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those ny yankees

I still don’t understand what’s happening with the Yankees. What I do understand is that things get complicated when there’s money, power and egos at stake. Joe Torre was making 7.5 million a year for managing a baseball team – the Yankees. Fine, if that’s what they want to pay him. Then last Thursday, because the Yankees haven’t won the World Series in 7 years he got a decrease in salary, and “was offered a one-year $5 million contract with $3 million in incentives, including an $8 million vesting option in 2009 if the Yankees reached the World Series.” and “. . . he still would be baseball’s highest-paid manager. . . .” – USA Today

And someone said Joe Torre was “too passive,” and “even pros like the Yankees need an occasional pat on the back or kick in the butt,” wrote Al Neuharth. And some friends of his “pleaded” for him to be able to continue on with the Yankees. Hmm! Two things about this: What’s the problem, dear Joe Torre? You’d still be making mucho moola. And isn’t the $207 million the Yankees are collectively making the “pat on the back or kick in the butt”? I know at this time in our society being able to discipline oneself, to prove you’re worth the big bucks being earned, might be asking for a lot, But, hey, Yankees, give it a try, you’re playing in the big leagues, put on your big boy pants and get thee to the World Series.

Michael’s not going to like this post. He’s been a die-hard fan since the age of 5! Still, maybe he’s become a little disenchanted. Maybe he’s not the only one. www.yankees.com

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uma

I logged on to my computer and read a caption about Uma Thurman’s dress. I happen to like her acting, she seems to be a woman of substance, and doesn’t look as if she’d hurt anyone. Sensationalizing a situation by taking a picture of her so that a silly “story” sells appears to be the norm. What would it have taken for someone around her to say “Uma, your slip is riding up. Pull it down before some fool with a camera sees you.” Clearly, there was a slip underneath the top fabric and it did ride up. Sometimes those things happen. Apparently the designer of the dress should have paid more attention to the flow of fabric when putting one against the other.

Uma, find a better designer and surround yourself with people having more compassion.

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kripalu in the berkshires

Through the years I’ve known people who, for different reasons, spent the holidays alone. Alone meaning not with family and/or friends, but alone traveling to the islands, or alone taking courses. They’re not necessarily alone, only if they want to be. They’re in the midst of unfamiliar faces and they’re having a great time.

I’m looking at Kripalu’s November/December holiday listings. Kripalu center for yoga & health stockbridge, massachusetts 800.741.7353 kripalu.org is far from being just about yoga. On the 23rd November is a Thanksgiving Retreat and Renewal with a listing of programs. Keep in mind that no one goes hungry at Kripalu. When I was there last summer, I took a tour of their kitchen. Suffice it to say that everything coming out of their kitchen is scrumptious (kripalu.org/recipecorner). If you were to attend “thanksgiving at kripalu. . . ” and “make this a special year.” you could arrive a few days before the program, if you can, to enjoy the beauty of nature, have a look at what’s going on in all the rooms, retreat to the sunroom or cafe, take in a discussion, listen to some music, visit the store, walk the grounds, meditate in one of the many rooms, etc., and, of course, there’s yoga.

In December are end-of-year holidays, and, this from the catalog: “At Kripalu you’ll find kindred spirits and a supportive environment for turning within. All of the programs on the following pages offer you the opportunity to savor this special time of the year and move into the new year with renewed energy.” The catalog looks enticing. Where will the holidays find you?

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omega in rhinebeck, ny

The Omega catalog has page after page of, I was going to say workshops, seminars, courses, but what they really offer are all kinds of people teaching all kinds of things that will stretch you mind, body and spirit in all kinds of ways. There, that’s what I really want to say. Omega is located in Rhinebeck, NY, and today I settled in with the summer catalog and decided to randomly pull out pages from the catalog. It’s a bit late to be looking at the summer catalog, but that’s how life is at times. However, it’s good to get an idea of what there is because they’ll come a time when it’ll be the perfect time to be in Rhinebeck, NY attending to body, mind, spirit. It’s good to be prepared.

