Update on the Guru's House

Just wanted to post the latest pictures of Phase II: House of Guru Ram Das:

This is what the back porch looked like in the beginning. I also wanted to mention that all work done is unpaid. All of these caring souls do this work out of the kindness of their hearts. If you ever met Ram Das Bir Singh Khalsa, you would understand. He is our yoga teacher who is much more than a teacher. He cares for everyone. He opens his house to everyone. He feeds everyone. His energy and teachings are so enlightening.

So I wanted to thank all of the guys who work so hard: Manuel, Joe, David, Pez, Simon, and anyone else who I have not mentioned.

http://www.donnakaranbunnybutcher.com/index.aspx

Food Tidbits

CHOCOLATE
The opposite polarity to chocolate is green chili. Every time you have a chocolate urge, eat a green chili.

FERMENTED FOODS
The qualities of fermented foods have been listed as follows: for arthritis, scurvy, ulcers, colds, digestive disorders and cancer.

HONEY
Mainly depending on the pollen content, honey is known to induce longetivity, is effective in treating asthma, hemorrhoids, allergies, digestive disorders, arthritis, hay fever and multiple sclerosis. It improves assimilation and elimination, weak heart and bad complexion. Pollen is available in tablets, capsules and in pure form. It is recommended to take ten tablets a day or four to six capsules, or one tablespoon of granules for a dose.
One ounce of honey a day is all the body can handle.

LEAD POISONING
Any mechanism which makes white sugar contains lead, and lead is not good for the body.

MILK
Cow’s milk is very good milk, but if the cream content is more than 5%, it is advisable to add a little water.

OILS
Sesame, almond and olive oils are known as the oils of life.

TRINITY ROOT
Onions, garlic, and ginger are not spices; they are the trinity roots of life. In Yoga, people who do not take onions, garlic and ginger are those who are supposed to lead the life of a householder and are supposed to stay three miles away from where a woman dwells.
Garlic + onions + ginger = three basic life roots. In Egyptian history, onions were worshipped as a gift of God. It is written of garlic in the Vedic scriptures, “…it only lacks one thing: if someone knows how to make garlic sweet, it will be the nectar of life.”

From The Ancient Art of Self-Healing by Yogi Bhajan

Circulatory System

This is taken from The Ancient Art of Self-Healing by Yogi Bhajan:

The following foods increase circulation: chilies, ginseng, lecithin, lemons.

Chilies stimulate circulation

Ginseng is good for the heart and good for the circulatory system. You can have fifteen drops of ginseng extract in a glass of water four times a day, maximum.
Ginseng is also well known for its aphrodisiac qualities; it stimulates cell growth, increases hormone production, rejuvenates the nervous system, and it was referred to as a cure all for all ills (again, temper this with modern knowledge).

Lecithin has the property of affinity to oil, and when isolated from its normal surroundings (as a granular lecithin isolated from soybeans) it combines with fats free in the bloodstream and along artery walls. It is thus good for high blood pressure, heart problems and poor circulation.

Lemon juice helps to thin the blood and increase circulation.

The Aura

This is taken from the book The Ancient Art of Self-Healing by Yogi Bhajan regarding the aura:

SUBTLE BODY
The aura is the subtle body, without which there cannot be any physical existence.

ROOTS OF THE HUMAN
You are not as physical as you look. The total impact of your human aura can be nine feet around you, all the way. When the aura touches the earth, it grounds itself with the earth. Those are your roots. That is where you get your energy. That is the energy which will take you to the heavens, the ether.

SIZE OF THE AURA
You are not just this body. Your energy is in your aura and your aura extends nine feet from your skin. The animal aura is three and a half feet; metal things and other inanimate objects are one and a half; and the human aura is nine feet.

INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE AURA
There are two things which can increase the size of the aura: white clothing and cotton cloth. When you wear white cotton clothing from top to bottom, you can increase your aura up to three times. This is under all circumstances, even if you are at your lowest ebb. That’s the law of the universe.

THE ARC LINE OF THE AURA
The hairline is the base of the arc line of your aura. The arc line of a human being can be between one millimeter up to three inches. That is where the aura is read and that is where the strength of your entire divinity lies.

"P" Fruits

This is from The Ancient Art of Self-Healing by Yogi Bhajan:

“P” Fruits
Peaches do not grow on the beaches but when they grow in the fields, eat them. Peaches can teach you how to be a man. Eat peaches. All “P” fruits are good for men’s creativity. Peaches, plums, papayas, pineapples, pears and persimmons. All “P” fruits. The best thing for a “P” fruit is to blend it really good with yogurt. Really blend it up. Let it go. Let it get in yukja.. yukja is “one life.” Make them to go through, and when it is really, really, really blended, drink it. If you are not hypoglycemic you can put honey in it.

