Friday, July 22, 2016

Dr. Gabriel Cousens Interview: History, Holistic Healing, Meditation

Listen to the Introduction talk in a series of interviews with Dr. Gabriel Cousens on Lost Arts Radio.

During this first interview, we hear about Dr. Cousens' history in becoming a doctor and starting the Tree of Life Center and trainings. Inteviewer Richard Saks and Dr. Cousens also discuss the doctors who have disappeared who were involved in GMAF research.

Dr. Cousens discusses in detail the research on meditation and it's effect on telomeres and stress. Who are the models for meditation and longevity? How does meditation fit into the big picture of health?

Many don't know about Dr. Cousens humanitarian work which includes training in Nigeria, Mexico and other countries to prevent diabetes working with country and tribal leaders.

Come other topics discussed include: Why spirituality is important in healing and the question of "Loving myself. What is Kundalini and why is it important?

Learn how drugs are antithetical to the flow of the kundalini and photographical brain damage from recreational and 'spiritual' drugs. How drugs usually only take you to astral realm and how meditating can take you to higher levels.

The ongoing series of lessons with Dr. Cousens began on January 2016. Below are the links and a brief list of topics discussed.

  1. Lost Arts #50 January 31, 2016 Conscious Parenting and More
    Conscious Parenting book and parenting issues. Some topics discussed include: vaccination research; algae; sea vegetables, GMO's. Topics to be aware of in public schools. Loving yourself enough to heal yourself.
    Resource Websites: treeoflifecenterus.com
    Tree of Life Foundation

  2. Lost Arts #54 Februray 4, 2016 Toxic Synergy
    Fukishima; Type 1 Diabetes;



  3. February 21, 2016
  4. March 13, 2016
  5. May 16, 2016
  6. June 27, 2016


Dr. Gabriel Cousens Interview: History, Holistic Healing, Meditation

Listen to the Introduction talk in a series of interviews with Dr. Gabriel Cousens on Lost Arts Radio.

During this first interview, we hear about Dr. Cousens' history in becoming a doctor and starting the Tree of Life Center and trainings. Inteviewer Richard Saks and Dr. Cousens discuss the doctors who have disappeared who were involved in GMAF research.

Dr. Cousens discusses in detail the research on meditation and it's effect on telomeres and stress. Who are the models for meditation and longevity? How does meditation fit into the big picture of health?

Many don't know about Dr. Cousens humanitarian work which includes training in Nigeria, Mexico and other countries to prevent diabetes working with country and tribal leaders.

Why spirituality is important in healing and the question of "Loving myself. What is Kundalini and why is it important?

Learn how drugs are antithetical to the flow of the kundalini and photographical brain damage from recreational and 'spiritual' drugs. How drugs usually only take you to astral realm and how meditating can take you to higher levels.

The ongoing series of Interviews with Dr. Cousens began on January 2016. Below are the links and a brief list of topics discussed.

  1. January 31, 2016 Conscious Parenting and More
    Conscious Parenting book and parenting issues. Some topics discussed include: vaccination research; algae; sea vegetables. Topics to be aware of in public schools. Loving yourself enough to heal yourself.
    Resource Websites: treeoflifecenterus.com
    Tree of Llife Foundation
  2. Februray 4, 2016
  3. February 21, 2016
  4. March 13, 2016
  5. May 16, 2016
  6. June 27, 2016


Thursday, August 13, 2015

Free Handy Tree of Life Phase 1 Green Juice Guide + Phase Chart PDF

Here's a treat from the Tree of Life, a handy 2-page PDF.



The first page is a guide for what to put into a Phase 1 Green Juice. Page 2 is a Phase Chart of all the Phases and the foods included in each Phase.

Download it HERE, or click the picture, above.

Enjoy this classic video of Dave The Raw Food Trucker making 3 days of Phase 1 juice, about three gallons!

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Days 21-23 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Jump into Eating

My last two days of Swami Nithyananda's Nirahara Samyama wrapped up pretty nicely. On Day 21, I met with the minister of the nearest Unity church about re-starting Oneness Blessings there. We had a great high vibe chat and she invited me to a spiritual lunch-bag study group just after our meeting, so I got my juices out of the car and attended and it was quite intriguing.

I had pretty much given up on mainstream Christianity as a teen; not sure why, really. I had certainly loved Sunday School, stories and Jesus! Then I got into bicycle racing at 16, which occupied most weekends, and cartoonist Jef Mallet, one of our race club members back then, used to joke that we attended Xavier St. Bike Race!

One interesting thing I learned during the study group, which was discussing progressive Christianity topics, was that "Biblical literalism" didn't begin until around 1910! That is: teaching the Bible as literal stories of fact. Up until that time, the Bible was shared as allegory: a story that can be interpreted to have hidden meaning.

