88 steps

IMG_1871-1.JPG These 88 steps lead up to Hermano Miguel and Calle Larga to the beautiful old historic El Centro, and down to the Rio Tomebamba and over to Parque de la Madre where you’ll find the new part of Cuenca.

When walking up or down the steps you’ll often see young people proudly selling the nicely-displayed jewelry they’ve made. And at times there are musicians playing, and when they play certain music, they’ll have you feeling the beat as you walk up or down those 88 steps.

These steps have seen a lot of history – they’re worn; they have lots of character; and somehow they impart good energy. There are other stairs leading from the old to the new Cuenca; these though seem somehow different.

Also, tucked away at the half way point is Wunderbar Café. It’s easy to miss, but you don’t want to by-pass it because there you’ll find a charming garden and an equally charming waitstaff, along with good coffee and chocolate cake.

Okay, I’m heading for those stairs now . . . away I go.

Are you having a good day?

 

Living in cuenca

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July 2013 was a month of packing, and taking care of all the loose ends that come with a move. And it was a month of consciously remembering to stay calm and to trust myself. And it was a month of goodbyes, and not allowing myself to second guess my decision. I think that one of the most important things I had to do was to see this move as another experience in the game of life,
And so I tried and am now in Cuenca, Ecuador. The above photo is a view from my window.

Before moving here, I couldn’t quite zero in on what life would be like for a gringo in Ecuador. Reading and researching another person’s experience is like everything else in life. We bring ourselves, and we’re all different, and so our experiences will be unique to us. It makes me think of the book Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabut-Zinn.

Sumi, thank you for agreeing to be a single working mom for a week as hubby Toshi departed with me to give assistance. It was twelve days ago that I left JFK with my son-in-law. The first stop was a night spent in Panama City, Panama at the lovely Riande Aeropuerto Hotel which is five minutes from Tocumen Airport. When we arrived, the night was still young, and we had a relaxing, tasty dinner surrounded by plants, palm trees, and other happy guests. Nearby the hotel’s large pool shimmered in the soft lights.

Early the next morning the hotel’s van took us to Tocumen Airport for a fairly short flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. There we surveyed our options for the last leg of the journey – Cuenca. We decided that the four-hour bus ride would be scenic – as in up, up the mountain we would go. It was! We saw incredible views. Steep, steep it was though.

And though I was in Ecuador in 2004, I’ll say that at this moment I’m undergoing what’s called “culture shock” because . . . visiting a place and deciding to live there are two entirely different things.

I’ll close for now by saying thank you dear family of mine for all the love and support that came my way. I knew I could leave because you all know how to be happy, you’re all healthy, and you’re all a rather independent bunch.

And I love you all very much.

the celestine prophecy

The holidays are here. I love the music playing as I enter shops. There’s always this marvelous merry feeling I wish we could all bottle and have the year long. Though when I see people carrying three or four shopping bags full of gifts, I tend to hope that the givers have enough in their piggy banks to allow for stress-free buying. Because buying shouldn’t lead to this: “Stress, a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. ”

Speaking of stress free, an amazing way to keep the holiday glow is to watch a movie that gives us a sense of the spiritual part of the beautiful December holiday, since it’s so very easy to forget that the holiday wasn’t created for shopping. We’re blessed because there’s another side to us, and when we take our attention away from all the enticing ads and commercials, from all the things that take our attention away from what’s really real, and place our attention on slowing down, using our intuition, using the guidance within, focusing on and remembering what’s really important, magic begins to happen.

This is what the movie The Celestine Prophesy is all about, and what it does, it does magnificently. The special way the actors play their part based on their own spiritual life and experiences, the story, the words, the scenery, the energy of many of the people involved in the making of the movie, takes the one watching away from every day thinking to a new way of seeing life. And, if we allow, can get us into the real spirit of the holiday season, and also what we humans are really all about.
www.thecelestineprophecymovie.com/about.php

And when we watch the “Special Features” part, the writer James Redfield talks of “synchronicity.” And it becomes clear that step-by-step the making of the The Celestine Prophecy is completely aligned with the story and its meaning. When we listen to the writers, producers, directors talk about the movie, it becomes clear to us that everything was in sync because of the spiritual life of everyone involved in the making of the movie. After he wrote the screenplay, James Redfield’s intention was to place his attention on synchronicity, intuition, and guidance from within to attract those directors, producers, and actors needed. He did, they showed up, and this too is a marvelous story.

