Sue Moon’s Blog

I have been grappling with time management and desires.  What do I want to do today?  Do I have to do anything I don’t like?  Can’t I just go play?  A funny little stuck place that inhibits growth.  That’s because I believe growth is forward moving and action etc.  But on further introspection I see that this limbo type place is full of lessons.  The first one I see is fear of moving for fear of making a mistake.  A thought pattern that says if I just sit still nothing bad will happen to me.  Then frustration at not being in control smiles at me and I just have to sigh and remember that nothing happens unless I make it so.

Yogananda was one of my greatest teachers and he has this to say about time:

“Very few of us know how much we can put into life if we use it properly, wisely, and economically. Let us economize our time — lifetimes ebb away before we wake up, and that is why we do not realize the value of the immortal time God has given us.”

– Paramahansa Yogananda

“A man will treat a woman almost exactly the way he treats his own interior feminine. In fact, he hasn’t the ability to see a woman, objectively speaking, until he has made some kind of peace with his interior woman.”

-Robert Johnson, Jungian Analyst

I stumbled across this quote this morning and it made a huge impact on me. What a nice way to look at this. In fact, reverse it and say the same about a woman.

The dance of the sexes……….I believe more has been written about this than any other topic. Hopefully as we move into the greater evolution that is upon us, we can all make peace with our own interior men and women and come out equals at last.

The cutting edge magazine in Omaha, Metro-Magazine, was destroyed in a fire.  But, like the phoenix is rising up from the ashes.  The February addition is a little behind, but some of it is up now.  My astrology predictions for each sign are at this link.  I would love feedback from you.

http://www.spiritofomaha.com/Metro-Magazine/February-2010/Vibrations/

I am particularly fond of research and reading about the original Bible, not the generally used one of today. Years ago when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and then bit by bit information was released, I was amazed at what one simple word change could make in a statement. For instance, when it says “The meek shall inherit the earth”, the original translation was “awake or aware”. I never understood why being meek would work, not in my nature anyway, so that was an important puzzle piece for me to hear.

I love the translation of the Our Father and I use it often. I find the words holy and I say them very slowly and with meaning. Now, I have a very beautiful addition to that prayer that fits more with what I believe.

Enjoy, Sue

The Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic, the language in which it was originally spoken…

O Breathing Life, your Name shines everywhere!
Release a space to plant your Presence here.
Envision your “I Can” now.
Embody your desire in every light and form.
Grow through us this moment’s bread and wisdom.
Untie the knots of failure binding us, as we release the strands we hold of others’ faults.
Help us not forget our Source, yet free us from not being in the Present.
From you arises every vision, power, and song, from gathering to gathering.
Amen: may our future actions grow from here.

Neil Douglas-Klotz – translation

Metro magazine did a nice piece on the Center that Dixie and I started about seven years ago.  Let me know what you think of it.    -Sue

http://www.spiritofomaha.com/Metro-Magazine/January-2010/Guiding-Lights/

It’s an old theme about the real reason for the season and if I hear Jesus one more time…………………and I’m sure he feels the same.
So what can stir up feelings of goodness and giving and love and so on when we are faced with the pretty much same old, same old?
I usually get so caught up in the giving and making happy energy I forget it is also about receiving.  What a concept….letting in the good and really receiving.

I’ve been feeling like I’m in a vacuum or limbo, which I don’t like and will start getting busy to avoid that place. True to form, I focused on making everyone else’s Christmas magical and then felt invisible.

A friend pointed out that it is not my responsibility to make everyone else’s Christmas magic and that I had forgotten about it being their responsibility to tune into the real nature of what we are all about-Love.
Oops, too late for that this year :>), so  I can now gracefully back away into a little corner………. job done (almost) and open up to receive the Grace of the Universe into my own little Christmas.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Peace, Peace, nothing but Peace…………Namaste to one and all!

Baking Soda, cheap, non-toxic and not only great to keep your ph properly in balance but I use it instead of comet and other abrasive cleaners. If we would all throw out our chemicals and use simple, non-toxic natural forms, our world would start to heal much more rapidly. Get over your addiction to chemicals, use things like baking soda, vinegar and ammonia instead.
I found this information on www.mercola.com, great stuff!! Read on…………Sue
According to the Materia Medica by Walter Bastedo, sodium bicarbonate taken internally can soothe your mucous membranes and dissolve thick mucus.
In their booklet “Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Medical Uses,” published in 1924, Dr. Volney S. Cheney recounts his clinical successes with sodium bicarbonate in treating cold and flu:
Recommended dosages from the Arm & Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1925 were:
• Day 1 — Take six doses of ½ teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at about two hour intervals
• Day 2 — Take four doses of ½ teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals
• Day 3 — Take two doses of ½ teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter ½ teaspoon in glass of cool water each morning until cold symptoms are gone
Further dosing recommendations and instructions for taking sodium bicarbonate can be found in Mark Sircus’ book Sodium Bicarbonate – Rich Mans Poor Mans Cancer Treatment, which is also available in Kindle edition.
According to Arm & Hammer’s dosing instructions, do not exceed seven doses of ½ teaspoon per day, or three doses of ½ teaspoon daily if you’re over the age of 60. In addition, do not use the maximum dosage for more than two weeks.
Baking soda (also known as sodium bicarbonate), popularized by Arm & Hammer some 155 years ago, is derived from a natural occurring mineral, and is one of the safest and most versatile substances around. In fact, if you search for “baking soda” on my site, you’ll find a number of articles detailing its potential uses, including using it as a:
• Household cleaner
• Sunburn remedy
• Alternative to toxic antiperspirants
• Sports performance enhancer
Few people realize, however, that baking soda also has potent medicinal properties. Taken internally, it helps maintain the pH balance in your bloodstream. This is likely the basic premise behind its recommended uses against both colds and influenza symptoms, and even cancer.