Mudras

After posting a few funnies from Oscar Wilde, I thought that the main focus of this blog is truth and wisdom. I thought that I would focus on Mudra which are hand positions used in yoga. Our teacher Ram Das Bir Singh has us use different mudras to help the brain connect with certain aspects of the infinity.

• Gyan Mudra: Place the tip of the thumb together with the tip of the index finger.
  Stimulates: Knowledge and ability.
  Planet: Jupiter – representing expansion.
  
  



• Shuni Mudra: Place the tip of the middle finger on the tip of the thumb.
  Stimulates: Patience and discernment.
  Planet: Saturn – the task master, the law of karma, the taking of responsibility and
  courage to hold to duty.
  


• Ravi Mudra: Place the tip of the ring finger on the tip of the thumb.
  Stimulates: Revitalizing energy, nervous system strength and good health.
  Planet: Sun – energy, health and sexuality. Uranus – nervous system strength, intuition
  and change.


• Buddhi Mudra: Place the tip of the little finger on the tip of the thumb.
  Stimulates: Capacity to communicate clearly and intuitively and psychic development.
  Planet: Mercury – quickness and mental powers of communication.

Practicing this with the chant- Sa-Ta-Na-Ma brings a total mental balance to the individual psyche. As you vibrate on each fingertip, you alternate your electrical polarities. The index and ring fingers are electrically negative, relative to the other fingers. This causes a balance in the electromagnetic projection of the aura.

Source:

The Ancient Art of Self-Healing, by Yogi Bhajan. West Anandpur Publishers, Eugene, OR, 1982.

"Some Cause Happiness wherever they go; Others whenever they go."

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde.



Here are my other favorite Oscar Wilde quotes:



Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.



If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.



Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.



The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself.



We teach people how to remember, we never teach them how to grow.



Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.



I see when men love women. They give them but a little of their lives. But women when they love give everything.



Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.



The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.



Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.



I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.



Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.



The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.



Men always want to be a woman's first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a man's last romance.



A man who moralizes is usually a hypocrite, and a woman who moralizes is invariably plain.

The Usual Suspects

First things first. The front porch at the House of Guru Ram Das is complete (just awaiting paint- which will be an entire house painting). Now Phase II is the reworking of the back porch. As you can see in the photo, there is not much holding up the steps to the back door. I am excited to see the progression of this

part of the project. Manuel and I are praying that the donations flow to help this project come to completion quickly.

There is a movie that I used to watch called the Usual Suspects. There is a scene that has this beautiful edifice that reminds me of a Buddhist or Shinto temple. I did some research and found that it is called the Korean Friendship Bell. Manuel, Zoe and I packed up and headed there yesterday. It was a gray sky day with occasional sprinkles, but it was a beautiful day. When we arrived, we climbed the big hill up to the Korean Friendship Bell. After exploring around the bell, we were walking around and saw many strange large concrete areas. Then we saw giant bullets and discovered that below the friendship bell was above Fort MacArthur which was an old army post that guarded Los Angeles Harbor. The staff there was friendly and told us to check out the museum. We had our dog with us and they said to go ahead and bring her, just clean up if she makes a mess. So Manuel, Zoe and I explored this museum/ underground army post. There were old newspaper clippings and notices for the Japanese internment during World War II. We read some of the old newspaper headlines that actually said "Japs" for Japanese people. Sometimes I wonder how civilized the world really is. With all new technology are people really evolving? Are people getting smarter or is porn just more easily accessible? But just reading the newspaper headlines, I realized that S-L-O-W-L-Y it is happening and it is possible. Even through word choices, this changes the way one thinks.

The Japanese internment happened in 1944- sixty four years ago. This wasn't really that long ago. There were 110,000 people in Hawaii and the West Coast who were put into these concentration camps. So all of these people had their homes and belongings taken from them in the name of racial ignorance (racial prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership). This generation of people have lived through September 11, 2001 we are familiar with the racial profiling of those of Middle Eastern descent. Scary that it happens again. That is why it is important to vote for representatives for this country that are not only educated, but are strong in their convictions. During times like these, one needs to research who one wants to be the voice of your country- someone who is diverse, who can talk not only to the people, but deliver for the greater good in a just and fair way. It is time that all leaders- not just political to be aware and perform to the best of their ability- without corruption.