There’s a big chance that by focusing on what The Celestine Prophecy and/or the book by James Redfield is saying, we can change the way we think about certain holidays if they cause stress, because with a new awareness, and a knowing from experience that there’s guidance within, we won’t feel out of control anymore. And then, most likely our usual way of handling stress will be a thing of the past. Oh, yes.

HAPPY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND LOTS OF LOVE TO ALL OF US!

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“We wanted actors that related to all this – that were on a spiritual journey of their own.”
– James Redfield

“Synchronicity is a meaningful coincidence – something that happens that gives me an idea of what I’m supposed to do next with my life. And I have to say that sometimes I will follow those guidances, those thoughts, and, in a short run it may look like I’ve made a mistake – why did I feel that way, or think that way, or say that? And then I may find out later that there’s a higher meaning to it. I had to grow through a certain experience, or I had to become a different person, in order to live out what that was guiding me toward.”
– Salle Merrill Redfield, executive producer

“One of the most amazing things about life is that when we stop controlling we open up to a whole new possibility . . . I believe that when we do that we’re led down a whole new path. We meet people we would never have met before. We experience new things that we could never have experienced before. But we have to let go in order to do that, and it’s not easy, but I believe once we do it, we embrace this idea that we’re not fully in control of our lives. Then we see a whole new turn of events happen.”
– Salle Merrill Redfield

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where would you go?

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Because I read Kathleen Peddicord’s newsletters, and International Living, too, read travel books, watch travel documentaries, and tend to meet people who travel the world . . . I was thinking about where would I choose to live . . . so many beautiful places . . . where would I go . . . if I decided it was time to go? – it’s a wonderful question. I’ve actually narrowed it down to: France, somewhere in Ecuador, Uruguay perhaps, maybe Thailand, or Italy. And, yes, there’s also sacred and ancient India and its magnificent rich history. Though as far as India is concerned, I hear a little voice in the back of my head saying: however will you make that happen? And then there are the pictures I’ve seen of people profusely sweating and mopping their faces and necks with handkerchiefs, and documentaries of foreigners doing the same and looking as hot as hot can be. I’m not sure I could take that amount of humidity and remain sane. The other side of the coin is, when people talk of India they don’t complain of the humidity. And I’m beginning to think that it has to do with learning acceptance and simply loving and appreciating what India has to offer. The movie The Story of India by Michael Wood is a powerful, exciting, and marvelous documentary that can easily have a viewer thinking, I want to be there, too.

Now I have a question for you: Are there places in this beautiful and fascinating world you would happily move to in a heartbeat? And if you say yes, where and why?

Finding a place where there are like-minded people of all ages, a place that inspires and offers plenty of beauty, a place where nature has remained intact for the most part, a place having quality of life, and organic farms would be just about ideal.

Some people see the whole world as their home, and are comfortable anywhere with anybody, and I’m inching toward that mindset. The longer I live the more I understand that we humans are capable of changing . . . we’re always changing – we just don’t realize it. When we want the BIG changes to come and focus to the extent that most everything else becomes secondary . . . no doubts, anxiety, negative thoughts, no fear thoughts, allowed . . . a “single mindedness” until we’re where we want to be . . . that includes in any area of life . . . when that happens . . . we can expect change – the kind we want.

The way I prepare is to hobnob with the Mystic Power Emmet Fox so beautifully understood and wrote about. Mystic Power has many names, and we need to find the name that resonates with us. It’s a total belief that Mystic Power is our perfect senior partner.

Now I have a question for you: Are there places in this beautiful and fascinating world you would happily move to in a heartbeat? If yes, where would you go? And why?

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The evening is lovely. Autumn is signaling that it’s right around the corner. For me saying goodbye to a very, very hot and humid summer will be easy. Although I know of people who feel sad about summer’s ending. If you’re one of those people, cheer up, it’ll be back.

