My brother, Sam, grew some radishes for me. He let them grow quite awhile- until the tops flowered. They were so beautiful that I had to capture it on camera.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
On health and other matters
I had a cold in April, but haven't been sick since then. This is literally the longest stretch of uninterrupted health I've had in my adult life. It feels like a miracle. There are many things I attribute my health to. Of course eating right, exercising, and sleep are important, but I've always done those things. In 2010 my health got so bad that I was forced to make some major changes. Here are a few of the things I've done.
1. I began to exercise less intensely. I hate plyometrics, sprinting, and intense cardio. It does not work for me. Instead I've taken to long walks, weight work, and yoga. I haven't gained any weight by cutting back on intensity. In fact, I am able to work out more consistently because I'm working less hard.
2. I spend more time relaxing, resting, and connecting with nature. I love to sit out in my garden or take long walks outside. I read. I am alone. These activities are remarkably healing and allow me to process the constant stress and information I am receiving on a daily basis.
3. I eat a diet that is more nearly vegan than before. I don't digest animal proteins well. I am not eating a ton of processed food and I still eat animal foods several times a week. In general, however, I am eating plants. I am also eating cooked food. Raw food can be great in the heat of summer, but warm cooked soups, beans, and vegetables have remarkable healing power.
4. I've added more garlic, onion, and radish to my diet.
5. I stopped taking medications including oral contraceptives. This has made a huge impact on my energy levels.
6. I get plenty of sunshine.
7. I do yoga. Yoga has remarkable healing powers. It stretches my body, improves alignment, and reorganizes the body's energy.
8. I have changed some of my paradigms. I am much more likely to see life as a perfect and complete whole rather than as something that is lacking and needs improvement. I am much kinder to myself. I am much more content with the life that I have. I am able to see the changing of the seasons and the fleeting nature of all things. This helps me live more fully in the moment with a greater appreciation for the preciousness of life.
9. I am more willing to feel things fully and to be completely honest with myself and those around me.
10. I use a neti pot every single day.
11. I am practical. I don't go to extremes. I don't follow a particular diet. I follow my inner guide and allow each day to be what it is. I don't expect one day to be identical to the preceeding one. Sometimes I need to burn off energy. Other times I need to hibernate and build up. I can see things as a cycle. I can approach myself and others with compassion.
Overall, I am very happy with where I am now. I see all struggles as invitations. It is through our suffering that doors open and we learn. I am not afraid of life. I am having a relationship with it. The result is that I am becoming a person who is healthy in body and spirit. I am not defined by my body. I have no rules or restrictions to impose on others. Total health requires a total transformation. Its not just about eating vegetables or avoiding junk food. Its about living fully in your body and being absolutely present to life. It is also about allowing yourself to heal. It is about compassion. Ultimately, it is about compassion for all living things, but it must begin with yourself. You cannot give what you have not lived.
1. I began to exercise less intensely. I hate plyometrics, sprinting, and intense cardio. It does not work for me. Instead I've taken to long walks, weight work, and yoga. I haven't gained any weight by cutting back on intensity. In fact, I am able to work out more consistently because I'm working less hard.
2. I spend more time relaxing, resting, and connecting with nature. I love to sit out in my garden or take long walks outside. I read. I am alone. These activities are remarkably healing and allow me to process the constant stress and information I am receiving on a daily basis.
3. I eat a diet that is more nearly vegan than before. I don't digest animal proteins well. I am not eating a ton of processed food and I still eat animal foods several times a week. In general, however, I am eating plants. I am also eating cooked food. Raw food can be great in the heat of summer, but warm cooked soups, beans, and vegetables have remarkable healing power.
4. I've added more garlic, onion, and radish to my diet.
5. I stopped taking medications including oral contraceptives. This has made a huge impact on my energy levels.
6. I get plenty of sunshine.
7. I do yoga. Yoga has remarkable healing powers. It stretches my body, improves alignment, and reorganizes the body's energy.
8. I have changed some of my paradigms. I am much more likely to see life as a perfect and complete whole rather than as something that is lacking and needs improvement. I am much kinder to myself. I am much more content with the life that I have. I am able to see the changing of the seasons and the fleeting nature of all things. This helps me live more fully in the moment with a greater appreciation for the preciousness of life.
