Today……I met some amazing people and we enjoyed art on the streets of Downtown L.A. together…
Ah..the youth – they light up the world!
…I met the future California Senator (who’s also an artist)…
…tomorrow’s Lead Harbor City Hospital Pediatrician (an artist as well)
…a rising Modern Pop-Locking Dancer fusing Traditional Ballet and B-Girling (evident artist)
Two of the most passionate bassists and Symbols of Hope and Artistry with their-Sound Genre that has never before been heard (artists of another dimension)
…I also met the most perceptive National Geographic photographer that will be known to date (it hasn’t hit her yet but it’s coming)…
…I met a MASTER Body Art Tattooist (she’s currently a highly talented henna artist that’s been doing this work for centuries)…
…And a Genius Marine Biologist decoding every sound vibration of dolphins and hammer head sharks off the coast of New Zealand, deciphering through sacred mathematics (I know you heard the artist in there)
…I also met the First Curator of “Global Mural Space,” the future’s global organization organizing mural art on prominent buildings in every major city on each continent, including Mars.
Village tribal leaders and warriors reincarnated as artists and LAUSD teachers. They're sparring in the middle of the train, just like the old days.
………………………and all these amazing people “GET” the creative spirit. They get it. They understand the value of public art – of freedom of expression – of peace through art – art in itself – that a community can flourish with diversity of culture AND perspective. That colors and form and individual styles have value. Now……………………how cool is that?
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SO ON THIS DAY, the downtown LA Graffiti Art Scene had a 3-Block Art Party.
Mural by JR, part of a series called "Wrinkles of the City Project"
Through the initiative of Mr. Jay Davis, visual and multi-media arts educator, along with other LAUSD colleagues, we led a group of local K-town 12-18 years olds from Ambassador School of Global Leadership through the streets of downtown Los Angeles. In my mind, I’m thinking, Ohmygoddess, I wish I had this when I was 12 or 15 years old…I wish other kids could experience this now…Wow…
We were so fortunate to tour with the staff of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles http://www.lamurals.org/ , Graffiti Artist “Vyal,” and Curator and Founder of LA Free Walls Project, Daniel Lahoda.
As much as I was intrigued by the spectre of the walls, I must admit that my biggest fascination was with the human spirit – encapsulated by the youth and their sense of curiosity and awesomeness (plus, the stunning amazement for many who rode the Metro Subway for the first-time –a really magnificent experience I must say!); the passion of artists committed to create…let me repeat..CREATE. not destroy. CREATE. Create what? Something else, something new, an alternative to what we see everyday… a new perspective… a new way to converge… a new way to emerge… a way to relate… a way to accept… to create peace …through a piece.. hmm..
And I must say, that I am fascinated by the passion of those who GET IT. Of course, I was thinking about the amazing teachers who were guiding their students throughout the day – inserting gems of wisdom, while making sure that the head count was the same at every stop. And of course, I was thinking about those who are support IT in other ways. In their work life or maybe even life’s passion…through their words of support, their appreciation… or maybe just taking the time to reflect on it… or maybe it’s that person who can simply acknowledge art’s existence and recognize it has value.
Whoa.
Yes.
YES!
I subscribe to it all – the love of creating peace. Piece by piece. Lending your ears and your voice…so we can have a conversation..that’s peaceful…that’s FULL of PEACE. Gaze at an image or gaze into the eyes of one as one speaks… deeply gaze… and SEE. That there is more, way more than what meets the eye. Our eyes can demonstrate peace… a peace of knowing…or getting there…AND THEN…BEING there.
Am I making any sense?
For me, the peace is seeing the lightbulb go on, a spark go off, the lightning striking….
The… “Ah-ha…”
So here’s a short departure from this inward voice…
Los Angeles, as of 2011, has the world’s largest concentration of murals, making it the center of street art around the globe. In L.A., 64+ murals exist, covering over 100,000 square feet of wall space. That’s A LOT of wall.
