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the river

Often as I walk along the Rio Tomebamba going into El Centro, I reach for my phone to take a picture. You see, the river is ever-changing, and because there’s been a lot of rain every single day during the month of March, the river looks mighty powerful. 

People flock to the river for different reasons . . . there are young lovers head-to-head enjoying each other’s company; a few people sitting on benches facing the river are deep in conversation; some folks are reclining on the grass with a book in their hands; teenagers are happily practicing walking on a rope tied to two trees; there are people simply watching the river while slowly licking an ice cream cone; sometimes people are washing their clothes and placing them neatly out to dry in the sun; children are playing and laughing in the water; bicyclists are pedaling by; always there are people meandering with their dogs; police are strolling along the sidewalk; and across the narrow road from the river are people sitting on their terraces, grateful to have a river view. I pay attention to the activity, noticing that down by the Rio Tomebamba, no one ever seems to be in a hurry. 

  This is a photo of Rio Tomebamba in a more isolated area during a quieter time in February. Do you see a woman relaxing on the edge of the water?

The Rio Tomebamba is an important part of life in Cuenca. As I walk along the river, I sometimes wonder about the people who lived here centuries ago, and what their relationship to this well-loved river was.

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“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it, always work with it, not against it.” – Eckhart Tolle

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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

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sadhguru jaggi vasudev

You don’t go to bed with the nightly news on your mind, do you? Uh-oh, that would be like preparing for a night of insomnia, or a restless sleep. Why would you want that? Tell me you’d never think of going to sleep with the nightly news in your consciousness, or anything else of that ilk. I heard you, you said, no way. Wonderful!

A few nights ago, I looked at my bookshelf and there at eye-level was MIDNIGHTS WITH THE MYSTIC by Cheryl Simone and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. I looked at the book and it was saying, it’s me you want. That was true. Even though I’d read it twice, it’s a book that needs to be read more than once.

Have you read MIDNIGHTS WITH THE MYSTIC A Little Guide To Freedom And Bliss? In the book, Cheryl Simone shares so much of her life with us – the parts she thought worked and the parts she knew were in need of an overhaul, for instance, deteriorating health, over-achiever, perfectionist, etc. Though it turns out that the parts she thought worked, also needed an overhaul. She begins the book by telling of her early life, then her professional life. It’s very personal which is vital to the story. However, a spiritual life is what she’s always wanted, and, well, at this point in time, we can say, desperately wants. However, no matter where she searches, no matter the teacher, progression is painfully slow for her. She notices the advancement of those around her, but, time and time again, she’s disappointed. Then she meets Sadhguru. Finally. . . .

He’s to stay at her place, and Cheryl arrives at the Atlanta airport to meet him. He’s come from India and they’re heading, with his assistant, toward the North Carolina mountains where Cheryl has a house on Glenview Lake in the midst of the rainforest. Cheryl’s mind is on the questions needing answers. She’s sitting next to the person she now calls her teacher, and she knows that he’s well-able to answer all of her questions. He’s behind the wheel; he likes speed. It’s an invigorating ride. She wastes no time, the conversation begins. . . .

The conversations in the late evening can have us wishing we were right there with them in the stillness of the night, by the lake with a fire at our feet, beauty all around, eating tortilla chips and salsa and learning about boundaries and boundlessness, and so much more. Their routine for one week is that Sadhguru stays in his room all day working, and in the evening after meals, and close to midnight, they walk to the lake, get in Cheryl’s boat, and head toward an area chosen by Sadhguru to talk and talk.

Ah, I can’t see how you’d ever regret reading MIDNIGHTS WITH THE MYSTIC, and learning about Inner Engineering, Sadhguru’s story, and the answers to all of Cheryl’s questions.
www.ishafoundation.org
“Some people call it God, some people call it Allah, Einstein called it E, and we are calling it Ishwara or Isha.” – Sadhguru

Is it time to read?

Sweet dreams.

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“self-realization is not given to you by the guru. He simply
removes the obstacles that are beyond your perception.”
-Sadhguru

There is a
Force within
that gives you life
Seek that
– Rumi

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clean by alejandro junger


What can we do for body mind spirit this year that will have a permanent positive impact on our lives, and on Planet Earth?