9. I am more willing to feel things fully and to be completely honest with myself and those around me.
10. I use a neti pot every single day.
11. I am practical. I don't go to extremes. I don't follow a particular diet. I follow my inner guide and allow each day to be what it is. I don't expect one day to be identical to the preceeding one. Sometimes I need to burn off energy. Other times I need to hibernate and build up. I can see things as a cycle. I can approach myself and others with compassion.
Overall, I am very happy with where I am now. I see all struggles as invitations. It is through our suffering that doors open and we learn. I am not afraid of life. I am having a relationship with it. The result is that I am becoming a person who is healthy in body and spirit. I am not defined by my body. I have no rules or restrictions to impose on others. Total health requires a total transformation. Its not just about eating vegetables or avoiding junk food. Its about living fully in your body and being absolutely present to life. It is also about allowing yourself to heal. It is about compassion. Ultimately, it is about compassion for all living things, but it must begin with yourself. You cannot give what you have not lived.
Favorites
It is silly to have a favorite number, but my favorite number is 13. I suppose some things speak to us louder than other things. All colors are beautiful, but my favorite color is red. I am an absolute people person and love (most) people, but my cousin Tom has got to be near the top of the list (maybe just below myself).
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
First Love Life
First, love life. The rest will follow. Love life, love yourself. Your pulse, your breath. Love your courage and faith, your beauty, your hopeless and unending faults. Love these things. Because at least you are alive.
When you love, love fully. Don’t hold back. And when you lose, let loose. It was never yours to keep. This is the nature of everything. Spring turns to summer and summer turns to fall. And we all fall down. But all around you at any given time are a million saving graces waiting to pick you up. We are saved. Saved from ourselves by life. A clouded sky, a gentle smile, a song on the radio. You can’t stop life. Birth comes, death comes, it was never ours to keep. You can’t stop the winter from coming. And why would you want to? A life with no darkness is blinding. Winter turns to spring, spring turns to summer. You can’t stop the ocean from flowing.
We exhale to make room for more breath. We build things up just to have them washed away. We are alive. And we feel that life in the forest, in the breath of wind on our face. The city, too, has a pulse. We see life all around us. We see life in the pigeons with their dazzling, purple-grey feathers, and life in the pigeon shit. To love life is to love the sun on your face, but also the freezing darkness at your back. Life is the long, lonely night, and the gently beckoning dawn.
Do not be afraid of life. Love it. Love it with your whole heart because it only happens once. The only thing more terrible than the long, dark night is being so dead that you can’t tell the sun from the shadows.
First love life and everything will take care of itself. Life proceeds according to its own perfection. In this moment, everything is perfect. Don’t worry. Don’t cut yourself with useless fears. First, love life.
When you love, love fully. Don’t hold back. And when you lose, let loose. It was never yours to keep. This is the nature of everything. Spring turns to summer and summer turns to fall. And we all fall down. But all around you at any given time are a million saving graces waiting to pick you up. We are saved. Saved from ourselves by life. A clouded sky, a gentle smile, a song on the radio. You can’t stop life. Birth comes, death comes, it was never ours to keep. You can’t stop the winter from coming. And why would you want to? A life with no darkness is blinding. Winter turns to spring, spring turns to summer. You can’t stop the ocean from flowing.
We exhale to make room for more breath. We build things up just to have them washed away. We are alive. And we feel that life in the forest, in the breath of wind on our face. The city, too, has a pulse. We see life all around us. We see life in the pigeons with their dazzling, purple-grey feathers, and life in the pigeon shit. To love life is to love the sun on your face, but also the freezing darkness at your back. Life is the long, lonely night, and the gently beckoning dawn.
Do not be afraid of life. Love it. Love it with your whole heart because it only happens once. The only thing more terrible than the long, dark night is being so dead that you can’t tell the sun from the shadows.
First love life and everything will take care of itself. Life proceeds according to its own perfection. In this moment, everything is perfect. Don’t worry. Don’t cut yourself with useless fears. First, love life.
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