LP : August 2013

HARMONIZE WITH YOUR SURROUNDINGS

I have the perfect activity for you to enjoy on this beautiful Tuesday...

This music will harmonize your energy, raise your energy and then ground your energy bringing you closer to the earth and all it's amazing-ness...

Find a peaceful quiet place. Sit comfortably or lie down if you prefer. Close your eyes. Connect with your breath. Connect with the sounds. Let the vibrations put you in a mindset of peace.

If you are able, do this activity outside. Lie or sit on the grass or sand (no blanket just directly on the earth) so that you feel the earth's energy. Stay connected with your breath. Inhale and exhale...

There are 6, 10 and 15 minute energy alignment sets. Get into this lush music. Now more than ever we need to create positive energy within ourselves and align it with the earth... When you are done, gently ground the harmonized energy you've created within yourself into the earth and into the universe...

Prayatna Saithilayanānta Samāpatti-Bhyāṁ

HUH?

That's YOGA SUTRA #47
TRANSLATION. . .
"Perfection in an asana (pose) is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless, and the infinite being within is reached."

In other words...

Don't be restless, instead meditate on the infinite...

I posted this Sutra as it's one that I really connect with...and it can be applied to much much more than just your physical yoga practice.

TAKE this SUTRA WITH YOU TODAY.

YOGA SUTRAS?
FIND OUT MORE

Me in crow (Bakasana) in Thailand...

PROFIT for LIFE - A TRULY IMPORTANT BOOK

Hardwick Simmons, former CEO, NASDAQ said Profit for Life is, "FRESH, PROVOCATIVE & WELL-RESEARCHED..."

Jay Bragdon's book, Profit for Life about how capitalism excels, highlights the idea that companies that aim to Profit for Life must respect life.

The companies Mr. Bragdon talks about in his landmark book are corporations who choose first to inspire their employees and by doing so these companies not only attract loyal employees but also loyal strategic partners, customers, and investors.

His model sees a company as an organic, living system whose primary means of growth are living assets (people and Nature) and their growth strategies emphasize stewardship of these living assets.

You will want to pass this book on to everyone you know. Jay Bragdon is a pioneer in the field of corporate stewardship. It's an important book. Big time.
GET YOUR COPY HERE

650 PAGES!

The September issue of ELLE arrived. yes!
I'm going to pop open a bottle of Deerfield Merlot Cuvee and plunge into the cool mag.

I quickly read the article about Kate Upton. Could she be this generation's Iconic Blond?

and I LOVE, Editor-in-Chief, Roberta Myers' letter this month. Ladies...Stay Hungry.

Go read.

RANDOM GARDEN SALAD...

You know, tomatoes are taking their time to ripen this season... A good friend of mine out in Sag Harbor, NY, Sky, a really amazing friend who sails the Atlantic, grows Morning Glory flowers and when wearing a suit looks a lot like Don Draper (only more handsome) said the same for his tomato crops out east. Had to brag about my sweet friend there for a moment. Anyway...must be a universal delay in tomato ripening this year...

This morning after a very delicious espresso I went out to my neighbors garden to gather up, basically what's left...They're on vacay for the next few weeks so it's up to us neighbors to harvest the last of their summer crop so it doesn't go to waste.

I picked: the cherry tomatoes (the handful that were ripe), Corn on the Cob, Petit Pan Squash, Italian Parsley, Mint & Basil.

I cut the corn off the cob. Sliced the basil/mint with a chiffonade cut, sliced the cute little tomatoes in half, the squash in small chunks, picked the Italian Parsley off the stems... then mixed everything up!

Made a basic vinaigrette. Fresh lemon juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (from FIGONE'S Olive Oil Company - just a block from home). I usually just eye the lemon juice and olive oil... but a good rule of thumb is a 3:1 ratio. Oil to citrus.
Salt/Pepper

Perfect Saturday afternoon salad. Wish youse were here...

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

Are you a MoveOn.Org member? I am for sure.
Check it out. See if MoveOn is something you'd like to be a part of.
Democracy in action... Much-needed.

See what's happening NOW at MoveOn.org

HARPER'S BAZAAR FALL ISSUE

I LOVE this time of year as the Fall issues of magazines come out! My September issue of Harper's Bazaar arrived in the mail and is a good one - SJP is on the cover. That hat is quite interesting... but of course she looks pretty as usual.