Crunch, crunch, crunch……….Nana, I wish I had a mitten for my nose…………….Nana, why doesn’t everybody walk to school in the snow?

Crunch, crunch, crunch………Nana, why won’t the snow make snowballs????

Crunch, crunch, crunch………….Nana, can we go sledding after school??

Crunch, crunch, crunch…………..Bye Nana, I love yoooouuuuuuuuuuuuu…………………….

One of my favorite teachers, Carolyn Myss, has completely “walked her talk”, so far as I can tell, in this life. I admire her forthrightness, integrity, grit and vision. Today when I opened the mailbox, there was a commentary on some changes she is making as it is her birthday. Like many of us, birthdays can be a marker for looking back over the past year and seeing where we’ve come, then looking forward and seeing where we might like to go next. It can be a time of inner purification if we choose. She does and I usually do too.
Today, she adds light to the ever perplexing being in the now/present moment. So, it’s a little long, but so worth the read:
“…………The truth is that wanting to be anywhere other than where you are or anyone other than who you are is a version of hell itself. All the great traditions teach their students – and I mean students genuinely devoted to inner illumination – to “get back here” – and now. There is only “now”, only present time, only this moment that counts in terms of what is “real” so far as you need to be concerned about. Indeed there is far more to this Universe and to the nature of God and this magnificent, endless cosmos than will ever be known to us – but so what? What has that to do with the here and now of your life? Nothing.
The essential challenge to the soul is not just to close your eyes and breathe deeply and say, “I am present and here I am,” and then open your eyes after the meditation, thinking, “That was a nice experience of the present moment. Now it’s back to being fragmented.” The goal is to live fully in the present moment, to connect the events unfolding around you within the perception that all events happening to and through you are somehow interconnected – not personally but impersonally, because that is the nature of the present moment. It is not the nature of your life because you are special and all things are happening to you, for you, and from you. They are unfolding and you are a part of a greater unfolding – a sphere of life that includes you.
The challenge I have decided to embrace is to reside within this mystical truth: “I am residing within the It and the All that I am seeking.” Or, to put this in more grounded terms, I’ve decided to move to It’s-Ville, where “it’s” all happening – at least for me. No more fragments going their own way, no more wanting to be anywhere other than exactly where I am, no more imagining that somewhere other than here is where I’m supposed to be. All that is exactly what Buddha taught so long ago: illusion. And I don’t want to be seduced by illusions any longer.
It’s all here and now – everything I need. Teresa of Avila taught, “Look for God in details” – in every detail of your life. How can you possibly do that if you project on your life that you are in the wrong place? I have listened to so many people share their conclusions that “something is wrong” with their lives and as the discussion progressed, their conclusion that something was wrong was based upon the polarities of happiness or sadness, pain or pleasure, patience or impatience, endurance or lack of endurance. Are these really the indicators that something is “wrong”? Or are they really indicators that a person simply does not like what the ingredients are in her life? A person has to be still and present to sense the energy field of the imbalance. An individual must then enter into the polarity to identify the reasons causing the imbalance and then, with great wisdom, discern what to do next.
Pain-pleasure or happiness-unhappiness or any of the countless other polarities that exist in life may or may not be indicators that we are in the wrong place. That is often far too superficial an interpretation of these grand psychic maelstroms. We must first look to the source of the imbalance – what is its cause? What are we generating from within? We must always go within first.
I have been profoundly influenced by the work of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, as so many of you know. The idea of moving to the Sacred Land of It’s-Ville is most certainly the consequence of hanging out in the rare air of mystical teachings for these past years. I do not believe I would have been inspired to move to the Sacred Land of It’s-Ville were it not for my realization and understanding that there is only the present moment; all else is distraction. My task is to manage the power and consciousness of my soul in this present moment. There is nothing missing from this present moment. The moment contains all “it” needs. It is up to me to recognize that:
• I am no longer searching for any other place but where I am.
• It’s all here in It’s-Ville.
• Maintaining the field of grace that is It’s-Ville is a full-time job – no more sending fragments of myself into the past or future to regret or fret.
• All things are interconnected in It’s-Ville. Nothing exists separate from anything else happening or unfolding in my life within the same moment: That is the nature of the law of interconnectedness. How we interpret this interconnectedness becomes the art form – and the more impersonal an eye we have, the better.
• The impersonal eye is the preferred lens in It’s-Ville, lest one risk becoming a narcissist. Life is not all about “me”; yet I must view “me” as the central participant in my life.
• “I have plenty” – plenty of what? Plenty of everything in It’s-Ville. I don’t need foolish mind games focusing on greed-based thought forms to draw in more stuff. Rather, my focus is on creativity and increasing my capacity to contribute to the whole.
• Reflection at the end of the day is a daily devotion. Where am I as I prepare for sleep? Am I shattered and fragmented or am I present in the moment? If I am shattered and fragmented, what am I prepared to do about that before I go to sleep?
• Blaming another person for my personal actions is not allowed in It’s-Ville because my choices and decisions come directly from me. I must refer only to myself – and as a point of reference, I refer to the seven shadow passions as a guide. All negative actions are rooted in one or more of the seven shadow passions. These are the source of why and how we fragment ourselves.
So – those are my rules for living in It’s-Ville. I’m just exhausted with thinking there is anything other than the present moment, and these conversations about how tomorrow is going to be better than the now are just boring nonsense. This is my gift to myself, that today is what we have to work with and we owe it to ourselves to give each day of our lives all we have to give.
I’m not kidding myself about the size of this challenge. I’ve slipped up several times already and I’m not even aiming for perfection, as if I care about that. But I am striving to find harmony within a higher mystical truth – which is that living in the present moment is all we have. I know from my work as a medical intuitive that clinging to the past makes you ill. It drains you of your spirit, and from that spins a list of negative consequences: depression, loss of creative instincts, anxiety attacks, a growing addiction to your historic self, a tendency to increase the emotional dimensions of your wounds in order to excuse why you are not acting on your present moment.”

