Thursday, December 30, 2010

dogs too have feelings...

i look at Caramel, she is a content dog most of the time, and then some feelings are evoked in her, and she comes over, and lies down next to me, her foot on my feet, and she wants attention, so if i am eating or typing it is not possible as she will hook her nose under my elbow and keep pushing my arm...those eyes, i look at her, and i kiss her, and so want to share her thoughts and feelings...she hangs her head over my arm and sits there for a long time...

i heard that this morning she was dreaming and kept making some noise, it was an interesting night for me as well, i had some visits, i shared some time with the loved ones, then why was i left with a disturbed energy...

water helps, and finally in the night i decided to go in to the warm pool, i was alone, swimming and as i lay in savasana, in the water, some peace engulfed me....

tomorrow is the 31st, and as i recap this year, 2010...i want to release, what is it that i am holding, hidden from the consciousness...

i choose to recall the best that life offered, the transformations that happened, the relationships that deepened, and the hearts that healed...

tomorrow is another day and tonight i sleep...

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

in meditation at Rancho Margot...

...the power of the flowing river, the river next to the yoga platform...i walk in to this space after two months, the energy is so overpowering that i bow my head in front of the altar, deeply inhaling the energy of the flowing river i am able to move to the mat and share the practice with the three souls who had requested to practice with me...i watch the flowing water and allow my thoughts to flow...

today i sit in meditation, at the same spot which brings back many past shared yoga practice, do we hold onto our memories or is there some energy that hovers, i see a white tent and the vision of a person, in savasana...the meditation ends the wondering continues...

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

after 372 years...

the full lunar eclipse and the winter solstice coincide...what a night...as i meditate and share the watching of the lunar eclipse in the night sky from the land of Toronto, Canada...i wondered many times where are you my friend, were you able to view this beauty, are you on the side of the earth that casts its shadow on the moon, or are you able to see the full moon... these are just my thoughts, not expecting any answers...

between the meditation, updating the Nasa Twitter page and my facebook page, alone with my feelings as i watch the beautiful night sky of Toronto...and then the final surrender of the moon...allowing the earth to cast its shadow, the moon is letting go of its brilliant moonlight...at 3 in the morning i try to sleep, but i have changed, some healing happened as i stood in the Toronto cold air watching the night sky...and i cannot sleep...the whole day i felt a sense of peace engulfing my very sense of being...and now i sit in front of the fireplace, re-capping the last 24 hours...have words ever been able to capture the feelings, why yes, some very articulate poets and writers are able to express their feeling in words...

i spent this evening with friends as we released into the fire, stuff that does not suit our purpose in life...i held the space, or maybe i did not have any more to release...i am sure that is my ego speaking, there is always stuff to be let go, in order to live life fully, and understand and be in each moment, there is always release waiting to happen,,,but i held the space for others...i feel a sense of peace, the union of this eclipse has united me, this peace that engulfs me is an attestation.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

a new home....the surroundings are new, the love is the same...

life is always moving and changing...we watch and live each moment...and sometime in that moment are shared the tears of goodbye...the intensity of feeling, in that moment of parting when we smile, smile through our tears...Asim and Kamila, you will continue to build your life with love and amazing memories in your beautiful home...

my heart and home is always open, and yours to enter...

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

so whats in a name, you ask...

the name i have recognized to associate with and answer to (besides, hey you, ama, khala, phups, auntie, yoga mama, sweetheart, sunshine and lotus and some not to be mentioned) is the name "irum":  pronounced ir- rum...
in the last year i love the way Spanish and French speaking call me ee room


here is what Wikipedia says about the name:
"In Persian folklore it also refers to the story of King Shedad who wanted to compete with God and said that he would create Baghe 'Irum'(heaven on earth).To create this heaven he used up all his wealth and power even snatching from the poor.  He made it so beautiful that it was heard to have fountains of wine and milk and rocks of the most precious gems that one could ever imagine. His cruelty is said to have upset God and God decided to punish him,so that he would never lay eyes on Irum. Just when Shedad was about to enter the gates of Irum he tripped on the steps and died on the spot.  Irum is said to have been so beautiful that even God adored it and decided to make it one of the seven heavens in the sky.
Irum means paradise on earth that God adored so much that he decided to make it the heaven on sky for eternity."
my grandfather would recite the following lines to me: 
جدھر تیرا نکش ا قدم دیکھتا ہوں خرراما خرراما  ارم دیکھتا ہوں
wherever i see your footsteps, there, slowly unveils paradise
and so i got the name "irum"...recently someone in Israel, gave me the meaning of my name, I thought let me clarify and Wiki says it means "thoughtful" in Hebrew...I also met someone who has been to Korea and she said it means "name" in Korean...i hear it is also a name in Turkish;  with the "h" silent, Hiram is a Spanish name.
Who is this Irum?
...how do i see myself: uncomplicated, ordinary in a different or rather unusual way...nurturing, romantic and sensuous in my relationships...flowing, i love to flow in the moment, through my day, in the doing and in life...pauses, yes i pause a lot, not because i daydream or get lost in my mind instead its the moment that grabs my attention and sometime in the middle of a conversation or while i am doing something i will pause, and that moment becomes eternal...
i am left-handed, my brain config is what it is and i have recognized it and love it...why? cos thats all i know in any given moment...what is home to this brain/mind is mindfulness...my thoughts can be my love or my enemy, i am their observer...the relationship i have with my thoughts is explained in these modified lines: "i can live, with or without you"...(b.t.w i think U2 has sung the best version of this song)
and Yes, People...children, friends, their families, family of souls, yoga friends...The Earth and the Sky and all it contains, the sun and the moon (even when they are hidden from the eye)... food, chocolates, my breath, the yoga mat...is ALL i ask for...in solitude and when amongst people, i exist only in each moment...and so a BIG THANK YOU to LIFE and LIVING...si y siempre
life, did you reach out to me or i to you...no question and no answer...
we dance in union...
together we came and together we part...