I’ve listed what we’ve missed just to give an idea of what was and will be and what is now at Omega:

Your Body Speaks your Mind
Deb Shapiro “In this workshop, we discover the extraordinary relationship between the mind and body with the author of the United Kingdom’s best-selling book, YOUR BODY SPEAKS YOUR MIND.” (This couse was in May, but the book is available and the website: www.edanddebshapiro.com)

Prophecy & Transformation 2012: The Return of the Quetzalcoatl
Daniel Pinchbeck – “According to the Mayan calendar, we are in an accelerated time of transition, experiencing a transformation of human consciousness as we approach the year 2012, the end of the Mayan Great Cycle of 5,125 years. This will bring about, Daniel Pinchbeck writes in his provocative best-selling book, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, ‘the conclusion of a vast evolutionary cycle, and the potential gateway to a higher level of manifestation.’ ” (this course was in June, there’s always the book and perhaps a future time)

Meditation, Visioning & the Music of Your Soul
Michael Bernard Beckwith, originator of the Life Visioning Process, a time-tested technique offering a method for putting a stop to being a passive tourist in your life, and Rickie Byars Beckwith, an intuitive channel of healing music. (this course was in June. Here are the websites of: Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, www.agapelive.com and Rickie Byars Beckwith, www.rickiebyars.com)

The Inner Truth of Tarot
Mary Greer and Rachel Pollack, “What we know as tarot today developed in Renaissance Italy and grew out of card games that made their way from China through the Middle East to Europe before 1400. Because of their exposure to many cultures, the symbolic pictures on the cards contain ideas and teachings from many sourcs, including the mystery schools of ancient Egypt, the kabbalah, mythology, and the various mysteries of death and rebirth.” . . . “Mary Greer’s Tarot for Yourself and Rachel Pollack’s 78 Degrees of Wisdom are often cited as the two indispensable texts for any tarot reader. Between them, Mary and Rachel have more than 70 years of experience as tarot readers and teachers.” (this course was in June, website: www.rachelpollack.com)

The Journey Through Cancer & The Seven Levels of Healing
Jeremy Geffen, M.D. is a board-certified medical oncologist, a pioneer in integrative medicine and oncology, and author of the highly acclaimed book, The Journey Through Cancer. He also has more than 30 years of experience exploring the great spiritual and healing traditions of the world. (this course was October 5-7, however, note the book and website: www.geffenvisions.com)

A Yoga Gathering for Black People
Roots, Rhythm & Soul
“This is the first gathering of black people at Omega that focuses on the potential impact of yoga on health, race, and the politics of being black in America.”
Maya Breuer, R.Y.T., www.mayabreuer.com
Swami Dinndayal N. Morgan, www.yogidinndayal.com
Yirser Ra Hotep, M.A., www.yogaskills.com

RUMI The Way of Passion Celebrating Rumi’s 800th Birthday OCTOBER 26-28, Course 5702-890/Tuition $325
Andrew Harvey, www.andrewharvey.net
Fariba Enteshari, www.rumiedu.com
Coleman Barks, www.colemanbarks.com
David Darling, www.daviddarling.com
When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.-RUMI

OMEGA Teen Camp,
Includes: Creative Arts, Nature & Wilderness, Dance, Sports, Funky Alternative, Evening Activities, Music/Drama
“Omega Teen Camp is a program for teenagers, ages 13-17, designed to help them discover a more peaceful, joyful, and positive way to live in the world. In a safe and loving community, teens learn about themselves while making deep and meaningful connections with others. At Omega Teen Camp, teenagers strengthen their self-esteem and learn to express their own individual power while having the time of their lives.” www.omegateencamp.org (ponder this for summer 2008)

Omega has rest & rejuvenation retreats. And also a chance to: “Join our seasonal staff in our work exchange program. Here you can work and grow with a supportive, diverse group of people from around the country and the world.” www.eomega.org for an application or call 845-266-4444, ext. 304

Omega Online: In 2007, Omega created “an entirely new online experience at www.eomega.org. Our Media Works department will be presenting audio and video clips of some of our most renowned faculty sharing thought-provoking commentary on the issues of the day that affect our lives and our planet.”

And so, this is a short list of all that we missed, and didn’t miss in the form of books and websites. So many yoga classes, incredible teachers, courses having the power to transform body, mind and spirit.

