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CLARIFICATION ABOUT YOGA’S TEN COMMANDMENTS

In response to a Yoga Journal post about the yamas and niyamas (classical yoga’s code of personal conduct, or “ten commandments”), I indicated that they are found in second half of Chapter 2 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – the chapter that stresses the importance of preparation when it comes to meditation.

In trying to make the point that they are critical to the preparation process, I indicated that the yamas and niyamas account for the bulk of the second half of Chapter 2 [specifically, they account for ~60% of Patanjali’s eight-limbed discipline; posture, breathing, concentration, and meditation each account for ~10%].

But in making the point, I gave short shrift to the first half of Chapter 2 by saying it focuses on the importance of the attitude we bring to our practice – indicating it’s hard to affect change in our behavior without motivation or intent.

The first half of Chapter 2 is arguably more important than the eight limbs themselves. [Clearly, Patanjali thought so!] It addresses the significance, causes and cure of our own self-inflicted distress; it’s 1.5x longer than the section on the yamas and niyamas; thus, 9x longer than the section on posture!

Chapter 2 begins with The Serenity Prayer. Patanjali prioritizes the importance of mental discipline, advising us to exercise a combination of acceptance, courage and wisdom to keep the five causes of our own self-inflicted distress at bay.

The primary source of self-inflicted distress, which gives rise to the other four, is failure to distinguish between our thoughts (evidence of our mind) and our awareness OF our thoughts (evidence of our consciousness). The latter NEVER changes.

Consciousness is the only “thing” known to man that isn’t affected by the vagaries of time and space. It’s literally immutable and eternal – yet without it, we wouldn’t realize we’re alive!

Our thoughts on the other hand, like our impermanent bodies, are literally CONSTANTLY changing.

Identifying with our impermanent body/mind (i.e., failing to realize that there’s a LOT more to us than we see in the mirror and hear in our head) gives rise to the other four natural causes of self-inflicted angst: ego, attachment, hatred, and fear.

Learn to distinguish between your permanent and temporary bits and I promise you’ll smile a lot more often!

God bless, Skip

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MEMORY (and Louis) LANE

A haunting memory

When I was 5, I saw episode #89 of Twilight Zone, “To Serve Man”, in which aliens came to earth promising a much better life on their planet. People queued up to make the intergalactic trip. As the ship full of human passengers took off, one woman discovered the truth: the aliens meant to serve us alright – as dinner!

That TV show from over 50 years ago has remained in my sub-conscious memory until recently. Such memories – and all their attendant emotions – can be triggered a lifetime later. Sometimes it’s hard to argue which is more powerful, our conscious “thinking” mind, or our sub-conscious “doing” mind [one thing it “does” is store our memories].

What I see

With the same clarity that I see the words I’m typing, I see life as Patanjali suggested we see it: from the inside out: as consciousness embodied, rather than as a body with consciousness. But for the life of me, I can’t help another living soul see it as I do.

As my guru says, therein lies my problem: I should be trying to see life as others do – and acting compassionately – rather than trying to “help” everyone else see their lives differently regardless of the profound benefits.

The frustration

Abandoning the desire to help others see what I see is difficult. I feel like the woman in the Twilight Zone episode who figured out the aliens’ plan – too late to save herself or her fellow passengers. Not a terrific analogy – but the hopelessness and irony are real.

Imagine a world in which what we looked, sounded or smelled like was of little concern: the exact opposite of our current state in which our essence, our consciousness, is of virtually no concern to anyone. If everyone saw life from the inside out, we’d all be more concerned about our collective wellbeing than appearances.

The benefits

Millennia ago Patanjali outlined the simple science of a) how our perpetually-functioning, dual-aspect mind works (i.e., our conscious mind is generally evidenced by our thoughts, and our sub-conscious mind is generally evidenced by our actions), and b) the life-altering benefits of realizing the distinction between our ever-changing body/mind and our unalterable, eternal consciousness.