I hope you had a wonderful day.

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It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
It is because we do not dare that they are difficult. – Seneca

alejandro junger, m.d., film makers james and laurentine, dr. richard schulze, natural news, well being journal

Is there anyone who doesn’t want radiant health with lots of energy? Do you think this is a silly question? I don’t because a lot of the food we eat is chosen carelessly, and often it’s devoid of nutrition, loaded with toxins, dissipates our energy, and can make us feel and look not quite right. So, taking time to learn about the non-foods that find a way into our bodies helps speed us along on the path to health. Change can be difficult, it’s true; it can also be rewarding. Change tends to be especially difficult when we don’t have a clear understanding of the why and the how-to of it, and exciting when finally we do.

If you haven’t already clicked on to the following, there’s a very good chance you’ll be delighted when you do. Dr. Alejandro Junger www.thecleanprogram.com sent out an eletter about a documentary film by filmmakers James and Laurentine. I think you’ll really like and appreciate it and the website www.hungryforchange.tv

And . . . in his book CLEAN he mentioned Dr. Schulze’s website www.herbdoc.com We can access many interesting healing stories from people who say they’re forever grateful to Dr. Schulze for giving them their health back. His website also is packed with possibilities that can lead us to change (not overwhelming though; I don’t do overwhelming). And . . . Dr. Schulze on his website mentioned the following www.naturalnews.com
– also too good to pass over.

We’ve not a thing to lose in checking out these websites, and a whole lot to gain. All we have to do is read, learn, appreciate what they offer, and be happy they’re available. I’m familiar and delighted with all of them and trust you’ll be too.

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So, let’s toast to change and to our very good health.

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“Doctors who . . . parlay a mere risk factor like cholesterol into something more are misleading the public as well as themselves. . . . Thousands of people die of heart attacks every year who have ‘perfect’ cholesterol. The reverse is also true: people with horrendous cholesterol levels live to advanced old age without suffering any heart problems.” – Deepak Chopra, M.D. In “Healing the Quantum Heart” from Give Yourself Health: Thoughts, Attitudes and Your Health, available at PDF at www.wellbeingjournal.com in “Products/Services” – from Well Being Journal

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www.wellbeingjournal.com

narcissus quagliata and michel domit

Lilou Mace has given us another exceptional interview with famous glass artist Narcissus Quagliata, and the creator of El Santuario at Valle de Bravo (two miles outside of Mexico City), Michel Domit.

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www.juicylivingtour.com
www.elsantuario.com

These two creators, with Lilou Mace, treat us to a remarkable interview which, if we carefully and deeply listen, will change us. I want to entice you to watch it on juicy living tour by writing about a few things that were discussed, and, when you’re ready, to search for the video titled “The Importance of Stopping the Mind! Mexico.” I’ll try to piece a little of it together for you to whet your appetite, although it won’t sing to your heart in the way watching and listening will. Something begins to stir in the listener when hearing about the creation of the beautiful light from the dome reflecting everywhere, and the amazing before and after story of El Santuario and the dome, hearing the words: heart, love, consciousness, creating, quieting the mind, the holy quartz mountain that has a spirit, quieting the mind, atoms, stars, the Tibetan monks, revelation, transformation, quieting the mind. . . .

Dialogue taken from the juicy living tour video:

We have two imaginations – one the perceptive, the other the creative – though no one talks about it, Silva Mind Control founded by Jose Silva does, and Michel Domit taught it for twenty years.
www.silvamindcontrol.com

Narcissus Quagliata created a beautiful dome for El Santuario. Before doing this, though, he took absolute quiet on the mountain for three months. He said that people have to learn how to quiet the mind and create a vacuum. And if you stop internal dialogue you become enlightened. He said that he created the dome by pushing away everything that was unnecessary. He said the most frequent question asked is: How did you invent the imagery? How did you invent it? The answer is simple, he said. I invented it by pushing away everything that is unnecessary. I create an empty space and then the images find me. I don’t go find them – absolute quiet and then I just stood still and within days my place was crowded with images. By quieting the mind you become a vacuum. That’s how Siddhartha became the Buddha.