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talent

Is there an artist lurking somewhere in you? I ask because where I am are many artists and their works. It could have you think that if you went to an art store and purchased all those magnificent colors and brushes, along with an easel, and found your spot of light, you could paint your own beautiful (or grotesque-depending) pictures. There would then be a show at a gallery whose owner simply loves your work, and it would be uphill from there. Of course, there’s the matter of talent which has to be considered before walking into an art store, i.e., when painting for the world’s enjoyment and not merely your own. Some artists have an incredible natural talent, others study before they find it, and there are those, well, possibly their talent is in another field.

The other part of the artist’s world are the gallery owners and the people who attend the shows. Two people can stand in front of the same painting, and see entirely different aspects of that work. What happens there is very personal and probably can’t be explained. However, if the person standing in front of the painting is the owner of a gallery, and wants to show the artist’s works, what s/he’s viewing is different from those wanting to buy for their own pleasure. The gallery owner buys because s/he likes the paintings, and, along with that, keeps uppermost in mind, the expectations of the people who come to her/his gallery.

I’ve noticed that the word, talent, (noun, “A special natural ability or aptitude” – dictionary. com) can lead to some immensely lively, entertaining and informative discussions. That could be another part of an artist’s world.

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beginnings

Monday, because it’s the beginning of the work week for some, reminds me of beginnings as it applies to daily life. There’s the beginning of life, the beginning of death, the beginning of a new business or a new job. There’s the beginning of a marriage, or the beginning of thoughts of a divorce. It could be the beginning of school, or the beginning of maturity at the close of one’s school life. Perhaps it’s the beginning of training for the olympics, the religious life, or the presidency of a country.

It’s the beginning of an illness, or the beginning of grief, or the end of it and the beginning of healing. It could be the beginning of freedom with the end of a jail term. The end of one lifestyle and the beginning of another, or a trip around the world and the beginning of an adventure. There’s the beginning of a friendship, or the beginning of new intimacies as two families become one, could be the beginning of happiness with a new understanding about a situation, or the beginning of peace or the beginning of war, there’s the beginning of creativity with a painting, a poem, a garden, a song, or a thought. There’s the beginning of the holidays, and the beginning of forgiveness, or the beginning of ease by letting go of stress. Always there are beginnings and their endings and a world of endless possibilities.

“The purpose is to be in the present moment and enjoy each step you make.” says Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. “Therefore, you have to shake off all worries and anxieties, not thinking of the future, not thinking of the past, just enjoying the present moment.”
www.plumvillage.org

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a cough

My friend has a cough, a dry, unrelenting kind of cough. It’s the kind of cough that leaves her feeling okay at home, but the minute she steps outside it seems to yell for attention. I had it once for a long time years ago. I know this cough. Since then I’ve found (well, actually I didn’t find it, someone told me about it) a product that’s able to beat down a cough for once and for all, and a cold and the flu. It’s good to know that there’s a natural remedy available for anyone who needs it. I almost hesitate to pass the name along because your know what can happen. When you want it, you can’t find it. Since that’s not a nice way to be, I’ll pass it along. Besides, there’s always more than one great, natural product around. We live in a creative universe, and we’ll find it, if we need it.

Quantum Cold & Flu Formula is its name, phone number: 845-246-1344, and its email address is: info@quantumherbalproducts.com. And the brochure states that it’s, “The World’s Most Effective Herbal Concentrates,” and that “Quantum’s liquid concentrates are made by people, not machines. They are hand-crafted in small batches in an exclusive alchemic process, not mass-produced as most tinctures are.” The best way to know is from experience, not that I’m wishing a dry, unrelenting cough on you, but just in case, it’s good to know that Quantum Cold & Flu Formula is available at a health food store. And my friend with the cough? This is where we part ways. She’s off to the drug store. It’s all about choices. Isn’t that Right?

Also, to help us along, is Louise Hay’s book, “HEAL YOUR BODY.” In it she gives us the “mental equivalents” for a cold, cough and flu. www.louisehay.com

Colds Too much going on at once. Mental confusion, disorder. Small hurts. “I get three colds every winter” type of belief.

Coughs A desire to bark at the world. “See me! Listen to me!

Influenza Response to mass negativity and beliefs. Fear. Belief in statistics.

We’ve nothing to lose and maybe lots to gain from these explanations. Here’s to our health.

