. We walked to the prairie and I saw blue feathers in Lumen's eyes. We walked past a stone outcrop, like a mesa. Eventually we sat and built a fire. "Half-Moon" came to me -- Lumen and I sat by the fire until it got dark. The moon was half full.

The chief appeared out of the dark carrying a peace pipe. He sat down by the fire and smoked the pipe. I asked him why he was important -- what was his purpose? He said he was to remind me to stay balanced and connected to the earth. We sat there awhile. I asked if the chief was a guardian or spirit guide -- no real response.

I asked Lumen if he was a guardian or animal totem, and he is BOTH. We sat there until dawn when the chief left and Lumen and I returned to the ruin. I asked Lumen why I saw things in his eyes. "portent. . . portent. . . portent. . . " he replied.

SIRIUS

From "DREAM"

by Boris Levinson

I, a child

Try to reach the stars. . .

Sirius is so near.

I run to the nearest hill

My reach is always too short

Wait till I am a grown man!

Now, I am old and bent with years

No more running to the hill and mountain top --

Yet, a warm, steady, life-giving glow

Reaches me from Sirius. . . the unattainable.

I collect

White iridescent and evanescent starbeams

For my trip home to

Sirius the dog star.

We have all heard or used the expression "The Dog Days of Summer." Many of us likely assume that the phrase originated from areas where the climate was so hot and oppressive that dogs would lie about in a heat-induced stupor.

The actual origin is much more fascinating and is just another cosmological morsel to savor.

**All stars shine but none do it like Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Aptly named, Sirius comes from the Greek word Seirius, meaning, "searing" or "scorching." Blazing at a visual magnitude of -1.42, it is twice as bright as any other star in our sky.

Sirius resides in the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog, and is commonly called the Dog Star. In ancient Greek times the dawn rising of Sirius marked the hottest part of summer. This is the origin of the phrase "dog days of summer."

Because of Earth's 26,000 year precession cycle, in which the planet's axis slowly wobbles due to the gravitational attraction of the Sun and Moon on the Earth's equatorial bulge, Sirius no longer marks the hottest part of summer, rising later in the year. Precession gradually changes the location of stars on the celestial sphere.

Sirius is best seen at a favorable time during the winter months for northern hemisphere observers. To find the Dog Star, use the constellation of Orion as a guide. Follow the three belt stars -- obvious targets even for casual skywatchers -- 20 degrees southeast to the brightest star in the sky. Your fist at arm's length covers about 10 degrees of sky.

Sirius, the red giant star Betelgeuse, and Procyon in Canis Minor form a popular asterism known as the Winter Triangle.

Intrinsically, Sirius is 23 times more luminous and about twice the mass and diameter of the Sun. Of course it's farther away from Earth than the Sun. But not too far, cosmically speaking. At a mere 8.5 light-years distant, Sirius seems so bright in part because it is fifth closest star to the Sun.

In 1844, German astronomer Friedrich Bessel observed that Sirius had a wobble, as if being tugged by a companion. While testing his new 18.5-inch lens in 1862 (the largest refracting telescope in the world at that time), Alvan Clark solved this mystery by discovering that Sirius was not one star but two; the first compact stellar remnant had been discovered, and it would prove to be a pioneer of what would be later referred to as a whole class of white dwarf stars.

The companion, dubbed Sirius B, has the mass of the Sun in a package as small as the Earth, having collapsed after depleting its hydrogen. A single cubic inch of matter from this companion star would weigh 2.25 tons on Earth. At magnitude 8.5, it is 1/400th as luminous as the Sun. The brighter and larger companion is now known as Sirius A.**

**article taken from: "The 10 Brightest Stars"
By Pedro Braganca
Special to SPACE.com
posted: 07:00 am ET
15 July 2003

VERTIGO

This poem was inspired by my struggle to deal with undiagnosed tinnitus and vertigo.

Sound was not my friend –
It looped and spiraled into a vortex of vibration,
shaking my equilibrium.
Nystagmus accompanied the symphony of tinnitus,
Iris of the eye chasing cacophony,
a tsunami of sound waves pounding
the vestibular canals.

LETTING GO

Letting Go is one of the hardest lessons we recognize and attempt to learn in our lifetime.

ON LETTING GO
By Pat Burnette

To LET GO does not mean to stop caring for others; it means I can’t do it for someone else.

To LET GO is not to cut myself off; it’s the realization I can’t control another, only myself.

To LET GO is not to enable, but to allow others to learn from natural consequences.

To LET GO is to admit I cannot control what another does, which means the outcome for that other person is not in my hands.

To LET GO is not to change or blame another; it’s to make the most of myself.

To LET GO does not mean you condone what the other person has done; it just means you can move past it

To LET GO is not to care for myself, but to care about my SELF.

To LET GO is not to fix other people, but to be supportive of them and their growing process.

To LET GO is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To LET GO is not to be in the middle of arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To LET GO is not to be protective; it’s to permit another to face reality.

To LET GO is not to deny, but to accept.

To LET GO is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To LET GO is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To LET GO is not to criticize or regulate anybody, but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To LET GO is not to regret the past, but to grow and live today, thus moving towards the future.

