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eckhart tolle

The three quotes below were copied from Eckhart Tolle’s October newsletter. He never ceases to remind us that there’s a bigger picture to life, -that it doesn’t just consist of what’s on our to-do list.

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‘The interconnectedness of all things: Buddhists have always known it, and physicists now confirm it. Nothing that happens is an isolated event. The more we label something, the more we isolate it. The wholeness of life becomes fragmented through our thinking’.

‘Very unconscious people experience their own ego through its reflection in others. When you realize that what you react to in others is also in you (and sometimes only in you), you begin to become aware of your own ego.’

‘Be aware of the space that allows everything to be. Listen to the sounds; don’t judge them. Listen to the silence underneath the sounds. Touch something – anything – and feel and acknowledge its Being.’

www.eckharttolle.com

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spices herbs plants

Many of us have just begun to realize the huge benefits of spices, herbs, and plants and allow them into our domain. They’ve always been there for us to learn about and use, though it seems many of us weren’t ready. However, judging from all the information available to us in this decade, we are ready now, right? In the light of that, let’s pay homage to a few spices, herbs, and plants.

I feel that the book, The Indian Grocery Store Demystified by Linda Bladholm, is a labor of love, and I highly recommend it. Lot and lots of information can be found in the easy-to-read, rather thick book. If I had a bookshop it would be openly displayed, and I’d amuse myself by watching how many people would stop, look, and happily buy.

Turmeric is “antibacterial, antiviral, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiparasitic, and a diuretic,” – the list goes on. The above-mentioned book tells us about the benefits of turmeric. I take it stirred in R.W. Knudsen organic tomato juice, along with a dash of cayenne pepper, these three ingredients seem to agree with each other and produce a smooth-tasting drink. There’s no doubt about all the benefits, we just need to read and understand and be comfortable with what we’re ingesting, and think about the right dosage for our body. It’s certainly essential in the cuisine of India, not only in curries, pick up a cookbook and find that page after page turmeric is used.

Cayenne Pepper: The following website suggests a passion for cayenne pepper and to click on and read about its innumerable benefits is to know the why of the passion. www.healsa.co.za/cayennepepper.htm it’s written that it “was compiled by Dr. Schulze’s Curezone.com”
www.curezone.com

The Spice Terminal at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia has cayenne pepper from Africa that’s 1,000 times spicier than what we’re accustomed to, and the person behind the counter said to take it very, very, very sparingly. I didn’t dare touch it, I’ll be back when I’m ready though. When I first began ingesting cayenne pepper I went into coughing fits at each attempt, and I often caught my “dear ones” rolling their eyes and saying, “Why are you doing this?” and “Stop taking it.” I couldn’t though because I knew that the benefits far outweighed the coughing time it took to get used to this spice. Now I happily shake it on fried eggs, into soups and stews, on cooked pasta, and stirred into drinks, etc. Indeed!

Just to let you know, the high quality of the teas at The Spice Terminal are irresistible, and lifting the glass lid off one of the containers of tea and having its wonderful fragrance come rushing out, is to be hooked, and then the words come tumbling out, “Excuse me, may I have half a pound and how much should I use when brewing a pot?”
www.readingterminalmarket.org


Cinnamon, too, has healing properties that are many, put a piece of bark in your coffee cup, add it to the water you’re taking out with you for the day, sprinkle the powder on toast, in yogurt, – you’re limited only by your imagination. Let’s remember to pay attention to using the right amount and not go overboard. Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D sums up the benefits of cinnamon very nicely in the September/October 2011 Well Being Journal, under the title The Healing Remedies in Spices.
www.wellbeingjournal.com
www.SusanSmithJones.com

Gingerroot remedies has a long list, too. I’m looking at a book by Mark Stengler, ND on Natural Healing, and there are three pages about the healing properties of ginger. I think that that says something about this rhizome – “a stem that runs underneath the surface of the ground.” I’ve subscribed to Mark A. Stengler’s Natural Healing newsletters; he’s “in private practice in California…adjunct associate clinical professor at the National College of Natural Medicine, Portland Oregon…author of many books….”
www.markstengler.com/articles