Cut. Here’s Teacher Mr. Davis discussing his conscious decision to wear his new tee-shirt, with an image of Tahrir Square. Side note: after the Egyptian Revolution o
f 1919 the square became widely known as Tahrir (Liberation) Square, most recently known as the focal point for the Egyptian People’s Uprising and Revolution in 2011. Through wearable art, Mr. Davis connects what’s happening in the streets of Egypt with what’s happening in the streets of LA – READ: Occupy LA, Occupy Oakland, Occupy Wallstreet. And as I skim the crowd, I know that their ears and eyes are open. Their mind is open. They know what’s goin’ on. With an intuitive eye and ear, Mr. Davis calls out his students to be attentive to the tour and what is being said by the Graffitti Artist known as “Vyal.” Re-asserting his desire for them to be attentive and creating a new communication system, he tells the students, “be present, are you listening? Show me you’re listening…put you’re fists up if you’re listening.” Notice…“Fists up if you’re listening.”
Did you know….that the difference between a sign and a mural is that a “sign” must be more than 80% text? Next time you attend a protest such as Occupy LA, you can hold up a big sign that says “PEACE, NOW” and a second sign with an image of Obama or the United Nations handing out food, medicine, and books over every continent (instead of warplanes and grenades.) This will emphasize your message and in two languages: a mural piece and a sign = Message for Peace.
LA Free Walls Project Founder/Curator Daniel Lahoda talk about the significance of the LA mural scene.
DerrickLahoda started LA Free Walls Project 2 years ago. It’s a project that brings graffiti artists to create art on a wall. Later I discovered that it’s also an entirely self-funded project. Yes indeed. Lahoda describes how murals present the beauty in life. Lahoda states that, “Murals are a voice of humanity. Often times when we see all that’s going wrong in the world, we can look at the murals and the artists making them to see what’s right.”
Vyal was the only graffiti artist present to talk about his work. Born in Monterey Park and raised in Montebello, he started his graffiti art interest as a 13-year old.
Graffiti Artist "Vyal" talks to youth
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A young man in our group raises his hand – “Where do you get your inspiration?” Without hesitation Vyal shares how in his younger days, heavy metal and CD covers influenced his creations. He was self-taught. As a youngster, “instead of partying, he chose to stay home to draw.” A self-identified nerd who makes graffiti art. Even if he does look like an oversized WWF Wrestler (his words, not mine) in a Metallica getup. His talk elaborates on the process of graffiti art-making – utilizing various lettering techniques, styles, and the collaboration process that artists engage in when sharing wall-space. [CHECK-OUT this youtube clip of VYAL painting – with heavy metal in the background.]
Did you know that there’s a difference between graffiti art and graffiti vandalism? For Vyal, early on he recognized that doing graffiti art would get him further than the alternative (read:vandalism), declaring – “Graffiti artists just want to paint.”
Factoid: Right now, it’s illegal to make murals in Los Angeles. I know, crazy, isn’t it? Didn’t I just mention earlier that LA is the mural center of the world?… Hmm, while this is true, a moratorium was set in 2002 making it illegal to put new murals up. The Conservancy, LA Free Walls, along with others are adding their efforts to change this. READ MORE HERE
Interesting thought: While it’s not the case for all graffiti artists, it’s been stated that graffiti art has the reality of being at the crossroads of gang violence. Vyal shared how several of his friends had been killed or shot while painting murals during the time of a drive-by.
