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about baseball-let it go, michael

I’ve been thinking, Michael, about you and baseball. My thoughts go like this: I don’t understand your devotion to baseball-your devotion to a team of players making a ludicruously big salary who don’t come up with the goods most of the time. You sit, you watch, you anticipate a good game. Why? You’re often bored and disappointed. And how often do they actually win? Do you think that we, the masses, could whip them into shape by neglecting the sport in its entirety?

As far as I can see, the job of the team is to play a good game. And in the process perhaps win the game. Right? That’s what the big bucks are supposedly for. Now, if this were any other line of work (let’s call it that because it’s the way they support themselves and their families), they would have been fired a long time ago for not producing. They should be on their hands and knees grateful for making a splendid living by throwing a ball around.

But, no, the hype, the publicity-the glamour as a result of the hype and publicity-overshadow the fact that baseball is not what it used to be. It must have been lots of fun “in the old days” to attend a baseball game, when the players knew how to play and took pride in the way they mastered the game. And the cost of a hot dog was what it was worth.

Michael, did you read the pleasing story in Time magazine, 18 June 2007 on NASCAR founder Bill France Jr.? It was on the back page and was titled, “King of the Road” by Robert Sullivan. Well, within the story these words were strung together making a sentence: baseball, disgrace, cheaters, government inquiries.

So, I say to you, Michael, let it go. There are other sports you can sink your teeth into. Baseball doesn’t deserve your attention.

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a list

There are many ads in Spirituality & Health magazine. The ads explain the benefits of their teachings to us in our professional or personal lives, or both. The fascinating thing about all those ads is that they point the way to the same destination-the betterment of ourselves and the world-but by taking widely different routes. And that’s the good thing about choices. Since we all have our own way we need to find what works for us. Are you asking what some of those choices are? All right! Great, I’ll list them. Seeing them in a different form sometimes makes it easier to grasp the offerings.

Kripalu offers “experiential workshops, professional trainings, and R&R retreats” www.kripalu.org

Heartwood Institute has “full-time vocational study in Massage Therapist, Holistic Health Practitioner, and Asian Healing Arts and Whole Foods Nutrition programs. . . “which will prepare you on your path toward a career in loving service” www.heartwoodinstitute.com

The American Institute of Holistic Theology offers “nonsectarian college degree programs through self-paced distance learning. You can earn your advanced degree in: Divinity. . . Holistic Health. . .Metaphysics. . . www.aiht.edu

Spirituality & Health magazine offers workshops “. . . for readers to dig more deeply into the topics we write about in Spirituality & Health. The authors of some of our most exciting articles will offer intimate workshops that explore in greater depth the themes of their work.” www.spiritualityhealth.com/workshops

Barbara Brennan School of Healing “. . . learn directly from Barbara Brennan on the 4-year training program that can transform your life and bring higher levels of awareness into everyday normality.” www.barbarabrennan.com

Omega Institute for Holistic Studies “still your mind stretch your body shape your world” www.eomega.org

The Mandala Center “A quiet, peaceful place for rest and renewal known for its beautiful facilities, excellent meals and breathtaking views of the high plains and volcanic peaks of northeastern New Mexico. For upcoming programs, www.mandalacenter.org

Amma Sri Karunamayi offers “spiritual discourses, meditation retreats, individual blessings and Vedic homas for the spiritual elevation of humanity and world peace.” All programs free except retreats, click “Tours and Retreats” at www.karunamayi.org

Colin Tipping’s Radical Weight Loss Program “The only things you have to give up in this program are the ‘stories’ that caused you to gain weight in the first place.” www.radicalmanifestation.com

OneSpirit Interfaith Seminary “is a two-year part time professional training that explores the world’s religions & spiritual diversity. Designed for working adults, the program leads to ordination as an interfaith minister.” www.onespiritinterfaith.org

Celebrant Foundation & Institute “Celebrants officiate at & create personalized & meaningful life-cycle ceremonies” www.celebrantusa.org

Red Lodge Longhouse Program “Red Lodge is a program of spiritual study based on ancient teachings drawn from indigenous peoples across the Americas.” Red Lodge Longhouse Program

Dance of the Deer Foundation Center for Shamanic Studies with Brant Secunda, “World famous shaman and healer in the Huichol Indian tradition of Mexico.” www.shamanism.com