Michel Domit said that his teacher Carlos Castenada insisted so much on stopping the internal dialogue – it is not us. The mind we are using is wonderful, but if we don’t know where the turnoff button is, it’s terrible. It can actually drive you crazy.
www.castaneda.com

He devoted eight hours every day for five months to meditation before beginning his El Santuario project. And he said that the spirit of the mountain guided him in the creation of El Santuario . . . listen to the video to find out how the spirit of the mountain communicates.

And so, the above is just a skeleton of a most interesting and enlightening interview; it’s much more exciting to watch and listen to it because time and again what’s stressed is that there’s so much more to life, and to us, than what we now believe. And the possibility of things being a lot different for us were we to deeply listen to the dialogue between Narcissus Quagliata, Michel Domit, and Lilou Mace on the video “The Importance of Stopping the Mind! Mexico” is very real.

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“In the universe there is an unmeasurable force which shamans call intent, and absolutely everything that exists in the entire cosmos is attached to intent by a connecting link.”
– Carlos Castaneda

Yes! Magazine

I read last month’s issue of YES! With relish and It helped me to understand what’s going on in the world. I don’t know why I didn’t come across this powerful and practical magazine before last month. YES! writers are well-versed; they tackle the nitty-gritty of today’s very important topics, those that affect all of us, and inform us about issues that are not necessarily aired in quite the same way in the media. YES! readers are given a no nonsense account of how the important issues work, or don’t, on behalf of we the people, and the many ways in which those things that pertain to us are changing due to the creative endeavors of citizens the world over. Knowing what’s actually happening, as opposed to thinking we know, lends power to daily living. www.yesmagazine.org

Check it out, there’s nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. If you’ve been reading YES! all along, good for you, and next time you discover something of interest, tell us about it;-)

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend.

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joshua bell and an experiment

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Rush hour in many major cities is an intense time. This story though is about so much more. Last year I experienced “rush hour” when waiting for someone at Grand Central Station. I was standing in front of a store window when suddenly many people raced by – a stampede is what it was. They began brushing up against me; I started to think I had become invisible. I was occupying a small space and moving a few inches back wasn’t a possibility. I won’t say anymore except that the insanity will stop when we fully understand the power of the present moment.

This remarkable story has been traveling around by way of email.

“A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the
violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for
about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was r…ush hour, it was
calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on
their way to work.

Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was
musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds,
and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman
threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to
walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him,
but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he
was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother
tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the
violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to
walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by
several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced
them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and
stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk
their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and
silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there
any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most
talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most
intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a
theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro
station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social
experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The
outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour:
Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize
the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

“If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best
musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many
other things are we missing?”

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“It’s foolish how we rush through life and cry that time is on the wing. We’re living in eternity, and time is just a clockmade thing.” – R. McCann

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about us . . .

What do we do without access to our own guru, mentor, or someone capable of bringing us to a higher level of understanding? Well, if we steadily put our attention on the right ones, books can be great guides.

It’s been written in these books that we’re all the creators of our own life, although most of us are not conscious of this, blame outside forces, and take little or no responsibility for things that happen to us. We think it’s so easy this way, although we’re not even conscious that that’s what we’re thinking.

And then there’s a small group of people who have a gut feeling, an almost overpowering feeling, that what is is far different than what could be. And this overwhelming gut feeling spurs them on. They willingly take the bull by the horns, so to speak. and, step-by-step, harness the patience and effort, and whatever else it takes, to change the way they see the world, to change the thoughts they think moment-to-moment about themselves and everyone else, and ultimately establish a new way of consciously living in the world. Again and again we’re reminded by these people that we’re all capable of doing what they’ve done. In fact, evolving is what we’re supposed to be doing, and therefore, we’re more than capable of getting ourselves from unconscious to conscious living. Nice, right?

Walk around city streets and it’s obvious that the majority of people are not too happy with. . . . Name anything and it’ll most likely fit the rest of the sentence. One area of distress is the physical body, lack of energy, irritable bowel syndrome, all kinds of allergies, anxiety, autoimmune disorders, bloating, constipation, body odor, cancer, diabetes, diahhrea, eczema, fibromyalgia, heart disease, joint pain, toxic overload, stress, thyroid dysfunction, and more.