The mist hangs suspended, too frail to fall.  Eerie light shifts above the aluminum sky.

Our cheeks break through the filmy barrier on our brisk walk down the lane.

Granddaughters tumble around us until a stand of sumac up the hill calls Hannah’s name.
She leads the brigade.
Scattering up the hill like discharged buckshot, the girls wade through a yellow river of foxtails that swallows yellow headed Nora, but then the white fleece of her jacket rises like a silver moon out of the amber flow.
Sun stalks for an opening in this jealous sky looking for a spot to anoint the five bobbing heads. Faces shimmer with the beads of mist. Heads shine with a golden orange aura.
And I remember a time when I—newly here, not yet weaned from heaven—played in the lap of the earth.
The russet thicket of sumac becomes their fort. Two are Indians, three are Pilgrims. There are seeds and weeds to collect for a Thanksgiving dinner. They scurry, rising and falling on the terraced field.
“Let’s say this is the kitchen.”
“Let’s say this is our food.”
-from “Right Here on the Ground” by Jean Miller

“The Self — Its Relation to Space and Matter”:
The emotions are natural forces on their proper plane; and because they are natural, many persons think it unnecessary to control them; and many who would like to control them do not know how, because they do not understand their own natures. Simply because a thing is natural is no reason why it should not be controlled. Electricity is a natural force. Used properly for illuminating purposes it is a very good thing – but it is a natural force and can be used to destroy human bodies, and valuable property – so there may be a perversion of natural forces through the misuse of them, since they seem to make up the greater portion of ourselves. In appearance they are many, and yet, on close analysis, we find only four basic ones, and the battle will not seem so hard if we can realize this.
The emotion which causes the most needless suffering is Fear. Together with Sensuousness, animal Sex Desire, and the most subtle of all, Vanity, these are the basic elements of the emotional nature. You cannot conceive of any emotion that has not its origin in one or more of these four basic ones. Let us briefly examine each of these emotions, since the larger part of the actions of mankind are directly attributable to one or more of them.
Fear is the cause of most anger, most jealousy, most murder, failure, theft, doubt, discouragement, despondency – and many of the lesser inharmonious conditions. Analyze any one of these states of mind and you will find that fear is the father of it. Eliminate fear and you have destroyed the root, or basis, for many of the emotions which lead men astray. Begin your fight directly upon fear, and not the many phases of it, and a tremendous amount of force will be saved, for it must be conquered before very much will be accomplished in life. You will remember that you were told that the mind is magnetic, and draws to itself whatever it frequently thinks about. When you are constantly fearing something, you are drawing toward you the very thing you fear, and the reason that humanity has not been swept from this planet long ago is because it has shifted its fears from one object to another so often that it has never held to one thing long enough to destroy itself.
To accomplish rapidly the destruction of this great enemy, it is well to begin by controlling some of its grosser forms, such as physical cowardice. Great numbers of men and women are inwardly the most wretched cowards and yet suppress the external expression of their fears because they are ashamed of them. Here is where the fear of public opinion is greater than the fear of something else, and the emotion is not conquered, but shifted. Try to conquer your cowardice, because it is an enemy to you and will retard your development…
Many people are afraid of mice. To people of this class we would suggest that they think about the many small boys who have made pets of tiny mice, and love them; and if a child is not afraid of a mouse, there is surely nothing about them for an adult to fear. A child loves his pet mouse, and we do not fear the thing we love. They are small centers of consciousness, and we are only larger centers in the same consciousness. The same life principle that sustains them sustains us; and after we have come to a realizing sense of our relative positions our fears will fade away, never to return, for we realize that all is one.
When you have eliminated the grosser forms of fear, then attack the finer forms, such as fear of the unseen, or the unknown. Many persons’ lives are made utterly wretched because of their fear of the future. They are continually expecting things that never happen. Others are afraid of the criticism of the world, and a common question on their lips is, “what will people think?” You must remember that the world always criticizes and condemns everythiing and everybody that it does not understand. You must declare, therefore, that you are not afraid of the criticism of any individual, nor of the public at large; that you are not dependent upon anyone for your health, wealth or happiness; and that the approval and disapproval of other persons, whether collective or individual, are alike to you. If you declare this earnestly and often, you will overcome all fear of criticism.
The Magic of Space by a Tibetan Dakini
Chapter 7