In a profound expression of global unity, the artist Vyal along with several other artists, were invited to Gaza in Palestine this past summer, to paint murals. His invitation to paint symbolized a hope that could be carried on by a global community of artmakers outside of Palestine, as Palestinian artists themselves have been persecuted for expressing their beliefs in their own country. They’re persecuted for painting walls. In 10 days, Vyal painted 9 of them. And in that period of time, he reports seeing and experiencing the heavy militarization of Palestine ~ the explosives within earshot distance from his hotel. I’ll save the details. His talk brings forth the artist as a PEACE-Creator through art. The artist exchange from country to country is a peace exchange and actually, a Circulation of Peace…
"Peace in Congo" by non-profit - "Falling Whistles." This controversial mural draws a loud statement to support a peaceful Congo, and as a result of this artwork being put up - an unintentional controversy that brings attention to the importance of devising better mural ordinances in Los Angeles. Read more at http://www.jetsetgraffiti.com/
Factoid: Did you know? – That it’s considered “Aggressive” to paint over another mural/graffiti art piece? Yes, it is. In Downtown LA’s artist district there’s a piece called “Peace in Congo” by the non-profit organization, “Falling Whistles” is a controversial piece because it was pasted over an existing mural. Because of miscommunication between the artist, building owner, and organizers, the new piece was put up…over an existing one which was a collaboration project between artists in LA and in New Zealand.
The Mural Conservancy explains the controversy of the art piece, "Peace in Congo."
This Art Campaign utilized images of people from the U.S. and the Congo and was collaged to make a statement. Instead of a letter, each photographed image with text was mailed to Congress.
The blessing to be understood behind this story is that both pieces – “Peace in the Congo” and the previous piece are examples of amazing art. Powerfuland Provocative. AND, according to the Conservancy, this project is a good controversial example of why Los Angeles needs better ordinances for graffiti art/murals – so that a respectful and accountable line of communication takes place with all those involved, so there’s protection for art and artists, so rather than compete for “limited” space, there’s more than enough space for powerful and provocative art to co-exist.
Who doesn’t know about Shepherd Ferry? OBEY… OBAMA, BE THE CHANGE… This piece right here is called “Peace Goddess.” Significant because it is the first piece curated by LA FREE WALLS PROJECT- and I would add, the image of a goddess overhead is pretty darn gorgeous and revealing; and….. Controversial, because apparently with this piece, an unrecognized artist posted ON TOP of the original piece, damaging it. Why? To ride on the notoriety of Ferry’s famous name. It was restored days later and with the fine and remorse of the offending artist. Lesson learned.
Last stop: "Heartship" Mural by How & Nosm. This mural took 6 days straight to paint. It directly faces the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Close inspection of the mural illustrates a musician and illustrator being kicked by the state represented by the foot wearing red stripes.
For a DETAIL of “Heartship” from above, CLICK HERE.
ONE LAST COMMENT to close all comments.
CREATIVITY is REAL and makes a difference. Artists create for many reasons – it’s a response, it’s a feeling, an urgency, a beckoning, a necessity, it’s something that parts of society can try to ignore, debase, be offended by, and reject but it doesn’t devalue its importance or deny its existence. In speaking of it, writing of it, seeing it posted up all over a wall as we walk through its doors, see through its windows, cast a shadow on it when walking by, or in giving it an un/conscious stare– the color, the form, and the energy in the painting becomes real, and this energy fuels the artist to keep making, for us to keep engaging, to strive for something more – or the option of having something else.
So maybe the lightbulb goes on and an awakening occurs…
Perhaps the flash sparks, and a glimmer of LIGHT continues flashing…
And what if lightning strikes… and a whole new reality emerges from the spot that was stricken, bringing a dream into life…
Yes………………………………………… maybe…
PIECE Out –
Liza Sat Akal Camba
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Questions? Comments?
Feel free to respond at the bottom of the page or email me at visionaryforpeace@gmail.com.
Join the listserve – CLICK HERE
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CONSCIOUS HUMANITY –
Peace is Possible In Our Lifetime
October 27, 2011, Culver City, CA – Brother Ishmael Tetteh is a Spiritual Master with a mission. A World Peace Activist, International Speaker, and Founder and Spiritual Director of the trans-denominational, metaphysical organization called Etherean Mission is Ghana, West Africa. Brother Tetteh travels the world sharing insight about a deep sense of self-understanding that must take place to create the inner peace that will evolutionize human interactions and our relationship to the earth.