It boggles the mind to learn just how numerous and beneficial herbs are (along with spices and plants). The simple title of a book by Maria Treben, HEALTH THROUGH GOD’S PHARMACY, gives us an idea, in few words, of the power of herbs to heal.
www.mariatrebenherbs.com

Triphala and constipation . . . in the book SPONTANEOUS HEALING, Dr. Andrew Weil, wrote . . . “Another Ayurvedic preparation, called triphala, is the best bowel regulator I have come across . . .” and, he continues, “it’s much better than Western herbal remedies for constipation.” The mixture of three herbs can be found in capsule form in health food stores.
www.drweil.com

Have you been to the Indian grocery store Kalustyans Foods in Manhattan? To see the array of spices, herbs, foods (upstairs, downstairs), etc. is a real treat. Triphala can also be found there.
www.kalustyans.com

Aloe Vera, I would be here all week if I had to summarize all the benefits of just these few spices, herbs, and plants, so again I’ll call upon a professional, Scott E. Miners, the Editor of Well Being Journal wrote about Aloe Vera and Digestive Health, along with Topical Healing Powers of Aloe Vera – Personal Stories of Healing, in the September/October 2011 issue
www.wellbeingjournal.com


Snake Plant, this plant is wonderful and I talk to mine and thank it for doing what it does. It’s “the only plant that produces oxygen and removes carbon dioxide at night.” For the technical aspects of air purifying with
plants,
www.wolvertonenvironmental.com

I’m a novice and there’s much to know. I find it all so fascinating, and so slowly, cautiously, and happily I’ll continue to explore and learn about the amazing world of spices, herbs, and plants – those that the Divine One created for the benefit of all living beings. You, too?

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Lots of renovating went on at Reading Terminal Market; and, along with that, the owner of The Spice Terminal closed after many years — and so no more cayenne pepper from Africa and the whiffing of the fragrant teas in that space.

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dolores cannon, john mccarthy, ted j. cibik

Three websites to ponder:

There’s a woman out there who has an incredibly interesting story, and listening to it was quite entertaining. If you have about ten minutes to watch her video, what she says might leave you wondering about certain things. Then again, some on google call her a fraud, and others can’t seem to say enough wonderful things about her. So, is she is or is she isn’t a past-life regressionist doing what she says she does? And is she authentic in her writings?
www.dolorescannon.com


And there’s a very simple to read website having a kind story along with information we can use. The message can show us how to help Mother Earth by reading Earthwalker Blog, Earth Helpers, 21 Ways to Help, and About the Ecozoic Handyman www.people4motherearth.net


And there’s a place in Pennsylvania having 30 private acres, and it looks liike very good energy can be found there. It’s website heading says, “Ancient Health Concepts In a Modern World.”
www.inner-strength.org

The sky is dark; the evening is young, let’s enjoy.

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a path; a practice


Sometimes when we’re on a path, whether it be spiritual (perusing books, attending workshops, retreats, reading about the religions of the world, spending time learning about and practicing ancient and modern teachings), or health (exploring what’s out there so as to get a handle on the foods and right exercises that work for our own body mind spirit), or healings (gathering information from a variety of sources, listening, reading, pondering, and deciding what form of treatment we’re comfortable with and where and how to begin), work (believing in ourself and not the negativity of scarsity that at times permeates our society), home (bringing harmony, beauty, forgiveness, fun, joy, creativity into all aspects of life with family and friends), or the world and all its people (a smile, or hug when appropriate, is magic, a listening ear, a helping hand, and every so often remembering that we’re all in this together)

During the time we spend on certain paths, there will be periods when the one person we can rely on is our own self, – that can be a good thing because it teaches self-reliance, and that quality, if we allow it, will let serendipity enter. When we trust ourselves, we’ll trust our world, and we’ll open ourselves to new possibilities that we couldn’t imagine were there before we stepped out.

Through the years I’ve read that every morning before touching feet to floor, we should start the day with a short prayer of gratitude for what we have and for all the possibilities the gift of this day holds, inquire as to how to serve this day, and agree that the day is a good one. This habit pulls us into a higher vibration before we put feet to floor. And that can only be a very good thing. As with any new practice, time eventually shows us the many benefits derived from it – benefits we can’t know of before the practice.