Here I am for all to see………A glistening product of eternity………………
I found the below description on Alan Seale’s website (http://www.transformationalpresence.org/main.html) :
“Presence—how an individual or organization ‘shows up’ in the world, the energetic space that their “being” creates, and the energy that they bring as they meet challenges, opportunities, dreams, and visions.” -Seale
We practice “presence” every moment of every day…………what is your presence saying to the world and what is it saying to you?
“Transformational Presence—a state of being in which one lives, leads, works, and engages in life from a place of profound alignment with their soul, their soul mission or life purpose, and the Greater Consciousness. This presence opens the door to the greater potential waiting to emerge in any moment, situation, or circumstance, and becoming a steward for that potential to manifest.
The more authentic and dynamic one’s presence, the more effective that individual or organization will be in serving the positive transformation and evolution of our world.” –Seale
I am present in my life; I am a presence in many people’s lives. Just making that statement brings in such a profound energy and it holds me accountable to be the best I can be.

Well, I guess it happens quite a bit, but I was quite shocked to log onto my beautiful new Astrology website and find that it is now gone and a hacker had inserted a new page.
Fortunately, a friend was able to put the old Blog back up.
I’ve lost all entries since the first of September, but at least I am back here.
Not sure what will happen next, so just chillin’

There is a scientific institute studying the heart and heart based living. It is an amazing site and full of new information (to me) about the energy of our hearts. Check it out:

http://www.heartmath.org/

It’s time. If you are to walk the path of the heart, then it is time.
- Nippawanock, Arapaho

Early morning musings brought me to myself………….why was I complaining of the cool weather? Breathing deeper, opening up to find that answer, I felt a timeless presence all around me and I became a part of it.
Moondog walking down the garden path alerts the cardinal sentinel fiercely guarding the lilac bush full of baby treasures……….miniature wrens dive bombing anything that comes close to their chirping nest………….poor kitty, the garden is hostile to his meanderings this morning.
And I sit and find peace in this timeless presence, saved from thoughts of the past and future for now.

Recently I wrote an article on some of the effects Pluto is stirring up in our lives and the world. In it I called for us all to:
“Be a good midwife to your own rebirth and that of the world.”
I was blessed to have two babies at home and my best friend was my midwife. A midwife makes sure you are comfortable, ever watching for the smallest signs of the changes taking place. Keeping all peaceful, encouraged, focused and in tune. A good midwife delivers the goods.
To be a good midwife to yourself, you have to “be there”, awake, alert and notice your signals. Are you tired, is your body craving some nutrition or movement? Are you happy, at peace, in loving relationships? Are you supported by your environment at home and work?
Are you helping your community, neighbors, family and friends? Are you alert to the signs of the times?
It is time to let go of disorganized lives, thoughts, emotions and the indulgences of negativity. You are the midwife of these new changes, don’t lose the baby or the Mother.

Morning Star Yoga presents a getaway to paradise January 30, 2010 – February 6, 2010:

Approximate total cost for roundtrip airfare, lodging and 3 vegetarian, organic (when possible) meals a day – $1500 total.

$100 deposit due by August 1st to hold your reservation

Total due by October 1st

Refund policy: I’m working on this, but will be something like: 100% refund if cancel by November 1st, 50% December 1st

Any extra costs such as renting a bicycle – $30/wk, shopping etc. is on your own.

CASA PAPAYA nestles in the hills only 10 minutes walk from the Pacific ocean in Playa Negra, Guanacaste , Northern Costa Rica. A perfect place to reconnect with your inner self , to refresh, re-energise and be at one with nature.

The retreat is based at Casa Papaya, a modern hacienda and Casa del Bosque , a traditional wooden Tico house set in the forest. They are surrounded by 5 acres of Costa Rica jungle and forest .Watch howler monkeys swing by and the iguanas bask in the sun by as you relax in your hammock on the balcony .

The Pacific beaches are only a stroll away through the forest and are a perfect place for quiet meditation as you contemplate the specatacular sunsets .

