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Sarah McLachlan’s new album Laws of Illusion is amazing

Before going to see Sarah McLachlan at the Beacon Theater in New York last Wednesday, I was familiar with her popular songs, but not with her work throughout her career. After a night of hearing her amazing voice (which in a decade of autotune is so naturally talented, when she steps up to the microphone, you would swear someone turned on the radio- no studio alterations needed!), how she generously incorporates her backup singers into the show with their own songs instead of having an opening band, (graciously playing back up for them with a smile on her face!), and peppering the show with personal stories as well as a Q/A session, I floated out of the theater with the rest of the audience in high spirits and feeling like the past few hours had been a gift I would always remember.
I have been to a number of concerts and never have I gone to one where the musician/singer gives so much of herself in the performance that you leave feeling like you travelled on a journey, through her past seven years (that’s how long it took her to put together her album having had two children and a divorce, as in living life and having much to sing about) and so connected to the music. An artistic talent as well as enormous supporter of human rights, having donated a tremendous amount of money to women’s shelters and other organizations supporting humanity and animal rights, when her beautifully written lyrics pass through your ears, you want them to seep in and swirl around your mind, because they come from a place that is true, honest and pure.

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happy new year to all of us

What a lovely day it is; the sun is shining brightly, the snow is melting, and 2011 is here. Are we ready for a new wonderful way to live so that we’ll find ourselves in a good place? It seems our intelligent universe is asking individuals to come forth and shine mentally, spiritually, and physically so that together we can all thrive in the world.

Happily there have always been people who have understood their connection with everything that exists, and their responsibility to look upon the universe with kind and generous eyes, and to hold compassion, love, harmony, joy, beauty in their hearts for all that exists. That’s impossible, you say. if you tell that to those who know life differently they’ll say that everyone can come from a place that’s nurturing and loving – that it’s a choice. They’ll also say it’s time in the evolution of humanity for every one of us to change the way we see the world. We need a new understanding of our fascinating world, our place in it, and the way in which our thoughts and actions affect it for better or worse. Before a new year arrives we begin thinking of things we can do to improve – once again the opportunity is ours to get away from worse forever. When that happens all that exists will benefit big time. That’s not too shabby a thought.

“. . .Every atom of your body is connected to every other atom in the universe. . .”
-taken from an essay by Nassim Haramein in the book: Transforming Through 2012
Leading Perspectives on the New Global Paradigm
Featuring 33 Authors – Scientists, Researchers, Futurists, Mystics, Astrologers, Indigenous Elders and Luminaries. . .

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF US.

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a precious one

Do you have a feeling sometimes, when seeing someone for the first time, that that person is a wise ole’ soul. It’s the eyes, and perhaps the posture. That’s how I felt about Charlie. The first time I saw him he was alert in a low-keyed kind of way, and in tune with what’s going on around him. And when I saw him reach for ultimate relaxation in a full-body stretch I was fascinated. He quickly took me into his world; it was so pure and simple. I could have stayed and watched him all day.

I noticed also that when someone talks he really listens. He’s not thinking about other things, his attention is on listening and understanding. Another thing about Charlie is his acceptance of what’s going on around him. He’s as okay with noise as he is with silence. That’s an important quality to have in today’s rather noisy world.

When I first saw him on 25 November 2010 at NYU Hospital he weighed a little over five pounds. He was small, and he was strong. It’s nice to feel that energy. He didn’t mind going from one set of hands to another as we eagerly waited turns to hold him. Charlie was tranquil, and he was beautiful. And there was a lot to be thankful for on that Thanksgiving Day.

Charlie is blessed; he’s in a loving home created by parents, Sumi and Toshi. I think he knows that, and that’s the reason he smiles a lot.

There are people who write that babies are much more than who/what we think they are. In many books it’s written that until the age of three (some say five), a child is more in the spirit world than the physical one. Stories abound telling of children who are able to give intimate details about their most recent past life. Sometimes I like asking Charlie what he knows. He seems to be thinking about that.

And so, this is to Charlie, welcome to our world. May it serve you well; may you serve it well. You are indeed well-loved. When sister Sophie has your attention you will be well-entertained. She has been waiting for you.

I saw a video on the Open Center’s website about Lorna Byrne. She writes about Angels. It’s her world. Click on: Sharing What the Angels Have Taught Me, and then click on: Angels and Children The Natural Connection, on her wonderfully-inspiring website.
www.lornabyrne.com

www.edgarcayce.org

www.opencenter.org

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ruka

When Christmas shopping has come to an end, I walk into a favorite shop and buy something for myself. A little special something, not a splurge, something only I would call exciting. That something has to be small enough to fit nicely into a suitcase. I never know beforehand where I’ll end up, or when. As in today when I passed Ruka at 114 South 19th Street in Philadelphia, and it hit me – here is the place; now is the time.

