These are photos from the neighborhood where we stayed in Sacramento.
The Halloween decorations started going up very early in October; people were really into it!
Halloween fun
Laughing with friends
These dear friends are to “blame” for tonight’s abbreviated blog post.
We spent the evening eating and sharing and laughing, which meant that Ramesha and I got home rather late.
Of course, it was great fun and well worth it.
Virtual community fun
Ramesha and I had such fun this morning.
We finally manifested a longtime goal of doing a satsang about music for the Ananda Virtual Community and it was a total and complete joy!
In attendance were virtual community members from nearby (Nevada City and the Bay Area), far away (Florida, Alaska, Canada), and various points in between (Nevada, Oregon, Texas).
There were people who’ve been devotees for thirty or forty years, and those who found Ananda in the last few years.
But what there was most of all, was the feeling of community, of enjoying satsang with spiritual friends, and feeling our shared devotion, dedication, and love for Master, Swamiji, our path, and this music.
Wow. I just can hardly believe how fortunate and blessed I am.
If you’d like to explore the possibility of joining together with spiritual seekers from all around the world, you should definitely check out what the Ananda Virtual Community has to offer.
Have you met the metrognome?
All those hours, years, and decades spent listening to metronomes and it never once occurred to me that there would be such a thing as a metrognome!
But just look how much fun he’s having!
“Weeee!”
A doodle (re)discovery!
I called a business today and was put on hold. Nothing new there.
But then I did something I haven’t done in ages…while waiting I started to doodle. And that was actually quite amazing; I don’t know what prompted me to do it, but it felt like an important (re)discovery.
I used to doodle a lot when I was young; both in-the-margin type doodles and drawings that involved lots of repetitive detail work. But somewhere along the way I seem to have stopped. I wonder why…
After I had finished the phone call I continued doodling for a while, just because. It felt rather odd, like I was “rusty” at it, but it also felt…good. That made me curious to know more about it.
Turns out doodling is a trendy thing nowadays (unlike when I was a kid and you just did it!), mainly because science has proven its benefits. I found a ton of interesting articles about it (see links at the bottom of the page).
But here’s what I found truly hilarious: there were also lots of articles and videos and products on “How to Doodle” — I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that like taking lessons in how to be spontaneous?
Oh well, the important thing is that I think it would be a good idea to start doodling regularly again. Fun!
The Power of the Doodle: Improve Your Focus and Memory (Wall Street Journal)
The Cognitive Benefits of Doodling (The Atlantic)
5 Big Benefits Of Being A Doodler (HuffPost)
The Benefits of Doodling (Vox)
The Power and Purpose of Doodling (The Art of Education University)
Being active
I ran across some journaling notes, written about six years ago, evidently in a period of frustration at my lack of activity. I don’t recall the exact moment or what exactly I was feeling when making this list, but it certainly packs a wallop for me as I read it now. Especially considering the title I gave it:
ACTIVITIES I LOVED
tether ball
monkey bars
archery
basketball
gymnastics
track
dancing
cheerleading
hiking
rebounding
aerobics
weight training
bicycling
swimming
skipping
yoga
150 sit-ups a day
running on the beach
walking, walking, walking
It wasn’t that I “loved” exercise; I didn’t even call it “exercise” — it was just having fun doing things…
Like…
Challenging big, intimidating Tony to a tetherball showdown in 6th grade.
Organizing my high school buddies to hike up into the foothills above Milpitas for a cookout.
Riding my bicycle all over Sunnyvale (where I lived), to classes at DeAnza College, and (just once!) all the way to my boyfriend’s house in Los Altos.
Spending two hours every day in the gym: aerobics; weight training; treadmill; loving to sweat!
It was just doing fun active things with my friends. Dancing at clubs til all hours of the night. Cranking up my stereo and dancing in my living room to Al Jarreau, Gino Vannelli, George Benson, Earth Wind & Fire. I felt GOOD in my body and enjoyed using it. Of course, I never ever thought I looked good enough, but — hey! — at least I felt strong and powerful and capable.
Things started to shift when I got “serious” about finishing my degree and becoming a flutist — spending hours in class, in the library, in the practice room, in rehearsals, in carpools traveling to gigs. Getting busier and busier, more and more out of balance, more and more stressed.
Eventually I started feeling the pressure to “exercise” in order to lose the weight that was creeping on. What did I know about metabolic syndrome and stress hormones and circadian rhythms and lack of sleep leading to weight gain, etc etc.?!? Bit by bit the fun and spontaneity went away and moving my body became a chore, a “should.” Yuck.
Sigh.
It’s hard to look back and realize that I pretty much had it all, but squandered it, largely due to ignorance and iffy self-esteem (all part of my karma, of course).
Fun on the spiritual path
Seriously tweaked my shoulder last night and it hurts to type. So here’s a happy thought to reflect on at the end of your day.
And isn’t this a great photo?!? Could be titled “exuberance!”
Dance like a toddler
Just a fun thought to end my day. 😄
Slightly addictive
This is what I’m discovering about our new Ananda Wiki (which is not so helpful when I’m trying to get to bed earlier)!
It’s just so much fun poking around, discovering new tricks, filling in bits of information, and exploring how to use it to establish better coordination and communication worldwide.
Super exciting stuff!
The rhythm tap path to joy
My recent blog post about dancer Bunny Briggs set me off on a voyage of discovery. I’ve loved dance forever, but I never knew there was something called “tap” and something called “rhythm tap” (a form of tap dance that includes percussive heel drops, instead of only emphasizing toe taps).
And I never knew about the men who were masters of this style of dancing. They’re quite amazing!
But here’s the thing. There is so much JOY happening when these guys dance! It’s palpable. They are having all caps FUN, but in a harmonious, cooperative, supportive, joyful kind of way.
I was marveling about this the first time I watched the second video below and then the thought came: “But I wonder what they were really like? Were they decent people? How did they treat their wives and children?” And I struggled a little bit over the age-old conflict of witnessing the ways an artist can achieve transcendence through their particular medium (dance, music, art) without being in any way a completely perfect being.
What I think, however, is that when a person gets a little taste of this kind of transcendent joy for even one moment, in just one area of their life, it makes a lasting impression. In some subtle way it leads to them wanting more.
And so the search begins, as we achieve perfection and transcendence first in this activity and then in that practice, getting another taste, another glimpse of the divine. Until we finally find the infinite love and joy we’ve been seeking by merging back into our true source.