A Tortoise and two Geese shared a pond for many years and became close friends. At last there came a drought and the pond dried up. One of the Geese said to the other, “We must seek a new home quickly, for we cannot live without water. Let us say farewell to the Tortoise and start at once.”
When the Tortoise heard that they were going, he trembled with fear, and pleaded with them not to desert him.
“Alas,” the Geese replied, “If we stay here, all three of us will die, and we cannot take you with us, for you cannot fly.”
Still the Tortoise begged not to be left behind. After thinking for a while one of the Geese finally said, “Dear friend, if you promise not to speak a word on the journey, we will take you with us. But know beforehand, that if you open your mouth even to say one single word, you will be in instant danger of losing your life.”
“Have no fear,” replied the Tortoise, “I will be silent until you give me leave to speak again. I would rather never open my mouth again than be left to die alone here in the dried-up pond.” Continue reading →
When I enrolled in the UMBC Yoga class this summer, semester, I did so to improve my strength and flexibility. I had always wanted to learn yoga, but now I had some real motivation because I really needed to catch up to my boyfriend’s physical abilities (he’s a gymnast.) But when I actually began to learn the practice, especially the Sun Salutations, I realized that yoga had the ability to completely clear my thoughts; or rather, that I had the ability through practicing yoga.
I can’t tell you how many times in the past month and a half that I have come home from work, stressed out of my mind, and simply taken a deep breath, done a few Sun Salutations, and felt entirely different. The sense of calm that I’ve developed has also spread into nearly every aspect of my daily life. I’ve realized that I’m unintentionally more health conscious lately, and I’ve also been able to stick to a workout program for more than two weeks for the first time in years. It has inspired me to strive for well being in every sense of the word. I’m even flossing now. That’s right: every day; impressed? I used to be a dancer, and for about 4 years I enjoyed a great amount of physical energy, but since beginning more strenuous classes and taking on more responsibilities with my own health, I’ve become much more sedentary and frankly, lazy. Thanks to this summer session, I’ve tasted that youthful energy that you’d think I would naturally have at 19, and I don’t plan on going back any time soon.
This is a testimonial provided for Sandra K. Nicht of Asthanga Yoga Maryland. You can find the testimonail over here.
Dr. Terry Wahls, a physician, was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) in 2000. She went to the best available clinic for MS treatment the Cleveland Clinic. By 2007 her disease had progressed so much that she needed zero gravity chairs to sit and needed 2 canes to walk. She was in danger of shortly being totally bed ridden.
That is when, after much research, she switched her diet with astounding results. In 3 months she was able to walk between rooms in the hospital with 1 cane. In another month she was able to walk throughout the hospital with one cane. In 5 months she biked around the block and in 9 months she biked 18 miles. At a year she was able to go horse-back riding in the Rocky Mountains.
Dr. Terry Wahls says that she is the canary in the coalmine with a warning that there is something seriously wrong with our diet. We need to be less on the grain based and processed food diet and more on the greens-vegetables-nuts-berries-fresh meat-and-wild fish diet. Please note that this is not some off-the-wall person speaking. She is a trained physician, and now they have run clinical trials and the astounding results have been validated. In the face of abundance and prosperity we are literally starving ourselves of much-needed vitamins and antioxidants. The result is neurological problems (MS, Alzheimer, Parkinson, Huntington, learning problems, attention deficit disorder), hardened arteries and blood pressure, diabetes, and food allergies (eczema, asthma, allergies, infertility, arthritis, chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, etc.)
This is what she recommends:
Daily 3 cups of greens (Kale)
Daily 3 cups of sulfur rich family (Cabbage family and Onion family)
Daily 3 cups of bright colors (from Vegetables, Fruits, and Berries)
Regular diet of Wild fish (Not farm raised fish)
Regular diet of Grass fed meat and organs (Not grain fed meat and organs)
Once a week Seaweed (For Iodine and Selenium)
A note of warning: She does not recommend avoiding regular medical treatment. What she is saying is that we all need to change our diet and those who suffer from some of the ailments listed above need to continue with the medication they are having but urgently switch diet to slow down or even reverse the progress of their ailments. Make sure that your physician is aware of the principals of functional medicine and work with your physician in adjusting your medicine as you make progress.
Please pass this on to somebody who may benefit from this message!
No matter where we go on earth we are still tethered to land. From earth we can peer into the vast universe and see distant stars, but we are still surrounded by land. But the moment we go in space and peer down on earth our perspective dramatically shifts. In space we are un-tethered. The earth now becomes just another planet in a vast universe. Seeing the earth against the dark backdrop of space is a completely new perspective. When we are tied to land we are tied to our familiar divisions. But from space these divisions vanish and we become acutely aware of our interdependence. This gives us a whole new perspective.
The same can be said for our ego. When we are tied to our ego we see everything from the perspective of the ego. Everything seems divided and disjointed. However, when we do the practices associated with yoga we learn to create space between the ego and ourselves. We are now able to express our consciousness from outside our ego. This is akin to viewing earth from space. A whole new perspective emerges.
Liberated from our ego we become un-tethered from its trivial concerns. Now we are able to experience true and unconditional love. We are able to see everything as interdependent and interconnected. We see the world as vibrant, overflowing, and abundant. Every moment becomes a moment of boundless joy. Every breath we take becomes the breath of sweet nectar.
For most of us the new perspective is short-lived and we land back on the familiar terrain of the ego and into the old world of divisions. But having tasted the sweet nectar of ego-free life who would want the bitterness of even one ego-filled moment? Millions seek to continue and deepen their journey into yoga to experience life as it is meant to be. Wouldn’t you?
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