"You are tangled up in others and have forgotten what your heart once knew."
-Kabir
-Kabir
Friday, April 25, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Guru Chitrabhanu in NYC
Chitrabhanu comes to NYC from India every spring and gives satsang. He is charming, intelligent and full of light. He was a Jain monk for about 20 years and is now married with children. He was a collegue of Ghandi. I go to listen to him and I find him very genuine. If you are interested in satsang, you should give him a try. they only ask for a $5 donation to cover costs.
Wed May 14, 21, 28 at 7.00 PM
Location : Institute of Indian Culture 305 Seventh Ave /27th St 17th Floor
Information : Jain Meditation International Center : 212 362-6483 or www.jainmeditation.org
Donation : $5.00
Chitrabhanu comes to NYC from India every spring and gives satsang. He is charming, intelligent and full of light. He was a Jain monk for about 20 years and is now married with children. He was a collegue of Ghandi. I go to listen to him and I find him very genuine. If you are interested in satsang, you should give him a try. they only ask for a $5 donation to cover costs.
Wed May 14, 21, 28 at 7.00 PM
Location : Institute of Indian Culture 305 Seventh Ave /27th St 17th Floor
Information : Jain Meditation International Center : 212 362-6483 or www.jainmeditation.org
Donation : $5.00
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Adopt an animal in need of a home.
My friend Kamaniya is a big supporter of animal protection education as am I, but I find Kamaniya always reminds me to say something about it.
This blog is inspired by the articles on Kamaniya's blog (see blog from last week) about the nightmare of puppy mills and the heartless, cruel treatment these "purebred" animals receive before being put on sale at your local pet store for hundreds of dollars in profit. It is much better to go to a shelter and adopt an animal that has been abandoned and desperately needs a safe home. The idea is to put the puppy mills out of business.
If having your heart set on a certain breed animal is what keeps you from taking a shelter animal, then please consider adopting from breed specific rescue groups. They have them for every breed cat, dog and horses. If you want a siamese cat, just google "siamese rescue" and you will find many organizations that have siamese cats waiting for your love and care. Some of these rescue organizations are in all different parts of the country.... but call them anyway because they may know of a cat closer to you.
Here are a few links just to give you an idea of what is out there.... if you want poodle or a german shepard, there are rescue organizations out there waiting for your call.
http://www.lab-rescue.org/ http://www.nycsiamese.org/
http://www.pugrescue.com/
Another way to adopt a dog is to call the guide dog organizations... there are always a few dogs who "fail" the guide dog training and who are then considered "useless" -- my friend Mike adopted a labrador who "failed" because she was too friendly and wouldnt stop wagging her tail. These dogs are smart, come pretrained, so they are perfect additions to your family. Any adoption fee goes to help support the guide dog organization. Also, guide dogs are generally retired after 8 years -- the blind person trades the dog in for a younger dog -- so there are also older dogs who have put in years of service who are in need of homes where they can live out their last years and be spoiled by a loving family.
Always be responsible about adopting an animal. make sure you will be able to make room in your life for this animal, have the time to spend with the animal and the money to pay for food and veterinary bills. Dont get an animal and then leave it tied up in the yard because you dont like dog hair on the furniture . Dont get a cat and then abandon it because it shredded your couch. dont get an animal and expect to leave the animal alone every weekend because you have to go to your weekend beach house. Dont get rid of the cat because your current boyfriend is allergic to the cat... get rid of the boyfriend or tell him to find a way to deal with it. I had an allergist once who told me to get rid of my 2 cats --- I got a new allergist and I am fine (so are the cats).
A sentient being is something to be loved and respected.
My friend Kamaniya is a big supporter of animal protection education as am I, but I find Kamaniya always reminds me to say something about it.
This blog is inspired by the articles on Kamaniya's blog (see blog from last week) about the nightmare of puppy mills and the heartless, cruel treatment these "purebred" animals receive before being put on sale at your local pet store for hundreds of dollars in profit. It is much better to go to a shelter and adopt an animal that has been abandoned and desperately needs a safe home. The idea is to put the puppy mills out of business.