Pick papaya, mango and bananas from the nearby trees.

The accommodation is in 2 houses and if we have additional sign ups, there are beautiful little houses in the woods available if we overflow.

CASA PAPAYA , a modern hacienda with all rooms ensuite with hot showers. There are single , twin , double and triple rooms.

The yoga studio is open to the garden and nature on 2 sides , which allows the natural breezes and sounds of nature to join in with your yoga practice. It can accommodate 30 + students and is fully-equipped with mats, blocks, belts, cushions and blankets and also has overhead fans .

I have a file folder filled with information on this and will keep you all updated.

PRESENTERS:

Sue Moon, owner of Morning Star Yoga

John Macy, owner Workout, Inc.

Alison Stevens, PT, co-owner Workout, Inc

Melanie McLeod, owner of Bhadra Yoga

And if we are lucky, Lisa Hofmann, Kripalu trained yoga instructor

Itinerary is being developed and will include many forms of yoga/meditation, Alexander Technique, etc, with lots of free time to explore this beautiful part of the world.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the illusion we can get into over wanting to have control of people, situations etc. I haven’t met many people, if any, who don’t struggle with this.
If I am aware enough to notice I am in that mode, I can hardly change it. I find a person in me that is not the me of today. As I observe her behavior I can see the young girl who rebelled against the authority of her Father. It’s a really tangled energy that is difficult to follow to the beginning.
It seems that I want control of certain situations or people when I am not feeling loved and appreciated. This was an ongoing struggle with my Dad throughout my youth. Lack of communication leading to hurt feelings etc.
I was in the thick of this over the 4th. I am the caretaker of my family, I think most Moms are, but I want to be done with that now. And there are those sticky energies of control that have to make sure everybody is happy and doing “right” in their lives (whatever that means). I so look forward to the day when I can just take the people in my life as they are. Not wanting to change them or make them feel better…….just accepting and loving everything about them. This is what I expect and seldom get.
This will be my spiritual practice this week. I think it’s called unconditional love.

The belt of Orion or “the String of Pearls”, pearls are associated with the feminine principle, the Moon, wisdom and perfection, the third eye of Buddha, pure intentions and represent the crystallization of light, enlightenment, the generative power of the waters.
On July 26 Venus will reach zodiacal alignment with these stars and on August 13 – 19. The waning Moon is visible about 3 degrees from Mars and both are visible in the morning sky before Sunrise on August 15. This is the date that the Waitaha prophecy predicts will be a pivotal moment in history.
Drunvalo spoke about the August 15, 2009 prophecy in his book Serpent of Light;
“This event may or may not be known publicly, but it will be the beginning of a new human dream, a dream almost identical to the Mayan belief that the heavens will open and our brothers and sisters of the universe will reveal themselves.” ~Drunvalo Melchizadek

In July and August I will have more about the Waitaha prophecy. Meanwhile this will get you started. www.celestialtimings.com

… We are Waitaha. We are the water containers of the Creator therefore we have been imbued with the many forms of waters containing the many gifts of all that is in the Universe” … p. 147 Whispers of Waitaha http://www.songofwaitaha.co.nz/buy-song-of-waitaha.html

“Ask yourself if what you have to say is an improvement upon silence.” Swami Kripalu

I’m sharing some info on Coconut milk as I did not know this and maybe you don’t either. I’m off to buy some coconuts today!! Sue PS This came from eBrandaid, a great little site with accurate info on the foods we it.
Best Powerhouse Drink; The Secret’s Out!

Look… up in the tree… it’s a bird… it’s a fruit… it’s SuperFood!

Actually it’s the coconut – a succulent superhero sans the funny red shoes and cape. While the entire coconut is one amazing food, it’s the coconut water that sets your Brand Doctors abuzz!

Not since Gilligan’s Island have we been so excited to see coconuts. Folks, coconut water just might be the best-kept secret weapon in the war on bad health. Take a look at these nutritional facts about coconut water:
• For starters, it contains a variety of nutrients including vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids and enzymes.

• It’s a good source of the major minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

• It’s off-the-charts rich in potassium, which is considered an essential nutrient. An 8-ounce cup of coconut water has more potassium than a banana!

• It also contains a variety of trace elements such as zinc, selenium, iodine, sulfur, manganese, and boron.
You want more? Coconut water has no cholesterol, is 100% fat free, and is low in calories!
________________________________________

Reality Check

But here’s the best part: Coconut Water is an all-natural sports drink.

Yep, this stuff contains one of the highest sources of electrolytes known to man, and can be used to prevent dehydration.

Bottomline: It’s a much healthier alternative to sugary sports drinks for replacing electrolytes lost through exercise or illness!

Check it out:
• At about 650mg per serving, coconut water naturally packs way more potassium than most sports drinks which average less than 110mg.

• With an average of 35mg per serving, it has less sodium than sports drinks that average 75mg. Some energy drinks sock you with up to 200mg sodium.

• And, at 118mg, it’s high in chloride compared to sports drinks which average about 39mg.