Identifying with one’s immutable consciousness rather than one’s relatively weak, withering body/mind has very practical benefits: you no longer sweat the little stuff! Things that happen to our shell or ‘casing’ have zero affect on who and what we truly are. When we identify with the outside, every little ding and dent feels as though we’ve been injured. If we identify instead with the aspect of each of us without which we don’t even know we’re alive, life’s inevitable bumps and bruises, slings and arrows are a LOT easier to contend with.

Our consciousness is immutable: unchanging; unaffected by time, space, drought, hunger, disease, bullets, fears and desires – you name it.

“So what?” someone asked me recently.

 

Aside from the benefit of realizing that part of you is more powerful than Superman [he had to worry about kryptonite] you have within yourself evidence that part of you is immortal, essentially divine. That realization gives rise to faith, the most powerful, motivational force on earth.

Two other haunting alien memories

As long as I’m confessing to being afraid of aliens for most of my life, at about the same age (5), I was also scarred by watching the “Mole Men” episode of the “Adventures of Superman” in which the world’s deepest oil well penetrated the underground home of aliens who climbed to the surface!

About the same age, I had to change the channel five minutes into the initial episode of “My Favorite Martian” when his spaceship crash-landed on earth!

Change your perspective and change your life

Every moment of life is awesome and fascinating – but ever more so when seen from the inside out. Want to change how you view life? Pick up an interpretation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and reach out with any questions. I’d be honored to help shed light on your path to discovering the secret to lasting peace of mind.

Blessings, Allan Dowds

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GOT SERENITY?

Relieve your own stress, sorrow, anxiety, desire and fear without a yoga mat!

The key is self-awareness. Learn to distinguish between YOUR three invisible parts:

Conscious mind:

  • This part of your mind functions; it’s the aspect that thinks, analyzes, calculates, determines, and judges.
  • It’s the part you use to make decisions throughout the day: what to wear, eat, how to do your job, etc.
  • It’s the aspect of your mind you’re most familiar with: it’s evidenced by your thoughts and the voice in our head.
  • Unlike your sub-conscious ‘doing’ mind which enables you to multi “task”, your conscious thinking mind can literally only think one thought at a time. Skeptical? Try doing two simple math problems in your head simultaneously – or reciting the alphabet and counting simultaneously. Right. It’s not going to happen. Unlike our sub-conscious multitasking ‘doing’ mind, this aspect of each of us functions like our heart and lungs: single, consecutive beats, breaths and thoughts.

Exercise: the next time you’re feeling anxious, impatient or stressed, recite the alphabet (preferably backwards) and experience what happens: the feeling of anxiousness dissipates!

Sub-conscious mind:

  • This part of your mind also functions; it has two primary jobs: it’s responsible for all bodily tasks (internal and external senses and movement), and it’s where all your memories are stored (imagine being conscious of all your memories all the time – yikes!)
  • Unlike our conscious mind, this aspect is generally silent; we’re typically unaware of it.
  • It’s evidenced by insight and intuition rather than less subtle conscious thoughts.

Exercise: the next time you’re doing a routine task like bathing, brushing your teeth, walking, folding laundry or washing the dishes, recite the alphabet (again, preferably backwards) in your head. EVERYTHING you’re doing other than reciting the alphabet is evidence of your sub-conscious mind at work. When it clicks, it’ll freak you out: it’s as if your body is acting ALL ON ITS OWN!

Guess which of these two invisible, functioning aspects of your mind is the troublemaker? Right, the noisy one! As long as your conscious, thinking mind is calm and undisturbed, your sub-conscious mind functions flawlessly (other than for influences beyond your control like disease or disability).