If having your heart set on a certain breed animal is what keeps you from taking a shelter animal, then please consider adopting from breed specific rescue groups. They have them for every breed cat, dog and horses. If you want a siamese cat, just google "siamese rescue" and you will find many organizations that have siamese cats waiting for your love and care. Some of these rescue organizations are in all different parts of the country.... but call them anyway because they may know of a cat closer to you.
Here are a few links just to give you an idea of what is out there.... if you want poodle or a german shepard, there are rescue organizations out there waiting for your call.
http://www.lab-rescue.org/ http://www.nycsiamese.org/
http://www.pugrescue.com/
Another way to adopt a dog is to call the guide dog organizations... there are always a few dogs who "fail" the guide dog training and who are then considered "useless" -- my friend Mike adopted a labrador who "failed" because she was too friendly and wouldnt stop wagging her tail. These dogs are smart, come pretrained, so they are perfect additions to your family. Any adoption fee goes to help support the guide dog organization. Also, guide dogs are generally retired after 8 years -- the blind person trades the dog in for a younger dog -- so there are also older dogs who have put in years of service who are in need of homes where they can live out their last years and be spoiled by a loving family.
Always be responsible about adopting an animal. make sure you will be able to make room in your life for this animal, have the time to spend with the animal and the money to pay for food and veterinary bills. Dont get an animal and then leave it tied up in the yard because you dont like dog hair on the furniture . Dont get a cat and then abandon it because it shredded your couch. dont get an animal and expect to leave the animal alone every weekend because you have to go to your weekend beach house. Dont get rid of the cat because your current boyfriend is allergic to the cat... get rid of the boyfriend or tell him to find a way to deal with it. I had an allergist once who told me to get rid of my 2 cats --- I got a new allergist and I am fine (so are the cats).
A sentient being is something to be loved and respected.
10,000 Girls
KAOLACK, Senegal (CNN) -- After the sudden death of her 26-year-old daughter left five grandchildren in her care, Viola Vaughn searched for peace.
Though she was a native of Detroit, Michigan, Vaughn had worked in Africa for most of her life and considered it home. So she and her husband returned there to raise their new brood and "watch the coconut trees grow."But the universe had other things in mind for me," says Vaughn.
She couldn't have imagined those plans would include both further tragedy and the motivation to provide educational opportunities to hundreds of failing schoolchildren.
Soon after their move to rural Kaolack, Senegal, in 2000, Vaughn's husband -- jazz musician Sam Sanders -- died of black lung. Amid her grief, she found comfort in her grandchildren, ages 4 to 12, and filled her days home-schooling them. Her success soon garnered attention from the locals.
"There was a little girl that my granddaughter played with. This little girl kept coming around and wanting to be taught with my grandchildren," recalls Vaughn.
"I went to see this child's mother, and her mother said she had already failed school once, that she couldn't pass because she wasn't smart enough. Well she was smart enough to come find me. And I said, 'OK, I'll help you.' "
Within two weeks, Vaughn had 20 girls in her house who were failing school and asking her to teach them. Vaughn learned that the regional pass rate for girls was low because it was rooted in the economic need of young girls to work at home. They begin missing classes, then failing exams, often ultimately failing or dropping out of school. So in 2001, Vaughn turned her grandchildren's bedrooms into classrooms and began supplementing girls' education.
Get Involved: 10,000 Girls
"I found every one a girl younger than she and said, 'You're responsible to make sure she learns.' I taught them how to teach each other." It worked. In two years, the group of girls had grown to 80 -- and they were succeeding in school. With a grant, Vaughn was able to hire teachers, and the program continued to expand despite her attempt to set a limit of 100 girls. "The girls wanted to take it to 10,000," says Vaughn.
To keep their "10,000 Girls" education program going, the girls asked Vaughn to teach them to bake. They began selling cookies and juice and were able to buy books and supplies.
Soon after, they got their older sisters, aunts and cousins -- who had already failed out of the school system -- involved in baking and selling goods. The entrepreneurial element of the program was born.
"They were supporting their cause," says Vaughn. "It was something remarkable."
Today, in addition to a pastry shop and catering business, "10,000 Girls" runs a sewing workshop and the girls export their handmade dolls and household linens overseas.
Half of the funds from these projects go back to the girls; the remainder supports the education program, no longer in Vaughn's house. More than 1,500 girls are involved in Vaughn's program in six locations; about 1,000 are waiting to join.