The New Seminary for Interfaith Studies, Honoring all Paths, “A two-year Training Program Leading to Ordination as an Interfaith Minister with Spiritual Counseling” www.newseminary.org

Thich Nhat Hanh EVENTS 2007, Retreats Public Lectures, east coast events, www.greenmountaincenter.org, west coast events www.deerparkmonastery.org

Nine Gates Mystery School, “. . . is a year-long experience. It includes two nine day retreats, with over 200 hours of instruction from nine master teachers, delving deeply into the wisdom of the Celtic, tribal African, Native American, Sufi, esoteric Christian, Hindu, Taoist, Hawaiian Huna, and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.” www.ninegates.org

Aina Me Kalani Healing in Paradise, “perpetuating the healing and spiritual arts of Hawai’i” Workshops Retreats Conferences www.healinginparadise.org

Eisner Institute for Professional Studies, “Specializing in Holistic, Clinical and Forensic Psychology also MA in Mental Health Counseling” www.eisnerinstitute.org

Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, “take the step to Gospel living” www.ssj-tosf.org

Institute of Transpesonal Psychology, “Career Training and Personal Growth counselors, organizational leaders, research education, business and health services” www.ITP.EDU

Sophia Center in Culture & Spirituality “Where you can earn a Master’s Degree or Certificate in Culture & Spirituality” www.hnu.edu/sophia

Whew? And there’s more in S&H. The world is BIG.

I’m thankful!

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ancient times, modern times,

When you think about what the world once was and those in ancient times who understood the importance of learning about, understanding and using for higher purposes the mysteries of the world, what are your feelings? And when you look at the world of today and all the playthings we have to amuse us, and the drugs that dull our minds, and keep us from becoming actively involved in seeking the knowledge which could teach us to tap into the depths of who we really are, and allow us to understand that this is not all there is, that we haven’t begun to appreciate what’s behind all this, and what is offered to the seeker of truth, what are your feelings?

I know, long, wordy sentences, but there it is. And it came about because I wanted to read a few pages of THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES by Manly P. Hall. It’s an olympic-size book worthy of spending time reading because it bullies the mind (in a good way) into realizing the depths of life’s offerings. And possibly bullies us into wanting to participate in the world by spending time doing whatever it takes to reach higher levels of understanding. This book is one that can make you dizzy by just looking at it, but it’s written in a manner that entices the reader with its illustrations and writings to sit and stay with it to learn and reflect.

The following paragraph is from The Dore Lectures by Thomas Troward. Meditating on this paragraph eventually brings a feeling, a realization, that that which created the world never stops creating, and since we’re created in the image and likeness of that which created us, we’re the creators of our world.

“My mind is a center of Divine operation. The Divine operation is always for expansion and fuller expression, and this means the production of something beyond what has gone before, something entirely new, not included in the past experience, though proceeding out of it by an orderly sequence of growth. Therefore, since the Divine cannot change its inherent nature, it must operate in the same manner with me; consequently, in my own special world, of which I am the center, it will move forward to produce new conditions, always in advance of any that have gone before.”

It’s definitely not a dull world.

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the secret

So, what are your thoughts about the movie, The Secret? I saw it this weekend, compliments of Emi. Thank you, Emi. There was nothing new in the content as many books on the shelves of used and new bookstores have the same message. BUT to get the word out in a well-thought out-no-mystery-involved-movie is new. www.thesecret.tv

However, now there are all those people coming out of the woodwork giving us their opinions, all kinds of negative opinions, about the book and the movie, and about the reasons they’re against it. Let’s just say to that that we can decide for ourselves whether it’s authentic or not. We can experiement with the message in our own lives. We don’t need naysayers telling us what’s right and what’s not all of the time. We, too, have built in ways of knowing what will work for us. And if you naysayers will allow that to happen instead of getting in the way, well, lots of interesting things could happen. One never knows until one tries.