It’s always a pleasure to browse and shop at Ruka. There were desert bells hanging on the wall. I took them down. And there were a wonderful array of mala beads. I chose the simplest. Then a little hand bell looking old, and sounding wonderful called to me. I placed these three on the counter. A customer picked up a round metal container, and asked what it was for. It holds spices, someone called out. I’d seen that box in the home of a friend. It holds her fragrant spices, – those she uses most often, and can’t cook if she doesn’t have them. A spice box will one day be mine, too. Not just yet; I’m very good at knowing when it’s time to go. “Ruka offers a treasure trove of items to delight and entice the spirit.” www.ruka.com

Now at my place the mala beads are waiting to be fingered, the desert bells are on a hook and sound as sweet as they did in the shop, and the small hand bell has its own perfect place.

Enjoy the season.

May peace be ours the world over.

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michael

When Michael got his first camera, it was love at first sight. He wended his way along the streets of Manhattan observing, waiting, enjoying, clicking, and developing. He captured the city in spring, summer, winter, fall – the parades, the buildings, the solemn times, the happy times – people in general.

Recently I mentioned to Michael how nice it would be to see a few of these photos, perhaps as part of a blog. I think he said yes to that, but I’m not sure.

One incident stands out when remembering Michael and his camera. I remember a lovely evening and a teenage Michael. He’d left the apartment with his camera, and then he was back – his face had an expression I didn’t recognize.

This is what happened: There was for many years a wonderfully stocked newspaper and magazine shop with friendly and kind owners at 23rd Street and Third Avenue. He’d gone into the shop looking for the latest photography magazines. In front of the racks was a young man also carefully perusing the fine display. They stood together both earnestly looking for the right magazines. The young man finally chose, bought, and left. Soon after Michael left with his purchase. The scene that greeted him changed the evening. A few minutes ago a young man was happily browsing in a shop. Now he was sprawled on the street as were his motorcycle and magazines. They said he died instantly. That night a camera was put on its shelf for awhile.

In many books it’s written that we are all one with each other – that we are connected with all of life. If Michael had come upon the scene of the accident while walking, undoubtedly he would have continued on with the evening. However, a slight connection with the motorcyclist changed all that.

Why do I write about this story when it seems to not have a direct connection to photography? Well, it’s this – a good photographer has a keen eye and when that eye instinctively focuses on something, and clicks the camera which stills the image, the photographer’s photos “speak” about beauty, joy, harmony, love, sadness, tragedy, fun, sickness, faith, adventure, power, success, courage – life and death in their many forms. They “speak” to different people in different ways. Perhaps the things seen with a camera are seen because of one’s life experiences – not everyone sees the same things through a camera’s lens.

I  know posting this is not a guarantee that photos are forthcoming. However, I’m cultivating the fine art of patience.

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listening

There are those days when there is nothing to say. Nothing to say? – you say. Why there is always something to say. To that I say, hmm. Sure we can all talk incessantly about nothing much. Saying something is more than that though; it’s listening to all that’s around us, and what it’s trying to tell us. Oftentimes it can’t be heard because we are a society that embraces noise. When we put away the noise though, and listen to what’s inside of us, and the things outside of us that speak softly and need silence to be heard – when we do this until we hear, we pave the way for an exquisite way of being in the world. Maybe then there’s something to say, or not. 😎

******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *******
RUN toward your fears! Embrace them. On the other side of your greatest fears lives your greatest life. – Robin Sharma

Surrender is like a fish finding the current and going with it. – Mark Nepo

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it’s a wonderful life. . .

Hallelujah! -autumn is here. May it stay tiil April 2011. I’m in Richmond, Va. right now staying with Alicia, Michael, Sebastian, and Clover in a large house. There’s a big trampoline and zip line in the big back yard – happily used by all who visit. Alicia is reaping the benefits of hot yoga (Phew!), Michael is still studying Sun Tzu, Art of War, and I just bought Qi Gong for Long Life Cleanse & Build Inner Qi at the Alchemist shop at Stony Point Mall. www.bikramyoga.com
www.shopstonypoint.com

About two weeks ago Clover celebrated her 2nd birthday and we in the north came to help her blow out those two candles. We being Sumi, Toshi, Sophie, Emi, and me. And Aunt Sumi and Uncle Toshi brought the DVD “Free To Be. . .You and Me” to Clover. I smiled when logging on to my laptop today and seeing a writeup on aol with Marlo Thomas’ words: “There were plenty of great moments in ‘Free to Be. . .You and Me,’ but Michael Jackson’s has stuck with her…” www.marlothomas.com Once upon a time I remember my children sang those wonderful songs with all their might.