"We have girls who were told they'd never get through high school who are at university now," beams Vaughn. "We hope that if we get 10,000 girls out there, 1,000 girls will come back to Kaolack and work. It would revolutionize the whole region.
"Here I am, retired, and this is the best job I have ever had in my life."
KAOLACK, Senegal (CNN) -- After the sudden death of her 26-year-old daughter left five grandchildren in her care, Viola Vaughn searched for peace.
Though she was a native of Detroit, Michigan, Vaughn had worked in Africa for most of her life and considered it home. So she and her husband returned there to raise their new brood and "watch the coconut trees grow."But the universe had other things in mind for me," says Vaughn.
She couldn't have imagined those plans would include both further tragedy and the motivation to provide educational opportunities to hundreds of failing schoolchildren.
Soon after their move to rural Kaolack, Senegal, in 2000, Vaughn's husband -- jazz musician Sam Sanders -- died of black lung. Amid her grief, she found comfort in her grandchildren, ages 4 to 12, and filled her days home-schooling them. Her success soon garnered attention from the locals.
"There was a little girl that my granddaughter played with. This little girl kept coming around and wanting to be taught with my grandchildren," recalls Vaughn.
"I went to see this child's mother, and her mother said she had already failed school once, that she couldn't pass because she wasn't smart enough. Well she was smart enough to come find me. And I said, 'OK, I'll help you.' "
Within two weeks, Vaughn had 20 girls in her house who were failing school and asking her to teach them. Vaughn learned that the regional pass rate for girls was low because it was rooted in the economic need of young girls to work at home. They begin missing classes, then failing exams, often ultimately failing or dropping out of school. So in 2001, Vaughn turned her grandchildren's bedrooms into classrooms and began supplementing girls' education.
Get Involved: 10,000 Girls
"I found every one a girl younger than she and said, 'You're responsible to make sure she learns.' I taught them how to teach each other." It worked. In two years, the group of girls had grown to 80 -- and they were succeeding in school. With a grant, Vaughn was able to hire teachers, and the program continued to expand despite her attempt to set a limit of 100 girls. "The girls wanted to take it to 10,000," says Vaughn.
To keep their "10,000 Girls" education program going, the girls asked Vaughn to teach them to bake. They began selling cookies and juice and were able to buy books and supplies.
Soon after, they got their older sisters, aunts and cousins -- who had already failed out of the school system -- involved in baking and selling goods. The entrepreneurial element of the program was born.
"They were supporting their cause," says Vaughn. "It was something remarkable."
Today, in addition to a pastry shop and catering business, "10,000 Girls" runs a sewing workshop and the girls export their handmade dolls and household linens overseas.
Half of the funds from these projects go back to the girls; the remainder supports the education program, no longer in Vaughn's house. More than 1,500 girls are involved in Vaughn's program in six locations; about 1,000 are waiting to join.
"We have girls who were told they'd never get through high school who are at university now," beams Vaughn. "We hope that if we get 10,000 girls out there, 1,000 girls will come back to Kaolack and work. It would revolutionize the whole region.
"Here I am, retired, and this is the best job I have ever had in my life."
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
My teaching schedule
My regular class at IYI is on Friday at 630pm - 8.15pm
I have called in a substitute teacher for a few classes at the end of this month because I am taking a Therapeutic Yoga teacher training and wont be available on Friday evenings. Just in case you dont know, yoga teachers are always taking more and more teacher trainings and courses (it costs a fortune). This will be the second teacher training for me in a month. There is so much to learn and there are so many fantastic teachers out there ...
Of course I want all of you to be my devoted students but it is good to mix it up with different teachers. I firmly believe you should expose yourself to different teachers and different yogas ... you will learn something different from each and every experience.
Just do yoga.
My regular class at IYI is on Friday at 630pm - 8.15pm
I have called in a substitute teacher for a few classes at the end of this month because I am taking a Therapeutic Yoga teacher training and wont be available on Friday evenings. Just in case you dont know, yoga teachers are always taking more and more teacher trainings and courses (it costs a fortune). This will be the second teacher training for me in a month. There is so much to learn and there are so many fantastic teachers out there ...