Consciousness:

  • This invisible part of each of us doesn’t function; it merely witnesses.
  • This is the awareness OF our conscious thoughts (if something is aware of something else, by definition the two are distinct from one another!)
  • Without our intangible awareness, our bodies and functioning mind would still work – WE JUST WOULDN’T KNOW IT!
  • This aspect of each of us NEVER changes; while our thoughts come and go throughout every day like breaths and heartbeats, the awareness OF our thoughts remains constant.
  • Imagine the still, quiet, calm, undisturbed nature of something that literally never changes – and it’s inside you! [Meditation draws us closer to this aspect of ourselves!]
  • Consciousness is the only “thing” known to mankind that isn’t affected by the passage of time; it’s literally eternal.
  • It’s also universal: the awareness of your thoughts is EXACTLY like mine (though obviously, our thoughts are unique to each of us).

Exercise: practice distinguishing between your tangible, ever-changing thoughts and the immutable awareness OF your thoughts. Practice until the nature of your own consciousness clicks; it’ll freak you out. Religion is right: there IS a part of each of us that never dies!

What are the practical, real-life benefits of learning to distinguish between our three invisible parts?

Perhaps the most practical benefit is learning to mute the voice in our head at will. Realizing the distinction between our conscious and sub-conscious mind (and recognizing the constant interaction between the two) enables and emboldens us to learn to control the bothersome one when we want or need to – making getting through each day easier and less stressful.

[Caveat: the voice in our head is a natural self defense mechanism: it acts like the release valve on a teapot: when too much emotional stress builds in our sub-conscious mind based on our unique fears and desires, those stressors percolate up and manifest in the voice in our head. While we can mute that voice at will, at some point we need to let it vent – preferably at a time and place of our own choosing – hence, we meditate!]

But the biggest, most life-altering and permanent changes come when we truly realize the distinction between our thoughts and our awareness of them.

Recognizing the immutable, permanent nature of our own consciousness is awakening in a whole new way. Science can’t explain it – but consciousness is “tangible” evidence – WITHIN OURSELVES – of the existence of something else, something MUCH greater: the existence of Something unearthly and divine. Realizing THAT gives birth to true faith, the most powerful force on earth.

This is Patanjali’s message. All the rest of the practice is about getting to this realization and maintaining it!

God bless, Allan Dowds

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Train Your Mind

The link below has several more contained within it. A couple talk about the mechanics of meditating: sitting upright & still, breathing rhythmically, and focusing on something preferably inside yourself (like the mechanics & sensations of breathing) – but the common theme throughout is self-awareness which yogis practice all day, every day.

Self-awareness in this context refers to the recognition of having – and discerning between – three invisible parts: your conscious “thinking” mind, sub-conscious “doing” mind, and consciousness itself.

Bottom line: your “thinking” mind can literally only think one thought at a time (yes, we multi-task, but not with this aspect of ourselves). Doubtful? Try simultaneously counting and reciting the alphabet. Not going to happen.

Want to “see” your sub-conscious “doing” mind in action? Recite the alphabet and dance around, or fold laundry, or do the dishes, take a shower – any action. Since your thinking mind can literally only do one thing at a time, everything you’re doing other than reciting the alphabet is evidence of your naturally sub-conscious mind in action. When it clicks it’ll freak you out; it’s as if our bodies move on their own!

Consciousness is the holy grail of this practice. Your awareness is exactly the same today as the day you were born. While our thoughts change constantly, our awareness OF them never does. Once you realize there’s a part of you that literally NEVER changes, it’ll freak you out! Never changes = eternal. This is where the spiritual aspect of the discipline kicks in.

Without awareness (aka consciousness), our body and mind would still function – we just wouldn’t know it!

What’s the practical point of all this? 1) being able to mute the voice in your head at will can be tremendously advantageous – especially under pressure, and 2) when the nature of your own awareness dawns – and you realize that part of you is immutable – well, tangible things like desire and anger begin to fade away.