Okay, I’ve taken the above from the index of the book CLEAN by Alejandro Junger because, in the clearest and most interesting of ways, he addresses humankind’s health problems. CLEAN is wonderfully enlightening, and I”m kept busy underlining and trying to take it all in before beginning the three-week detox program. Anyone suffering in any way – mentally, emotionally, physically, soul hungry – CLEAN addresses just about every human distress. Not ready to detox? – read the book, plant the seeds, learn and absorb – for now.
The following websites are from the book:
www.cleanprogram.com
www.cancerdecisions.com
www.debraslist.com

Most of us can use an injection of instant enthusiasm, right? Reading the book The Mother of Invention by Neale Donald Walsch just about guarantees that we’ll get it. The back jacket of the book reads: “A biography unlike any other, The Mother of Invention tells the story of every human being now on the earth . . . through the telling of the life story of futurist and visionary Barbara Marx Hubbard. We are all moving through the same process, the book and it’s subject declare, it is the process of the birthing of our species.” this is not just any biography. You’ll see, if you decide to read it.
More wonderful websites:
www.evolve.org
www.HealYourLife.com

Enjoy a lovely day.

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kripalu

kripalu meditation and yogaIf you haven’t been to Kripalu, you’re in for an absolutely delightful body mind spirit treat. I’ve been looking, page after page, at Kripalu’s spring 2012 catalog, and noting the rich listing of eager teachers, many of them are easily recognizable; they have solid reputations. They are very good at what thet do, which makes the catalog an exciting one. Additionally, Kripalu is situated in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts; beauty is everywhere.

How to choose from all the wonderful workshops listed? – that is the question.

Let’s look at a few. On page 25 the course description reads, Freedom-Style Yoga taught by Erich Schiffmann. “Erich Schiffmann is a one-of-kind teacher in the American yoga world. His unique Freedom-Style Yoga offers an intuitive approach to yoga as the art of living.”
www.movingintostillness.com

On page 30 is Getting High: Yoga, Meditation, and the Infinite Pharmacy Within with Tommy Rosen. He “is a certified vinyasa flow and Kundalini Yoga teacher and a leading authority on addiction and recovery with 20 years experience helping others overcome addictions of every kind.”
www.tommyrosen.com

On page 73 we come to The Radical Heart of Buddhism with Noah Levine. It reads: “Learn to develop a greater sense of care for yourself and the world we share through the revolutionary spiritual practices of the Buddhist tradition of overcoming hatred with love, fear with faith, ignorance with understanding, and greed with generosity.”
www.dharmapunx.com

On page 74 is The Blood Sugar Solution: An UltraHealthy Program to Lose Weight, Reverse Diabetes, and Feel Great with Mark Hyman. “Mark Hyman has dedicated his career to identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic illness through a groundbreaking whole-systems approach known as functional medicine.”
www.drhyman.com

There’s Deborah King, “Explore the heart of healing with one of today’s foremost master healers. www.deborahkingcenter.com

On page 88 is Living the Evolutionary Life: Through Death, Beyond, and Reincarnation with Robert Thurman and Dechen Thurman.
www.bobthurman.com

The spring catalogue seems better than ever, and whatever our needs are, there’s a course that has the potential to make it finally click for us, to bring us to another kind of understanding about ourselves, others, and our world, to break old habits, to heal; it’s ongoing, and we’re blessed to have these many offerings.
www.kripalu.org
Phone Number: 800-741-7353

Credits are available for psychologists nurses social workers certified counselors registered dietitians yoga teachers athletic trainers massage therapists acupuncturists. Go online to learn details, including the number of hours granted: kripalu.org/cecredits

You should know that the food at Kripalu is delicious! and Kripalu’s Recipe Books are available for purchase at their shop. You’ll like the shop, too.

Going to Kripalu is something wonderful to consider whether for relaxation and enjoyment, learning, teacher training, healing, wanting a transformation, or to hobnob with like-minded people. Ah, yes, Kripalu just might have what body mind spirit need.

The night is lovely; let’s enjoy.