“Unless you leave room for serendipity,
how can the Divine enter in?
The beginning of the adventure is to lose your way.” -Joseph Campbell

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the storytellers

In one of the Hudson River towns is a woman named Helen who owns a small shop. She’s from Ireland and although she’s been in the US for quite a few years, she still has a bit of a brogue. Hers is the kind of shop that’s more like a social club than a shop because it’s not easy to leave Helen’s place once you enter and buy what you want from an interesting array of items. If you’re there when Helen begins telling one of her many stories, you’re there for awhile. Her stories will either leave you bent over laughing, reflecting on lfe, or having a history lesson about Ireland or the Hudson River area. At times her friend Frank is in the shop and although he’s not from Ireland, he’s Irish. Together they’re quite a pair as they tell stories one after another- laughing so hard their eyes begin to tear. They should charge for the entertainment because they’re real good.

The back room is cozy, one forgets that it’s an absolutely perfect day outside with lots of sun and no humidity, and we, the listeners, are scrunched in a small area listening intently as if at a storytelling contest. I realize that storytelling is a skill, and you’ve got to be good in order to keep people enthralled to the point they forget they have things to do. And that’s one of the delights of being there.

To be able to drop everything in the course of a day and to sit, listen and laugh is a day well spent, too.

“Our ability to relax into life reflects our willingness to trust.” -anonymous

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.” – Rumi

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the natural way

I like to find natural remedies to heal what ails instead of grabbing something over-the-counter for quick relief. Of course, it’s important to know the source of the information so as not to end up feeling worse than before. Delving into this area which is full-to-the-brim with information is immensely interesting, and surprising because of the amazing things one learns, and it’s fun.

Apple Cider Vinegar is good for many things. There are books written just about ACV. Bragg’s is a very good brand. I have Dr. Earl Mindell’s Amazing Apple Cider Vinegar book. He’s been in the natural health field for years. www.bragg.com www.drearlmindell.com

I came across some of Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. writings. He healed himself from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia when he was in his 20’s, and had to drop out of medical school for a time. I’ll definitely check out his books, some of which are, From Fatigue to Fantastic, Three Steps to Happiness! Healing Through Joy, and Pain Free 1-2-3! His is an interesting story.

I’ve heard and read about the many uses of hydrogen peroxide from lots of different sources. I use it as a mouth wash every night instead of you know what. I’ve heard two mischievous comments about this. Someone told me that my tongue would turn black if I used hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash. That brought an interesting picture to my mind. Another person said my teeth would corrode. Hmm! Two reasons for having reliable sources of information. Once upon a time, I took a colonic course in Florida with Helen Wood, and came away with, among other things, a double-sided paper listing the benefits of hydrogen peroxide-the kind bought in a drug store. The list is still packed away in Alicia’s and Michael’s shed. Some day I’ll retrieve it and copy it for you. That sounds like a plan.

We know about garlic’s power. Garlic is great. Don’t worry-chewing on parsley will eliminate garlic breath.

This is fun. I’ll go through notes I’ve collected from here and there, and add more soon.

In the meantime, let’s get rid of negative stress, and laugh more. That sounds like a plan, too.

Enjoy the day!

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enough

The voice on tv droned on and on with “the news” of Paris Hilton. After a while no one seemed to hear the annoying words. I thought, here we are in the USA and the topic our news stations focus on, over and over, is the condition of Paris Hilton as she once again prepares for jail. The media made her a celebrity. And now what? What is the purpose of focusing on Paris Hilton, without let up, as if there’s nothing more important in the world than this topic

Words uttered by the robotic geezers, and others, who by now should be wiser and well on their way to helping secure a better world for humanity, are embarrassing. Watching and listening to them pretending they’re getting “the news across to the masses” is more than embarrassing. They need to take a good look at what they’re calling news, and get on to more important matters. Imagine if the focus was about that instead of the Paris Hiltons of the world.

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at the marriott marquis times square and some nearby places

Two special people came to town this past week and reserved a suite at the Marriott Marquis at 1535 Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets marriottmarquistimessquare.com . I stayed with them for four nights. For a huge place it was quite nice. The operation of the elevators had most first-time guests baffled. You’ll see when you stay there. We ordered room service three nights in a row as one of the guests was not feeling well. Room service turned out palatable food and the service was very good. Well, they messed up a bit the first night, but it’s to their credit that they went above and beyond thereafter. In the morning, Starbucks coffee situated on the 8th floor was okay-not bitter and acidic as in most of the cafes around Manhattan. People have been complaining of the taste for a long time. When Starbucks first started its operations in Manhattan they put out a fine cup of coffee. Things have changed. Back to the Marriott. The employees are pleasant and helpful. Bringing your car? No Problem. Parking at the Marriott is orderly and easy. Saturday nights are chaotic in the lobby and other public areas. But, heck, crowds is what Times Square is about. That neighborhood is people to people, more so on a weekend, with theatres, restaurants, cinemas, and stores galore, and, of course, there’s the staggering number of neon signs.

