Ascent, the magazine that promises "Yoga for an Inspired Life" in each quarterly issue, is different from any yoga mag I've seen.
Published in Canada by
Swami Sivananda Radha since 1969, the issue currently on stands (with generous excerpts online) features editor Sarah E. Truman's penetrating
interview with the sixth man to walk on the moon,
Dr. Edgar Dean Mitchell.
Since his retirement from NASA in 1972, Mitchell has been lecturing on intuition, quantum physics, and the belief that a "learning, self-organizing principle" underlies all creation. He founded the
Institute of Noetic Sciences to better facilitate "research on the relationship between consciousness and cosmology."
Not your average fly boy.
Ascent: When you were in space and had that sense of the unity that underlies the universe, what did it feel like to be back on Earth and see how humans can treat each other and how we treat our planet?
Mitchell: Part of my epiphany in space was recognizing that beneath the blue and white cover of Earth, we humans were behaving like juveniles. We are a juvenile species. By and large, we are so consumed with greed and self-service that we miss the larger point. This is what the great mystics in all religious have tried to get us to see...
The problem is, those who have not had those transcendent, transformational experiences continue to operate just like we're seeing the world operate right now--ignoring the message of unity and the greater good. My life has been devoted since that time to pursuing the issue of helping move global civilization toward a sustainable future. Clearly we are not there yet.
Read more about Mitchell by visiting
his website.
"In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice (or more accurately a rolling tangle of choices) between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot--and thereby
guaranteeing that it will not make you happy. It becomes a choice between certainty and uncertainity. And curiously, uncertainty is the comforting choice."
--the last paragraph of the classic text
"Art & Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland.
High on my list of most inspiring people is Bill Hubert, a Wichita, Kansas, English teacher and martial artist who developed a truly amazing method of exercise for school kids that combines
Brain Gym, juggling, and vision therapy. Studies show that when children learn Bal-a-Vis-X (his funny name for it), their reading scores improve.
Here's the
Bal-a-Vis-X website.
And here are the
glowing testimonials. Spread the word.
Thanks to faithful reader Kathy for
this marvelous link to a 52-question test that tells you which of your chakras is under-functioning! It caught my weakness in the root chakra. Younger Chattering son took the test also (it only takes ten minutes), and was happy to find that he is firing evenly on all cylinders (as you'd hope a kid would). Try it--especially if you have no interest in chakras and don't know what all the fuss is about! Ways to understand other mind-body systems are on the site, and I intend to explore them.
This year, I'm really appreciating Quantum's
Buzz Away Extreme, a natural insect repellent that provides protection from ticks for two hours and sends mosquitoes, gnats, and fleas (fleas?) packing for three-and-a-half to eight hours! The oils of geranium, cedarwood, citronella, lemongrass, and peppermint create a great fragrance. I went to the health food store and asked the clerk in the vitamin/herb department which of the natural repellents worked longest and best. They sold me this. It works. Nicely asking the bugs to pass me by wasn't as successful a strategy, but at least I tried.
I like this idea from the blog Fatfree Vegan Kitchen: fresh corn on the cob with lemon juice and seasoned pepper--instead of butter....
Thanks to reader Moni who wrote this in response to that unsettling Cormac McCarthy quote about peaceniks being the first to give up their souls and their freedom:"I believe that what McCarthy is saying is true for now. People who...
The 12 Steps 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.3. Made a decision to turn our will and our...
Oh gosh, don't you just hate it? Another study stays that the famous 12-Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous is no better than other rehabilitation methods.I can't be entirely rational on this one. I think AA is terrific, and it has...
There's so much nourishing material in Rubin R. Naiman's book "Healing Night: The Science and Spirit of Sleeping, Dreaming, and Awakening," that you must send it to any friend with sleep issues, or buy it for yourself if you're not...
Guns are on my mind these days...And my chattering mind is so full of contradictions. Here's the thing: The twelve-year-old Chattering I blogged about yesterday is much more interested in soldiers than he is in girls. He's a big reader...
Mr. Chattering is reading the collected letters of Thomas Jefferson, and he recently sent me this endearing (slightly odd) passage:"...Give about two [hours] every day to exercise; for health must not be sacrificed to learning. A strong body makes the...
"There's no such thing as life without bloodshed. I think the notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone could live in harmony, is a really dangerous idea. Those who are afflicted with this notion are...
I'm back in the wilds of Western Massachusetts, getting healed by the air, the sounds, the lake swims, and the thrilling farmer's markets. At seven this morning, our dog Chester and I left the house in the woods and walked...
The purchase of a family iPod seems to have accelerated the sweet Chattering boys' interest in popular music. One song they particularly adore is a hit called "Just the Girl" by The Click Five. Here are the lyrics: She's cold...
There's a delightful, though pricey, Whole-Foods-and-more in Great Barrington called Guido's, and I could set up shop there for a month and blog about all the goodies. Two things new to me this week: a gluten-free spice cake/carrot cake mix...
