text:
The longing for our lost home
By Shakti Mhi
Here's a letter I got from a dear student:
Hi Shakti,
I wanted to share a feeling I get every time after I practice meditation, when I'm fully present, after each bit of programming I break away from and become non attached to my roots.
It's a feeling of great sadness. Sadness that comes with emotion. The feeling of longing, not for something I want or even know, but it simply surrounds me.
Also, at the end of yoga classes I teach, when students are in savasana, I sometimes have tears in my eyes.
Maybe it's a feeling of love and excitement about what I'm doing, but it's more than that. It doesn't come from the mind or other base emotions. It's something else.
My Reply:
The sense of longing is very well known on the spiritual path, and many people experience it.
This is longing for a faraway home we once had, yet don't remember in detail but we do have a vague memory of the feeling of residing in this home.
This home is our higher consciousness, the place of inner peace, inner knowing, of wholeness.
This is who we were before our survival programming clouded our consciousness and brought fear and uncertainty into our lives.
Most people are so far from this home that they don't have even a flicker of memory.
But many others, even before they begin spiritual practices, being with them a dim internal memory of that perfect, bright place, which often brings about a sense of longing and sadness.
For others, it happens during the process of spiritual growth, as the fog gradually dissipates and it becomes easier to see the silhouette of that faraway home.
When I was younger, for many years, I felt the inner longing for something that was familiar but distant and very faint. I could not put my finger on its source. For a long time, I confused that longing to return home with a longing for the love of a partner, a longing for trips to remote places and I even filled the desire with a deep passion for eating and other pleasures. But over time, nothing could satisfy this craving. And that's how the spiritual journey that brought me back home to higher consciousness began.
As for "… at the end of yoga classes I teach, … I sometimes have tears in my eyes…
It doesn't come from the mind or other base emotions. It's something else."
Many times while teaching, as students become the focal point of the teacher and the mind is emptied, we as teachers can experience a clear sense of unity beyond material, thought, form or programming. This is when love, which is the essence of our being, takes us back home and this is the exalted feeling that arises when teaching doesn't come from ego, but from a place of service to others, to give, to share and to love.
With love
Shakti Mhi
Yoga Teacher Training (200hr) with Shakti Mhi and Pepe Danza, in Czech Republic. July 2015
Is committing suicide such a horrible event?
By Shakti Mhi
From all the forms of death man possibly can die from, for most people, committing suicide will be the hardest to accept.
When a human being consciously and successfully stops his own life, ripples of dismay and disbelief move through his or her tribe.
What is death?
Beside assumptions and beliefs, no one can declare he or she holds the absolute definition of what the experience of death is all about. We cannot even be certain that death is an experience.
We relate to death as the "thing" that happens on the other side of life. We perceive death as the opposite to life and life as everything that death is not.
A man stands on one side of the river, yelling to another man on the other side of the river: " How do I get to the other side?" The other man yells back "You are on the other side"
We stand on the bank of the river of our existence on the side we perceive as life, looking to the other side where we imagine death is. The fog above the river prevents us from seeing the "other side", which we judge as a less desirable side. Is it possible that to some people being alive is being on "the other side"? (The less desirable side of existence)
Even though we have no clue what death is, from our point of view, life always has more value than death. People may live the most miserable life and yet it has much grater value than death.. The reason we empower life in relation to death is because life is all we know.
We often are disappointed from people that decided to commit suicide… they "gave up on life" and left us behind. They chose the unknown over what we perceive as certain.
You may believe that we choose to come to this life; you may assume that there is a cosmic purpose or reason for our arrival to "life", and yet, it is still only assumptions. So for this argument we can say that we arrive to this life with no choice.
Isn't nice to know that even though we may not have chosen to enter life, we still have the choice to exit life if and when we wish to do so, and in an elegant way? If most people commit suicide not in an elegant way, it's only because this option is not available for them. Since the act of stopping your own life is unacceptable, as a result, often it needs to be done quickly and in a hidden ways.
