Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Speaking of holiday gifts, handmade/homemade says so much more than, “I went to the mall and bought this for you.” Knitting is the newest of yogic-type activities and is spreading into all social and age groups as a way to slow down, develop a skill and make something. Of course, knitting yarns of old have all the same problems as other modern textiles – cottons and wools and polyesters are full of pesticides and further toxifying in the dying process. I have a distinct and disturbing memory of the rancid smell of the skeins of yarn from my childhood – now I know what it was.

Knitters, don’t despair. It’s now easy to find a wide variety of eco-yarns, many of them also Fair Trade certified. What is an organic yarn? Cotton varieties must meet established USDA standards, grown without pesticides or toxic fertilizers. Wool yarn must not only be processed without toxic chemicals, but come from sheep fed and raised under organic standards as well.

With any problem, comes many more solutions. Eco-Yarns are now being made from many sustainable sources, including hemp, recycled silk, bamboo and Banana Palm fibre. The natural dyes cast beautiful, earthy colors and I was surprised to find so many styles and colors available at this online store, Alleco.com.

Here are other features and benefits:

Vegan friendly & low impact – No animal cruelty or wasted resources

Exceptional lustre & drape – Hangs and hugs the body beautifully

Natural fibre cottage industry yarn – Comfortable and individual (not mass-produced)

Fibre Reactive Dyed – Minimal water used for maximum colourfastness

Hand dyed skeins – No two skeins will be exactly the same

Of course, any eco-conscious knitmaster will want the right needles. Laughing Hens.com gives you sustainably sourced and unique selections.

There’s not much more meaningful in a gift than something you’ve made by hand with both the planet and your loved one in mind. Enjoy.

“The way we live is destructive to the body; there is no respect towards its needs and demands. We destroy, little by little, that precious, complex, vital vessel of life we received at birth. All religions encourage self-sacrifice, but when we are ill we pray to God to heal us. How inconsistent we are! To be simple, to appreciate what has been given to us, and to take care of our body, is an act of humility.

To die is alright, we all have to die sooner or later, but what we must do is not allow the body to degenerate while living. Do not kill the instinct of the body…do not look at your body like a stranger.

In the beginning you have to make room for yoga in your daily life, and give it the place it deserves. But after some time yoga itself will pull you up by the hair and make you do it…yoga will be accepted by the body when it is done without resistance. By doing yoga in the proper way, we should be able to maintain [the body's] purity until the end.”

From Awakening the Spine, by Vanda Scaravelli, yoga teacher and author. The book was written when Vanda was near age 80 and still teaching and practicing yoga.

As you know by now, I deeply believe that a yoga practice can change the way you are in the world, but keep in mind that there are many methods of growing within and outside the self . I think of them as Sister-paths. Become curious and disciplined in your quest for knowledge and truth and you will find what speaks to you. Enjoy more from Greg on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner below. Changingly Yours, Tao

by Greg Gillette, Asheville, NC
Besides the many meditations that Dr. Steiner indicated, he emphasized the importance of the six basic exercises or attributes. These six exercises were developed to strengthen and balance our thinking, feeling and willing and to awaken and cultivate the higher being within ourselves. The exercises contribute to the development of higher organs of spiritual perception and to the creation of a sturdy bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. The six exercises consist of the following:

1) Mastery of Thought Formation
2) Mastery over Impulses of the Will
3) Equanimity in Regard to Happiness and Sorrow
4) Positivity in Forming Judgments
5) Open-Mindedness (A Lack of Preconceptions)
6) Inner Balance (The Harmonious Blending of All Five Exercises)

These exercises coupled with prayer and various meditations will place you on the path to higher spiritual knowledge and to a more balanced and harmonious physical and spiritual life.

A few inspiring thoughts, by Dr. Steiner, to mediate upon:

“In thinking, I experience myself united with the stream of cosmic existence.”

“Time must be taken to observe things as though we were inside the things themselves with our thinking. We should submerge ourselves in the things and enter into their inner thought activity.”

“In thy thinking, cosmic thoughts are living; lose thyself in cosmic thoughts. In thy feeling, cosmic forces are weaving; feel thyself through cosmic forces. In thy willing, cosmic beings are working; create thyself through beings of will.”

To obtain more information and knowledge about the six exercises, meditation and the work of Rudolf Steiner, I recommend the following books by Dr. Steiner:

Theosophy

How To Know the Higher Worlds

And the following book by Christopher Bamford:
Start Now: A book of soul and spiritual exercises

Earth Dance 2007 is a simultaneous music and dance event happening all over the world on Saturday, September 15th. Communities large and small will be gathering to dance, sing and play music for peace. 350 events will take place in 60 countries. At 4pm PST, millions of people will unite in a prayer for peace and join voices in a synchronized global OM, a vibrational sound of the Earth.