To LET GO is to fear less and love more.

STONES 101

Because Hannah gobbles her food so quickly, I have been putting three stones into her dish to slow her eating. It works.

After Hannah had a bout of gastroenteritis this week which necessitated a 24 hour stay in the emergency clinic for IV fluids, I nuked her bone in the microwave to eliminate possible bacteria that could aggravate her compromised digestive system.

This morning I got the brilliant idea that I should nuke the three stones that I put into her food dish. I carefully arranged them on paper, placed them on a flat dish, and fired up the microwave for 1 minute. I went upstairs and promptly forgot about the stones. Later I opened the microwave to prepare something for lunch, and the largest stone had exploded. The plate had shattered, and the microwave looked like a sandbox.

Hummmm, that must have been sandstone? Did those stones contribute to her intestinal upset this week? Was I stupid while looking out for Hannah's best interest?

A quick search online (campfire cooking stones) revealed:

"However, because some stones store water in tiny cracks and fissures, it's best not to take them from streams or other damp areas. Heating such a rock can cause the water it contains to vaporize and expand, often exploding the stone dangerously. For that reason, only bone-dry rocks should be used. I also recommend that sandstone, flint, obsidian, quartz, and any other hard, fireformed silicate types be avoided, as they tend to shatter when heated and then placed in water. "

Parallell Community

Until we extend the circle of compassion to all creatures, we will not ourselves find peace ---- Albert Schweitzer

PARALLEL COMMUNITY

The Parallel Community has been formed to create a platform

where people can express their positive contribution for change.

All human beings have the absolute right to live in peace and to claim that right for themselves.

Peace begins with each one of us living in harmony with our local community.

It is our responsibility to care for and have compassion for all life and the earth we live on.

Millions of people across the world feel exactly as we do and we all need to unite to make our voices heard.

War need not be an inevitable consequence of diplomatic failure.

WORLD ANIMAL DAY

HAPPY WORLD ANIMAL DAY

October 4, 2007

~Do Something Special Today for the Animals in your Life~

WORLD ANIMAL DAY MISSION STATEMENT

*To celebrate animal life in all its forms
*To celebrate humankind’s relationship with the animal kingdom
*To acknowledge the diverse roles that animals play in our lives – from being our companions, supporting and helping us, to bringing a sense of wonder into our lives
*To acknowledge and be thankful for the way in which animals enrich our lives

World Animal Day takes place every year on 4 October. Animal welfare groups, sanctuaries and individuals throughout the world hold special events to heighten public awareness of animal issues and to encourage people to think about how we as humans relate to animals.
Be part of something special and find out how you can get involved in World Animal Day 2007.

Yogurt Man

I've been going through old files and throwing things out. The other day I came across an essay I'd written about a racehorse I'd worked on in 1992 when I was doing equine sports massage. I was profoundly moved by this experience and never forgot Yogurt Man. To this day I wonder whatever happened to this special animal.

YOGURT MAN

The trainer saw me working on some horses in her shedrow, and in desperation, asked me if I had time to come and look at one of her charges. I agreed -- to a horse in need, I am a friend, indeed!

"Yogurt Man" was an Allowance horse. His trainer explained to me that they believed he had once tied-up so severely that he had suffered extreme muscle damage in his left hindquarter, involving the biceps femoris and semitendinosis muscles. He was left with a huge depression which crackled with scar tissue when I gently palpated it. How this horse had ever overcome such a handicap to race successfully was a true testimonial to the heart of a Throughbred. However, along the way, the spirit had suffered.

When I first entered his stall, Yogurt Man was standing dejectedly, with his head hanging, against the rear wall. I sensed depression and sadness. He made no move to recognize that I had entered his territory. When I spoke to him, there was not so much as a flicker of an ear to acknowledge my presence.

Becuase the trainer had contracted for a target massage rather than a full body treatment, I gently, but firmly, began to check the stress points. Yogurt Man still chose to be non-responsive. I continued to talk to him with my voice and with my hands.

When I reached the left hindquarter, there was a faint stirring of response. He communicated to me that my "touch" was appreciated and needed. After applying compression and preparing the area for deeper work, I progressed to acupressure therapy. When I applied direct pressure to the semimembranosus stress point, I elicited my first strong reaction! Yogurt Man began to push against me. My thumb was not strong enough to tolerate his weight, so I switched to my elbow and utilized deep tissue techniques to ease the spasms. Yogurt Man reciprocated by pushing so hard into my pressure that he was nearly sitting down on me!

I allowed him to dictate the pressure and length of therapy he wanted. Gradually he eased, until he was again standing normally. I finished the therapy with more compression and prepared to initiate work on his right side.

As I approached his forequarters, this previously unresponsive horse turned his head towards me and snuffed gently into my hand. When I reached up to stroke him, he laid his head in my arms and gave a deep sigh. I was deeply moved by this acknowledgement from such a noble animal.

*postscript: An enthusiastic phone call the next day reported that Yogurt Man was 100% better. The trainer was eager for my return, but two days later, I broke my ankle and was unable to continue my therapy with this magnificent soul.