After the meeting, I gave several Oneness Blessings (aka deeksha) and got a serious dose of what we call, Deeksha Brain. I was so peaceful and not very logical. I carefully drove to pick-up my daughter at the nearby mall. At our next stop, she had to rescue me from the back isles of the food co-op, as I blankly stared at all the pretty foods not on my list.

Later, I made more juices and a raw soup and also drank my homemade nut milk.

On Day 22, I worked on my business planning and talked with a Seattle friend on Skype about business ideas and helped my husband with his college homework.

Day 23 is the end of the process and I can eat food again. Because I do have a goal of losing weight to my perfect weight (if such a thing exists) and getting healthier, I plan to continue to participate in Nirahara Samyama monthly until I reach this goal. I did lose 16.5 lbs over the course of the 22 days. I also intend to eat 100% raw during the days between the end of one Nirahara Samyama and the beginning of the next one, which is on the first of each month.

It was a strange day to start eating again as I had an unexpected opportunity to work painting the shutters and deck of a nice home in Steilacoom, with a great view of the Puget Sound. So I packed a simple lunch of zucchini pasta with a raw marinara sauce. I also made kimbap/vegan sushi rolls while making my husbands thai roll lunch and I drank kombucha mixed with a bit of canned guava juice that day and had a few of the raw cookies I made with nut milk pulp. They tasted good, so I'll post the recipe and link it here when posted. I did fine working 8 hours those two days on just one raw meal each day (eaten in two short breaks), as I normally just drink water until about noon.

How was the July 2015 Nirahara Samyama process for me? Even though I have not met other people who follow Paramahamsa Nithyananda yet, and am participating in this process on my own, I appreciate the intent and energy that Swamiji brings to the process. I did a pretty good job of staying connected with his energy, but not as good as I did the first time I completed the process in November 2014. The main thing I didn't do consistently this time was the 21-minute meditation.

In June, I had participated in a free Miracle Day™5-hour webinar with Akahi and Camila, who are living on prana. They emphasize the importance of breathing and connecting with prana that way. Camila has birthed two healthy children while being nourished by prana. Lilou Mace interviewed the couple after their first child was born.

I have also felt that any Oneness Blessings, Oneness Meditations or processes I participated in during the Nirahara Samyama helped with raising my vibes so that less nourishment from food was necessary. The same applies to watching or listening to Matt Kahn teachings and especially to seeing him in person, as I did on Day 19 when he gave the group an awesome activation.

I continue to explore the concept of nourishment.  During the process, I had the opportunity to preview and offer suggestions to a life and nutrition coach's practice webinar and she discussed the concept of nourishment. Where do you get your nourishment from? Are we trying to get nourishment from emotional attachments in relationships? Are we aiming for nourishment from emotional eating?

For me, the answers to all those questions stem from our programming, our thought patterns, the patterns of the society, nation and family we were raised in.

Kirby de Lanerolle is one example of someone living free from the need for food who sometimes eats for the sensory pleasure of it, not because he needs it for nutrition. Kirby goes even further into using the Bible to explain everlasting life and immortality from a Christian perspective.

Ever adventuresome – and I'm sure even my spiritual my friends think I'm crazy – I enjoy exploring the reality of a possibility to live food free while being supported by higher energies, especially higher Divine energies, like those offered through Swami Nithyananda, a rare enlightened master who has the understanding that "When the belly’s hunger abates, so does the hunger for all else." And he offers the possibility . . .
 ". . . to begin the ultimate life of a Nirahari – a hunger-free, liberated being, free from the self-imposed cage of body and mind."
I now know it is possible to hook-up to the Divine in me and that which connects me to all-that-is to live free from the need for food, as well as all else. Is it in my journey to live that way? I don't know the answer to that yet. In the meantime, I just enjoy the play and fun of exploring the ways of a Nirahari or pranic being on the path as I push the envelope of the unfolding of my expanding awareness.


What I did on Days 21-23 Nirahara Samyama:
- Days 10 and 11 of Level 3 and first Eating day


Drink
Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Still haven't been having the Haritaki!]
Juice made celery, cuke, beet, kale, apple
Ginger Master Brew Kombucha by Kevita
Chai tea
Walnut/hemp milk with bit of cacao and xyitol
Raw soup, various veggies on hand, in blender

Activities
Exercises and Surya Namaskar
Chanting 108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
Watered Garden
Cooked for family
Business planning
Business meeting
Spiritual study group
Shopping
Short walks
Watched Nithyananda video

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Days 18-20 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Spiritual Nourishment

All kinds of fun these three days of Days 7, 8 and 9 of Level 3, the 11 days of liquids of Swami Nithyananda's Nirahara Samyama process!

