i hung out in the hammock this afternoon, up on the "pad" by casa mango, under the trees, over rio (super dog)who slept under neath me in deep shade.i have 3 trees that burst into blossom, wisteria like, sweet pea shaped pink flowers, looking like pastel clusters of sugared grapes. this time of year, these trees being deciduous, shed their delicate leaves, contrasting with the forever green of the tropical forest.
and so the winter fresh tropic breeze, releases the flowers and the leaves, to rain lightly down upon my leisurely smiling swingin self, while i practice inhaling liberated sweetness from the wafting pranic bouquet.
and so the leaves and flowers drift, while pairs of butterflies flit and spiral, dash and dive, another part of the air dance i behold so gladly.and as i watch the butterflies play (as the flowers and leaves and aroma float ) i notice for the first time how they are able to accelerate. for some odd reason, i have always thought that butterflies had a certain "speed".... some slow, others fast...but it had never occurred to me until this afternoon (in the hammock, up on the pad, under the deciduous trees, over rio-sleeping super dog) that butterflies can CHANGE their speed.and so, i watched them flit and spiral, dash and dive and then RACE away, one chasing the other, a witty flitty sprint to the other side of the property, and in a blink, out of view.
i like to think i receive messages from nature. information comes from many sources besides the tangible yang norms; books, news, media.
and as i "listen" to the frolicking butterflies this sparkling jungle afternoon, i am reminded to have fun, be joyous, dance with the flowers, and my play with friends! !
One of the many joys of the jungle is the evening song, the chirps, croaks, churs, trills and buzz from the infinity of insects and frogs. Rather than the melody of the day music, the evening serenade is that of percussion, rhythm, mantra and drone.
Layers of tones, sustained then broken, or tapped out like Morse Code, vibrate in my sinuses, not my ears. If I didn’t like it so much, it could be annoying, kind of driving you mad with monotony, an incessant drip. A type of noise torture.
But that is how I felt about the distant rumble and whoosh of the forever traffic, the weed whacker intrusions, and sirens of various origins of my long time suburban, now sold, Jersey shore home. Noise torture.
It's so interesting to me how people accept and tolerate this kind of pollution and invasion (add to that night lighting). These nasty noises jangle our nervous systems, and disrupt our ability to HEAR/LISTEN/THINK.
The jungle din is gorgeous and healing in comparison. And so it is Gaia's way....a soothing evening chant to lull us into rest, renewal and sweet dreams.
Surely this after dark party scene outnumbers the diurnal jungle crowd many fold. And surely, it is the pure thickness and depth of chorus that is so compelling. This is not some lone cricket, chirping for a mate in the dark corner of the summer pantry of my youth. Oh no.
Here, is a masterful opus with trillions of participants, throats inflating, legs rubbing, glowing underbellies, shadowy flight, the freaks come out at night.
peace
Hello Friends!
after a year of living tech-free with the exception of electricity, i have finally given in and now have internet at my jungle home "Casa Verde"...this is actually amazing and one little piece of technology that i adore. SO i can begin blogging!
Let me start with Gratitude to Gaia. For those of you unfamiliar with this term...it was coined by James Lovelock an independent earth scientist from England.
The Gaia hypothesis, first put forth in the mid-1960s, and published in book form in 1975, explores the idea that the life of earth functions as a single organism which actually defines and maintains conditions necessary for its survival. Disclaiming the conventional belief that living matter reacts passively in the face of threats to its existence, Lovelock argues that the earth's living matter - air, ocean, and land surfaces - forms a complex system which has the capacity to keep our planet a fit place for life. Lovelock's predictions have already begun to hold true and Gaia (the name of the ancient Greek Goddess of the Earth) has dramatically altered the way scientists view evolution and the environment. Gaia is "the body/mind"...we are just wee cells, some cancerous, some healthy. (which are you?)
In this supreme attitude of gratitude to OUR MOTHER, I launch this blog and encourage your responses and ideas for a new heaven on earth. I in turn will give you mine.
Spread the word
The Sanskrit word ahimsa and it’s meaning was perhaps first publicized to the modern world at large by Gandhi, during his historic non-violent protest movement in India against the English in 1944.
It has been long forgotten in the public’s mind over the last 60 plus years as global attention deficit disorder has infected the masses. It’s not on TV, who remembers, who cares?
It is time to boldly resurrect it.
For every reason.
Modern Yoga students who have studied Patangali’s Yoga Sutras and the eightfold path know ahimsa is the first premise of yogic philosophy. Without it, yoga-union cannot be realized.
Ahimsa means non-harming. Anyone who has attended a church, mosque or temple also has been exposed to this basic and seemingly universal agreement towards living peacefully on our planet.“Thou shall not kill” is a commandment in all world religions. Murder is punishable by law everywhere. We get this.
Yet “ahimsa” goes so much deeper and is a far subtler idea. “Non-harming” addresses our personal approach to life, our thoughts, the way we speak, eat, work, play, consume, buy, the whole shebang.
We all know that killing your neighbor is bad, but not everyone grasps the same concept when it comes to cows, chickens, pigs or fish (or even an ants). Thankfully there is always room for improvement, greater awareness and refinement on the path towards oneness and planetary healing.
Practicing ahisma promises to bring us to a greater sense of personal peace, and the more, (literally) the merrier! As my understanding grows, I resonate with the marriage of ahimsa and my life long commitment to our environment. Do not harm.
I used to be “green” because I loved nature and considered myself an environmentalist. All well and good, however, arguable by those with different agendas and ideas (like my dear father employed by Exxon)
But ahimsa is un-arguable; we all intrinsically “get this”.
Through ahimsa, I only use one light at a time, unplug devices not in use, line dry my clothes, walk or bike whenever possible, get off all junk mail lists, recycle everything possible, consider the source of anything I buy, refuse packaging and plastic bags, take 2 minute cool showers with non chemical soap and shampoo, make my own tooth paste and plant based cleaning supplies, eat raw and vegan…. a deep green ahimsic approach to life and conservationalism.
Ahimsa deepens my relationship and stewardship of Gaia.
The concept of Ahimsa supports and nourishes our efforts to take excellent care of ourselves, each other, and our world. Once this idea is firmly planted in our hearts and minds, we no longer have the luxury to argue for or justify our less than deep green lifestyles.
I find it encouraging to learn that “right wingers” such as Christian Groups are now promoting “creation care” and that the Pope has installed solar panels for the Vatican…. we are “getting it”. Do not harm~ AHIMSA.
Our Global Community NEEDS to evolve. I can not force change. However, I can visualize it, live my life as an example, boldly share my ideas with everyone I meet and take the “bottom up” approach. We can create the tipping point of recognition, understanding, commitment, therefore action, healing and repair.
Time to get busy. Spread the word!
"Look deep into Nature, you will understand everything" ~Einstein"