Last night at the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City, Brother Tetteh shared his teachings to a diverse group of attendees who were excited to participate in an experiential evening of guided visualization and transformation through prayer, recalibration of old thought patterns, and empowerment through re-programming our language to create inner peace, world peace, and prosperity – Right Now.
Brother Ishmael Tetteh begins his talk stating that Peace is Possible in Our Lifetime. Why? In his lifetime alone, he has seen the Cold War dissolve, the Berlin Wall come down, Apartheid dismantled, and a man of color elected to become the U.S. president. Social media has influenced and changed the way society operates. If all this has been possible, what isn’t?
“I believe in the human spirit and in its potential to manifest peace now. I hear the voice of the soul of the soul of humanity and its cry is for peace and creative progress. Provided with the right tools, the answer to this long cherished prayer is with us now.”
– Bro. Ishmael Tetteh
Brother Ishmael’s work spans a 40-year quest to find out what it is that keeps man in bondage. Starting with himself and then a small community of people to explore this question, eventually more people were flocking to him, encouraging him to start the Mission. What was once a small clinic has grown into a now, 3-story hospital, the entire first floor dedicated to naturopathic healing, touch therapy, massage, and more.
His teachings allow a vision of peace to be so accessible that young children and people of all age groups can grasp the concepts and apply them immediately to life. Honoring Mother Nature as the True Teacher, he states that “whatever works must be in harmony with nature.”
Of his talk, a significant point that he emphasizes is that
every person on earth should strive to understand their own inner “GPS” system – in his words, G for gender characteristics; P for persona, and S for Senses. It’s amazing when we can understand ourselves and know how we individually operate. “When two people know how they operate, there is cooperation,” says Tetteh. Referencing Jesus, Tetteh states that Jesus only taught for three years and was effective in his work. We can choose our feelings. The power of choice and to be a co-conspirator to a vision is amazing. Tetteh remarked, “Dream your own dream – no one can see your dream in the mind of the dreamer. When you have your dreams you see your possibilities. When you see the dream of the dreamer, you become the co-dreamer.”
Guiding the attendees throughout the night in experiential activities, his work seemed so simple and the effects – deeply transformative. In fact, I could see exactly how this wo
rk could heal individuals and create understanding and compassion between friends, among children on a playground, communities, amongst lovers and married couples. [See for yourself: A talk about “Marriage, Sex, and Spiritual Life“] As an attendee of the workshop, I have seen Brother Tetteh speak on several occasions in the past and feel the strength of his words and teachings – so real and practical to apply. It’s profound and evolutionary.
Brother Tetteh clearly stated that it is his mission to spread this technology, this understanding, across the world. In unison, the attendees expressed their agreement that this work should be spread. Brother Tetteh ended the evening listing several bullet points of the things that needed to be done to support this mission – basic things necessary to run an organization such as: a website, technicians, funds to travel, expanding the work with trainings, etc. But these are things that will come from the right individuals who have these gifts to offer – and he clearly calls that forth. Tetteh’s primary purpose of his work is to spread by teaching. I’m glad to join Brother Tetteh as a co-dreamer. In my own way, writing this blog is a way to share and spread his mission.
In Kundalini Yoga, we tune in and vibrate to the mantra “Sat Nam” – that is, “Truth is my Name.” According to Brother Ishmael, “Nothing in this world is yours except what you are. Always live in the knowledge of who and what you are.”
Be your Truth.
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For more information about Brother Ishmael Tetteh, contact: “Conscious Humanity,” 1632 Rodney Drive, Los Angeles, Ca 90027, Tel, 760-633-1033, website: http://www.consciousteachings.com
To make a donation, purchase readings and other items, or to learn about workshops: http://www.consciousteachings.com/store/cart.php
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Questions? Comments?
Feel free to respond at the bottom of the page or email me at visionaryforpeace@gmail.com.
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2 Yogis & a Bear
A true story by Liza Sat Akal Camba
Photos by Roya Falahi
2 Yogis + 1 Bear do not equal Yogi Bear. BUT, I have an interesting story nonetheless to share.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and my friend Roya and I were on the Monrovia Canyon hike. 2 Yogis.