Of course I want all of you to be my devoted students but it is good to mix it up with different teachers. I firmly believe you should expose yourself to different teachers and different yogas ... you will learn something different from each and every experience.
Just do yoga.
Kamaniya the Chanting Goddess....
I was at Ananda this weekend with my fabulous yogini friend Biljana and was lucky enough to catch a kirtan lead by the beautiful and talented Kamaniya. Her voice is so beautiful and strong and she lead the audience through 2 hours of uninterrupted blissful chanting ! JAI Kamaniya !
And of course, the evening would not have been complete without one of the ashram cats taking a casual stroll across the stage while the musicians played.
There has been a rumour that Kamaniya is working on her own CD... so look out for its release.
Here is a link to Kamaniya's blog so you can catch up on her news and where she will be performing in the future: http://kamaniya.blogspot.com/
I was at Ananda this weekend with my fabulous yogini friend Biljana and was lucky enough to catch a kirtan lead by the beautiful and talented Kamaniya. Her voice is so beautiful and strong and she lead the audience through 2 hours of uninterrupted blissful chanting ! JAI Kamaniya !
And of course, the evening would not have been complete without one of the ashram cats taking a casual stroll across the stage while the musicians played.
There has been a rumour that Kamaniya is working on her own CD... so look out for its release.
Here is a link to Kamaniya's blog so you can catch up on her news and where she will be performing in the future: http://kamaniya.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 03, 2008
$25 loan can help start a business
By Jen Haley CNN
(CNN) -- Lovisa Asinde is a Ugandan widow who supports herself and her five children selling food. She started the small business eight years ago, and planned to open a larger restaurant in the center of her town.
Lovisa Asinde of Uganda was able to fund her restaurant business with the help of foreign investors.
But when one of her children fell ill she was unable to work, and she lacked the $500 needed to buy saucepans, plates and food staples.
So, strange as it may seem, Asinde went looking for international investors. She found several.
New Yorker Bill Gilroy invested $100 in her business along with eight other investors from as far away as the Netherlands.
Gilroy has never met Asinde. In fact, all he knows about her he found on Kiva.org -- a Web site that connects entrepreneurs in developing nations to investors in the United States and abroad.
This is microfinancing. It allows everyday people to invest as little as $25 to help people in developing countries climb out of poverty. The concept of microfinancing is nothing new. At its essence, it's making small loans to the working poor. The loans are used to establish or expand small businesses to help families earn more money.
The industry's assets total about $34 billion, according to Microfinance Information Exchange, and there are as many as 10,000 microfinancing institutions -- known as MFIs -- around the world, according to Microcredit Summit Campaign, a coalition of advocates, donor agencies and educational institutions. Some of the industry's contributors include Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, TIAA-CREF and J.P. Morgan.
Premal Shah founded Kiva three years ago. The Web site posts profiles of entrepreneurs from 80 countries looking to start a business. Visitors can click through the pictures and personal stories to choose the business they want to fund, whether it's a dairy farmer in Bolivia or a young woman in Peru who wants to open a grocery store.
Don't Miss
In Depth: Right On Your Money
The entrepreneur generally repays the loan within six months to a year, the company says. During repayment, investors can see individual progress reports as they are posted to the site.
The investor doesn't receive interest on the money, but Shah says Kiva lenders usually don't want to earn a rate of return.
With MicroPlace, on the other hand, people loan money to the working poor through the Internet and receive a small amount of interest.
Lenders for the eBay-owned MicroPlace purchase securities instead of funding individual cases. The money generated by these sales is invested in microfinance institutions around the world. These microfinance institutions, in turn, find the entrepreneurs, make loans and collect payments. Most loans are paid off, with interest, within one to four years, according to MicroPlace founder Tracey Turner.
Contrary to expectations, repayment rates for microfinancing are high: Kiva's repayment rate is about 97.2 percent, according to Shah, and Turner says the historic repayment rate on microfinance loans in general has averaged 97 percent.
That's because people respect their obligations, says Peter Hall, the director of the Microfinance Information Exchange.
"It's not a society where people are very mobile. It's very family-based, community based. People aren't flight risks. They are grounded in a certain time and place. They do everything they can to improve their place in society," he says.
That's not to say there aren't challenges to microfinancing.