Perhaps we can start with detoxing. Have you heard of the book CLEAN by Dr. Alejandro Junger? It’s an exquisitely-written book having all that’s needed in the way of information, including recipes. Yes, imagine that, recipes, which means we get to eat while reaping all the benefits of detoxing. in addition, the writer keeps us motivated, there’s plenty of support, and, to boot, he inspires us. What more do we need? Nothing, except commitment on our part. Detoxing is a priceless gift we give ourselves, and I’ve not read a book on this subject quite as interesting and exciting as CLEAN. Alejandro Junger, M.D. is a cardiologist who early in his career went from being a specimen of health to being stressed, bloated, tired, having headaches, and being depressed. He had many good reasons for temporarily chucking everything in search of the cause. And that’s exactly what he did, eventually regaining complete health. He tells us his story so that we can benefit, and learn all the reasons for detoxing (liver, kidneys, gall bladder, colon, etc.). CLEAN, I think, is a labor of love.

It’s been over a year since my daughter Sumi forwarded an email to me with information about Dr. Alejandro Junger, saying that Gwyneth Paltrow had talked about him on her blog, www.goop.com Then this past December, I was on a train heading for Penn Station when my daughter-in-law Alicia called clearly excited about a book called CLEAN, which she had borrowed from a Hot Yoga friend.

And so, it seems like the perfect way to begin implementing a permanent positive impact on ourselves, and then Planet Earth, because when we’re in top shape things become clearer, and that’s putting it mildly.

Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself

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pesky little creatures treated the natural way

When I was in Boquete, Panama a friend I’d met there took me to visit a woman who produced the most luscious raspberries I’d ever seen. We visited her garden, and then went into her large kitchen where jellies, jams, and sauces were everywhere, ready for the marketplace. This is the way she kept her raspberries from being eaten by pesky-little creatures: She had a spray bottle, and in it was some soap (what kind of soap I don’t know), and in that bottle she also put hot spices. That made all the difference. I remembered the raspberry woman in Panama when I began clearing notes from a folder and read: “A spray to repel garden insects can be made from ground red pepper pods and water. It’s sprayed on the plants to keep pepper-hating insects at bay.”
from the book, HOT STUFF by Jessica B. Harris

This year I was forced to figure out how to keep a mouse at bay. I still shiver thinking about it. After researching, I went shopping for peppermint oil, whole cloves, ammonia, cayenne pepper flakes, and Bounce sheets. I used everything on the list. The Bounce sheets were placed here, there, and everywhere. I put whole cloves and cayenne pepper flakes in little cheesecloth-type bags and hung them here, there, and everywhere. Ammonia* and peppermint oil was poured on small cosmetic cotton pads and put into plastic caps and placed, well, you know where. Thankfully I was scheduled to leave for a week. I admit that I wasn’t too keen on returning because my imagination was entirely focused on a mouse dancing around my apartment after nibbling on chocolate.
*toxic – not recommended.

I wish I’d had the presence of mind to write down the website address whose owner so generously gave all that information. It worked! It worked! And whoever you are, thank you from the bottom of my scared-of-mice heart. How I wish I could say I wasn’t scared. I’m working on it though.

“Readers of the 1888 Farmer’s and Housekeeper’s Cyclopedia sprinkled cayenne pepper in nooks and crannies to keep ants away. This one really works; I’ve tried it with squirrels that took over a summer cottage.”
from the book, HOT STUFF by Jessica B. Harris


One more thing about cayene pepper: “More recently, a book on natural beauty cures published in the French West Indies suggested using red bird peppers to prevent hair from falling. Five of the small chiles are left to macerate in two cups of oil. The oil is then massaged into the scalp.”
from the book, HOT STUFF by Jessica B. Harris

David Wolfe writes about hot peppers and hair loss in his book, THE SUNFOOD DIET SUCCESS SYSTEM. He wrote that caution must be used when applying pepper oil to the scalp as it can burn if not done properly, and, of course, no one wants the experience of hot pepper oil in one’s eye. In the book that I have he explains the why of hair loss on pages 484-485.
www.sunfood.com

Do you agree that we live in a fascinating world?

