A letter of condolence was written to Robert S. Marcus, the Political Director of the World Jewish Congress, in February 1950, not long after his son succumbed to polio. This is it in its entirety:
"A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe", a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue...
Continue reading ...

The fourth niyama, Svadhyaya, is an aspect of yoga that has taken a hold of me in a way that feels truly holistic. I have begun to form a palpable link within between the body, mind, and spirit through daily study and development of a devotional routine - actions that lead to knowledge of the Self. And, strangely, these actions are not bound by goals or a narrow view of achievement.
Patanjali's Sutra 2.44 states: Svadhyayad ista-devata-samprayogah.
According to the interpretation of this sutra...
Continue reading ...

The third niyama - tapas - is usually translated from Sanskrit to English as 'austerity'. Austerity is one of those words that comes with connotations of severity and withdrawal - along the lines of the yama, bramacharya, commonly translated as 'celibacy' (see previous post).
In the vernacular: quit, give up, diet, unplug.
Even the word 'practice' can make us twinge at the thought of hardship. I have endeavored to explore this reaction - the hankering that erupts when one supposes that full ind...
Continue reading ...

This entry is about the second niyama, Santosha – contentment.
In my exploration of Santosha as an observance, my thoughts returned time and again to the words of my grandfather.
When Alejandro Andres was in the latter phase of his of his life of 96 years, he would often tell me (with his still-thick Spanish accent): "I have lived through many challenges in my life, but now, in my old age, I can finally say that I am contented."
Yes, he had survived considerable challenges. He emigrated from S...
Continue reading ...

One of twenty-five blueberry bushes, recently planted.


Recently my friend Sue and I attended a local Earth Day celebration at the beach in Roberts Creek. It was a wonderful gathering of community-minded souls who displayed everything from tender lettuce seedlings to draft copies of the latest revision of the Official Community Plan.
An all-female marimba band (the Knotty Daughters) played heart-lifting music while children danced, dogs wagged, and the breeze lifted kites into the clear blue sky...
Continue reading ...

The yamas are universal tenets, the first of yoga's eight limbs. When practiced mindfully, they weave a moral fabric that forms a base from which we live. These encompass principles that most of us learn right from the beginning - don't lie, cheat, steal, hurt ... but it goes much deeper than that.
My previous postings have focused on the yamas, exploring them in a brief manner. Volumes could be written about each one (and have been); my intention is to ignite a spirit of inquiry in myself, an...
Continue reading ...