Here’s the link, feel free to ask me anything you want – I LOVE THIS!

https://www.rajamarblehead.com/2018/06/14/meditation-tips-for-beginners/

Best, Allan ❤️😊🕉

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Concentration Exercise: Mindfulness in Motion

Move between two simple yoga poses (poses 3 & 4 of the classic Sun Salutation sequence):

Urdhva Hastasana – standing with your arms extended overhead; palms touching; eyes forward

AND

Uttanasana – (standing forward bend pictured) keeping your feet stationary, lean forward from the hips; legs straight; opposite elbows clasped

BEGIN

Slowly, mindfully, relaxed, almost rhythmically move between the two poses without tension, strain or stress. Aim for a count of 24-36 going down and coming back up.

Moving from Urdhva Hastasana into Uttanasana, move and release tension as you exhale:

[pro tip: synchronize the physical, energetic and cerebral aspects of the experience: be mindful of what you’re doing, feeling and thinking]

1. Slowly, release your fingers, hands, forearms, and upper arms downward [hands pass in front of your face];

2. Keeping your legs straight, slowly curl down ONLY AS FAR AS IT’S COMFORTABLE: 😉

  • Drop the crown of your head / tuck your chin;
  • Release your neck;
  • Release your shoulders;
  • Release your upper back;
  • Release your mid-back;
  • Release your lower back;

3. Hold opposite elbows;

4. Relax and breathe!

ROLL BACK UP JUST AS MINDFULLY!!

Moving from Uttanasana back into Urdhva Hastasana:

1.  Unclasp your elbows;

2.  Bend your knees;

3.  Tuck [drop] your tailbone as you press your feet into the floor and push down to stand up;

4.  Keep tucking your tailbone! Feel the individual vertebrae in your spine move as you roll up;

5. Simultaneously, pull your navel to your spine with the same level of attention – lifting your center of gravity upward;

6. Once your torso is upright (arms hanging at your sides) extend your arms out to your sides and slowly raise them overhead – consciously lifting your ribcage off your stomach!

7. Lengthen the back of your neck as you visualize being lifted by the crown of your head;

8. Extend thru your fingertips; palms touching; eyes forward;

9. Soften and hold the pose – no impediments to energy flow – synch action, sensation, and visualization – AND SMILE!

Shake it off & repeat as desired!

When you’ve had enough, stand and twist slowly from side to side for a minute – allow the twist to gently swing your arms.

Tip: only move what needs to!

Blessings, Allan ❤️😊🕉

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Trading Privilege for Faith

I used to have an insanely lucrative job – and I was miserable.

Three years later, at 61, I’m searching through online ads for yoga instructors, it’s far from obvious we’ll be able to keep the house, vacations are a distant memory, our cupboards and clothes reflect my long-term unemployed status – and I’m happy. [Though admittedly, my joy and bliss isn’t always shared by those I love.]

The greatest irony in all this is that I have something priceless – that for the life of me, I can’t give away let alone sell. No matter how hard I try, trying to get someone else to see through my eyes isn’t possible – says my TCM master. Wish he’d told me that three years ago!

It’s beyond frustrating. I literally see the same thing others do, but from an entirely different paradigm – through rose-colored glasses if you will – because I see the miracle behind what I’m looking at.

Aside from the fact that without consciousness we’d have no idea what our body and mind were doing (!), consider that literally everything that has ever happened since the beginning of time, had to happen EXACTLY as it did in order for this moment to manifest. Ask a statistician what those odds are!

Every dinosaur fart? Every musket shot? Every love letter? Every song? Every death? Yeah.

Life is miraculous. Appreciate the ride, because in your current form you only go around once. ❤️

What I have that can’t be gifted or sold is the realization of the world of difference between my thoughts (evidence of my mind), and my awareness OF those thoughts (evidence of my indomitable, divine consciousness – my awareness – my soul – my spirit – my essence). 🙏

Patanjali’s Raja Yoga is a path to faith….

….and FAITH engenders serenity, courage and wisdom to overcome our worst intangible desires and fears. 🕉

God bless, Allan❤️🙏🕉

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Where does lasting happiness come from? From others?