Oh, by the way, It’s also known as an excellent hangover cure – do we have your attention now?

________________________________________

eBrandAid Coconut Water Guidelines

Since not all coconut water brands are created equally, you’ll want to follow these two simple, yet important guidelines:
• Look for 100% natural coconut water to be the ONLY ingredient listed on the label.

• Avoid brands that contain added sugar or preservatives; they’ll also contain twice the calories, fat, and sodium!

The obvious question: How do you get your hands on this miracle water? Easy! Check our list of BestBrands below. We even tell you where to find the good stuff…and it’s not on Gilligan’s Island!
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BestBrands

We think the Professor and Maryann would agree: Coconut water should be added to your list of must-have superfoods!

But, finding coconut water BestBrands in your local grocery stores is a hit or miss proposition. It’s more readily available in specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats Marketplace and Target. Or you can let your fingers do the shopping online at Amazon.com!

O.N.E. 100 % Natural Coconut Water

NUTRITION FACTS: per serving 11 fl.ozs., 60 cals, 35mg sodium, 670mg potassium, 0g fiber, 14g sugar, 1g protein

INGREDIENTS: 100% Natural Coconut Water.

Note: This is the Brand Doctor’s favorite for taste and price!


Vita Coco

NUTRITION FACTS: per serving 11 fl.ozs., 60 cals, 35mg sodium, 670mg potassium, 0g fiber, 14g sugar, 1g protein

INGREDIENTS: all-natural, pure 100% coconut water.

ZICO Natural

NUTRITION FACTS: (for all flavors): per serving 11 fl. Ozs., 60 cals, 0g fat, 60mg sodium, 670mg potassium, 0g fiber, 14g sugar, 1g protein

INGREDIENTS: 100% natural coconut water.

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how,
you’re in control at the grocery store.

That is a lovely feeling and explains my state of mind this day.
I had closure on my friend Nancy’s death last night. It was one of those magical all come together times that give life joyful meaning.
Her spirit was there, on it’s last peek in before moving on………….you could feel the loving sweetness of her in the air.
The food was indescribably delicious and care was taken to make it organic, local and gluten free…… presented with an artist’s eye,
………….very similar to the way Nancy would have done it.
Brilliant splashes of colorful flowers filled the room, like the ones she grew in her own garden.
Many friends from different times in her life all came together in a spirit of laughter and love.
The care and attention that Nancy showed others, was reciprocated last night and especially towards her husband Steve.
A magical goodbye that words cannot touch upon.
Satisfaction fills me today.

Many years ago a wise peasant lived in China. He had a son who was the gleam in his eyes and a white stallion which was his favorite belonging. One day his horse escaped from his grounds and disappeared. The villagers came to him one by one and said: “You are such an unlucky man. It is so bad about the horse.” The peasant responded: “Who knows. Maybe it’s bad, maybe it’s good.”
The next day the stallion returned followed by 12 wild horses. The neighbors visited him again and congratulated him for his luck. He just said: “Who knows. Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s bad.” As it happens, the next day his son was attempting to break in one of the wild horses when he fell down and broke his leg. Once more everyone came with their condolences: “It’s terrible.” Again he replied: “Who knows. Maybe it’s bad, maybe it’s good.”
A few days passed and his poor son was limping around the village with his broken leg, when the emperor’s army entered the village announcing that a war was starting and they conscripted all the young men of the village. However, they left the peasant’s son since he had a broken leg. Once more, everyone was so jealous of the peasant. They talked about his sheer luck. He just muttered: “Who knows. Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s bad.”

This is a rare and grand opportunity for greater awareness and even enlightenment for us all.
You can expect to feel more humanitarian and wanting to be involved with others in a deeper more fulfilling way that not only helps individuals but the planet. Anything you do now that is for the good of all will have lasting and loving effects that reap great rewards.
This entire year we feel this conjunction and it brings new life, new hope, deeper spirituality and the healing of our deepest wounds.
We are going to experience great humanitarian awakenings around the world with this, don’t be left out. Jump in and do your part. Start a neighborhood garden, pick up trash on the street, join Teammates and help a child grow and feel part of a contributory society for good……look to your family, who needs more love and less judgment? Your neighbors? Have you seen them lately? Do they need help with anything?
We will be experiencing a great wave of compassion and light flowing around the world for loving change from this year long conjunction. Remember to be a part of the change and not a part of the problem.
These problems can include inflated hopes without real work to support them and the illusion that all will right itself naturally without the real work that is needed by us all. Chiron teaches us about how to heal our wounds, and sometimes we can be consumed by our wounds and miss that everyone around us is working on the very same thing.
A miraculous time, for sure, but you have to move in the direction of it. Will miracles fall in your lap? For some, yes, for others it’s just back to work as usual, one foot in front of the other, just make sure you are moving in the direction for humanitarian/global peace and harmony for each individual and all.