A mentor is not always readily available, i.e., not in a physical form we can touch. Should anyone need one today, the words in the article, Satsang by Swami Amar Jyoti-Sincerity in Spiritual Practices, will do very nicely as we begin our practice. And it would seem that his words can be applied to any practice. www.Light-of-Consciousness.org

The day is young and sunny, and, shall we say, a good one? Let’s agree to enjoy.

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“We have no reason to mistrust our world, for it is not against us. Has it terrors, they are our terrors; has it abysses, those abysses belong to us, are dangers at hand, we must try to love them . . . How should we be able to forget those ancient myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons our our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke

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the compassionate life by marc ian barasch, newlife expo in newlife nyyoga magazine

Reading The Compassionate Life by Marc Ian Barasch for 15 minutes every day lends a nice touch to the day. Compassion is a rather hot topic with people who are noticing, not so much the “celebrities” who entertain us by wanting to take it all off, rather are noticing the condition of humankind and of the state of our planet. And if we could deeply understand the message of the book, for once and for all, we’d have a great impact on each other, on all living things, and especially on our planet. We wouldn’t want the Intelligence guiding Mother Earth – our sustenance – to decide we’ve not been good and kind caretakers to each other and our planet as we’d be left in dire straits. Since our track record is not looking good, one would think it’s time to turn it completely around. Thankfully, turning it around is something we’re all able to do; if only we could agree to expend the time and effort it takes. www.compassionatelife.com

I recently took a short trip and brought along NEWLIFE NYYOGA magazine which has information about the 21-23 October NEWLFE EXPO in Manhattan at the Hotel New Yorker. Always in these thin issues there are insights about new people and their body mind spirit work, and new information to whet the appetite of someone thinking about buying a ticket. There was a writeup on THE SOURCE FIELD INVESTIGATIONS by David Wilcock who is one of the speakers. In the writeup he mentions Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend, two prominent historians who wrote about a 25,920-year cycle in the Earth’s orbit which is coming to an end, hence the great turmoil now going on. He has a lot to say about our planet, other planets, and many other subjects pertaining to this topic, and it all sounds fascinating. I particularly like the bottom line: “… there is very strong evidence that they have been here all along, guiding and protecting us behind the scenes – such as by making absolutely sure we will never use nuclear weapons against each other. The Golden Age is within our grasp. I hope you will join me in this fascinating investigation of the science that can help us pave the way to the future we all deserve.” Indeed! Whether we’re believers or not, it won’t be boring. Anyway, we can’t know about a subject unless we’re willing to listen and learn. If you want, check out the list of speakers (150), and exhibits (150). It could be an excellent way to spend a weekend.
www.NewLifeExpo.com

Practicing compassion and forgiveness in order to see ourselves and every living being in a loving and caring way can help bring the planets and humankind to a “place we all deserve.”

I hope you’re having a very, very good day.

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acupuncture for pets at coral veterinary clinic at fort myers, fla;

    Dogs and cats are wonderful pets and it’s becoming apparent that because they’re living side-by-side with people, they’re experiencing some similar health issues. Just as a lot of us are seeking alternative treatments for our healings, some pet owners are doing the same for their pet. When I read about dogs, cats, and even birds being treated with acupuncture for their ailments, I was interested because some of my friends have spent $4,000, and more, for their pet’s surgery. And since not every pet owner has the pocket money to spend on surgery, and not every pet is a candidate for surgery, and prescription medicines tend to have side affects and can easily add up; why not go the way of . . . yes, acupuncture. This is what’s happening at Fort Myers, Florida, and it would seem that at Coral Veterinary Clinic, a pet is in the best of hands when in the hands of Dr. David Nichols. Ah, what a good idea. The article is on pages 16, 17 in:
    www.qi-journal.com

    Have you noticed that new ideas are steadily surfacing as a new slant is put on an old way of doing things? And have you noticed how, in time, something taken from an old way has the ability to expand in a most unexpected and pleasant new way? “Don’t let ancient knowledge become a thing of the past!” Qi, The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health & Fitness

    * * * * * * *

    “God loved the birds
    and invented trees.
    Man loved the birds
    and invented cages”.
    -Jacques Deval

    “Strive to live unrestricted
    by your past experiences.”