Which resonates more with you: “No man is an island.” or “We’re all alone.”

The two seemingly contradicting yogic expressions are essentially two sides of a coin.

Experience both:

“No man is an island.”

Don’t want to feel like an island? Contemplate your surroundings. Let’s assume you’re sitting in a cafe waiting for a friend. How many people have contributed to this moment in your life?

The answer is millions. Doubtful? Start by contemplating the people involved in the manufacturing, distribution and sale of the clothes you’re wearing, whatever you’re sitting on, and whatever you’re reading this on – add the planning and construction of whatever building or transportation you’re in. You get the idea.

If literally everything that’s ever happened since the dawn of time hadn’t happened exactly as it did, you wouldn’t be reading this.

That’s collective karma: the breath-by-breath, second-by-second explanation of evolution: infinite cause & effect.

Bottom line: our actions affect the lives of countless others.

“We’re all alone.”

Yet, as Amma says, “We’re all alone.”

I really dislike that expression, but it’s true in the sense that no one in all of eternity will ever know our deepest most personal thoughts and emotions – even if we write them all down like it was our job!!

Consider your most intimate relationships. You can pour your heart out to your partner for days – and all they’ll ever experience is a reflection of what’s between your ears and in your heart.

True happiness? Bliss?

So where does true lasting internal peace come from?

1. From the inside-out:

Peaceful, quiet, calm, silent, inner stillness is a gift we give ourselves.

While we can’t live blissfully in a semi- or un-conscious state of mind indefinitely, we each have the ability [arguably, the responsibility] to take our bodies and minds “offline” – to rest, restore and recharge – to take care of ourselves.

2. From the outside-in:

Each of us is part of a miraculous, perpetually-evolving, living mosaic – which is playing out on a revolving, molten rock hurtling through space! Everything other than our awareness changes every second!!

Recognizing that nothing tangible can be intangibly fulfilling, and that nothing temporal is ever-lasting – and realizing our every action has perpetual consequences (ripples if you will), we guard our thoughts which form words, which precipitate actions – in hopes of mitigating negative karmic consequences for ourselves and others.

It’s ironic

It’s counterintuitive, but Rotary and BNI got it right: “Service above self” and “Givers gain”, respectively. Helping others is all the reward we need.

As Saint Francis of Assisi said, “It’s in giving that we receive.”

 

Want to experience lasting bliss? Go deep inside. Tap into your own consciousness. Observe, contemplate and meditate on the nature of your own awareness. [Hints: It never changes. Yours is exactly like mine. Without it, you have zero awareness of your thoughts, feelings or actions. Consciousness <> conscience; the latter is a sub-conscious mental function. Consciousness doesn’t “do” anything; it just “is”. It’s essentially divine.]❤️😊🕉

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A REBEL NOTION IN REDRESSING ADDICTION

I’m enthusiastic about drug prevention because I’ve been an addict my entire adult life.

Personal discipline is what keeps me alive.

Here’s a rebel proposal: maybe it’s time to raise the level of our national (global?) consciousness – for everyone’s sake.

Spirituality vs. Religion

There’s a difference between spirituality (the science of self-discovery) and religion.

Religion tends to be cultural and naturally divisive to the extent different groups of people hold different views of an external divinity.

Spirituality is universally applicable yet individually practiced; it’s a deeply personal, internal quest for true self-acceptance and bliss.

Getting the message out

Like Rotary with its broad, flexible local footprint, our national school system is ideally positioned to efficiently get the word out. Perhaps some version of the notes below could be included in school curriculums nationally.

How and by whom the information is communicated isn’t important. The important part is constant practice – which both requires and fosters personal discipline.

There’s no prohibition on government support of Yoga, QiGong and/or Tai Chi, as there is with religion. These Asian disciplines are experiential: arguing we’re not aware of our own thoughts would be pretty silly.