Why does it make sense to have places such as hospitals, for new arrivals like babies, to enter life, but we do not have places where people that chose consciously to exit life can do it graciously? I am not talking about places for the terminally sick, when people have to get authorization from others that they do have a good reason to die "unnaturally". I am talking about places for any adult who chooses to die for his own reasons and without other's approval.
We permit people of a certain age to drink alcohol, to have sex to drive a car and to carry guns for killing, but at no age we accept people to be adult enough to decide if they want to stop their own movie that we call life and if we find them in the act of killing themselves we always try to stop them from doing so.
How would you feel as an adult, if you are about to leave for a far way journey and someone is jeopardizing your travel because they do not want to be left behind? As mature adults we find it inappropriate when someone disrupts our personal choices, choices that have to do with ourselves. But we do not see anything wrong with interfering with people's most personal and intimate choice: to stop their lives… by trying to "save" them against their own will.
You may argue saying this is a tough choice to leave in peoples hands because there is no way back from such a choice.
Who says there is no way back?
You may argue saying, no one died yet, changed their mind and returned to life. Maybe the reason for this is that no one that died found a good reason to return to life
Bringing babies to life is as well a choice with no "way back" and yet how many people that are not suitable to be parents chose to have babies without thinking twice and how many others do not even choose and simply follow the evolutionary drive for reproduction? And yet we completely leave this choice of creating lives in people hands.
You may argue that the reason for why the act of committing suicide is not acceptable by society is because the only people that choose to exit life on their own terms are the ones that suffer great physical, mental and emotional pain, or all of them together.
Is agonizing, unbearable pain and suffering not good enough reason to exit life for the one that chose to do so?
Why do we insist to keep these people alive? Is it really for their own sake and wellbeing, or maybe it is for our own sake, the ones left behind?
We live in a great paradox;
We are completely wired, as well as all the other animals, to survive. We have all the instincts and drives to prevent us from physical death. When we see a spider we react differently than when we see a rabbit. The reason is that we are programmed to sense that the spider might be dangerous to our life. The same goes with food that we do not recognize. We will be more suspicious of bitter food than sweet food. We are wired to sense that bitter flavors may represent poison.
This is the paradox we are trapped in, on the one hand we are fully programmed to always act in ways that will save our lives, as life is most valuable, but on the other hand, no matter how much we follow our internal survival program, and how much we will do anything to remain alive, we keep moving towards our inevitable death.
The reason for this attitude of "keep alive until you die" is that we are needed to live as long as we can fulfill our evolutionary role of continuing the race.
So death is part of life and vice versa. Who's to say which of the two is more valuable?
Robin Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson and decided to take his own life. We can choose to see that as a noble way to take responsibility for his own existence. Whatever reasons he had, he made a personal choice that is not different from a person that chooses, under the same circumstances, to live. Being a master is to take full responsibility for your own existence by making authentic choices.
I hope that when my time comes to leave my physical body, I can make my own choice as how and if to stop my life, without any interference from others that may think they know better than me about what is good for me. This is the least an adult person can wish for from her tribe.
Life cannot be precious if death is not precious. If we are paralyzed by death will be paralyzed by life.
We see death the way we see the sun at sunset. From our point of view the moment the sun disappears from the horizon there is darkness, but the sun is always there, in its full glow…
With great appreciation and love to life
Shakti Mhi
Why do so many women sacrifice their health for the sake of having a baby?
Having a baby while facing a serious health condition may not be a good idea
By Shakti Mhi
As a little girl, I remember how the women in my extended family were talking with admiration about other women, like the sister in law… the wife of the neighbor… or any other woman that dealt with serious health issues, and as a result were forbidden by the doctors from getting pregnant. And yet these women decided to risk their health and sometimes their lives to get pregnant, no matter what. These women were perceived as brave because they didn't give up, while sacrificing their health for the most important thing in life – having a baby.
Many of these women, after having a few children, kept dealing, throughout their lives, with heavy-duty health issues, often living on medications permanently. Their life's quality and long term health were never a concern… the important thing was that they fulfill their duty as women – bearing children.