Also, in yoga class, the teacher played this helpful audio tape that musically assists you in counting meditative breaths. Inhale six, hold three, exhale twelve is a good pace. Says the website: "Consistent, even measures allow the body itself to...
Hard as he looked, Dr. Gastro found no ulcer. Just some inflammation of the stomach lining and lower esophogas. I'm supposed to call him on Wednesday to find out what's next. Because blood tests show I have antibodies to the...
Went to Berkshire Mountain Yoga Studio for morning class yesterday, and the teacher read this lovely passage from B.K.S. Iyengar's book "Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom:" "We begin at the level of...
[via: SFgate.com](posted by Sera Beak, substituting this week for Amy)...
EMFs. No, it’s not “Evaporating Muppet Fans.” Nor is it ”Every Man’s Fantasy” or “Extraordinary Meditation Flexibility.” What it stands for is, of course, Electromagnetic Frequencies. You can’t run, you can’t hide from these invisible little suckers because they’re emitted...
Ooohhmmm Namah Shivayah, oooohhhh yeah. An interview with Krishna Das, one of the greatest Western devotional kirtan chanters, will air this weekend on PBS. If you've never heard this wonderful and deeply funny man belt out traditional and modern love...
“Let’s say you’ve inflated your soul to the size of a beach ball and it’s soaking into the Mystery like wine into a mattress. What have you accomplished? Well, long term, you may have prepared yourself for a successful metamorphosis,...
I’m a big fan of vitamin supplements derived from whole foods, and after a bunch of research (oh man do I love Google), I’ve just tried Earth’s Promise whole-food drink mix powders: Green, Orange, and Purple (each named for the...
The whole book-writing process has been one enormous, ongoing spiritual lesson. It’s pushed all of my buttons, called forth all my worst “I’m not good enough/who the hell am I to say this?” demons. It’s been chock full of blind...
Joss Whedon. I love him. He is one to be loved. If you don’t know who he is, you owe it to yourself to become familiar with one of the most creative, intelligent, and pro-female writer/directors floating around Hollywood today....
Just so you know, I like to dye my hair. Sometimes highlights, sometimes dark, sometimes something in-between. And like many health-conscious women, I found the harsh chemicals they rubbed into my skull every couple months to be a little troubling...
My acupuncturist just emailed me an amazing announcement. She’s off to New Orleans to volunteer for Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB). It’s a wonderful organization, and all I can say is, thank the deity of tiny needles that the West is...
As someone who--no matter what new contraption I buy--just can’t find the most ergonomic writing/computer set up, I’ve suffered for years with occasional tendonitis in my wrists and hands. This annoying condition has caused me to take long breaks from...
I just attended one of those truly amazing dinner parties where the host placed thoughtful gifts at each seat, where the delectable Spanish tapas were accompanied by a dizzying amount of impressive wines--and my sweetheart was placed at the far...
Mata Amritanandamayi (Mother of Immortal Bliss) a.k.a Ammachi, a.k.a. Amma (mother), is a simply wondrous Indian spiritual teacher known as the "hugging saint” for her life-long practice of giving a genuine divine loving squeeze to all who come see her....
I have no children yet, but I do have plenty of friends who have babies, and for them I’ve found the perfect gift. It’s something to give to every new mom I know, because I keep hearing rave reviews from...
Ah, the glitter, pink wigs, loud electronic music and bare, sweaty torsos. No, this is not an urban yoga class, but rather the famous Love Parade that burst through Berlin this past weekend, where upward of a million joyous revelers...
“Good fortune follows you around like a drunk monkey in a little red dress.” Or how ‘bout “Look out, your spirit is taking naked pictures of you.” Or maybe, “You have the power to make angels swoon.”At the book release...
My best Acquaintances are thoseWith Whom I spoke no Word—The Stars that stated come to TownEsteemed Me never rudeAlthough to their Celestial CallI failed to make reply—My constant—reverential FaceSufficient Courtesy.Oh MatchlessEarth, Weunderrate thechance todwell in thee.--Emily Dickinson...
Last night, I drove the kids from Brooklyn to Western Massachusetts where Mr. Chattering's parents(my inlaws) have a house in the woods. The plan was to say here and blog for the next two weeks while the kids attend an...
Nina Utne has a good article in the July/August Utne Readeron how Mathew Sanford, then 13, survived the trauma of losing a father and a sister and becoming paralyzed himself in the same car accident. Twenty years later, Sanford is...
Hey guys, I'm wondering why nobody responded to that William B. Yeats quote I posted a few days ago. It made my week, so I was hoping it would leave you similarly dazzled. The fact that the great Irish poet...
Speaking of diet, here's a great guide to how the world's religious traditions view consuming meat. Pretty fascinating. I personally feel that the meat I eat must be humanely raised and butchered. And I'm getting stronger in my resolve not...
Beliefnet.com recently ran an interview with spirital author and teacher Doreen Virtue. Here's my favorite passage of her "Lightworker's Prayer," which is printed in its entirety at the end of the article. "I accept a steady diet of love and...