It was midday. 2:30PM. Nevermind that choosing this time of day wasn’t the most ideal, but if you know this hike, you know it’s gorgeous and it’s shady 80% of the way.
Roya, a fellow artist and skilled photographer was fascinated by all the beautiful spider webs. True, the lighting at this particular time, with the shade created some really beautiful imagery of webs along trees. Early into the hike, I mentioned to Roya that I had just missed crossing paths with a bear a few years ago. Recounting the story, I shared how I had started hiking at around 8am that day and that the ranger informed me that there was a bear just a few hours earlier in plain sight, taking on a deer for its meal, right there on the pavement.
Family of deer we saw at the end of our hike. There are 4 of them.
Thank goddess I had just missed this experience.
Back to today – so for some reason, it was a super busy hike…lots and lots of people. And kids. Lots of kids.
And dogs. Big dogs. So weird. I’ve hiked this trail dozens of times and have never experienced this high traffic of hikers before. The more the merrier though.
Finally reaching the end of the hike and the beautiful waterfall, Roya and I were 2 of the
The waterfall.
40 people crunched in this tiny space of rock, waterfall, and flowing stream. We sat about 30-40 feet away from the waterfall. It was Roya’s first time on this hike. I’m thinking she’s liking it. And I’m mesmerized by some kids in the water that are creating little dams with the rocks. And there are more hikers coming through, people posing for photos at the waterfall, people eating sandwiches, fruit, and cookies. There’s a gigantic dog that appears that must be the size of 2 people – a combination of dalmation and Rolse Royce. It’s huge! And the kids love him of course. They leave their dams to pet the doggie. For a few minutes it seems like all attention is on this massive dog who seems to like the water and has a preference for drinking straight off the waterfall. It’s a perfect moment. It’s great. The scene is beautiful. It’s fresh. It’s cool. You can just sense the calm and relief and peace and happiness and bliss in the air.
A beautiful woman is enjoying the waterfall, standing right below it in awe.
And all of a sudden some rocks start falling down along the waterfall.
Mini avalanche?
Loose rock?
Then you hear….”OW!”…..and a frenzy…
Then more rocks..
(Is there an earthquake? No I don’t feel one….Is there someone up there? Not possible – it’s too steep..)
Then – BAM. A rock the size of 2 fists comes whirling right towards me (remember, I’m about 40 feet away from the waterfall). Whew! It missed. Do rockslides shoot rocks out that far? (Is there someone up there? Impossible!)
By this time, the crowd is in such a frenzy and the woman who screamed “OW!” is being bandaged up after the rock hit her head, slightly gashing it. Everyone runs out. What happened to that picturesque moment?!
“HEY!” shouts out a man, looking up and in a fury. “Quit it! Stop doing that – stop throwing rocks – you’re gonna hurt someone!”
“Did you see someone???” we ask.
“No,” he says, “But just in case….”
Scurrying away….some people decide to continue their afternoon snack just a few feet away from the waterfall area, however the majority of us call it an afternoon and head back on the loop home.
People eating just a short distance from the Falls.
Moments later, we cross a man with a walking stick on his way to the waterfall. Giving him a brief update on what just occurred and cautioning him as he’s headed towards the waterfall, he notes… “OH……. well just awhile ago I saw a bear walking up the path above us… it was walking towards the waterfall….it could have been the bear.” A Bear.
Do bears throw rocks?
Do bears get territorial over their water sources?
Do they have little patience for little kids, big dogs, and a whole lotta people in their crib?
Was that really a bear throwing rocks at us?
We’ll never know.
So that’s the story of two yogis and a bear.
- Lady walking away with her wounded head.
Questions? Comments?
Feel free to respond at the bottom of the page or email me at visionaryforpeace@gmail.com.