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hybrid foods


When I go into Whole Foods and see the words, “seedless strawberries” and “seedless grapes” and “seedless watermelons” and “seedless raisins” etc. I wonder what exactly is going on with the altering of our food. Those “hybrid foods” are full of unnatural sugars, chemicals, and pesticides. They have no nutritional worth. The people who have taken it upon themselves to alter our foods are, shall we say (it’s important here to use the right words), a greedy bunch. The Creator made these perfect foods to nourish living creatures. Those who are mindlessly tampering with Earth’s bounty to make themselves rich are serving no one, not even themselves. Eventually, the greedy ones will have to pay the piper for thinking that the Earth is theirs to do with as they please.

This morning I picked up the book, Agartha by Meredith Lady Young and read the passage:
“While the use of chemicals has forced larger production, it is hollow production, for there is no integrity in this kind of bloom or grain. It exists without the permission of the plant. The plant is forced to produce-not allowed to produce-and herein lies the difference. Because violation of plants by this force-feeding method actually shortens its life cycle and eliminates any joy in the production process. Nature’s usefulness as a continuing food source is becoming diminished. The food which is produced is filled with the artificial, negative aspects of creation and lacks the overriding positive energy infused in the natural growing cycle. Even the water is becoming so acidic and filled with pollutants that basic water replenishment is no longer possible. How can health be produced from plants which are prevented from having a proper relationship with the essential elements which provide for joyful and complete growth? How is man to know that the planet suffers if he is deaf to any perceptual interchange?”

Agartha was published in 1984. I can only imagine what the greedy ones have done with our food since then.

Is there anyone who understands how the greedy ones can put money before living beings? Life is short, living at the expense of others is risky. Maybe they don’t believe in an afterlife, or in karma. Maybe they’re wrong. Maybe we need to find a way to set them straight so that Planet Earth will thrive once again. Does anyone have any ideas?

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Greediness, an excessive, extreme desire for something, often more than one’s proper share.
www.dictionary.com

www.livingfoodsinstitute.com/resources_articles_3.php

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spices herbs plants

Many of us have just begun to realize the huge benefits of spices, herbs, and plants and allow them into our domain. They’ve always been there for us to learn about and use, though it seems many of us weren’t ready. However, judging from all the information available to us in this decade, we are ready now, right? In the light of that, let’s pay homage to a few spices, herbs, and plants.

I feel that the book, The Indian Grocery Store Demystified by Linda Bladholm, is a labor of love, and I highly recommend it. Lot and lots of information can be found in the easy-to-read, rather thick book. If I had a bookshop it would be openly displayed, and I’d amuse myself by watching how many people would stop, look, and happily buy.

Turmeric is “antibacterial, antiviral, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiparasitic, and a diuretic,” – the list goes on. The above-mentioned book tells us about the benefits of turmeric. I take it stirred in R.W. Knudsen organic tomato juice, along with a dash of cayenne pepper, these three ingredients seem to agree with each other and produce a smooth-tasting drink. There’s no doubt about all the benefits, we just need to read and understand and be comfortable with what we’re ingesting, and think about the right dosage for our body. It’s certainly essential in the cuisine of India, not only in curries, pick up a cookbook and find that page after page turmeric is used.

Cayenne Pepper: The following website suggests a passion for cayenne pepper and to click on and read about its innumerable benefits is to know the why of the passion. www.healsa.co.za/cayennepepper.htm it’s written that it “was compiled by Dr. Schulze’s Curezone.com”
www.curezone.com

The Spice Terminal at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia has cayenne pepper from Africa that’s 1,000 times spicier than what we’re accustomed to, and the person behind the counter said to take it very, very, very sparingly. I didn’t dare touch it, I’ll be back when I’m ready though. When I first began ingesting cayenne pepper I went into coughing fits at each attempt, and I often caught my “dear ones” rolling their eyes and saying, “Why are you doing this?” and “Stop taking it.” I couldn’t though because I knew that the benefits far outweighed the coughing time it took to get used to this spice. Now I happily shake it on fried eggs, into soups and stews, on cooked pasta, and stirred into drinks, etc. Indeed!