The Message

This is the short version of the science behind the ancient practice of meditation or mind-control. This is “Classical”, “Raja”, or “Patanjalian” yoga.

In spiritual terms, humans have the capacity to virtually experience our own essence. To do that, yogis meditate or train our minds. Obviously, there are practical physical and mental benefits achieved en route! As we’re fond of saying, “It’s about the journey.”

We’re each born with three invisible parts: our conscious mind, sub-conscious mind, and consciousness.

1. Conscious mind:

Our conscious mind is evidenced by our thoughts, including the voice in our head; thus, it’s the aspect of our mind we’re most familiar with.

Understanding how we think is critical to balancing or adjusting our thoughts.

  • Unlike our sub-conscious “doing” mind that naturally multitasks; our conscious “thinking” mind can only perform one task at a time. Skeptical? Try simultaneously counting and reciting the alphabet.

 

  • Our conscious mind thinks a perpetual stream of individual thoughts (e.g., the alphabet is a string of 26 sequential thoughts). While this aspect of our mind never stops thinking or recalling thoughts, we can pause it like putting a running car engine in neutral (i.e., to de-stress it)!

 

  • There are three types of original thought: correct, incorrect, and imaginary (i.e., we see something as it is, we see but misinterpret it, or we make it up).

 

  • There are five things that affect our thoughts. The most significant in terms of de-stressing is not realizing the distinction between our conscious mind and consciousness. Once the nature of the latter dawns, SO many then-seemingly irrelevant thoughts, fears, and desires fade away.

 

  • The other four things that directly affect our thoughts are ego, attachments, aversions, and fears.

2. Sub-conscious mind:

Our sub-conscious mind is evidenced by the things our body does without conscious input: primarily sense perception and physical movement. Anything an alligator can do, this aspect of our mind can orchestrate flawlessly – as long as our conscious mind doesn’t get in the way!

Our sub-conscious mind is task-oriented, trainable, and habitual. It “runs the ship”, and it’s where our memories are stored (“below decks”).

3. Consciousness:

Consciousness is the awareness OF what we’re thinking. The awareness OF our thoughts is as distinct from those thoughts, as our toes are from toothpaste. [If you’re holding a hammer, you’re not the hammer!]

Consciousness is a very real (yet entirely immutable and intangible) aspect of each of us. What we’re aware of changes constantly, but our awareness OF those constantly changing mental images remains static: it’s essentially eternal.

Balancing body, mind and energy

Ancient Asian disciplines like India’s yoga (where the above science comes from) and China’s medical qigong, and tai chi are personal practices which develop the body and mind in harmony with our energetic, temporal nature and universe – while recognizing and honoring our immutable, intangible essence.

Traditional Chinese martial disciplines (including qigong and tai chi) were developed and used to sustain the health and readiness of battle-weary field troops. How wonderfully ironic it would be if the same practices were used to prepare for peace rather than war thousands of years later! 😉

Spirituality

With steady practice over an extended period, the nature of one’s own consciousness dawns – fostering faith in the existence of God.

While faith doesn’t change us psychologically or physiologically, it emboldens us, providing strength, tenacity, and determination – arguably, prerequisites for success in any endeavor.

May you find something herein helpful in the battle against abusive, destructive, addictive behaviors, including drug addiction.

God bless, Allan Skip Dowds

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A TCM Yogi’s 15-Minute Morning Meditation

Kneeling yoga-style (butt on my heels) on a hardwood floor – to keep my mind from drifting. 😉

My intention is to “listen to God” [atheists can substitute “deepen my intuition”].

1st 5 mins. – focus on my “Jing” (the part of my body you could see if you were watching): my eyes are almost closed; I’m sitting upright, relaxed and still; breathing abdominally: rhythmically extending and retracting my stomach as I inhale and exhale.