Getting Rid of the Stress

One of stress relievers that Manuel and I partake in doing is him going skateboarding and me following him on my bike. You wouldn't believe it if I told you, but if you saw it, you'd be amazed. Manuel can skateboard so fast, it is hard for me to keep up with him riding a bike. Maybe you have seen him. He has been skateboarding for years along Bristol Street in Santa Ana.

In addition, we also practice Kundalini Yoga- allisone.info. We have tried all kinds of yoga in the past- hatha, Bikram, ashtanga, the list goes on and on; this has been the most effective for us. We particularly enjoy attending the class held by Ram Das Bir Singh. As a teacher, he is knowledgeable and uplifting. As a person, this man has helped us immensely in so many ways. He is a wonderful male role model with such an amazing heart. And in his class, is where we met. But getting back to stress relief, we enjoy the Kundalini Yoga because it incorporates mudra (hand positions used to stimulate certain areas in the brain or organs), mantra (sound to release and create vibration to change the energy), pranayama (breathing techniques) and asanas (body posture). I do admit that on some days when we are holding our arms out for twenty two minutes at a time I feel like quitting, but then have you ever tried to do that by yourself with no motivation? Well with our great teacher's help, I am doing this on my own as well. So yes, he has us do kriyas that we do not want to do but our teacher teaches us patience for the big payoff. The big payoff is finding out you can survive it and by working at it everyday it actually becomes easier. There has been a message that my teacher has been telling his students for years, tithe- one tenth belongs to God. He explains to us that everything we have is not ours (time, money, life). We have the choice to take it or to dedicate it. By dedicating one tenth of a day- a two and a half hour time slot dedicated to God, by dedicating one tenth of your money to God (charity); if you live selflessly and give to God you will receive all the blessings. And for those who are really tuning out because God has been introduced into the story, if you think about it you can fill a purpose greater than your own and that is God. It gets one out of the selfish mindset that Americans are raised with. Because as my husband always tells me, everything is connected; and it is. Every thought you have changes the vibration of the world and every action changes the world physically. It just reminds me of what is in the news a lot lately. Medication that people take is being urinated and is contaminating the water supply that we drink, bathe, and use for other purposes. Whether you are drinking water from the tap, or your filtration system, or getting bottled water, what exactly is in it? And the water you bathe in- your skin is a sponge. Yes you are absorbing water when you bathe and what is in that water? I am not trying to get paranoid on this subject but it is something to think about.

So getting back to getting rid of stress: tone down what you are thinking, exercise, try meditation, live honestly, because everything is connected with everything whether you like it or not.

Herbal First Aid Kit

I went to a Women's Retreat over the summer and had taken a seminar given by Aricia Zazo on an herbal first aid kit. I really enjoyed the information given and have adapted what I have and use with what she had suggested. I have been thinking about this for a couple of days and decided that this is something that can be useful to others. The following is not medical advice. I am just presenting what I learned at the workshop and am combining knowledge I have acquired over the years by using on myself and family members. I always suggest researching any advice- google is a wonderful search engine which usually can lead one to wikipedia to get accurate information.

Ingredients:
Raw Garlic
Feverfew (Herbal Extract)
Greenban (insect repellent)
Herbal Ed's Salve
Arnica Montana (Homeopathic)
Lavender (Essential Oil)
Peppermint (Essential Oil)
Tea Tree (Essential Oil)
Rose Geranium (Essential Oil)
Eucalyptus (Essential Oil)
Shea Butter
Rosemary (Essential Oil)
Lemon Grass (Essential Oil)
Echinacea Goldenseal (Herbal Extract)