Just to let you know, the high quality of the teas at The Spice Terminal are irresistible, and lifting the glass lid off one of the containers of tea and having its wonderful fragrance come rushing out, is to be hooked, and then the words come tumbling out, “Excuse me, may I have half a pound and how much should I use when brewing a pot?”
www.readingterminalmarket.org


Cinnamon, too, has healing properties that are many, put a piece of bark in your coffee cup, add it to the water you’re taking out with you for the day, sprinkle the powder on toast, in yogurt, – you’re limited only by your imagination. Let’s remember to pay attention to using the right amount and not go overboard. Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D sums up the benefits of cinnamon very nicely in the September/October 2011 Well Being Journal, under the title The Healing Remedies in Spices.
www.wellbeingjournal.com
www.SusanSmithJones.com

Gingerroot remedies has a long list, too. I’m looking at a book by Mark Stengler, ND on Natural Healing, and there are three pages about the healing properties of ginger. I think that that says something about this rhizome – “a stem that runs underneath the surface of the ground.” I’ve subscribed to Mark A. Stengler’s Natural Healing newsletters; he’s “in private practice in California…adjunct associate clinical professor at the National College of Natural Medicine, Portland Oregon…author of many books….”
www.markstengler.com/articles


It boggles the mind to learn just how numerous and beneficial herbs are (along with spices and plants). The simple title of a book by Maria Treben, HEALTH THROUGH GOD’S PHARMACY, gives us an idea, in few words, of the power of herbs to heal.
www.mariatrebenherbs.com

Triphala and constipation . . . in the book SPONTANEOUS HEALING, Dr. Andrew Weil, wrote . . . “Another Ayurvedic preparation, called triphala, is the best bowel regulator I have come across . . .” and, he continues, “it’s much better than Western herbal remedies for constipation.” The mixture of three herbs can be found in capsule form in health food stores.
www.drweil.com

Have you been to the Indian grocery store Kalustyans Foods in Manhattan? To see the array of spices, herbs, foods (upstairs, downstairs), etc. is a real treat. Triphala can also be found there.
www.kalustyans.com

Aloe Vera, I would be here all week if I had to summarize all the benefits of just these few spices, herbs, and plants, so again I’ll call upon a professional, Scott E. Miners, the Editor of Well Being Journal wrote about Aloe Vera and Digestive Health, along with Topical Healing Powers of Aloe Vera – Personal Stories of Healing, in the September/October 2011 issue
www.wellbeingjournal.com


Snake Plant, this plant is wonderful and I talk to mine and thank it for doing what it does. It’s “the only plant that produces oxygen and removes carbon dioxide at night.” For the technical aspects of air purifying with
plants,
www.wolvertonenvironmental.com

I’m a novice and there’s much to know. I find it all so fascinating, and so slowly, cautiously, and happily I’ll continue to explore and learn about the amazing world of spices, herbs, and plants – those that the Divine One created for the benefit of all living beings. You, too?

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Lots of renovating went on at Reading Terminal Market; and, along with that, the owner of The Spice Terminal closed after many years — and so no more cayenne pepper from Africa and the whiffing of the fragrant teas in that space.

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about us


In her book, The Soul of Money, Lynne Twist wrote: “Mother Teresa once noted what she called ‘the deep poverty of the soul’ that afflicts the wealthy, and had said that the poverty of the soul in America was deeper than any poverty she had seen anywhere on earth.'”
www.soulofmoney.org

On her blog, 3 Keys to Living the Life You Want, Jean Houston wrote, “. . . But now there is an open moment in history where you have the chance to tap into the soul of your purpose. . . .” and she wrote, “Most people hold on to old, limiting beliefs of themselves and our human story. . . .” and, “The third key gives you the means to break free from unconscious, habitual ways of reacting to life that were born thousands of years ago, and embrace higher ways of being for a new era. You will discover ways to move through life with ebullience in your bones and an appetite for celebration –seeing everything as an expression of the creator. You will move through life, motivated not by guilt or obligation, but by gratitude and an abiding zest for doing the things that are called forth by living out of your higher purpose.”
www.DestinyandYou.com

In the book, The Healing Power of Mind, Tulku Thondup wrote, “If we habitually dwell on and struggle with the negative side of our situation, our whole mentality, perception, and experience will inexorably become negative and filled with suffering. Seeing a problem as negative, constantly thinking and talking about how awful or painful it is, makes even minor problems insurmountably big and solid like a mountain, sharp like a knife, and dark as night. . . .”
www.tulkuthondup.com

In the book, Your Life Is Your Message, Eknath Easwaran wrote, “. . ., in order to live in inner freedom, you have to learn how to slow down your mind, bring it to a restorative stillness, and park it anywhere you like – in patience, say, or compassion, or love.”
www.eknatheaswaran.org

In the movie, The Burmese Harp directed by Kon Ichikawa, are these words, “. . . Why must the world suffer such misery? Why must there be such inexplicable pain? As the days passed, I came to understand. I realized that, in the end, the answers were not for human beings to know, that our work is simply to ease the great suffering of the world, To have the courage to face suffering, senselessness and irrationality without fear, to find the strength to create peace by one’s own example. I will undergo whatever training is necessary for this to become my unshakable conviction. . . .”