Pick up a copy. So far I've only skimmed the mag. There is an interesting article about Spinning (indoor cycling) titled: "Is Spinning Making You Fat?" ok....

I'm going to dive in and finish the rest this Sunday in the sun. Can't wait. With a cold beer. Nothing like reading a real magazine on a lounge chair under the sun out in the country. I don't know why this just popped into my head but, "Mazel Tov!"

A RARE BLUE MOON IN THE SKY...

What a week. Unreal. Yea?
Did the full moons this week make you think deeply about yourself and everything else in between? We not only had a Blue Moon but a Full Sturgeon Moon. I know you know that... but just reminiscing about the gorgeous night skies this week. Have a full weekend everyone!

I took this photo on Tuesday, August 20th from my deck.
The moon was absolutely gorg.

I took this photo on Thursday, August 22nd from my deck.
The moon was even more gorgeous than ever...Thank you universe.....

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." ~ Buddha

From my hike today, pic of the stunning SUN ...
Exquisite day in the Valley of the Moon.
. . . And the TRUTH is there was a nicely chilled glass of
Arrowood Chardonnay waiting for me at home to enjoy under the Waning Gibbous MOON. Perfecto. AND my nephew left his Snickers bar! awesome.

WHAT IS THE MOON PHASE TONIGHT?

A MARVELOUS STAR...WE HONOR WITH YOGA

Think about the sun's greatness and how nourishing its energy feels on your body... now add a Sun Salutation...
That everyone... is what you call EXTRAORDINARY...

The Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar (see below) is a sequencing of Yoga asanas (poses). Nothing feels better than starting the day with a set of sun salutes, especially outside, under the sun... For me, Sun Salutations are powerful because moving through each pose and linking the breath with each asana works my entire body to the core. i like it.

Try it! Watch this VIDEO from the Sivananda Ashram. I like the traditional Sivananda style Sun Salutation sequence. I've heard some people along the way say it's boring, what? and not challenging enough. Nothing about any part of Yoga is boring...To quote Betty Draper..."Only boring people get bored." Get this...It's all what you make of your practice and if you are truly dedicating yourself to each movement and breathing deep into your heart it will be very invigorating and satisfying.

I guarantee after your Sun Salutation practice, your heart will be pumping beautifully, your breath will be deep and your mind will gain clarity. I like to do six to eight rounds. You'll see in the video two salutations. One per leg...right leg back, right leg forward. Then, left leg back, left leg forward. Each time they end with hands at prayer that's one. They are moving slow for instructional purposes but you can move more swift as you get familiar with the sequence. Email me if you have questions!

I also love this 'mantra' that goes along with the Surya Namaskar: "I bow down with devotion to the shining light that is shining red like a hibiscus flower, shining onto the earth, removing the darkness... Om. I bow to the sun."

I'm excited for you!

TOURNAMENT TOUGH

I highly recommend reading the best-selling tennis book by Carlos Goffi, Tournament Tough: A Guide to Playing Championship Tennis. The in-depth book offers his unique program for winning tennis matches! The first edition, released in 1984 was a huge success. A new edition of the book was just released. The book includes valuable commentaries from John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Peter Fleming and Mary Carillo.

If you're looking for inside knowledge on how to improve your tennis game, I recommend reading Carlos' book! You can purchase the book HERE for your Kindle. You will LOVE his coaching techniques. Tournament Tough is a 'one of a kind' type of book and Carlos has a 'one and only' way of making tennis players great.

Read the full article at
World Tennis Magazine.

Tournament Tough has been translated into many languages. My fav is this Japanese cover!

THIS REALLY IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL STOP.

I LIKE THIS. . .

From the USGA Rules Book.

"Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair."

115 YEARS OLD

SUPERCENTENARIANS:
PEOPLE WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE AGE OF AT LEAST 110.

My grandfather lived until he was 94 and his dad almost made it to 100. He used to always say, "I've lived through it all...so just ENJOY!" good advice grandpa.

The oldest living person as of today(August 19, 2013) is Misao Okawa of Japan. She is 115 years & 166 days young!

MISAO OKAWA on her 115th Birthday!

Check out this partial list of Supercentenarians...
Click one to learn more about them.
Many of the people on the list lived strong until into their 100's. Like Jeralean Talley who continued to bowl until she was 104.

