Tuna Breath

WHY!!!, "I exclaimed," as she kept   rambling about her infatuation with Prisons.  Driving, on our way to Taj India for lunch and passing the Prison, she shrieked when she noticed the sign that read Prison Ahead.  Before our visit we ate Tandoori Chicken and rice with fennel seeds, Naan & yogurt with cucumber.  By the time we finished she was beside her self about visiting the prison.  We ventured down, then up and around some bends, finally meeting our destination, Prison.  We drove through the welcome gate and headed toward another large, stone barrier topped with watch towers all around.  I drove slow, entered the visitor parking area and noticed many cars with A similar characteristic.  After parking we walked through a line of people waiting to check in to  make their Sunday visit with their friend of family.  Walking near the stone wall, I felt small and weak, and wanted to leave.  Everyone else bounced on ahead and was first to reach the Prison Museum.  We were greeted by a woman, I call Joan, because she reminded me of my Aunt Joan.  She talked with us about the prison system, men, Hispanic, White, Other, women, transvestites, tattoos and Johnny Cash.  She limped her way through the artifacts showing us the toothpick ferris wheel and wall filled with tools made by the people who live there.  All the while, Joan, at a tuna fish sandwich which penetrated a strong smell of fish through out the small museum.  We walked to the back of the museum where the cell re-enactment was found and here we sought fresh air and escape from the tuna, but found none.  We laughed and chatted amongst our self and wondered if we were on camera and then wondered how silly we must look.  I wanted to leave and found NO amusement in the visit, in addition the tuna smell was affecting me and I choose nausea.  After about 90 minutes of Prison Museum and tuna air we said bye to Joan and left.  I could not walk fast enough to our vehicle, I wanted to run, but thought that would not look good - especially near the stone wall.  Once in the truck, I still had the impulsiveness to flee quickly yet, drove the speed limit to the stop light and  finally on the main road I felt an immediate sense of relief.  I did not like visiting the prison, yet the rest of the group seemed to find interest in the vast institution.  The prison, that is so large it is considered a city, so enormous that it has it's own zip code, fire house, security, post office and hospitals, in addition several churches and temples and shrines.  "Oh, and a Senior center-that offers Starbuck coffee 24 hours a day and card tables  and a looney bin... ", said Joan.  Still, I wondered, WHY, did we have to do that, I mean of all the cool, crazy and fun things to do here- we visited the prison and watched Joan eat a tuna sandwich, imagined Johnny Cash and wondered how those sharp tools were made with such detail?  WHY, so glad it is over, and so happy she loves prisons and that she will continue to visit them- without me.......I still can not eat tuna without thinking of this visit....... thank you Joan.......................................

I am.........

I am alive

I am NOW

I am awake

I am JOY

I am smiling

I am knowledge

I am Choice

I am power

I am free

I am LOVE

I  am grateful

I am passion

I am enthusiastic

I am eager

I am optimistic

I am energy

I am sensitive

I am not

I am Kind

I am Giving

I am DESERVING

I am worthy

I am woman

I am man

I am child

I am animal

I am Loud

I am VIBRANT

I am Here

I am Open

I am compassion

I am tolerant

I am solid

I am diverse

I am barefoot

I am ORganic

I am plant

I am solid

I am recycle

I am Mother

I am Father

I am Friend

I am Daughter

I am earth

I am YOU

You are Me

WE are One

to know ignorance - 71

Knowing ignorance is best.
Thinking one knows is foolish.

Only by being a fool can one avoid becoming a fool.

The sage does not think he knows,  

therefore he is not a fool.   

TAO

A Matter of Things to Sow

Matter and Energy can be neither created or destroyed.  

First Law of Thermodynamics

All things return to their source.

First statement of the Law of Karma

As ye sow, so shall ye reap.

Bible

Balasana

I held, silent, with deep, courageous, oceanic, ujjayi in the pose of Balasana.  Arms, straight and forward while the palms   pressed down and forward.  Knees bent and touching the edges of the mat, the glutueus maximus rested on the heels, while the tops of the  feet pressed toward the earth.  Eyes closed and forehead gently resting on the mat I released all  abdomen muscles and felt a shift of relaxation ease up the spine area.   I deepened the breath and continued to welcome thoughts and dismiss them with the same grace.  I brought  attention to Muladahara (base chakra) and let go of   gripping and tension.  I continued ujjayi, breathing in and exhaling with equal amounts of energy.  Moving upward I noticed Svadhistana (sacral chakra) and here I let go of tension with breath. Slowly shifting to Manipura (solar plexus chakra), I released muscles and relaxed.  Ujjayi pranayama helping keep the  focus I stopped  at Anahata (heart chakra), I inhaled loved and exhaled love, released and continued breathing.   I met the  breath at Vishuddha (throat chakra) and here I inhaled deeply and loudly and exhaled with  peace and continued constricting the back of the throat to feel the vibration.  At  the place of Ajna (brow chakra)  I evoked peaceful thoughts and put  the monkey mind to rest.  And finally at   - Sahasrara (crown chakra) ... I imagined an empty space with a brilliant golden light.  I moved the  focus away from the chakras and emptied the thoughts.  I continued ujjayi and remained here stretching the spine, opening the  heart, letting go of what does not serve  in goodness me or others and found bliss in silence, in  this yin, opening posture.  I continued my practice with grace and love through each posture and  when  the session was complete I found myself in Savasana  Slowly I rolled  back into Balasana... Here  I felt rejuvenated,   invigorated  and inspired. Reborn unto self!

Thank you...................

Again, a day of more miracles than I can recount in one breath.  Today, I awoke with such a bundle of gratitude in myself that I felt heavy.  I began unloading the thank you's right away.  First to Sidd and Five for being here with me, always, then I noticed my self walking, so, I thanked my legs for working, and feet for moving and having balance, I thanked my hands for the ability to scoop the coffee and I silently thanked all the coffee bean working people for helping make it so that I can have coffee, and I thanked the people who made the coffee grinder, and the people who transported it, and the person who donated it to Snowline so I could then but it, I thanked the electricity for giving me hot water, and I thanked the sky for the water, I thanked the people who built the roof I live under, I thanked the coffee cup and people who made it and again the people who donated it so I could then purchase it from Snowline, I thanked all the neighbors for loving me and the family of creatures so much..... and on and on, the day went like this and I realized, just now that I still have a ton of gratitude in my belly!   So much  gratitude, I wonder if it is the same concept that goes like this....

  GIVE IT AWAY TO KEEP IT.... 

and.... 

  THE MORE WE GIVE THE MORE WE  HAVE...  
(The ripple effect)

THANK YOU,   YOU! for being you and I will definitely awake tomorrow on the right foot and begin again with the gifts of gratitude to all and any, for this or that, for something or nothing, for loud or silence, for beauty or non, for the sake of something to do.... instead of nothing to do.... And for NOW... in this moment.. to you, again... Thank you !!!!!!!

The Wheel

I LOVE IT .... I LOVE LIFE......

 

Today included more miracles than I can list... WOW..... A huge thank you to self for allowing such greatness!!!

I said to her, " We are all apart of the success here, It is like a wheel, I am one spoke on the wheel, and there are countless spokes that keep the wheel balanced and moving."  She said, " AH!!!! yes, there are many spokes, and yes you are one of them.  But remember you are also the hub, the center, the place where  all spokes begin,  you are the connection, the energy, the power."