Earth Dance 2007 is not a celebrity-driven event, but an initiative to unite the intention and strength of all philosophically aligned organizations throughout the world to build a sustainable culture of peace for all humanity and the Earth. The theme/focus this year is “Healing the Earth’s water with sound and intention”.

We all know the power and influence of music and sound. Let’s put it to good use for peace on the planet.

I’ll be getting down, in my little town, hooping my heart out, this Saturday. Where will you be? For more information or ways to get involved, go to EarthDance.org.

by Tao Oliveto and Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC

(For part one of this post, go here.)

SG: “Yoga can cure all problems, except those caused by yoga” – I’m not quite sure I get this. So you’re saying that if yoga, or other forms of spiritual exploration, lead to an overly introverted outlook (inlook?), then the solution would lie outside of yoga – i.e. political action, protest, direct boots-on-the-ground environmental work?

In a sense, I do get the need for balance – if you concentrate only on the political, or technological, or any other (for want of a better word) ‘practical’ aspect of positive change, there is a danger you build abn entirely new set of problems. Equally, if you stay focussed only on the personal, the spiritual and the emotional, there is a real danger of fooling yourself into thinking you’re making a difference. Whenever I hear that personal change is where it’s at, or ‘all you need is love’, or any other such sentiments, I’m reminded of a quote from George Monbiot’s book Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning:

“…a Buddhist once told me when I questioned his purchase of unethical products. ‘It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it with love.’ I am sure he knew as well as I did that our state of mind makes no difference either to the exploitation of workers or to the composition of the atmosphere. Thinking like ethical people, dressing like ethical people, decorating our homes like ethical people, decorating our homes like ethical people makes not a damn of difference unless we also behave like ethical people.”

So, I guess the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If attending Burning Man, or following any other exploration of ones beliefs, emotions and spirituality leads to a greater awareness AND a greater ability or willingness to act, then I’m all for it. If it leads to a desire to buy more incense and fly to Goa more often, then I guess I’ll give it a miss. My jury is out (and they’re probably chanting ‘Omm Shiva’ in the backyard…)

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TAO: Actually, what that quote reveals is the fact that anything can be used to an extreme and become something else entirely – religion, diet, work, even what we think of as love. A yogi who practices with too much ego, ambition or even aggressiveness, will possibly will probably have those things show up in life. Yet, a spirit-seeking practice which is half-heartedly – without commitment, could show up as apathy or weakness in other ways.

I do not believe that “love” is enough unless we have the corresponding awareness and balance that allows “Right Action”. I may decide to fill up a wading pool for my kids (or in my case, dogs) every other day in hot weather – because I love them – despite the drought conditions. Out of love, I may buy gifts for people, without considering social and environmental responsibility.

There is no one or right way to find this truth – we will all follow our own path if we look for it. Perhaps all you need is be willing to ask the questions first and be willing to do the work that appears. As Kahlil Gibran says in The Prophet,

Say not, “I have found the truth,” but rather, “I have found a truth.” Say not, “I have found the path of the soul.” Say rather, “I have met the soul walking upon my path.” For the soul walks on all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.

by Tao Oliveto, Raleigh, NC

Saturday, September 1, began an 11-day process in my area of “generating peace by being peace” through an all faiths group prayer and meditation. This event, happening both virtually and otherwise, is sponsored by One%, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to bring peace to our community and ultimately to the world”.

In June of 2005, Yoga International published an article by Dr. John Davies describing the positive impact of consistent, deep meditation by One % of a community. The Article That Started It All. Rev. Neusom Holmes urged his congregation at Unity Church of the Triangle in Raleigh, North Carolina to participate and they have continued their commitment since then.

Locations are available up to 3 times/day for those who desire to share space as well as intention over the next 10 days, but shared personal efforts is all that is necessary to produce an opportunity for impact.

It’s hard not to accept the premise that any form of meditation can have far-reaching benefits for practitioners, including physical, mental and emotional health. The researched theory that our efforts can also reach out into the world is especially confirming and motivating.

Like many yoga practitioners, I consider my 75-minute daily practice a form of meditation. Walking can also be meditative – I notice similar effects from my mornings spent in the woods. I intend to challenge myself to include a longer period of seated meditation in accordance with this effort and join a part of the 24- hour meditation vigil being held in Downtown Raleigh next Saturday. Nothing to lose, much to gain.

by Sami Grover and Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

SG: Hei Tao, I’ve been ruminating on our respective Burning Man posts, and I keep coming back to one thing. In your post you state “that change within (and therefore without) depends on our ability to go beyond our earthly day-to-day responsibilities and find ways to come together and take a deeper look within.”