My grandfather - just about a month before he left us for his next journey. . .

What I noticed in the picture of Misao and of my grandfather is that they are both still smiling... Smile often and don't stop!

The BIKINI Was Named After A Nuclear Weapons Testing Site?

Just thought you'd like to know as the summer winds down and you put your bikini away until next year that your bikini was invented by Louis Réard in France, 1946. The idea popped into his head when he saw women on the beach rolling up their swimwear to get better exposure to the sun.

He named the modern swimsuit after Bikini Atoll,once a beautiful set of 23 islands in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific where an island culture thrived on cultivating plants and seafood. Sadly the islands became a nuclear weapons testing site from 1946-1958. BTW...an Atoll is a ring shaped coral reef. Learn more about Bikini Atoll.

It's funny to think that when Louis Réard brought the bikini to market for the first time he had a difficult time finding a model that was gutsy enough to model the tiny swimsuit. Times have changed...Would a designer today have a difficult time finding a model daring enough to model a new style of clothing?

BIJA MANTRAS FOR YOU...

CHAKRA BASICS...
We have Chakras... yes we do. In Sanskrit Chakra translates to wheel. Essentially, they are vortexes in the body that receive and radiate energy. We have seven that run the length of the spine. Keeping our Chakras free of stagnant energy is an integral part of overall well-being. Giving our Chakras the love they need allows us to shine within and then even more brightly towards the world. One way to show our Chakras love is by focusing on each and chanting the mantra that connects with each one. While chanting the mantra your voice will vibrate beautifully and that vibration will cleanse tension in the particular Chakra area.

Below are Bija Mantras. Bija means seed. I like to think we are planting seeds of light energy in our Chakras by chanting these lovely sounds. Chanting these mantras over and over puts us in a meditative state.

Close your eyes and try chanting each Bija Mantra that corresponds to each Chakra and see how it brings purity and balance in mind and body.

Try them separately or go down the line in this order...Explore with your voice! It's fascinating. You start with the root chakra and work you way up the spine to the crown of your head.

MULADHARA Chakra
Location: Root base beneath the sacrum.
Mantra (Sound): LAM (Law...mmm)

SWADHISHTHANA Chakra
Location: Naval
Mantra (Sound): VAM (Vaw...mmm)

MANIPURA Chakra
Location: Solar Plexus
Mantra (Sound): RAM (Raw...mmm)

ANAHATA Chakra
Location: Heart
Mantra (Sound): YAM (Yaw...mmm)

VISHUDDHA Chakra
Location: Throat
Mantra (Sound): HAM (Haw...mmm...)

AJNA Chakra
Location: Third Eye(center of forehead)
Mantra (Sound): OM (Oh...mmm)

SAHASRARA Chakra
Location: Crown of your head
Mantra (Sound): Silence

After you chant OM feel all the vibrations deep within you and focus your energy to the crown of your head and let the light shine in! You're one step closer to higher consciousness.

There is no right way to sound... just let your voice fly...

LAM, VAM, RAM, YAM, HAM, OM

Go for it.
What do you have to lose?
You have only clarity to gain. Awesome.

ICONS OF OPTIMISM

"Every hero needs a really good sticker." Icons of Optimism

Check out Icons of Optimism brought to you by Electricbaby. What is Icons of Optimism? Stickers designed by local artist in urban cities to promote non-profit causes in that city. Icons of Optimism promotes the work of progressive non-profit causes with an artistic vision. Check out their website fo' sure.

Some of the Sticker Designs for Non-Profits

Icons of Optimism is the brainchild of two of my dear friends... Franklin and Julie. You guys are rad. Always have been... always will be. Om namah..........So check em' out.

PROUD TO BE A FILIPINA GOLFER

Check out those long pleated skirts. Go Girls!


Filipino Federation of America, Inc., women’s golf team,Los Angeles chapter, circa 1920s

(Courtesy of the Filipino Federation of America, Inc.)

"The federation espoused the common goal of healthy living and promoted a relatively meat-free diet and exercise lifestyle, particularly by participating in the game of golf and martial arts. However, since Filipinos were restricted from patronizing many establishments, federation members often played golf on less than exclusive courses and without club affiliations." from FYAPIH check 'em out

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