Drunvalo’s new book, “Serpent of Light – Beyond 2012”, is full of very interesting information and I love this quote below about the outer reflecting the inner etc.
“Ceremony is the result of the ancient understanding and wisdom that the outer world of the stars, planets, and everything on the planets was created by the inner human world of images within the heart and the interaction with Great Spirit. Almost all indigenous people know this as fact of life…

…Like a seed, your future is only beginning to emerge out of the darkness, but someday you will look back and realize that all the fear and distress was only a dream created from the confusion of the ending of one cycle and the beginning of another. Death and life are part of the same circle…”
~Drunvalo Melchizedek Serpent of Light Beyond 2012 The Movement of the Earth’s Kundalini and the Rise of the Female Light, 1949 to 2013

It’s a little long, but when the student is ready, the teacher appears……………this article nailed what I am working on right now and so I am sharing that with you……….more on Right Attitude:

How To Stop Bad Feelings, Habits and Behaviors
by Robert Wilkinson

Though I’ve given talks on this subject for years, I haven’t shared with readers of this site one process that fairly easily stops negative parts of us from externalizing. While some may think this is easier said than done, I can assure you the process works if we apply ourselves and don’t give up through impatience, ego judgments, and other obstructions getting in the way of the discipline. I state this with authority since it’s worked for me and countless others over many years. If you want to explore one technique to give up unhelpful patterns, stay tuned.

First, it is helpful to remember that we ARE Unconditional and Eternal Loving Consciousnesses, and it’s only the personality that confuses who we ARE with all the other strange learned emotions, speech patterns, and behaviors that are not helpful to anything or any one. We pursue pleasure and happiness, and along the way often find pain and unhappiness for all kinds of reasons that often have little or nothing to do with us personally. Our 5 senses and minds tend to obscure much in pursuing life in this 4 dimensional existence, and the processes of sequence, selection, desire, fear, vanity, and attachment often don’t help us see things clearly.

In the process of remembering we’re Unconditional Love we often get frustrated when the conditions of worldly love are taken away or we are denied that which we believe is pleasurable and worthy of our desire. We have an unfortunate tendency to believe all things are possible, and often compare ourselves to others who seem to have it easier than we do or possess what we want to possess.

This of course is an illusion, since each has their own unique destiny to pursue, and that precludes many things that could lead us astray from our Higher Purpose, or Dharma. In this impermanent world things are taken away or denied and we move on whether we want to or not. It is how we deal with our reactions that determines whether we’re having a good time or a hard time in this worldly process.

Though there are many schools of thought about how to deal with negative feelings, I don’t believe it’s useful to indulge or externalize those types of feelings, since a pattern is a pattern and getting into a habit of expressing unhelpful feelings usually only breeds more. The Buddhist training I’ve had over the years leads me to the view that when confronted with our own imperfect and/or negative response to a thing, person, or circumstance, we should observe with infinite dispassion and detachment the tendency of negativity as it arises and then release it however we are able.

There are 4 stages of realization in this process. The first stage is when we notice how we were negative in our responses and feelings after the fact, and resolve to change the behavior “the next time.” This generates positive intention and mindfulness which are necessary to transmute negativity. That’s why we can’t get too down on ourselves even after we’ve indulged the passions, since self-loathing is not helpful to generate positive feelings and intention.

The second stage is when we notice the negativity while we’re in the middle of the passions, and stop the behavior during the experience and move our mind and speech into different directions. We can train our mind to “flag” certain feelings, attitudes, reactions, and other learned behaviors and redirect the energies to more productive ends, which may or may not have anything to do with the thing that triggered our negativity to begin with.

The third stage of realization is when we feel the arising of the negative response and at the moment we could externalize it, we don’t go there. We stop the behavior before it starts, whether not saying something we feel like saying, or not reacting in a negative manner to whatever confronts us. This is the true beginning of self control, since we are changing the pattern as it arises and move our energy in a different direction of our own choosing.

The fourth stage of realization is when we sense the beginning of the tendency that could externalize as negativity, and with infinite detachment and dispassion for ourselves see it as something unreal so that it never becomes any form of potential action, feeling, or thought at all. This breaks the pattern of negativity externalizing in any way even for a short time. Eventually the passions do not control us, nor even reside in us as something to be externalized, but only a prior tendency that isn’t as strong as before.

Whether you’re at stage 1, 2, or 3 of this process in any given stressful situation, do not judge yourself for doing it “good enough” or not. Simply apply this formula even to your own self judgments, and resolve to be mindful of your own thoughts, feelings, speech and actions so you can observe what moves you. Then you can choose your responses, and eventually eliminate the patterns of externalizing negativity in every way by transmuting them into positivity and altruistic intention. The rewards of pursuing this self-discipline are infinite.