In the culture I was born in, having a baby was the biggest aspiration of every woman. Nothing could come before or above the desire to be a mother.
My mother always preached to me that a woman that does not have a baby is not a real woman!
The fanatic approach of my tribe about having children demonstrates the strong evolutionary drive of nature to continue the race.
As human beings the biological drive to fulfill our role in the continuation of the race manifests as an internal strong desire for having a baby. This desire is wrapped with powerful feelings of love that are often mistaken as unconditional love towards our children.
It is a mistake to think that our love for our children is unconditional love. The strong love we feel for our children is based on a very strong condition. The condition is that in one way or another our child must belong to us. If this condition would not exist we would love our children and the children of others exactly the same way, but this is not the case. We do feel strong love for our children because they belong to us.
Throughout my life I met many women with serious health conditions that sacrificed their health, and often even their lives, for having a baby, because of the feeling that they must become mothers no matter what.
Most of the women are not aware that their deep and often unbearable desire to become mothers is a result of hormones, to make the female physical body fulfill its role in the evolutionary process of continuing our race. It's no different from mother giraffe or mother kangaroo and often without any rational thinking about the wellbeing of the child or of the mother. The drive to be a parent is an instinct.
This is the reason why the tribe will encourage such sacrifices from women. In the collective human consciousness, pregnancy and birth has a higher value than the mother's health.
In the last week the newspaper had a big headline about two women that risked their health for giving birth.
One of the young women has Cystic Fibrosis and as a result had a lung and liver transplant! The message of the article was that nothing could stop this beautiful young woman from becoming a mother; she was praised as the ultimate woman.
Maybe instead we should praise the women that do stop for a second or two and do make a decision to take care of their own health instead of investing all their weak body's energy in making a new human being.
Beside the fact that Cystic Fibrosis is hereditary (and this should already be a consideration in getting pregnant), the birth of the baby is not the only indication for the success. The question is: what is the quality of life and health the mother will have after her weak body, which is dealing energetically with so many health issues, will face after investing all its energy in creating a baby, and how will this affect the quality of life of the child?
Another article told the story of Maya, a young anorexic woman that up to a year ago weighed only 63 pounds. Now, after giving birth, she is asking the world to pray for the life of her little baby, who was born weighing 1.3 pounds. The article praises Maya for her braveness of not giving into the weakness of her body. Before everything I am wishing Maya and her new born baby all the best and healthy life, but I am asking: " What did you think, Maya, while bringing a baby to life in a body that barely can sustain its own life?… The answer is that there is not much thinking when most of the people bring babies to the world, it is mostly a strong drive to become a parent and often to the detriment of the mother and the baby's well-being for life.
In the article Maya was quoted saying " I went through tough fertility treatments, knowing I am risking my life, just so I can get pregnant"
From my point of view any woman whose life becomes meaningless if she cannot become a mother, turns herself to be a walking womb. Her only function is to fulfill her role in the evolutionary production line.
Another interesting article in the newspaper was of Amira, a woman that since she was 18 years old was diagnosed with clinic depression, with a strong tendency for committing suicide, and yet she brought to the world four children that every morning wake up to another potential day where their loved mom may kill herself.
Amira tells how her five year old boy keeps asking her when will she die?
The interesting aspect of the article is that the journalist never raised, throughout the interview the question why, knowing you are clinically depressed, and with a few suicide attempts, you still gave birth to four children? The reason is that the question why does rarely exist when it comes to having children. The main questions that comes up in relation to have babies are when, how many and with whom? People often will say you do not need a good reason to have children, you just do it. The question "why?" is only raised in the context of not having children… why would you not want a baby?
Below is the explanation of the reason why is that it may not be a good idea, from the point of view of Yoga, to have a baby when your body or mind is struggling with heavy duty health issues.
In the philosophy of yoga the energy that keeps the physical body together is called Prana, life force. Prana is the force that moves our physical body and the energy and mental bodies.