Sophie’s brother is due in November; Sophie’s life will forever change, in a good way, of course. And in November Emi will be at a Film Festival in Manhattan on behalf on The Retreat Film, along with other filmmakers.
www.theretreatfilm.com

I think the drivers in this area are a bit better (perhaps a lot better – I’m a coward, no States named here) than those in the north. There’s more patience, a lot less honking, and more adherence to driving etiquette. Why is that? I wonder. www.virginia.org

Yes, there’s a coolness in the air, and those who “can’t take the cold” are planning their getaway. And those who can’t get away are planning their winter wardrobe hoping winter 2010/20ll will be very gentle.

Enjoy!

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an accident

First Officer Matthew Bell was a friend of a friend of mine. He died flying a UPS plane in Dubai this Labor Day weekend, along with another pilot, Captain Doug Lampe. I know of Matt, his wife Dawn, and their daughter indirectly. I heard they were a loving couple. And so when death knocked on their door, I immediately felt a heaviness in the pit of my stomach.

I read books about death because it’s certain that one day it’ll be part of my experience, so I’ve a curiosity about it. Surprisingly there’s a lot written about death. The more I read the more I discover that it’s possible to be sort of comfortable with it. We prepare for many things in life. The ancient and modern wise ones say we should also prepare for death. I know this sounds rather gruesome to some people. All I have to say is, as with all subjects, with the learning eventually comes the understanding, making it possible to gain an entirely new perspective. To spend time on this mysterious subject is a good opportunity to rethink about things learned once upon a time from here and there, and to plant the seeds for other ways of thinking and feeling.

When someone I know either directly or indirectly dies, I start to marvel at the wonders that make up the universe, and in praying for the newly departed, I say a short prayer for all of us.

Have you read the book Divine Interventions by Dan Millman and Doug Childers? Well, the book helps enormously to open the reader to the amazing possibilities in this life and the next – some of the possibilities seem to not correspond to our material world, but then again, it’s simply an extension of the borders of the material world.

Praise for the book Life After Death by Deepak Chopra covers 13 pages. Suffice it to say that it could possibly be the perfect choice of all the books there are on this subject.

“Deepak Chopra has written a masterpiece that is long overdue in our spiritual culture. Life After Death: The Burden of Proof is a bold and comforting guide into the afterlife. Eternity is the true home of the soul, yet we fear to explore experience of death and our place beyond now. Deepak has brilliantly accomplished this journey on our behalf.”
-Caroline Myss

“East meets West in Life After Death. This treasure of a book is graceful and thoughtful, inspiring and enlightening, practical and mystical, an adventure of the mind and heart. If Deepak Chopra is correct-and contemporary afterlife research supports his belief-we should not fear death, but ‘respect it as a miracle’ and celebrate our inherent ability to conceive and experience the eternity of life. Prepare to be awakened.”
Gary E. Schwartz, Ph.D., professor and director, Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health University of Arizona, and author of The Afterlife Experiments and the G.O.D. Experiments

“With great clarity and depth of insight, Deepak Chopra guides us through the process of understanding who we truly are, and leaves us with a richer, more complete awareness of the miracles of both life and death.” – Laurie Monroe, president and CEO, Monroe Institute

“Here is the paradox: life’s greatest mystery-death-seems to be its opposite and its very denial. However, anyone who reads Deepak Chopra’s penetrating and insightful investigation into this great mystery with an open mind will come to realize that the opposite of death is birth, not life. Life, which in essence is consciousness, is eternal and has no opposite. There is no death, only the metamorphosis of life-forms, consciousness appearing as this or that. This is the liberating truth the book continuously point to.”
-Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now

“If I had any doubts about the afterlife, I don’t have them anymore. Deepak Chopra has cast his inimitable light on the darkened corners of death. I think this is his greatest contribution yet.”
-Marianne Williamson, author of The gift of Change

* * * * * * *
May Matthew Bell find amazing possibilities on his next journey, and may Dawn Bell find strength and loving support as she continues on this journey.
* * * * * * *

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experiences

It’s written that the sages, through deep meditation and a falling away of the “I,” came to understand that all experiences are not good or bad, that they are just that – experiences.

Ahh, if we could live our lives with that thought and not add fuel to the fire with other thoughts, balance and joy would no doubt prevail – as the sages have said since ancient times.

If only we could; if only we would.

Tucked away in a small journal, unfortunately I didn’t jot down the author’s name, I found these words:

“If someone with a wand took away your ability to think, all of your problems would go away.”

It’s about the negative nature of thinking that’s easy to fall into – those thoughts that repeatedly come to mind unless an awareness of what’s going on quiets the mind.

And tucked away in a small journal are words of another, and again, no author’s name, food for thought though:

“You will never find the answer by dwelling on the problem. You find the answer by dwelling on the solution to the problem.”