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Bhakti Fest: Joshua Tree, Sept. 7-11
Bhakti Fest is a yearly experience that can immerse you deep into the cha
nnels of love, devotion, community, purpose, and connection with the Divine. This experience is revealed through yoga, kirtan music, inspirational and revelatory talks by spiritual leaders, teachers, yogis, and artists, loving dialogue, scrumptious vegetarian food, dancing on the earth, feeling the rain crashing down on an open concert, and sleeping under the stars on a warm desert night. If you are open to the experience, one might just be surprised with familiar faces in this lifetime or the not so distant past ~ congregating once again to celebrate and express bhav, that is, love in all its forms.
I had the amazing opportunity to offer my hand at BhaktiFest by registering many of the expected 3,000-5,000 people for onsite housing – meeting people from all over the world from as far as Austria, Costa Rica, Australia, Canada, Oklahoma, San Diego, and Los Angeles! Ever grateful for this experience, I reflected on how much I wished for my friends and yogis back home to be there to experience this wonderful festival with me!
(Top: Main Stage with Jai Uttal; Below, Left: LA-based Power Yogi Aree and Swaroopa Yogi Patti from Pennsylvania, man the housing table; Center: 3 amazing yogis come to each other’s rescue! Far Right: Artist Yogi pulls out her crystal ball)
There were moments that were truly ineffable…such as when Krishna Das’ concert got hailed on and when hundreds of people huddled for shelter within the nearby vendor booths – a briefly passing rain and hail-fall that brought people literally smack-dab together – then jam-packed ourselves into a small indoor sanctuary hall.. The feeling and body heat generated was so intense and so tight it felt like a prehistoric cave or a womb that was growing and evolving with every note that Krishna Das sang..
nite jam session
Or how later in the evening, MC Yogi bedazzled the crowd with his rhythmic lyrics that by the end of the night had everyone touch the earth, feel like you could take on the world, and chant out loud, “Be the Change” and “Give Love.” I was struck by his production bringing together visual art on stage, alongside dancers, Radhas and Fantuzzi, and paying homage to peace shakers from the Hare Krishnas to Mahatma Gandhi.
Or, when Deva Premal, with Miten and Manose, so beautifully announced early on that clapping isn’t necessary and that it’s okay to have silence after songs and that it’s in that silence that holds so much meaning…(Check out a clip of the Gayatri mantra from last year’s Festival HERE).
Or when Shyam Das and Radhanath Swami shared their insight about living with Bhav and that when we see God in our hearts, we can love everyone, maybe not love what they do, but we can still love them…and all you can feel is undeniable love exuding their Being and circulating throughout the room as everyone exudes this love as well…
Or when Sacinandana Swami (Caption to left: Radhanath Swami with girl) sang his heart out leading devotees and others in the room to the tune of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Hare Hare Hare Hare” and one can feel the glowing internal light within as the song, harolding the different names of “God-consciousness” takes you into deep meditation…
Campgrounds
You know that feeling when you’re sitting on a mountain peak or along the pier and you settle into the awe-some image of a sunset and all its brilliant colors…? And you sit in complete silence…? Yup – That feeling. A reverie, of Knowing. That’s it.
No words can really describe this experience, so instead I offer some colorful jpgs and mpegs with descriptive captions. If we get a chance to cross paths in person, I would love to share the stories and beauty of this event. Thank you to the amazing organizers, coordinators, and volunteers who dedicated their time to make this experience possible, and to all the artists, teachers, speakers, vendors, the ancient yogis and gurus, saints, deities, and eternal truth that made the conception of this gathering of human-encapsulated souls even plausible. Perhaps next year, you’ll be able join in the fun? Here’s to living with Bhav, 365 days a year!
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SATURDAY MORNING, Aug. 21
A Good Morning with Yoga and Ayurveda!
WE started our
9am Saturday morning session taking in the morning breeze through cleansed nasal cavities and clear eyes. Beginning with our triphala eye wash, we massaged our eyeballs with a gentle mixture of herbs that had been soaking in water throughout the night, filtered, and purified.