On the 18th, a Saturday, my husband and I had a rare night out attending a Charley Thweatt concert at Unity of Olympia with two friends. We had hosted Charley a few years earlier at the Awakening Center, so it was great to listen, feel and sing some lovely songs again. One of the songs he shared, Wave after Wave:



On Sunday morning before heading to Unity again for Charley's service, I made some pretty nice looking lettuce wraps for my husband's work lunch. He's finally given up on any sort of bread, gluten free or otherwise. These wraps had sushi rice, avocado mixed with hemp protein powder and a bit of cashew butter, then topped with some carrot, cucumber, and sweet peppers. Then I packed up my liquids for a day out in Oly and Seattle.

Charley's service was titled: Flow, Flow, Flow Your Boat, Trust is Not a Dream. It was an excellent message about faith and trust and how life can flow when you let it. The audio of this service is up on the Unity of Olympia website and includes great songs, too.

From Unity, I drove and met several friends on I-5 and we carpooled to see Matt Kahn at his monthly Seattle Soul Gathering. I always go to Matt's events not expecting anything. It is kind of strange, really. And I am always totally blown away by what comes through.

The first time Devon and I saw him live, in November 2014, the message did a total perspective change on our understanding of the need to clean, cleanse and purge for personal and spiritual growth and it helped us in a court case we had the following day. It was months before they finally released that teaching on celebration as a YouTube, called: Anchoring a New Consciousness.

At this Soul Gathering on the 19th of July 2015, the room was probably near capacity of about 200 and the message was incredible and concluded with an "activation", which was a highly charged "repeat-after-me" that moved a lot of energy in me and I was crying through most of it! I will post the YouTube here of that event once they release it, in the meantime, this recent Youtube is way awesome too and I highly recommend everyone listen to Matt if you are awakening and getting more aware.

Another great blessing on Sunday, was reconnecting with a woman who had moved away from the area and made a big turnaround in her life and came back. We ladies went out to eat at Chaco Canyon. My friends had the raw entrees Raw Enchilada and Ginger Sesame Bowl our mutual friend had a Community Bowl that smelled lovely! They all had bites of a purple Blueberry Lavender Bar. I had a Green Cleanse juice; it was a treat that someone else made it for a change, after I spent hours prepping veggies and making juice the day before!

Monday, Day 20, I had a busy day getting a lot accomplished. I made some good raw food cookies out of the nut milk pulp I saved and may share the recipe after I get to try them on Day 23!


What I did on Days 18-20 Nirahara Samyama:
- Days 7-9 of Level 3


Drink
Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Still haven't been having the Haritaki!]
Juice made celery, cuke, beet, kale, apple, green pepper, jalapeno
Carrot Juice
Chaco Canyon 16 oz "Green Cleanse"
Master Brew Kombucha by Kevita, Cherry Tart
Walnut/hemp milk
Spring Dragon Tea Longevity Tea, (gynostemma)

Activities
Exercises and Surya Namaskar
Chanting 108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
21-min meditation/kriya
Watered Garden and the garden of a friend
Food bank and food prep
Cooked for family
Made raw cookies from nut milk pulp
Business planning
Short walks
Unity visits, Matt Kahn event, Chaco Canyon with friends
Blogging
Editing college papers
Oneness organizing tasks
Watched Korean drama episodes
Watched Nithyananda daily video magazines

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Days 15-17 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: The Presence & Deciding for Life

Feeling the Presence.



When I tune into a live satsang with Swami Nithyananda or watch any of the replays or videos, I tend to feel what I call "The Presence". Is it "Swamiji's presence", my own presence, Sri AmmaBhagavan's presence?

Hard to say! It is a peaceful, almost blissful presence that I feel regularly when giving/receiving the Oneness Blessing or participating in Oneness Meditations or any other Oneness processes or events.

I am not a devotee of Swami Nithyananda, nor anyone really! I have spent a lot of time and have received immense support from my involvement in the Oneness movement, as the phenomenon of deeksha – with its mission of awakening the people of this planet – is often called.

I feel it is my own connection to The Divine that I get in touch with at these moments. On Day 16, there was no live satsang or repeat, so I watched the above Nithyananda Times Daily Video Magazine for July 16,  2015 and really gave my attention to the short video and it was like an instant meditation: I felt the presence again.

On the 16th, I was out of juices and made virtually the same juice as last time, this time with kale and swiss chard instead of spinach. With carrots, a bunch of celery, apple, some tomatoes, a beet and some beet greens and cucumbers.

I was a bit depressed on the 16th. Not totally sure why. I am putting a lot of energy into planning a new business and the reality is that it is going to be a longer process than I would like. I didn't do any exercises but did the ajapa chanting.

On the 17th, again no live satsang or replay, so I chose the following video from February 2015 and also read the transcript. I was intrigued by the title: Deciding for Life Clears All Karma.