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bus stop boutique + etc.

Isn’t it a delight when you unexpectedly come across a shop that caters to your needs, one that doesn’t require an inordinate amount of time to find exactly what you want? That was the case when I happened upon BUS STOP + Etc. “Fancy That . . . Happy Accident!” What lured me into the shop was a piece of paper attached to the entrance door, sort of a lovely letter to anyone who’s thinking of entering. It was beckoning. Theirs was not a big selection, but better yet, they had the right selection of shoes, boots, stockings, along with a feel-good-atmosphere and friendly and helpful staff. I’m looking at a post card from BUS STOP that reads: “Travel to BUS STOP and it will be no accident. Our shop is chock-a-block full of eclectic shoe styles from all over the world! BUS STOP is a women’s and men’s shoe boutique on historic Fabric Row, owned by London-born Elena Brennan.”
750 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19147
215.627.2357
www.busstopboutique.com

So there I sat with my two boxes of possibilities while nearby an older and interesting man was hobnobbing with the staff. Then the conversation rolled around to winter and colds (maybe because customers were trying on boots), and he said something like this, “Half a raw onion every day prevents colds.” And the conversation took off as someone else said, “Yes, my family eats raw onions in the winter, and garlic is very good, too.” Suddenly I was lost in my own reverie as I thought, how did I forget that bit of information, my father always ate lots of raw onions in the winter, etc.

Burger Heaven is a coffee shop in Manhattan, and the establishment was always very generous with portioning out raw onions, and for many years they had a service of providing in their vestibule a small table with a bowl of chopped parsley for customers to chew to get rid of raw onion breath. I haven’t been there in a while, hopefully there’s still a bowl of parsley. What a good idea.
www.burgerheaven.com

So, before the day is done let’s not forget to buy a lot of delicious organic onions and garlic, and, oh yes, perhaps parsely, too.

Are you all enjoying the day?

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park slope, brooklyn

If I lived in Park Slope I might be a wee bit heavier. How can it not be that way when there are so many small high-quality speciality eating establishments. Walking along 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th Avenues, and meandering over to all the other neighborhoods bordering Park Slope, is a feast for the eyes. It’s a trip to eating paradise having only one problem: deciding on which direction to walk.

Once upon a time Manhattan had many butcher shops, and most went the way of many of its wonderful small bookshops; they disappeared. Now Park Slope has its very own butcher shop. The reason butcher shops are important is because butchers have knowledge, skill with the “right” knife, and tips for their customers that open up a whole new way of cooking. It’s rare to find that kind of personal attention in the meat departments of those very cold and very, very large supermarkets. So, here’s to: Fleisher’s of Kingston, NY and their Grass-Fed and Organic Meats at 192 Fifth Avenue (at Sackett Street), Park Slope, Brooklyn, ph: 718-398-mooo (6666).

Park Slope/Gowanus has Four & Twenty Blackbirds, a pie shop that tends to be busy. And should you want a special kind of pie on any given holiday place your order, or prepare to wake up early to stand in line and hope that they don’t run out of your selection. The story is that the sisters who started the pie shop began with their grandmother’s recipes. I think now they’ve taken it to a whole new level and are having a great time partnering this and that ingredient for a pie-eating experience that’s indeed memorable.
Four & Twenty Blackbirds at 439 3rd Avenue, Ph: 718-499-2917
www.birdsblack.com


We can’t keep talking about food because we’ll find ourselves opening the refrigerator, cupboards, drawers, searchng for that perfect treat. We’ll ponder the goodies at one more place and then think of delicious, nutritious salads.

The whoopie pies at Trois Pommes take me back to my childhood in New England; however, Trois Pommes’ jelly donuts remind me of “the donut man” of long ago who operated a shop in his garage. When the garage door opened it was like stepping into donut heaven. He was an elderly man and was proud of his little donut shop, He’d watch us choose and then we’d watch while he pumped jelly into some of the donuts. And out we’d walk with a big bag of donuts for two dollars. Or was it one dollar? Trois Pommes has jelly donuts only on weekends. They disappear quite quickly – sometimes one is left and so it’s shared, and a jelly donut shared by three people is, well . . . you know what I’m trying to say.
Trois Pommes, 260 5th Avenue, Ph:718-230-3119.