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truman capote

I was thinking about the movie, “Capote” with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener, and the intriguing life of Truman Capote. His thin voice seemed to suit him, his big personality was enjoyed by many and took him far as did his talent. In the movie we see him reading the article about the four murders of a family on a farm in Kansas, and making two decisions then and there: Here is the story for his next book, and to leave for Kansas that very evening. How did he decide so quickly that that is what he wanted to write about? And what went wrong when he got involved in the researching and writing of it?

He went from writing “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” to writing “In Cold Blood”. Quite a change. I’d read about the flamboyant author, his free spirit and, of course, saw the highly publicized and entertaining movie, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” with Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Mickey Rooney and Patricia Neal. Who would have thought so much was going on within him while he was writing his next book? On the back of the CD cover for the movie “Capote” is written: “Famed author Truman Capote befriends two murderers while researching his celebrated book, “In Cold Blood” – and finds himself changed to the core.”

On a much smaller scale it makes me think of when we get caught in the clutches of a negative person and the conversation with that person begins to dissipate our energy and leaves us changed a bit, not as upbeat as before. We have to snap out of that feeling before it lingers and lasts longer than it should. Maybe it started unraveling for Truman Capote when he began interviewing and listening to the murderers talk about their lonesome, uncared for childhoods, and of murdering the family of four in cold blood. And when they asked him if he would come to the execution of their death sentences, and he did, the misery, violence and ugliness that was the life of the two murderers got to him.

What would have happened had he not read that story in The New York Times? Perhaps one day I’ll buy the book, “Capote” by Gerald Clark and read more about his interesting and complicated life and what fueled his other books.

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breakfast

The best meal of the day is always breakfast usually at home. It doesn’t matter that tonight’s dinner is at a restaurant with a 3-month wait for a reservation and is written-up in magazines whose chef has a show on the Food Network. It’s breakfast that makes getting up easy-even when it consists only of orange juice, 2 slices of Eziekel bread with St. Dalfour Wild Blueberry spread and a great cup of coffee. www.foodnetwork.com www.stdalfour.com

If you’re a person who savors breakfast and happen to be a guest at the home of someone who skips breakfast and exercises while sipping a protein drink, well, action is called for. Pack up and leave. There are those people who never think of eating breakfast. Oh, it’s hard to believe, I know. But it’s true. Ruthless I am when it comes to breakfast.

My sister Anna seems never to stop baking blueberry muffins. If she did there would be a lot of disappointed people. In the summer she gets up very early, has breakfast, and off she goes blueberry picking. There’s always at least one family member trailing behind her with their pail. She doesn’t have to hold her pail-more blueberries to pick-she found a sturdy container contraption a few years ago that ties around her waist. At the end of blueberry season she’s got containers of frozen blueberries lined up well able to take her and family straight through until the next blueberry season. Her muffins and a cup of coffee and fresh fruit are expected by everyone who visits her home.

Have you ever stayed at the home of someone who simply doesn’t cook-never, ever? Often they’re workaholics, but they can be people in charge of cooking and are challenged in the kitchen. They try very hard to please and wear themselves out because they’re constantly running out for takeout. Breakfast can consist of coffee and 4 or 5 little brown bags of pastry picked up at the local coffee shop or cafe, or getting up and eating out at their favorite place. They like great places, just not their own kitchen. It’s not worth trying to teach someone how to make breakfast when the incentive is not there, and it’s not there when the toast they prepare is usually burned. But that’s okay. They try.

Of course, you feel the same way about breakfast. Don’t you?

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karen maezen miller, momma zen

There’s no doubt anymore, autumn is on its way. Last week I saw the beautiful Catskill foliage welcoming the new season, although where I sit the trees are still holding on to their green color. That’ll change soon, too. The humidity is gone, it’s been pouring throughout the past three nights sweeping away last week’s humidity, and a cool breeze passing by actually feels invigorating.

Yesterday someone showed a book to me, and it opened to the perfect page considering the time of year. This is what was written: “Do not be attracted by the sounds of spring or take pleasure in seeing a spring garden. When you see autumn colors, do not be partial to them. You should allow the four seasons to advance in one viewing, and see an ounce and a pound with an equal eye.” -Dogen Zenji, “Instruction for the Tenzo”. The book is MOMMA ZEN by Karen Maezen Miller. I hope it’s alongside all the other books written for new parents; it seems a good balance. www.mommazen.blogspot.com

Ahh, back to autumn.