Swami Nithyananda has been translating the Upanishads this year and there's been a lot about death, and conversely, life. I find it interesting that it all dovetails into Kirby de Lanerolle's rendition of the biblical scripture – it all points towards Life – and it is so amazing that we are so far from that as a society. Swamiji says:
“One should decide to live in this world for a hundred years, hundreds of years, all the while doing his deeds dispassionately as sanctioned by the scriptures. In this way, the deeds done by you shall not cling to you. There is no other way by which a man can free himself from the bondage created by the deeds.

"See, whatever you decide you are going to “DECIDE FOREVER”, becomes the decision FOR LIFE immediately!"

Swamiji makes it so simple: everything is Consciousness; everything is NOW. "Every time you decide FOR LIFE, immediately it reflects in your being."

To me, the Nirahara Samyama is a process that helps one decide for LIFE, as it awakens the reality that all life is consciousness and all life is energy and these are already supporting us


What I did on Days 15-17 Nirahara Samyama:
- Days 4-6 of Level 3


Drink
Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Still haven't been having the Haritaki!]
Juice made celery, cuke, beet, kale, apple,
Ginger Master Brew Kombucha by Kevita
Chai tea
Walnut/hemp milk with bit of cacao and xyitol
Raw soup, various veggies on hand, in blender

Activities
Exercises and Surya Namaskar
Chanting 108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
Watered Garden
Cooked for family
Business planning
Short walks
Watched Nithyananda video

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015.

Days 12-14 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: The Sacred Banyan Tree


Swami Nithyananda gives a breathing exercise for the Nirahara's to "live off of" the elevated energies of his ashram with a focus on being the sacred Banyan Tree which is considered to be the guiding spirit of the ashram. The instructions for the Nirahara Samyama Kriya for levels 1,2 and 3 are:
Sit in a comfortable Asana (Padmasana/Ardha Padmasana/Vajrasana) and breathe in (inhale) through both the nostrils and mouth together simultaneously and hold it judiciously as long as possible and visualize you are Bidadi Banyan Tree receiving your food and energy from space. Breathe out (exhale) from both nostrils slowly. Do this for 21 minutes.
I like this picture of Nithyananda and the Dakshinamurti ("the first-ever guru, the incarnation of Lord Shiva") for the devotion he shows, which reminds me to feel devotion in connecting with this sacred tree I haven't met yet. According to Bfoodfree.org, "The sacred Banyan tree at the Master’s abode, is revered as a hub for cosmic energy. The Banyan tree meditation is like a life support system for us Niraharis."

Over these 11 days of only liquids, I intend to connect more with the Banyan tree.

These three days have been relatively uneventful. I did make my own juices and much prefer these to the purchased juices. I am not convinced that any of them are truly healthy. I had thought a few of them weren't pasteurized, but am now skeptical and intend to really research the brands I have available to me before I do another Nirahara Samyama.

I made 3/4 gallon of juice with spinach, beet root and greens, carrot, cucumber, a whole bunch of celery, and an apple in a Green Star juicer I "caretake" for a friend who lives most of the year in Mexico.

I've been enjoying making my own nut milks again. To make a higher omega 3 milk, I am using about 3/4 C of walnuts with 1/4 C of hemp seeds and a pitted date. I use about 4-5 C of structured water, "milk" that in the nut milk bag, pour that out equally into two quart juice jars then put the pulp back in the blender with another 3 and a bit C of water and blend again. I milk it again in the nut milk bag and pour it out equally into the two juice jars. This is the economical version! I am using a Kitchen Aid blender, which is 600HP, but decidedly NOT a high speed blender; it does a good enough job though!

On the first day of Level 3, a Sunday, I actually hung out at Starbuck's in Yelm with a friend. I had a mocha with coconut milk, mainly because a bit of coffee helps clean my bowels out. I only get a 1/2 a shot. My friend gave me a bit of her coffee also and the effect of the extra caffeine (or whatever substance seems to help with cleanouts) helped!

I've been trying to catch live satsangs or replays and there were not very many live satsangs yet and hence, no replays. When that happens I choose a video from the archive of satsangs on the Nithyananda.org website.

The video I chose for Day 14 was: Paramahamsa Nithyananda Shares His Enlightenment Experience.

What I did on Days 12-14 Nirahara Samyama:
- Days 1-3 of Level 3


Drink or Eat
Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Yup, still haven't been having the Haritaki!]
Juice made celery, cuke, beet, spinach, apple,
Kombucha
Ginger master brew
Chai tea
Walnut/hemp milk with bit of cacao and xyitol
Raw soup, various veggies on hand, in blender

Activities

Chanting 108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
Watered Garden
Cooked for family (raw for husband; meat & egg for teen)
Business planning
Short walks
Blogging
Watched a live satsang, replay or video

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015