Heavenly!

Music for Deep Meditation produces fantastic and powerful meditation and relaxation music. They are also friends of mine, I am happy to say :-) Watch this in full screen, it is magnificent!

It's Just Your Japa Walkin'... Yeah!

Recently I've taken to going on vigorous japa walks. The spiritual practice known as japa is simply the continuous repetition of any *mantra (or the name of the Lord.) A japa mala, which is similar to worry beads or a rosary, can be used to help stay focused on the mantra while keeping a count of the repetitions. Typically Japa Malas will have 108 beads with a 109th bead, the Guru Bead, hanging separately to mark the beginning and end. The practice of Japa may entail hundreds or even thousands of repetitions. Japa walks are a great way to give your exercise routine a spiritual boost!

*If you are interested in learning more about mantras I just found this book and, though I haven't read it myself, the book sounds fascinating from the description and excerpt on the website. If you don't want to read the whole book there is an excerpt from the book explaining what a mantra is here;

http://www.sanskritmantra.com/what.htm

Yikes! Just Say No To Embarrassment.

I was conversing with a younger woman at a dinner party recently and she was telling me about an embarrassing incident that she'd had. I waited for her to finish her story and then I told her something that perhaps comes with age or perhaps it only comes with certain guidance. Embarrassment is mostly useless and it can be greatly overcome. I practice by simply choosing to continue to do silly things that make me happy even while people are passing by. Like, I walk my dog with my ipod on and I sing along to the music, granted I do this on a country road where only my neighbours are subjected to my crooning but... you get the point. It started with me doing yoga in the backyard. I love doing yoga in the grass but I was feeling a little embarrassed about people watching me. At first I tried to block the view and then it occured to me that it really doesn't matter. I also realized that if I saw someone doing yoga in their backyard that I would think they were pretty darn cool. I don't know that I'll ever be immune to embarrassment but the more confidence I give to myself the less embarrassed I feel. Try it out, it's quite liberating.

Feelin' Groovy!

Yesterday I was waiting in line at a pharmacy with my dad. There was a woman at the register apologizing for taking so long because she was paying with cash. She reminded me of a commercial on television that I do not like. It is the exact same situation. Everyone is moving like robots quickly and efficiently in a line to pay for... whatever. Suddenly one person dares to search in their wallet for some cash and everyone stops and glares at them as though the inconvenience of waiting twenty extra seconds was just unbearable! Someone please tell me that I am not the only person to find this ad disturbing. So yesterday, as on many occasions, when the woman apologized for holding all of us up I told her that it was okay, that we were not in a hurry and to please take her time. Every time I remember this and tell people this I feel so good. As my dad and I left the pharmacy I sang out loud some of the words to 'Feelin' Groovy'.
"Slow down, your movin' too fast. You gotta make the morning last now! Kickin' down the cobble stones.Dah dah dah, daah dah dah daah, feelin' groovy!"