Raw Garlic: As we know, garlic is wonderful for almost any ailment; high blood pressure, blood sugar level regulator, blood clot preventive, antioxidant. It is helpful for a multitude of reasons, but the most important, is that it is a natural antibiotic. If one feels a cold coming on, begin to ingest raw garlic in moderation. According to Yogi Bhajan "If a person is not obnoxiously offended by garlic smell when he is socially entertaining, he is a man with a very high standard."
Feverfew: In herbal extract form, it is suggested to get Herb Pharm brand http://www.herb-pharm.com/. Feverfew has been used for reducing fever, for treating headaches, arthritie and digestive problems. The main reason this is on the list is for Migraine headache relief.
Green Ban: Insect repellent and itch soother that contains: citronella, cajuput, lavender, safrole-free sassafras, peppermint, myrrh, and bergaptene-free bergamot oils in an emollient healing base of pure calendula, soy, and tea tree oils.
Herbal Ed's Salve: Another Herb Pharm product contains: Comfrey root, St. John's Wort, Calendula flower, Plantain leaf, Chickweed herb, Mullein leaf, Bees' Wax, and Bees' Propolis. For chapped lips, minor cuts and irritation. Although I have never used this product, it has come highly recommended from people that I trust. For a cream with kick, it is pretty potent, and I highly recommend is Gardener's Dream Cream by Aroma Crystal Therapy http://www.aromacrystal.com/index.php?page_id=26. Used as a massage cream I have found that it works wonders for sore muscles and body aches. I have used it on bug bites, burns and love it on chapped lips.
Arnica Montana: I typically use homeopathic medicine. Boiron http://www.boironusa.com/ makes these wonderful tubes where you twist the top to release the pellets. You take 5 pellets which are smaller than the size of a BB. The sugar tasting pellets are very easy to take. Arnica is used for bruises, trauma and muscle soreness. I have also heard that it is good for emotional shock after injury, nosebleeds, jet lag, and for those days where you feel like you have been run over by a semi-truck.
Lavender: This essential oil is wonderful. It smells good, you do not need to dilute it and it seems to work for just about anything: burns, sunburn (you can mix with aloe and witch hazel), diaper rash (mix with shea butter), bee stings, muscle cramps.
Peppermint: This oil should be diluted with oil or water. Peppermint oil is helpful for nausea, stomach/digestive , headache, and motion sickness.
Tea Tree: This essential oil is an antibacterial and antifungual. Especially good for cuts.
Rose Geranium: This essential oil is used for sore throat, PMS because it helps to regulate female hormones, depression, anxiety, and skin disorders.
Eucalyptus: This essential oil is used for congestion. By either inhaling or applying to the chest.
Rosemary: This essential oil is used for headache.
Lemongrass: This essential oil can be used for road rage
Echinacea/Goldenseal: Use this tincture when coming down with a cold. Put a few drops in a glass of orange juice or glass of water.

*Essential oils- These are concentrated extracts of plants. Some can be very dangerous. Do not apply directly to skin without diluting (with the exception of lavender and tea tree). Also please research essential oil companies before purchasing- determine an essential oil is a pure essential oil and that it is distilled without the use of harmful chemicals. Because of their concentrated nature, essential oils generally should not be applied directly to the skin in their undiluted or "neat" form. Some can cause severe irritation, or provoke an allergic reaction.

Mixing lavender oil and tea tree oil make a wonderful natural hand sanitizer.

Communication

Communication can be one of the most confusing aspects of being a human. When you say something clear and concise, the listener is looking, nodding and giving feedback; you have a feeling inside that you are confident that the two of you are "on the same page," then you find out that you aren't. Just this simple transaction can lead to great pain. We are potty training Zoe, our new puppy. We have given her a specific area in which to relieve herself, we take her to that spot after she wakes up from a nap or eats. Yet after three weeks, she will be at her designated spot, cry to be let back into the house or try to run in past me, the human barricade at the door, and find a nice spot on our floor to reliever herself. DOH! It is so nice to have a new member of the family at the house. She has made herself at home with Manuel, the cats, and I. Learning how to communicate to one who does not know your language definitely requires patience and understanding. Sometimes Manuel and I feel like we are frustrated with Zoe, but she just looks at us with those eyes and that wagging tail that just make you want to laugh and pick her up, but sometimes that will not be beneficial to the upbringing of this new family member. I watch how the cats interact with Zoe. There is no messing around. If the cat does not like the puppy nipping at his tail, he turns around and starts boxing the puppy. Thank goodness the cats are declawed so even when I hear the puppy crying, I know she is not getting pulverized.

Communication between not just pets is important. More recently, communication between my husband and I especially. Most of the time, I feel that Manuel and I are on the same page. Our flow and energy together is amazing. When we work together, things get done so smoothly, efficiently, and quickly. Before we got married, we felt that we communicated the same. For some reason after some time has passed and we have been married a little over a year, we are beginning to learn that men and women communicate differently. So the item I believe that is most in communication is CLARIFICATION, CLARIFICATION, CLARIFICATION. So a word of advice: even when you believe that you are on the same page, make sure you get a verbal clarification from the one you are communicating with so that you do not run into mishaps later on.

Enough on communication for now, the porch project aka: House of Guru Ram Das Project is doing well. Manuel, David and Joe (David and Joe pictured above) have been working hard to complete phase I of the House of Guru Ram Das. Today they should be completing the primer for the porch and the front porch should be done for now (they are waiting to find out the color of the rest of the house before painting the primer area- so it matches the rest of the house). The security screen door in the front has also been installed. I also wanted to mention that these three men are putting a lot of hard work and effort into this project. They are working from the good of their hearts, they are not on a payroll; there isn't enough funding for that. Another item of mention is David. David is working on crutches. He has a broken leg and has been working faithfully on this project despite his physical handicap. To me, that is dedication.