We haven’t really begun to explore all the fine food places of Park Slope and its neighbors. I’m thinking that maybe you’ll enjoy doing that on your own. Up and down the streets you go; take your time, relax, and have a day of pure eating indulgence – a little bit here and a little bit there; a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Have a wonderful day!

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studies show. . .

It’s been said that when we practice, practice, practice for some 10,000 hours we will have mastered whatever it is we want to master. Recent research also shows that our brain is 50% plastic and that we absolutely can change, change, change – radically. We, who have been telling ourselves for a very long time that this is how I was born; this is my genetic makeup, will have to find a different excuse, and good luck with that, -more and more studies are indicating that we are capable of much more than we realize.

In the extraordinary book The Compassionate Life – WALKING the PATH of KINDNESS author Marc Ian Barasch wrote this: “. . . while our project may be to see through thought itself, thus earning our full name Homo sapiens sapiens, the creature that is aware of being aware.” I had to read that a few times . . . “thus earning our full name. . .” it felt right.

French born Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, who, with his father Jean-Francois Revel, wrote the book THE MONK and the PHILOSOPHER A FATHER AND SON DISCUSS THE MEANING OF LIFE has been studied at leading institutes to discover how exactly has his brain changed after years of meditating. When the writer talked with the monk he mentioned that “ten thousand hours sound a bit much”; the monk replied that there are more recent studies of groups of people being taught compassion, and his rough prediction is that “you’ll see a sharp upward cuvre, maybe the most dramatic change, in the first six months.” Though about meditation he said it’s more like seven years, that “it’s not the seven-day cure for self-centeredness.” As I read the book I thought, so good to know, so good to know, so good to know.

Arianna Huffington praised the book with these words: “Refreshingly real, beyond right or left, just straight to the center of the human heart. If you want to help save the world today, then give someone-anyone-this startling, truthful, and passionate book.” And from William Ury, PhD, coauthor of Getting to Yes, “If I had to pick one skill that was most important for a negotiator – meaning everyone, every day – it would be the ability to put yourself in the other side’s shoes. In this extraordinary book, Marc Barasch helps us understand why and how.”

Put a dry book in my hand and I’ll end up reading the same sentence over and over. The Compassionate Life is not that. Along with excellent research, it’s personal and humorous and was written by “an award-winning writer, editor, and television producer.” He’s also the founder of the Green World Campaign: www.greenworld.org

Why am I telling you this? Well, I’m thinking that there are a lot of reasons to read this book, especially since many of us are realizing that the world in which we live is not what it could/should be.

Ode Magazine wrote an article on The Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard titled the world’s happiest man. Should you want, check it out at: www.odemagazine.com

Have a lovely weekend – rain or shine.

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let’s talk about death

Once in a while it could be very good to talk about death. Death? -you say Yes, why not? -I say. The news in all its forms never stops reminding us of it, and so perhaps it’s a good idea to give it some consideration, and not ignore that it’s a part of life. The world provides us with many fears, and, one step at a time, we need to take hold of them and get comfortable with them. Otherwise we can’t enjoy life and live freely. Fanklin D. Roosevelt said, “Often when you are alone suddenly fears seek you out and hunt for a place in your mind.” Maybe hunting it down before it does us would be easier.

Since ancient times sages and saints have tried to tell us that we’re on a journey, that there really is no death, that so-called death is a mere shedding of our physical body, and that our memories, thoughts, experiences, talents, etc. are ours to take as we depart planet earth for our next destination. We prepare for important occasions, and one would think that death is one of those occasions.

Michele Livingston answered a question which was published in the September/October 2011 of Wisdom magazine under the heading Divine Wisdom. The question was:

“My son Danny died two years ago from cancer. He was my only son and I’m crushed. So much so, that I quit my job and rarely leave my house. The times that I do leave, I go to the cemetery and sit beside his grave, crying and asking why – pleading with him to return. Where is he? How can I heal? I really need closure. . . .”

I think that the answer is complete and compassionate, and that we can all gain by reading it whether we’re grieving for someone or not. I hope you think so, too. It can be read on the Wisdom website:
www.wisdom-magazine.com
www.michelelivingston.com