2nd 5 mins. – ADD my “Chi” (my internal energy systems; specifically, what I’m “doing” to regulate the flow of energy within): as I inhale I lift my tongue to the roof of my mouth just behind my front teeth, closing an energetic circuit. As I exhale I drop my tongue, and lift my pelvic floor (subtly, with no more physical effort than it takes to wink).

3rd 5 mins. – ADD my “Shen” (mind; what I’m “thinking” – note: for the last 10 minutes I’ve focused entirely on what I was “doing”); with my eyes still almost closed, I imagine I’m sitting on a beach on a warm sunny day looking out at the horizon [the line that splits your field of vision in half: top sky, bottom water].

End with a heartfelt recitation of the The Lord’s Prayer – acknowledging, beseeching, and praising God.

Students of TCM will recognize the “4 abilities” incorporated above. 😉

Blessings, Skip

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HEROIN OVERDOSE AT MARBLEHEAD HIGH?! WTF?!

After that sinks in, consider this: virtually EVERY teen has ready access to heroin.

Regardless of where the blame lies, it’s on all of us to fix this. I’m proudly waving the Rotary International (“Rotary”) flag on this one: they’re battling drug addiction as an epidemic like polio – and putting money and resources into it.

Rotary consists of 30,000+ local clubs (01945 has two). It’s perfectly positioned to provide educational and support services at the community level.

Everyone recognizes there’s a HUGE cost difference between proactive and reactive approaches to the crisis – but we need both to a) effectively address prevention (a combination of education, sticks and carrots), and b) compassionately treat and support those already addicted.

Fraffy’s old breakfast club is forming a committee to assess how best to utilize and coordinate Rotary’s vast resources with OUR local resources and needs.

Interested? Please respond hereto – or reach out directly to any Rotarian and ask about it.

 

Want to know my story?

I’m 60.  I’m an addict. Always have been.

I made a decision one morning as a teen that drastically altered the course of my life. At the time, I assumed it was because I was chicken. Today, I’m not so sure.

A little background: I was a momma’s boy: her first & arguably favorite – arguably, because she never expressed her feelings. No I love you. No hugs. But disappoint her…..

The only time I felt worse was when I had my heart torn out by a young thing named Joanne. In the end, yours truly was “too slow” for Joanne! I was 14.

I was inconsolable for days. I consciously decided THAT was never happening again.

It’s no coincidence that shortly after saying goodbye to Joanne I said hello to alcohol – my gateway drug. A few years later, one morning during the summer between high school and college, I sat across the kitchen table at my best friend’s house while he demonstrated how to ‘boot up’: syringe in hand, belt around the arm above the elbow, etc.

I couldn’t do it.

I’ve always assumed it was fear of pissing off my mother (the woman was uncannily perceptive) – or my fear of needles. In hindsight, it may have been much more. Clearly, my need to find “perfect peace” hasn’t let up!!

It’s led me to become self-realized, though admittedly I’m still light years from being self-actualized!! For the curious: therein lies the difference between yoga & qigong. 😉

Self-realization and actualization can’t be taught or gifted. Each of us has to slug it out personally – and while battles are won and lost along the way, the war never ends. Bleak? Perhaps, but the terrific news is that we each have the inborn (God-given!) capacity to experience true bliss – and I won’t ever stop trying to help others find it in themselves.

Self-awareness (meditation) leads to self-appreciation and love (first, for oneself, then for all). It’s the only thing I’ve found in a lifetime of searching that’s stronger than my psychological and/or physiological addictions. [Again, I can’t speak about heroin addiction, though if anything will get someone over the hump, it’s true self-awareness.]

Blessings, Skip❤️😊🕉

Join me and my fellow Rotarians in standing up against addiction and its lifelong consequences.

Come express your views, concerns and opinions and listen to those who previously haven’t been touched by addiction, those who live with it, and community leaders and advocates for our town’s youth.

Let’s get the life-ending stuff off our streets. Let’s do it for our children and theirs.

btw – Rotary (by policy) is nonpolitical ❤️