Now, while I applaud the sentiment, I wonder if there is not a flip-side to this. I know a lot of people who spend a great deal of time ‘looking within’, and while many of them are truly lovely folks, they don’t always act that way – especially when it comes to sustainability. Many “enlightened” Buddhists live in big houses and drive large cars. Lot’s of compassionate-minded hippies fly off to India on a whim to find themselves. I just think there is a danger when personal growth and transformation becomes a distraction from, not a tool for, the real and urgent change we need – i.e. a MASSIVE cut in carbon emissions asap. Ultimately, these changes are likely to be achieved through political action, not meditation and good intentions.

To this end, I applaud all the good stuff Burning Man is doing, in terms of reducing its footprint and raising awareness, but I still question the importance it is given as a true agent for change. I also think it smacks of a wider trend in the green movement, including in myself, to focus on the self (yes, even when that focus is about recognizing the interconnectedness of the self to, errm, all the other selfs) , rather than on the concrete, societal changes that we need to bring about. I’m sure it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation, but I would hope that Burning Man talks as much about writing to your senator as it does about personal responsibility and hooping yourself to a higher level of consciousness.

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TAO: You make many good points about the highs and lows of the spiritual quest, Sami. In my yogic work, I’ve come to understand that no matter what growth tools we choose, it is the ability to find balance – in Buddhist terms, to walk the “middle path” – that allows us to realize and manifest truth and purpose inside and outside the self. Fittingly, the middle place is the most difficult to manifest in everything we do – eating, sleeping, working, exercising, celebrating, even meditating or doing yoga. An interesting truth, if you ask me and most of us can relate to this example: It is easier to eat a lot or not at all, while, without some conscious effort, eating a balanced amount becomes difficult.

While spiritual seekers (that includes all of us, whether we are conscious of it or not) use different methods for growth, all of them can become excessive or deficient, rendering them useless or even harmful. This makes me think of a quote attributed to Ashtanga Yoga luminary, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, “Yoga will cure everything except problems caused by yoga.”

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to be continued…

Each day, before I begin my yoga practice, I chant this ancient Ashtanga Invocation in Sanskrit:

vande gurunam charanaravinde

sandarasita svatmasukahava bodhe

nihsreyase jangalikeayamane

smasara halahala mohasantyai

abahu purusakaram

sankhacakrasi dharinam

sahasra sirasam svetam

pranamame patanjalim

om

But in my early Ashtanga years, I resisted this part of the practice ritual. I had all sorts of reasons – the language was difficult to pronounce and memorizing it seemed impossible. The words felt meaningless. I looked up the English translation which, at the time, was equally confusing. In class, I would just hum along at times and in my own practice, I would pass over it entirely. I’d learned the joy of the sound of “Om” early on, but it took nearly a couple years of regular practice before this chant began to speak to me – quietly. And, suddenly I felt equally drawn to the mystery of it.

It took a few weeks to memorize it. I would write down one line at a time, work out the syllables and then repeat it over and over in rhythm while I hiked in the woods each morning. Just one line. Over and over. By the end of the walk, I had found a melody for it. After I had gone through all of the lines, I started putting it together – adding one at a time. In about a month, I had it down and would sing it straight through while walking. Over and over. It felt good.

It was probably during this time that the meaning of it became more clear to me, though I couldn’t yet articulate it. One day, I understood – and the words that describe it are below – my own words, my own meaning. It may hold something different for someone else, but I’ve come to understand that it works that way. Tradition and myth allows us to be a part of something bigger – a mythical story – but we’re also able to assign it a personal meaning. Ritual of any kind can serve as a tool to tap into the insights that are lost to day to day distractions. It’s a reminder to be still, to come home to the self. As Joseph Campbell said, “Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life” – what we’re capable of knowing and experiencing within.

Traditional Translation of Invocation: I bow to the lotus feet of the guru who awakens insight into the happiness of pure Being, who is the final refuge, the jungle physician, who eliminates the delusion caused by the poisonous herb of conditioned existence.

I bow before the sage Patanjali who has thousands of radiant, white heads in his form as the divine serpent, and who has, as far as his arms, assumed the form of a man holding a conch shell and a discus of light and a sword, representing infinite time and discrimination. om.

What it means [to me]:

I surrender my emotions to the quiet and all-knowing part inside me, to awaken my insight and wisdom of what is true, and there I can find refuge – a quieter space – to heal myself and therefore healing outside myself. In this way, I am freed from the veil of delusion caused by my conditioning and my fears.

I bow to the earth as the wise sage and to all creatures, who symbolize the divine nature of man and animal. I hold the conch shell and listen to the wisdom of the Universe. I hold the sword of strength, courage and truth. We are One.