more yoga from the 4th plinth

If you are looking to be inspired and feel deeply centered go HERE . She did a wonderful and easy yoga practice on the plinth in honor of a program she participates in that brings ypga to prisons. She makes a wonderful case for yoga's place in prisons on her plinth page.
Om shanti...

meditation on the "plinth" in London, England

"One & Other" :
There is an interesting art happening going on right now in Trafalgar Square, England:From July 6-October 14th folks are being given 1 hour slots on one of 4 "plinths"=to do whatever they would like to do. This is an art piece and so much of what is being done is art making of one form or another.
I tuned in this past week and as I watched folks I did begin to mull over what I might do if I were one of the folks chosen to have a go at it. This evening from 11p.m.-12a.m. a man is meditating! It is one of the things I had thought about and it is ,no doubt, challenging . I was going to try & meditate along with him but found myself moved to chant instead & have found it quite calming-as it always is. I'll post some photos and a link to this hours footage in the next few days to make it easier to access but suffice to say I think this is the coolest thing!



You can go here to view whatever is going on at any given moment & go here to see this hour.

Yoga/peace/108 sun salutes

Are you into Yoga?
Are you into peace?
Are you up for trying to do 108 sun salutes?
Are you free on Sept. 19,20 & 21, 2009? (dates & times vary based on the location)
This is for you if you say "Yes" to any of the above:the global mala project is gearing up & you can find out more HERE
Time to start practicing my sun salutations...
Om Shanti

Are you into peaceful protests?

Let's talk about protesting for just a minute. I think we all would agree that the world could be a better place. There are things, big & small that need to be done to make everyone's lives better. We know this .
The actions needed to make these things happen can be the sticking point. knowing and doing are 2 very different things.
If you ask my husband he will probably tell you I am an "activist". That means I know what needs to happen & I take actions, when appropriate.
Sometimes, being an activist can be disquieting to one's inner peace. Confronting things & allowing yourself to be impacted & then making the decision to Do Something is not always easy, inexpensive, or popular. But you do sleep better at night knowing you have done what you can and helped in some small way to make a difference & make the world a better place.
With all of that in mind I am encouraging folks to go here & sign the petition regarding the signing of Michael Vick to the Philadelphia Eagles on August 13, 2009 for between 1.6 and 5 million dollars.
I held my breath when I heard the N.F.L. had reinstated Mr. Vick. I wondered "Who would sign this man to play on their team and represent their state?" I know our society can seem to condone actions that are awful and unforgivable & I wondered if folks would hold Mr. Vick accountable or let him slide due to his seemingly considerable talent. I would have taken this very personally if any of my home town teams here in New York took steps to sign Mr. Vick.
When I heard the Philadelphia Eagles had indeed signed Mr. Vick I had to wonder what kind of message they thought they were sending to their fans, their players, their sponsors and to the impressionable kids that follow sports & to the good people of Philadelphia as well as to animal lovers everywhere.
I could go on about the implications , I could vent , write letters , make posters . There is so much one could do in a situation such as this. While I watch what happens next with great interest one thing I have DONE is go here and sign this petition. It is a very little thing, a relatively small step & yet I slept better knowing I had done something ...

Happy

Things that make me happy today:

1. freshly vacuumed apartment(nothing like the absence of stray kitty litter )

2. Just cleaned windows in the apartment (I love how it almost looks like there is no pane of glass between you and the world outside.

3. Seeing my dear cats happy. Nothing like the eternal smile on Sandi's face or Nicki's sweet, yellow eyes.

4. A well constructed salad. (Home made , of course! This usually means the following ingredients are used:pine nuts,cranberries, crunchy lettuce or spinach

5. Lighting candles in the evening as the sun disappears for another day and dusk sets.(This is especially wonderful on cold winter nights=almost as good as having a fireplace)

6. Making art of any kind. I love creating things & I especially love making something for someone else.

7. Coming home to a letter in the mail box. Especially letters from artist friends as they choose wonderful stamps, have fantastic handwriting and make the most beautiful envelopes. The effect is such that it inspires me to continue the old art of letter writing much as I love the ease of email.

8. Recycling. Knowing that I am doing something good for the earth makes me very happy. Being able to use recycled materials in my art makes me even happier. (Like making a sketchbook cover collage out of a friend's amazing envelope.)

9. Opening up the bedroom curtains to sunny mornings. It starts the day off right and makes me feel like everything is going to go really well.

10. Bird song and rain hitting against the windows at night. Both make me very happy. I especially love hearing a bird, hidden in a bush or tree somewhere and being able to spot it among the foliage and identify it. Morning dove. Sparrow. Pigeon. Crow....

After ignoring all of the "Happy Lists" popping up in the world of blogs I finally caved in and made my own. If you happen to like reading other folks top ten things that make them happy go here . You'll find them scattered around the blog or under the listing of The Happiness Project.

Queens Crap: Trib: Bloomberg will not stop gassing until all geese dead

Queens Crap: Trib: Bloomberg will not stop gassing until all geese dead

Geese Peace

Ahimsa is a concept that feels right. When you see it or read about it or practice it -you just know you are on the right track. A sense of peace settles upon you that is unmistakable. In one of the follow up stories on NYC's geese killing this past week (800 dead and an estimated 1,200 slated for slaughter next week) I read about GeesePeace. You can read more about their concept here and as you read their text and admired their art and ideas, pay special attention to how it makes you feel. I think you'll notice a sense of peace, balance, compassion and Ahimsa-that feeling of calm and lightness of being.

Thanks to all who have signed the petition -it can be found here and reading some of the wise words written can be enlightening.