The September clouds are the best

After living here for 2 years now, as an avid cloudspotter I can say that the September clouds are the best in the DC area. :)

Tomorrow night, at the Freer and Sackler Galleries: the Asia after Dark event!

Understanding the consumer side of sustainability

RIP DJ AM
click here for some 2002 mixes

At the Sacred Circle Bookstore in Old Town Alexandria:

Friday, September 18 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Meet 2012 Expert Thia Belden

Thia Belden, M.S. spiritual life coach, teacher and intuitive, has spent 20 years studying spirituality and alternative healing with indigenous, vibrational medicine and new age masters including Drunvalo Melchizedeck. Synthesizing these combined studies, she has developed her own 2012 teaching and coaching practice in vibrational alchemy of ascension into the 5TH dimension. She will be presenting 2 workshops on Sept.20 and 27. FREE

A breathing exercise:
First, find a comfortable seated position, either on the floor or in a chair. Close your eyes and start to tune in to your breath. Notice the breath pace and pattern, temperament, and flow. As you begin to relate to your breath, notice where it gets stuck, then breathe into those areas to encourage a consistent flow of prana.

Once you've established a comfortable breath pace, inhale deeply through your nose to a count of 4. Retain the breath for 4 counts, and then exhale for 8 counts. Hold the breath out for 4 counts. Repeat for 10 cycles.

This breath pattern is called visamavrtti pranayama as the exhalation is twice as long as the inhalation. You can also try samavrtti pranayama, where you hold the inhalation, exhalation, and retention for equal amounts of time.

Give it a go, and see what works for you. Every body is as different as every day, so tune in to what you need and cultivate your sadhana (personal practice) with ease.

Don't worry

I hope this blog post gives you a moment of clarity and peace, along with some insightful knowledge. Breathe easy!

http://www.350.org/ : An international day of climate action, a global movement to solve the climate crisis, on my birthday this year! :)

CarbonFreeDC Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover: Home Improvement Volunteer Form Click the link if you're interested in helping volunteer in either Shaw or Deanwood for a weekend in September working with deserving families by installing energy efficient and planet-friendly products! You can indicate your availability to volunteer to install equipment at the homes.

Deep Green Autunm Retreat: The Journey Inward: Accessing Inner Wisdom through Yoga and Plant Medicines. I am planning to attend this retreat October 16-18, which looks to be in an absolutely lovely setting and promises to be transformative. Click on the link to visit the Deep Green Wellness page for a link to their retreats.

Idealist.org grad fair in DC, September 21st, at the Washington Convention Center 801 Mount Vernon Place NW DC

Currently listening to: Issamu's new mix. Legit. Also check out the link to his blog on my favorite links, Third Eye Buisness.

The summer night sky is filled with a multitude of the Milky Way's stars, hundreds of billions of stars making up its flowing river of soft light.

Seasonal recipe: Garden fresh pasta salad, I'd probably add some summer squash too, or maybe tofu.

Listen with your heart. Heart-centered listening, including how the heart communicates with the body and brain, can be used to create greater peace and love not just in your life, but in the world. You can help to gather the information to listen to in your heart by doing an anahata (heart chakra) kundalini meditation. Sitting comfortably on the floor in your meditation posture, place your left hand in front of your heart chakra face down and hold your right arm up, extended in the air at a 60 degree angle from the floor. The right had is collecting the information from the universe, while the left collects information from you lower chakras, and brings it all to the heart.

Thoughts on meditation via the Tricycle weekly newsletter:

Everything changes and all will wither away. There is no permanent and abiding "self." And to top it all off, life is suffering.

Wow, Buddhism can be a real buzz-kill. Sometimes, anyway. But there are many doors to joy. According to Vipassana teacher James Baraz, it's just a question of opening them:

Methods for opening the mind to joy and happiness are found throughout the Buddha’s teachings. One sure way is through skillful practice of meditation. Through seeing clearly, we can free the mind of grasping, aversion, and ignorance, allowing our natural joy to manifest. In fact, research has amply demonstrated that meditation increases activity in areas of the brain associated with positive emotions.

Quotes of the day: "There is great power in patience because it cuts through arrogance and ingratitude. It is the path that lets us move from resistance to acceptance and spontaneous presence. Holding on to our judgments about others and ourselves is a major cause of impatience. Repeating softly to ourselves, “May I be happy just as I am” and “May I be peaceful with whatever is happening” helps us accept our vulnerabilities, imperfections, and losses: everything from chronic physical and emotional pain, to the death of loved ones, the end of a job or relationship—even nightmare traffic jams."

"Life is really generous to those who pursue their destiny." Paulo Coelho
my thoughts: I believe this is true, as long as you have realized your destiny through divine listening.

Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. Once you have determined the spiritual principles you wish to exemplify, abide by these rules as if they were laws, as if it were indeed sinful to compromise them. Don't mind if others don't share your convictions. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer.

Epictetus (c. 50-120)


We don’t open our heart and mind because we haven’t experienced the benefit of doing that. Once we have experienced the truth, there isn’t even an issue. There is no worry. The whole question of whether we are ready to open our heart and mind to the truth isn’t even a concern.

What do you want out of life, Really?

blog post by Russell Bishop via the huffington post

mantra for abundance : Om Shreem Maha Lakshmieye Swaha

40 farmers under 40 via MNN - Mother Nature Network

Wyndmere Naturals, essential oils. "Aromatherapy is a holistic therapy that uses pure essential oils to positively influence the mind and body and to enhance emotional and physical well-being. Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts from the aromatic part of the plant. They are wholly natural molecular substances, which when inhaled are transmitted to the part of the brain that controls memory and emotional response. When used topically, they are highly effective due to their ability to penetrate the skin and stimulate the body’s ability to heal."

Generally, the Maharishi Effect may be defined as the influence of coherence and positivity in the social and natural environment generated by the practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs.

Meet two new quantum particles: Spinons and holons

Listening to: Mishka presents Keep Watch volume X

Wiki of the day: Doula

A breathing exercise via the pure prana newsletter:

August has arrived and so has the sweltering summer heat indicative of the DC metro area. This month when you start to feel overheated, take a few moments to breathe and practice Sitali Pranayama.

How it Works

Sit in a comfortable seated position with a straight spine. Curl your tongue and push it slightly past the lips. Inhale deeply through the tongue and mouth. Exhale through the nose. To begin, continue for 10 breaths and work your way up to 5 minutes. Close your eyes, relax, and sit and breathe for a few moments. Repeat this cycle for two more rounds. If you can't curl your tongue, try Sitkari, which is similiar, except that the tongue is flat and the tip is pressed against the two front teeth.

Why it's good for you

Sitali helps to cool the digestive fire as well as the firery pitta dosha. It's a great way to get through hot flashes or triple digit summer day.

Democracy Now

Enlightening radio programs the last 2 days on my drive to work from Woodbridge.
Monday's subject was the American diet and nutrition, and today global warming and healthcare were discussed.

Tuesday August 4: Rep. Henry Waxman on Healthcare Reform, the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill and the Expanding Role of Private Contractors in the Battlefield

Monday August 3: Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler: “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite”

http://www.democracynow.org/