In the CD, The Flowering of Human Consciousness, Eckhart Tolle said, “Humanity has come to the end of suffering. As a species we have suffered enough. To be free, no other suffering is necessary.”
www.eckharttolle.com

In the DVD, How to Know God, Deepak Chopra said, “When we are attuned to our soul, which is the same as deeply going inward, we are able to listen in the silence to the subtle messages of wisdom and guidance. When our minds merge with God’s mind, we become aware that God is in all things – that we are eternal.”
www.deepakchopra.com

In the book, Everyday Karma, Carmen Harra wrote, “Once you bring a problem to the surface, and face it, healing can begin. I also think that healing takes place when a person begins to put order in his life, when he restores balance. One of the most effective ways to restore balance and maintain a sense of wholeness is by resolving your karma in your daily life. You will find that restoring your karma will make you feel better and prevent many types of illnesses and physical complaints. Resolving your karma strengthens your immune system! When people get enmeshed in emotional drama, their energy field becomes vulnerable and that is when they can get sick.”
www.carmenharra.com

In the book, As a Man Thinketh, James Allen wrote, “Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstnace.”

In the book, The Advent of the Cosmic Viewpoint, Bryant Reeve wrote, “. . . But as we rise to higher levels of consciousness – as we attain higher viewpoints of life then the very laws of nature tend to change. Also, the electrical phenomena of life change, the energies of life are different, the norm of living changes. The actual realities of life are different. The limitations become fewer. The very “facts of life” change as we rise in consciousness! This is why miracles are possible. They are manifestations of higher laws which become available to higher levels of consciousness.”

In the book, Divine Transformation, part of the Soul Power Series, written by #1 New York Times Bestseller Author Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha – trained as a conventional medical doctor and a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, Grandmaster of many ancient disciplines, including tai chi, qi gong, kung fun, I Ching, and feng shui and an expert in the most advanced cellular healing science now occurring in China – wrote, “. . . In all seven books, the Divine has continued to offer divine treasures to every reader. Why is the Divine doing this? We are in Mother Earth’s transition period. Mother Earth’s transition is the purification process of Mother Earth. The root cause of Mother Earth’s transition is the bad karma of humanity and Mother Earth. . . . The one-sentence secret of karma is: Karma is the root cause of success and failure in every aspect of life.”
www.drsha.com

I hope your day is as wonderful as you want it to be.

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winters in new england

New England’s 2007/2008 winter was one most New Englanders would like to forget. Shoveling rooftops, driveways, and sidewalks over and over again, hearing about roofs caving in, and broken bones from falls was no picnic. Now winter 2008/2009 came with a bang in the form of an ice storm. Last week my sister and her family woke to 55 degrees in their home in New Hampshire with no electricity and no water. Thousands of people were/are without power.

Children, however, always manage to have fun during snowstorms, and in the coldest of winters. I remember the New Hampshire of my childhood. We skated on Nuts Pond, and slid down neighborhood hills for hours, returning home completely soaked, mittens dripping wet, and still on our hands. Huge icicles on buildings were pulled off and enjoyed, and the snow never melted all winter long. I guess we didn’t notice the cold and wet because having fun was more important.

More recently New England has had mild winters with barely any snow. Skiing wasn’t what it used to be. But it seems New England winters are back in full force. I think I’m going to get a lot of emails from family and friends in the north about the weather. It’s just a guess, but maybe writing about the cold and snow makes them feel warm. It makes me feel cold just reading them. I heard someone say that the Farmer’s Almanac wrote that it’s going to be a very cold winter. Shhh! Don’t tell this to those in the northeast. I hope they have enough wood for the fireplace, and well, maybe they can have shoveling parties. Got to make it work somehow, otherwise, it gets to be a bit much. As a man in Maine said when interviewed about the power outage, “I’m already sick of winter, and it hasn’t started yet.”