© Copyright 2008 Robert Wilkinson

1. Right Attitude (Freedom from prejudice, illusion, superstition, doubts, fears, and animosities.)
Following through is a very pivotal key for me. As with so many there are daily grinds and repetitive patterns that consume my days. This morning I’m looking at my morning rituals. Automatic and mindless, have to brush my teeth, eat and the variety of other tasks that fill the time before work. How to be mindful in that?
Doubts and fears come in that I am not capable of changing even the smallest of habits. It’s uncomfortable. I didn’t drink coffee the other morning to see how that change would affect me. I did it, but it wasn’t fun and it didn’t make me happy, it made me grumpy. Giving up 1 ½ cups of coffee every morning- grind the beans, do the ritual- was not compelling enough for me to let that routine go. Hmmmm.
Seeing ahead into my day, I have a relationship issue this forenoon I will come face to face with. I want it to be different, but am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and let it be fresh? Hmmmm
I’m setting a course of action to keep on with this Right Attitude for a while longer. We’ll see how I follow through on that.

Yesterday I bit off a bit more than I could chew. So, today, I am chunking it down to the 1st on the 8 fold path to enlightenment:
1. Right Attitude (Freedom from prejudice, illusion, superstition, doubts, fears, and animosities.)
I did ok on this with a great deal yesterday, but was dismayed at how my personal relationships were not very free from fears, animosities, doubts and so on. What it did was bring these close relationships to the forefront as needing quite a bit of work. Or rather, quite a bit of letting go of how I work them.
It seems, in my endeavors to be a better person, I have left a huge pile of doo doo called unresolved anger to fester.
Now, what to do with that anger? Simply looking at it starts to reveal the answer, forgiveness.
I have a beautiful Buddhist forgiveness exercise I will be practicing in the days to come. Starting now:
In the many ways you have hurt me, abandoned and betrayed me, knowingly and unknowingly, out of your confusion , out of your anger and pain, out of your fear and ignorance, I see these now and feel what I have carried. To the extent that I am ready, I offer you my forgiveness. I release you, I release my anger and hurt………I will not put you out of my heart.
Om Shanti

Living the life…… how to do it best. It started, for me, with family and parents making sure I knew the house rules and keeping those boundaries fairly clear. And then there were the teachings of the Catholic Church in the early ‘50’s. It was good and it was simple. The 10 Commandments and a list of sins and so on. That got old in my teen years and I branched out looking to esoteric teachings and then Buddhism and Hinduism which have stayed with me in some form till this day.
I’ve been negligent of late and needing a little more discipline in my life as I am weary with toil and sadness. And as is the case, the Buddha’s teachings came across my desk this morning. The first are the Four Noble Truths:
The Four Noble Truths
1. Suffering is the nature of human existence.
2. Suffering is caused by ignorance. (Some versions say attachment.)
3. Any being may end the suffering arising from ignorance without needing priests or scriptures.
4. The Way to end suffering is the 8-fold path.
Just meditating on these 4 can be a very enlightening session with yourself. And then the answer-the keys to end human suffering:
The Eight Fold Path
1. Right Attitude (Freedom from prejudice, illusion, superstition, doubts, fears, and animosities.)
2. Right Conduct (Living one’s highest standard of conduct and the highest truth we know.)
3. Right Speech (It must be kept true, simple, gentle, and honest.)
4. Right Relationships (They must be honest, just, and enlightened.)
5. Harmlessness (To live without hurting by killing or injuring or causing sorrow.)
6. Right Action (The overcoming of illusion.)
7. Right Thought (Control of the mind keeping it focused on understanding wisdom.)
8. Right Meditation (Practicing to attain inner and outer equipoise.)
I’m monitoring my day by these 8 and see if I really want to add more spiritual discipline to my life, or just think about it.

Today I would like to honor my friend, Nancy Fischer. She left this reality after a strong and beautiful journey through end stage melanoma.

An amazing woman of many talents and accomplishments. Perhaps best known as the owner of Workout, Inc and the first person in Omaha to become certified in Stott Pilates and then the first to bring Pilates to Omaha. Nancy was a quiet, but giant force here.

Hundreds of people benefited from her caring nature. She was a great teacher, coach and mentor.

She was also an amazing yoga teacher trained at Omaha Yoga & Bodyworks under Susi Amendola, and registered with national Yoga Alliance. But, that says so little about her quietly strong personality and her many gifts. I don’t know many people that are as accomplished as her in the kitchen, and many of you know that cooking is my main passion. She always impressed me with her originality in recipes and presentation.

I’m a gardener. Nancy was an extraordinary gardener and her flower gardens responded to her love by being more beautiful than other gardens.

Many of you know that I have walked the journey of transition back to our “real” home with her for several months. I wasn’t the only one. Her husband, Steve was there 24/7, and as his solid, ”can handle anything Iowa farm genes provide”, he handled it with love, strength, sorrow and practicality……..he handled it beautifully. There were others, of course, friends and family literally flowed through the phone and the front door. The refrigerator was overflowing with food from friends.

But I can only speak for my part. How do you deal with the days/months leading up to death? By taking care of what needs to be taken care of in the moment. I could only give her morning hours, but they were rich in diversity. We laughed, we cried, we listened to music; I massaged her back and feet and hands for hours. I read her Rumi and a precious book on transition called 100 Cranes. I cherish the time that two friends and I spent laughing with her, and creating ritual for her passage. I was fortunate enough to be able to say goodbye in many ways at varied times.
God Speed Nancy, may your spirit fly in joy and radiance!