Since the Last Time

One morning I had woken up with a spider bite on my leg. As the day progressed, so did the swelling at the site of the bite. Soon, I admitted myself into an urgent care facility. I was given a myriad of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, and allergy medication. By the next day, things were worse. My entire body was red with rash, I was freezing inside, I had a fever. I went back to the doctor's and found that I had a reaction to the antibiotics. Within two weeks, I was back to "normal." Whatever normal is. Since the announcement of my engagement last year, the relationship with my family deteriorated. Control issues really surfaced and got out of hand. I wished all the family turmoil could have lasted only a couple of weeks just like the spider bite. But instead, it has been a toxic and disgusting situation that has had a very long duration. Things between my sister and I are mended. My mother and I are trying to mend our relationship. My mother and sister came for a visit last week and got to meet the new member of our family, Zoe ( a doxie mix puppy). The visit went well and I am glad that perhaps in the future we can be family again.





Onto my next tangent, I want to thank goodness for my husband, Manuel who has been right beside me during all of this toxic family blah. Even though my family may not agree, I am married to the most compassionate and loving man. We were at his mother's house this weekend for a couple of birthdays/reunion. The place was packed, but it was nice to be in the presence of family love.

Before I end this blog, I wanted to mention that I entered Zoe in a cutest dog contest for the Orange County Register Newspaper. If you agree with me, please vote for her as well. Thank you. (Zoe from Anaheim) http://ocregister.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=2913

Manuel and I are going through life's changes. Trying to adapt and trying to learn to have more patience. Patience is defined as: an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay1. I think our patience stems from willingness and not ability so this is something that must be worked on. Manuel and I practice Kundalini yoga at our teacher's home in Santa Ana, California. We have been practicing and studying for some years now and are making the changes to survive in this fast paced world. As I have stated before, we are vegetarians and everyday we are learning more and more about this lifestyle. Having both grown up in a carnivorous home, it is important to learn about correct diet in conjunction with vigorous exercise.

The yoga that we do definitely teaches patience. The class doesn't bend us in pretzel poses for three minutes at a time. Our teacher has us work on kriyas (a sanskrit term for physical action) joined with a mantra (sacred syllables used in meditation) which help us to focus and meditate for periods up to 22 minutes each. Twice a year, there is also a white tantric which I call the marathon which has participants hold poses for 31 or 62 minutes at a time for a period between 6-8 hours.

Manuel has made a sign for in front of our teacher's home and is performing other works of karma yoga (a yoga spiritual path of action) by reconstructing our teacher's front entry way. Our teacher and his brothers have lived in this home since they were babies. Now this home is so old, and is in great need of repair. Manuel has volunteered his time and when others are available to help volunteer to do this work from the graciousness of their hearts, or by donating, this project progresses. I admire my yoga instructor because he invites anyone of any race, any religion and welcomes them into his home whether they have money or not. He teaches and guides. After he teaches class he feeds everyone wonderful vegetarian dinner, yogi tea, and makes the most incredible cookies- no white sugar or artificial ingredients.

I am so lucky to have two wonderful men in my life. A spiritual teacher who guides and a husband whose heart and love extends throughout.

References:

1. "patience." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 18 Aug. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/patience

August 12, 2008 Things are going to change

Gourd Art. This is our new favorite medium. We did our first show at the Welburn Gourd Farm in Fallbrook, California in June at the 12th Annual International Gourd Festival. That particular weekend was extremely hot, especially being outdoors all day in temperatures close to 115 degrees. Manuel and I spent months preparing for the show working on art to present. We set up our booth and were a little disappointed that we didn't sell as much as we had anticipated. However, last week, a person from an art gallery had noticed our work from the gourd show and contacted us. We met up with them this morning and they purchased some art from us. It was so amazing to have someone remember our artwork.

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

The past couple of years have been all about getting out of the comfort zone. While Manuel has been a vegetarian for four years, Christine has gone vegetarian for a year and a half. Everyone who is not vegetarian always asks if it is hard- they could not imagine not eating meat. But why not? In changing dietary choices, lifestyle choices also change. One website that actually shows a really good reason to go vegetarian (changing your diet to a karma free diet) is from Go Veg.com called meet your meat.

Also in getting out of the comfort zone, Manuel and Christine (both who did not believe in marriage until meeting each other) got married. Throughout the engagement process, the wedding, and the meshing of our lives.......That has been major change.