For a somewhat quieter experience, head north then east to 57 East 57th Street. The Four Seasons Hotel is there fourseasons.com/newyorkfs/ . Feet tired? Reserve a place with Irina for a wonderful pedicure. Or, have yourself a drink of something delicious, special, refreshing, and a bite to eat at the lovely,quiet dining area-a few steps up to the left of the lobby as you enter.

Perhaps you’ll want to eat at Rock Center Cafe, Rockefeller Center, 20 West 50th Street, Ph: 212-332-7620 rockcentercafeny.com/ . Summer is coming, sit outside under a colorful umbrella. It’s charming. Join the rest of the tourists from many parts of the world enjoying being in a famous setting, eating a big, juicy hamburger, or penne with red sauce, salmon, or a chicken wrap. As you look at the menu trying to decide on what you want, you’ll notice all those mouth-watering desserts passing by. That means during your meal you’ll be thinking, should I or shouldn’t I?

In the mood for some excellent seafood or a big juicy steak? Two places located at Sixth Avenue could be calling to you. McCormick&Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant at 1285 Avenue of the Americas, phone: 212.459.1222, mccormickandschmicks.com , and Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, ph: 212.575.5129, delfriscos.com/newyork/, could be the pefect way to end the day. If you don’t want to stay for a full meal, hope that there’s seating in the bar area where you can have a light meal and go on your way.

Whatever you do, enjoy it all!

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i can’t wait . . . .

Last week without asking for anything I was handed some interesting items. For one thing, Emi gave me a DVD of The Secret. Although I have an inkling of what it’s about, there’s nothing like seeing the real thing. I want to know what’s causing all the hoopla, why so much publicity over this book, since for years there have been many books about this topic on the market. So, for a few reasons, I’m eager to watch this DVD. Thank you, Emi. I can’t wait to watch it. www.thesecret.tv

Then Alicia sent me a book from Raleigh. One she highly recommends called Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Interesting title for what looks like a very interesting book. This on the back cover, “If a more likable writer than Gilbert is currently in print, I haven’t found him or her. . . . Gilbert’s prose is fueled by a mix of intelligence, wit, and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible.” The New York Times Book Review. Thank you, Alicia. I can’t wait to read it. www.elizabethgilbert.com

And lastly, Sumi gave me her book, Sunfood Cuisine by Frederic Patenaude. Someone gave it to her a few years ago, and it’s not for her at the moment. That someone was, you guessed it, me. The last time I was at Sumi’s apartment I couldn’t help noticing that the book looked untouched. Now I’m the proud owner of it, and perhaps I’ll whip up some delicious meals and perhaps I’ll bring them over for Sumi to sample. Thank you, Sumi. I can’t wait to use it.

Nice!

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that’s the least of it

So, Emi, I’m surprised and delighted that you’re writing about food-the good and bad of it. It’s not what I thought you’d write about, but, then again, I sense lately that you’re more and more in tune with what food does to your body, mind and spirit. I thought music, movies, travel, clubs and school for your writings. I was wrong. Great going, Emi.

David Wolfe, www.sunfood.com who is BIG in the raw food movement, was allergic to a lot of the foods he ate before deciding on a raw food way of life. And, there are a good amount of people healed from cancer by understanding their food needs. Carol Alt has a cookbook, or shall we say an uncookbook, telling us about the benefits of raw foods. And years ago when Louise Hay was diagnosed with cancer, she changed her lifestyle big time. And when we begin changes in one area of our life, other changes naturally follow.

Many of us are allergic to certain foods, but haven’t yet realized it. I think many of us have trouble with sugar and those other artificial sweeteners. Some dairy and soy products, along with flours such as white and wheat make us feel listless. And that’s the least of it. Some brands of pastas actually put people in a very drowsy mood-just as if they had taken a mild sleeping pill. It’s important for all of us to be aware, totally aware, of what’s going into our bodies. Otherwise, we’ll go through the day feeling off-balanced. And that’s the least of it.