"The reality is that 80 percent of poor don't have access to microfinance," says Shah. "It costs a lot of money to go out and serve the poor. Banks are risk-averse institutions," he says.
As a result, interest rates on microfinance loans can be anywhere from 18 to 60 percent.
Some people argue that poor borrowers are more conservative in their loans, avoiding risks such as investing in new technology or expanding the workforce. And it's exactly these risks that turn profits.
Microfinancing also presents cultural challenges.
For example, there is a great reluctance for Afghan women to pose in pictures, and in Iraq, photos are blurred for security reasons.
But some problems can lead to cultural lessons.
Shah relates the story of a Cambodian woman who wanted a loan so she could start a spinach farm. Once she got the money, she used it for her daughter's wedding. The loan officer noted this on the site. Of course, investors were enraged. But that was only until they were told that weddings are one of the most important events in that culture.
Neither Shah nor Turner view microfinancing as a cure-all for global poverty.
"It can only help the working poor who are self-employed, entrepreneurial and want to improve their lives. There are many people in the world who are poor but do not fit this definition," says Turner.
But in the meantime, sites like Kiva.org and MicroPlace.com are helping to connect people all over the world in a common goal.
"I'm always on the Internet," says Gilroy. "I have disposable cash and it's rewarding; to put 100 bucks out there with a commitment on the other end. It's not like you're throwing money over the wall. It comes back to you. There is a sense of every little bit you do, helps," he says.
And in fact, Gilroy got his money back from his loan, in full.
Asinde succeeded in her mission. She bought furniture, saucepans, plates and new ladles. The loan also afforded her chicken, fish and passion fruit, in addition to a kitchen renovation. According to a journal update, her children are attending school and the restaurant is becoming well-known in the community.
"For years I have been selling cooked food through thick and thin," Asinde writes on her Kiva profile. "I struggled to look after my family. I thank God for the loan money you gave me. The people are now served according to their preferences unlike before when I used to sell only posho and beans."
Microfinancing is on track to help 100 million people this year, according to the Microcredit Summit Campaign. But no matter how large the field becomes, Shah says there is one simple thing to keep in mind.
"It's people helping people," he says. "That's a powerful concept."
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Kirtan with WAH!
WAH! will be leading Kirtan at Integral Yoga on Saturday evening March 29
For more info go to the website : www.iyiny.org
WAH! will be leading Kirtan at Integral Yoga on Saturday evening March 29
For more info go to the website : www.iyiny.org
Bikram Yoga
There are a few Bikram studios around Manhattan ... these 2 are offering unlimited yoga for a week.
Warning: Bikram yoga is done in a very hot room (100 degrees?) and NOT recommended if you have high blood pressure or heart problems.
Bikram Yoga Union Square - One week unlimited yoga for $20 www.bikramyogaunionsquare.com.
Bikram Yoga 797 8th Ave (48th St) one week unlimited yoga for $23
www.bikramyoganyc.com
There are a few Bikram studios around Manhattan ... these 2 are offering unlimited yoga for a week.
Warning: Bikram yoga is done in a very hot room (100 degrees?) and NOT recommended if you have high blood pressure or heart problems.
Bikram Yoga Union Square - One week unlimited yoga for $20 www.bikramyogaunionsquare.com.
Bikram Yoga 797 8th Ave (48th St) one week unlimited yoga for $23
www.bikramyoganyc.com
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Yoga weekend retreat March 21-23
Come welcome Spring with us up at Ananda Ashram !! Our weekend yoga retreat is just 2 weeks away ! If you are interested in joining us, please let me know ASAP !
you can email me for more information via this blog ... quietyoga@msn.com
Bring your friends ! Tell your friends !
Namaste
Come welcome Spring with us up at Ananda Ashram !! Our weekend yoga retreat is just 2 weeks away ! If you are interested in joining us, please let me know ASAP !
you can email me for more information via this blog ... quietyoga@msn.com
Bring your friends ! Tell your friends !
Namaste
CityStretch - guide to NYC Yoga studios
This is a Zagat-like rating guide to yoga studios in NYC. It costs $15 but includes $450 in vouchers for free yoga classes around town.
Wish I had thought of this..... oh well.
http://www.citystretch.com/
This is a Zagat-like rating guide to yoga studios in NYC. It costs $15 but includes $450 in vouchers for free yoga classes around town.