The wondeful blog Vegan Lunchbox has posted an interview with Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of several books on plant-based nutrition, including "Eat To Live" and "Disease-Proof Your Child." In this conversation, Dr. Fuhrman points out that too many vegans are...
It is nice that you are reading me. But when you stop, will you be going off to do something you don't want to do? As I was posting that Joseph Campbell quote yesterday, I looked over his foundation's website....
When despair for the world grows in meand I wake in the night at the least soundin fear of what my life and my children’s life may be,I go and lie down where the wood drakerests in his beauty on...
If you will think of ourselves as coming out of the Earth, rather than having been thrown in here from somewhere else, you see that we are the Earth, we are the consciousness of the Earth. These are the eyes...
Don't miss Newsweek's cover story "Going Green," currently on the stands and online. I'm taking Newsweek's full-page photo of San Diego's hydrocarbon-free dry-cleaning store to my own dry cleaner. He'll probably say he can't swing it, but I know the...
Yesterday, I took the Chattering boys (ages nine-and-a-half and 12) to see "An Inconvenient Truth," the documentary about Al Gore's lecture on global warming. Midway through, the nine-year-old began to sniff, wipe away tears, and then sob in great heaves...
Oh, now we understand. An Italian lip reader seems to think that French World Cup captain Zinedine Zidane delivered that head butt because his Italian opponent had insulted the whole Zidane family, AND Zidane's mother had recently received some bad...
"I am happy, and I think full of an energy, an energy I had despaired of. It seems to me that I have found what I wanted. When I try to put all into a phrase I say, 'Man can...
CM reader Kathy asks: "Are you aware of a site that lists different chants that can be incorporated into a meditation practice?" Yes, actually, Beliefnet has an extensive section about chanting....
This Chris Bliss juggling video has been making the rounds. Just imagine all the hours of mindful practice. You've got to watch all four and a half mesmerizing minitues, and show it to your kids. Thanks to healthy home products...
Chattering Mind likes to waltz into the family room to fold laundry during the last fifteen minutes of any televised sporting event. Often, this strikes everyone as obnoxious. But boy, did I get an eyeful during the last ten minutes...
Anger continued to be a theme at our house last night. At first, it seemed unrelated to Zidane's World Cup lunge, but upon reflection, there had to be a connection.The Chattering boys argued near bedtime and I delivered yet another...
When it's over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. --Mary Oliver...
Depending on your time zone, today and tomorrow mark the full moon celebration of the Hindu holiday Guru Purnima, a time to honor all gurus and teachers--and in India, a time to appreciate the coming rainy season. Say a prayer...
Here's a brief snipped from Beliefnet's article on the Christian undertones of the Superman story on the origins of Superman: Jews have often claimed the archetypal superhero as their own. Superman sprang from the imaginations of two Jewish cartoonists, and...
Western Buddhist meditation teacher Lama Surya Das publishes a newsletter of inspirational quotes. The most recent ones contained Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's nine requisites for contented living: Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough to support our needs....
Though I've never ordered anything from Soft Surroundings, I love the spiritual look of the clothes. "My time. My place. My self" is the company's motto. Every outfit is so appealing to me. I pass on the link since I...
"Oh by the way," I said to Mr. Chattering this morning as he was putting on his socks, "When the time comes, don't take Chattering Son Number One off to the drugstore to buy him a commercial deodorant.""What, my Brut...
God does not die on that day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die when our lives cease to be illuminated by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is...
Heavy rains here in New York. And after the rain, the weeding! It seems the weeds in the Chattering family garden are growing two inches a day."Weeds want to tell a story. They are Nature's way of teaching us, and...
Where I live, the fireflies only seem to appear for an hour every night during the first three weeks of July. After that, I don't know where they go. Fireflies are the most saintly bugs. I am filled with awe...
I wrote the rabbi today at the synagogue where my kids go to Hebrew School, and told him I'd help to organize a summer teen "Peace Camp" like this one. Sounds terrific, doesn't it? In the course of the week,...
I don't know if you're old enough to remember when Ralph Nader offered congressional testimony on the American hot dog and called it a "torpedo of death." The year was 1968. If you continue to have doubts about whether or...
Yoginis unite! I love these mother-daughter photographs (scroll down a bit) posted on the yoga mom blog "Facing Inward."...
We saw "Superman Returns" last weekend and enjoyed it thoroughly, though I found myself shifting in my chair slightly and even chortling when the director heaped on the Christian allegory way too heavily. I learned in eighth grade literature class...
Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Here's a nice prayer for our country taken from the Jewish "Weekday, Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book," used in this collection of patriotic quotes and prayers. Heavenly father, we invoke thy blessings upon the President...
It's good that former president Clinton has been leading a campaign against soft drink machines in schools. Here's another approach to tackling our nation's youth obesity problem, one that I suspect will be considerably less successful....
CM reader Stacey-Robin objected slightly to what I said last week about the Barbara Walters/Star Jones Reynolds bruhaha, but I happened to notice, when I went to her homepage, that she's a talented artist with lovely artwork up on her...
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