.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

a birthday...a reminder...a soul full of love


at 8:20 pm on Dec 12, a soul entered this world...as a new mother, i did not know what to do...as new parents on our own, we did not know what to do, except rejoice and share the joy with our family and friends...the first son born to his first son...this was the lineage from his paternal grandfather...so the joy was manifold...the love of our life continued to be shared with everyone...

today is a blessing for me to hug you and kiss you, esp on your birthday...

Asim  the "Protector", your gentleness is what warms our hearts and wins people...as a little child you were playing and your grandfather looked at you and said "if i had a kingdom, he is my heir"...when i told you this story this morning you laughed and said, "wow he just by-passed his 5 sons"...this morning Kamila  hugged me and thanked me "ama, thank you for your wonderful son.....", and yes Asim, Kamila is her namesake "Perfect" as you are perfect for each other, the union is complete...your wedding anniversary is also this month, so many blessings to you both, as you continue your joyful journey, enjoying every moment, making each moment precious...when we feel the love in our hearts it overflows and engulfs all around us....please continue loving and sharing your love for each other with all you touch...Happy Birthday

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

is there a world without borders

November 19, 2010

Walking across from one country to another…the ground, the feel of the earth never changes, and I envision a world where people are allowed to be, free to move around, free to live, with only one desire - to share and give, and ask the other “how may I serve you”...

Walking from Israel to Sinai, from Sinai back to Israel, and into Jordan…the only duality were the signs separating, dividing and creating obstacles through passport checks, border taxes and the manifold security checks. 








We crossed into Jordan, and the feeling was of peace, soon to be replaced with another feeling, more of confusion as the hordes of people tried to persuade us to pay a sum of money we thought was too high, maybe for our budget, for the transportation to Aqaba,  and to Petra, our final destination in Jordan.   When we asked if we could take a public bus to Petra, we were told that due to Eid holidays the buses were on a minimum schedule hence we will not find one at this hour.    We looked at each other, then we both had an uncomfortable feeling,  were we being jipped?  So we decide to turn around and return to Israel.  At that point an officer intervened and we were given a “better” price for our ride to Petra.  It is always a great ability to flow and be in the moment, and soon we were on our way. Stopping in Aqaba for a great meal and a quick walk about in their bazaar to buy delicious nuts.   Our driver Isaac or Issa was very friendly, and soon we were sharing as if we were old friends.

The hotel we stayed in Petra, Moon Valley Hotel….great value, with hot showers,  comfortable beds, clean toilets, and warmth and friendliness in the staff.  As we shared many “sheeshas” or nargilas together, meeting people, sharing their stories, including one person who wanted to buy me by suggesting a price of 12 camels, both Frederick and i had a good laugh as we realized their sense of humor.

The trip to Petra, invoked many feelings and the day started with an interesting twist.  The unfolding of the events were made clear when we were in Petra, on the horseback, enjoying the magnificent views, including the sunset.  At one point our guide took us to a precipice, the few quiet moments as we sat there, invoked a feeling as if we were flying.    An amazing lightness of being…later down below,  we faced the treasury, with the moonlight  reflecting on the pillars and the building carved in the mountain, the guide said “look at the top, that is where you were sitting”…it became clear the feeling of sitting on top of the world, in abundance and the feeling of soaring with that abundance…walking through the Siq, not many tourists remaining at that time, was a walk through a magical wonderland.  I looked up and saw Venus, perched on top of the mountain peak, the almost full moon shining, lighting our path.  I turn around and Frederick says, look to your right, I look up at the face in the mountain, so chiseled, the shadow creating the effect of dark hair, it was surreal...we looked, mesmerized and  the eyes which seemed to be closed, opened…no word remain to describe the feeling of that moment.  Petra, the seventh wonder of the world, became the most wondrous place at that moment.




Petra
The Treasury at Petra
The Treasury at Petra
Location:Ma'an GovernorateJordan
Coordinates:30°19′43″N 35°26′31″ECoordinates30°19′43″N 35°26′31″E
Elevation:810m (2,700 ft)
Settled:7000 B.C.[1]
Built:1200 B.C.[1]
Visitation:580,000 (2007)
Governing body:Petra Region Authority
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type:Cultural
Criteria:i, iii, iv
Designated:1985 (9th session)
Reference #:326
State Party: Jordan
Region:Arab States
website:http://www.petrapark.com/
Petra is located in Jordan
Location of Petra in Jordan
Petra (Greek "πέτρα" (petra), meaning rockArabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ) is a historical and archaeologicalcity in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is known for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans,[2] it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction.[2] It lies on the slope of Mount Hor[3]in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss explorerJohann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate Prize-winning sonnet by John William BurgonUNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage."[4] Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of "the 40 places you have to see before you die".[5]

~Wikipedia~


Saturday, December 4, 2010

the angels amongst us....

an ambassador for the airline...
i spoke to Steven on the air canada reservations...is this person for real...am i biased because he gave me such good service?

it was in the conversation...he was "solving my problem" and not just interested in selling a seat, making a reservation and hanging up.  what helped him too was there was no deadline on him by his supervisors with a timer on his computer and later on being reprimanded for spending more than the "company allocated" time with a customer...
he shared a story or two of his encounters with other travellers and we spoke for a while...

i hope he wrote down the name "rancho margot"...and maybe we meet there to continue our conversation...the healing for the earth will continue with the healing of the souls, and the angels amongst us will facilitate this...
MUCHAS GRACIAS...MERCI BEAUCOUP...SHUKRIA...