Wish I had thought of this..... oh well.
http://www.citystretch.com/
Friday, March 07, 2008
Going to the Dogs ....
This has nothing to do with yoga (except the notion of being considerate of all sentient beings) but it is so inventive and crazy that I had to put it on my blog ... so for all you dog lovers out there.... hey, I'm sure your kids could use it too !! You can own one for $30 !
Click on the link : http://www.petpeek.info/index.htm
Leave a comment !!! : )
This has nothing to do with yoga (except the notion of being considerate of all sentient beings) but it is so inventive and crazy that I had to put it on my blog ... so for all you dog lovers out there.... hey, I'm sure your kids could use it too !! You can own one for $30 !
Click on the link : http://www.petpeek.info/index.htm
Leave a comment !!! : )
Saturday, February 16, 2008
YOGA TO THE PEOPLE
I have mentioned this yoga studio before --and I hope you all went there to check it out. They are in the E. Village on 8th St and give awesome intermediate level vinyasa yoga classes for a donation of $10 per class. You pay what you can and it's no problem.
now they have some of their classes online... so if you're too lazy to leave the house, you can still participate in a class at home-- for free !!
Click here to get the video link :
http://www.yogatothepeople.com/tryOnlineClass.shtml
I have mentioned this yoga studio before --and I hope you all went there to check it out. They are in the E. Village on 8th St and give awesome intermediate level vinyasa yoga classes for a donation of $10 per class. You pay what you can and it's no problem.
now they have some of their classes online... so if you're too lazy to leave the house, you can still participate in a class at home-- for free !!
Click here to get the video link :
http://www.yogatothepeople.com/tryOnlineClass.shtml
Thursday, February 14, 2008
YOGA RETREAT March 21-23, 2008
Come join Rikard Skogberg (Anusara Yoga Teacher) and myself for a weekend of yoga and bliss up at Ananda Ashram -- just one hour out of NYC.
We will be in the beautiful Catskill Mountains (near Bear Mountain) to enjoy delicious, healing vegetarian food, participate in yoga, meditation, fire purification ceremonies, and satsang ....
Come join us !! Feel free to contact me for more information. We'd love to have you participate with us!
email: quietyoga@msn.com
Come join Rikard Skogberg (Anusara Yoga Teacher) and myself for a weekend of yoga and bliss up at Ananda Ashram -- just one hour out of NYC.
We will be in the beautiful Catskill Mountains (near Bear Mountain) to enjoy delicious, healing vegetarian food, participate in yoga, meditation, fire purification ceremonies, and satsang ....
Come join us !! Feel free to contact me for more information. We'd love to have you participate with us!
email: quietyoga@msn.com
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Searching for happiness
Everyone and everything wants to be happy. A chicken has it's own happiness.... to run around outside, eat well and have the company of other chickens... a plant will turn itself and grow towards the sun... a cat will luxuriate in the sofness of your bed, knowing she is safe, warm and well fed. Everyone wants to be happy.
Humans really want to be happy. A new car, a new job, a bigger house... always looking for something external to give them the illusion of happiness. People even expect their spouses to make them happy. But according to yoga, happiness is already within you. Nobody can make you happy because you are already happy -- it's inside of you.
do you have the courage to stop looking for happiness?
Laws of yogaIn yoga, we have our own version of the 10 commandments. Generally referred to as yama and niyama. These are laws that you are supposed to take with you out into your daily life -- a yogic attitude to living.
There are many branches to yoga:
Yama (suggestions for social behaviour), Niyama (suggestions for personal disciplines), Asana (physical postures), Pranayama (breathing exercises) Pratyahara (sense withdrawal) Dharana(concentration) Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (Super consciousness).
I have written about Ahimsa (non-harming) many times on this blog. But I thought I would list the Yamas and Niyamas for you as food for thought and you help you in your practice :
Niyamas:
Saucha - Cleanliness. Not only a means of keeping our bodies clean and healthy, but a practice of keeping a clear mind.
Samtosha - Happiness and modesty. To be happy with what you have, instead of being unhappy over what you dont have.
Tapah - Keeping the body fit and healthy through healthful eating, exercise (asana) and kriyas.