Then, we proceeded to our much-anticipated neti pot cleanse – an ancient nasal rinse that clears the sinuses, balances the left and right brain hemispheres, and leaves you feeling overall fresh, clean, open, balanced, and able to breathe in a whole new way you never imagined.
With a whiff of essence of rose, the nasal cavities opened up to
a cool and refreshing scent that was not too harsh, but just right, allowing one to breathe fully and completely with the elevated frequency of rose.
Following our morning hygienic exercise, we segwayed into an hour-long Kundalini Yoga favorite, focusing on bringing an overall balance to our physical, mental, emotional, and psychic bodies.
We worked up an appetite and after class cruised down the street for some bonding and the tasty vegetarian eats of vietnamese cuisine! Mmm…
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SATURDAY Morning, Aug. 13, 2011
Yoga Living: Moving through the Asana of Life with Clear Vision
As part of the Saturday Morning series of Kundalini Yoga at the Eagle’s Nest, which started on this bright late summer morning, we greeted the sun – stretched out on a mountain top imbibing the morning rays – and performed the ever-popular ritual of cleaning our eyes out!
How? With the help of Ayurveda’s precious gift – an herbal mixture called Triphala. Triphala is sanskrit for “three fruits.” It contains a combination of three high quality medicinal herbs (“amla” which is Indian gooseberry, “harad”, and “baheda”) that also correspond to the three doshas – pitta, vata, and kapha. FYI – Amla has healing properties to relieve conjunctivitis and glaucoma.
It’s pretty obvious how important our eyes are, however how often do we take the time to take care of them? The moment we wake up, our eyes are in action. And today, many people’s eyes are strained due to the computer and tv. Triphala eye-washing is a good way to help relax the eyes, increase blood circulation in the eyes to rid dark circles, and to bring out that natural shimmering *twinkle*twinkle*. Washing the eyes with triphala will keep your eyes overall moist and healthy, and…in an instant – amazingly brighter eyesight!
The yogic message: When we clean our eyes of the gunk (the oily film is so thin and imperceptible that our vision is normalized and we are not aware that our vision has actually been been tainted with a nasty residue of dirt, environmental toxins, etc), then we can have a clearer, sharper reality of the world we are experiencing and a fresh perspective to relate to it.
After our gunky experience, we proceeded into our normally prepared Kundalini Yoga class. Together, we worked on our solar plexus region, digestive and elimination systems, and held a deliberation of strengthening our core identity and projection. Our final meditation was a heart-opening experience with the Sat Kartaar mantra that worked on our fourth chakra while building some muscle in our whole upper-lower arms and shoulders. We’ll definitely feel it in the morning! We concluded our set with a beautiful golden cup meditation to humbly receive prosperity then showered in blessings for oneself and the world.
A beautiful morning indeed!
~Sat Nam and Wahe Guru!~
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MONDAY, MAY 9th, 2011
During the first class of the first ever beginner’s series we “Awakened Our Ten Bodies” ~ which included the Soul Body, Negative Mind, Positive Mind, Neutral Mind, Physical Body, Arc Line, Auric Body, Pranic Body, Subtle Body, and Radiant Body. Did anyone know we had that many bodies to work with?!… What a workout! We ended with Frog Poses that everyone just loved! ~ 😉
About our meditation for the evening.. the chant of Ek Ong Kaar(uh), Saa-Taa-Naa-Maa(uh), Siree Wha(uh) Hay Guroo. Translated, it means “There is One Creator who has created this Creation. Truth is His name. Ecstatic beyond words is his wisdom and guidance.” This mantra initiates the kundalini, initiating the relationship between our soul and the Universal Soul.
At the end of the meditation and our closing Long Time Sun Song, I felt the drops of the impending rain that was closing in all day. It was as if the Infinite Consciousness was listening and allowing our first class to convene without interruption before the downpour. Wahe Guru! What a blessing!
Artful Living: Yoga, Healing, and Art 