Svadhyaya - Meditation and self awareness. This can be done through the repetition (japa) of mantra or the reading of the scriptures.
Isvarapranidhana - Surrender. knowing that you have done your best and that you offer your actions to the Universe.
Yamas:
Ahimsa - Non violence. Do not kill. Do not harm anyone by action, word or thought. Do not show cruelty to any sentient being. Treat every life with respect and compassion. Do not cause injury by your spoken word -- do not gossip, do not lie, do not insult. Do not use other people or animals.
Satya - Truthfulness/honesty. Do not mislead people through lying or half truths. Do not mislead by omission.
Asteya - Non stealing. It's not referrring to stealing just material things. It means do not steal somebody's time (dont be late, dont stay in a relationship with people in whom you are not sincerely interested), do not steal somebody's trust, do not steal somebody's love.
Brahmacharya - Sense control/ restraint. Most typically, this refers to sexual abstinence. However, it means do not lose your path -- act responsibly towards moving towards your Truth. Do not allow sensual attractions (e.g. over-indulging in eating, smoking, drinking, shopping) to distract you.
Aparigraha - Do not hoard. Clear out your closets. Do not take or use more than is necessary (dont buy something just because it's on sale, dont overload your plate at a buffet, dont drive a gas hog). Do not exploit others for your gain. Do not grasp onto money -- grasping blocks the natural flow of energy. Give away what you dont need or use.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Virtual Stock Market Game
Here is a link to another virtual stock market portfolio you can play with to learn about the financial markets.... you start out with one million "dollars" and you can play the market in real time. it is free to sign up... so go play and learn.
http://www.marketocracy.com/
Here is a link to another virtual stock market portfolio you can play with to learn about the financial markets.... you start out with one million "dollars" and you can play the market in real time. it is free to sign up... so go play and learn.
http://www.marketocracy.com/
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Undercover Investigation Reveals Rampant Animal Cruelty at California Slaughter Plant – A Major Beef Supplier to America’s School Lunch Program
January 30, 2008
go to the Humane Society web by clicking on this link : http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/undercover_investigation.html
See video from the undercover investigation, and take action to stop this cruelty. WARNING: Very graphic images of cruelty.Video evidence compiled by The Humane Society of the United States shows inhumane handling methods that may have endangered the health of children.
A shocking undercover investigation by The Humane Society of the United States reveals widespread mistreatment of "downed" dairy cows—those who are too sick or injured to walk—at a Southern California slaughter plant.
The investigation at the Hallmark Meat Packing Co., of Chino, pulls open a curtain on the scandalous treatment of animals slaughtered to supply the National School Lunch Program and other federal aid programs.
Video evidence obtained by an HSUS investigator shows slaughter plant workers displaying complete disregard for the pain and misery they inflicted as they repeatedly attempted to force "downed" animals onto their feet and into the human food chain.
Cruelties that Defy Belief
In the video, workers are seen kicking cows, ramming them with the blades of a forklift, jabbing them in the eyes, applying painful electrical shocks and even torturing them with a hose and water in attempts to force sick or injured animals to walk to slaughter.
"This torture is right out of the waterboarding manual. To see the extreme cruelties shown in The HSUS video challenges comprehension," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS.
"This must serve as a five-alarm call to action for Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Our government simply must act quickly both to guarantee the most basic level of humane treatment for farm animals and to protect America's most vulnerable people, our children, needy families and the elderly from potentially dangerous food."
Beef Distributed for School Lunches and the Needy
Hallmark's Chino, Calif., slaughter plant supplies the Westland Meat Co., which processes the carcasses. The facility is the second-largest supplier of beef to USDA's Commodity Procurement Branch, which distributes the beef to needy families, the elderly and also to schools through the National School Lunch Program. Westland was named a USDA "supplier of the year" for 2004-2005 and has delivered beef to schools in 36 states. More than 100,000 schools and child care facilities nationwide receive meat through the lunch program.
Hallmark Meat Packing has no connection to Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Temple Grandin, a renowned expert on animal agriculture and professor at Colorado State University, called the images captured in the investigation "one of the worst animal abuse videos I have ever viewed."
A Demand for Action
The HSUS recently completed its six-week undercover investigation at the federally-inspected slaughter plant. Videotape evidence and investigative background have been given to law enforcement authorities in San Bernardino County, Calif.
See the extended first-person investigator's video and take action to stop this cruelty. WARNING: Extremely graphic images of cruelty.
In releasing footage from the investigation, The HSUS demands that the USDA move swiftly to tighten its confusing regulations on the slaughter of downed cattle. Downer cows must not be used for food—plain and simple. As The HSUS video shows, this is necessary to protect animals from suffering. As science has made clear, this is necessary to protect food safety. The practice of slaughtering downed cows is especially troubling now that the link between downed cattle and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, has been firmly established. Of the 15 known cases of BSE-infected animals discovered in North America, at least 12 involved downed animals.
At the same time, The HSUS is urging Congress to intervene. The Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act (H.R. 1726) would set modest animal welfare standards, including humane euthanasia of any downed animals, for producers who sell food to federal government programs, and the Downed Animal Protection Act (S. 394 and H.R. 661) would ban any slaughtering of downed animals for human consumption.
January 30, 2008
go to the Humane Society web by clicking on this link : http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/undercover_investigation.html
See video from the undercover investigation, and take action to stop this cruelty. WARNING: Very graphic images of cruelty.Video evidence compiled by The Humane Society of the United States shows inhumane handling methods that may have endangered the health of children.
A shocking undercover investigation by The Humane Society of the United States reveals widespread mistreatment of "downed" dairy cows—those who are too sick or injured to walk—at a Southern California slaughter plant.
The investigation at the Hallmark Meat Packing Co., of Chino, pulls open a curtain on the scandalous treatment of animals slaughtered to supply the National School Lunch Program and other federal aid programs.
Video evidence obtained by an HSUS investigator shows slaughter plant workers displaying complete disregard for the pain and misery they inflicted as they repeatedly attempted to force "downed" animals onto their feet and into the human food chain.
Cruelties that Defy Belief
In the video, workers are seen kicking cows, ramming them with the blades of a forklift, jabbing them in the eyes, applying painful electrical shocks and even torturing them with a hose and water in attempts to force sick or injured animals to walk to slaughter.
"This torture is right out of the waterboarding manual. To see the extreme cruelties shown in The HSUS video challenges comprehension," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS.
"This must serve as a five-alarm call to action for Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Our government simply must act quickly both to guarantee the most basic level of humane treatment for farm animals and to protect America's most vulnerable people, our children, needy families and the elderly from potentially dangerous food."
Beef Distributed for School Lunches and the Needy
Hallmark's Chino, Calif., slaughter plant supplies the Westland Meat Co., which processes the carcasses. The facility is the second-largest supplier of beef to USDA's Commodity Procurement Branch, which distributes the beef to needy families, the elderly and also to schools through the National School Lunch Program. Westland was named a USDA "supplier of the year" for 2004-2005 and has delivered beef to schools in 36 states. More than 100,000 schools and child care facilities nationwide receive meat through the lunch program.
Hallmark Meat Packing has no connection to Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Temple Grandin, a renowned expert on animal agriculture and professor at Colorado State University, called the images captured in the investigation "one of the worst animal abuse videos I have ever viewed."
A Demand for Action
The HSUS recently completed its six-week undercover investigation at the federally-inspected slaughter plant. Videotape evidence and investigative background have been given to law enforcement authorities in San Bernardino County, Calif.
See the extended first-person investigator's video and take action to stop this cruelty. WARNING: Extremely graphic images of cruelty.
In releasing footage from the investigation, The HSUS demands that the USDA move swiftly to tighten its confusing regulations on the slaughter of downed cattle. Downer cows must not be used for food—plain and simple. As The HSUS video shows, this is necessary to protect animals from suffering. As science has made clear, this is necessary to protect food safety. The practice of slaughtering downed cows is especially troubling now that the link between downed cattle and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, has been firmly established. Of the 15 known cases of BSE-infected animals discovered in North America, at least 12 involved downed animals.
At the same time, The HSUS is urging Congress to intervene. The Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act (H.R. 1726) would set modest animal welfare standards, including humane euthanasia of any downed animals, for producers who sell food to federal government programs, and the Downed Animal Protection Act (S. 394 and H.R. 661) would ban any slaughtering of downed animals for human consumption.
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