Many people in the west confuse the term Prana with the term Energy we use when we feel energy after a workout in the gym or after a long jog.
It is important to understand that the term Prana and what westerns call energy are two very different things.
Many people that do lots of sports and as a result feel very "energetic" are actually depleted of Prana as a result of over doing physical activities. In the same way that a sports car will use much more fuel than a regular car, often people that overdo intensive physical activity empty their reserves of Prana. This is the reason why most of the sportsmen that depleted their bodies of Prana end with serious injuries. There is no Prana left in their body to hold it together.
Another classic example is women that overdo physical activities, depleting their Prana, and as a result their body does not have enough Prana to facilitate their monthly period, and it stops.
For the process of healing we need tremendous amount of Prana, and of high quality. Every disease or injury takes lots of Prana from the body. This is the reason why people that got sick or injured while they have reserves of Prana heal faster than people who arrive to such physical condition with empty reserves.
In any case of the body dealing with extreme conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heavy asthma etc., there is a need to switch to an emergency mode where we do not waste Prana, and instead we start to build up the amount and quality of Prana in our body, which will be used for healing.
Embryos that develop in a woman's womb need huge amounts of Prana to evolve from a fertilized egg to a complete human being. This is why a baby in the womb gets the first priority to receive Prana in the body. That means that if the mother does not have enough Prana to share with her growing baby, the Prana will be redirected to the baby to the detriment of the mother's body.
This is the reason why many women deal with depression after giving birth. If the woman got pregnant when the level of Prana in her body is low, as a result of stress or dealing with an extreme physical condition, by the time her pregnancy is completed and she went through birth, she is so depleted of Prana that it creates a strong imbalance in the mental and emotional aspects of her being.
So if a woman gets pregnant while her body is dealing with an extreme health condition, the damage after her pregnancy can be serious, because instead of enhancing the Prana in her body for healing, the baby and the pregnancy will have taken the little Prana she has, and the body will remain empty of this precious "fuel".
Because in most of the parts in the world having children is the ultimate goal, many women feel like heroes when they sacrifice their health and life to fulfill this goal. They force on their bodies, which are dealing with heavy conditions, a pregnancy and birth, often paying a high price in their physical and mental wellbeing, and that of their children.
Having a baby, ideally, is done with a spiritual, high consciousness, and not from a blind, instinctual drive.
Aging on the path of spirituality
By Shakti Mhi
At the age of 10 I made a clear decision to never age. As a young sweet little girl whose main concern was to get as much attention as possible from the boys, at school I was terrified by the thought that I will ever have wrinkles, so I made a clear decision to kill my self at the age of 30.
At the age of 30 I couldn't wait to be 50 years old. I was already deep into the spiritual path, looking for my way out of the misery of my own existence. I was in a rapid process of letting go. Letting go of my past, my roots, letting go of all my identifications while forming a new self, a spiritual self that I hoped will rise above all my conditioned selves.
At that time, the age of 50 looked like a sacred mountain that when you reach to the top you get a panoramic view of reality as it is, with no need to keep climbing up anymore.
And then the age 50 arrived!… and with it arrived the aging process of my body. The physical structure that holds my consciousness started to get rusted. My skin, my bones, my hair, my muscles and organs started to obey the law of time and space.
As a baby in my mother's womb, after floating freely in the water, at one point, with an internal signal, I was directed towards the exit… that was the entrance to the physical dimension. Now my body, again, follows an internal signal that directs it towards the exit of this material dimension.
I would lie if I said that aging physically is an exciting thing. It's no different than living in an old house. The amount of maintenance that is needed to keep it together keeps increasing. But as I suspected in my 30's, the panoramic view of reality from the top of the mountain is breathtaking. There is nowhere to go, or nothing to reach out for. And even though your eyesight gets weaker with time, you do not need your physical eyes to see into the horizon of existence.
My Zen teacher said: when you are young you are chasing life but when you are old you sit quietly watching life coming to you.
The taste of wisdom that comes with age is sweet and replaces the sweetness of dwelling in a young and beautiful body. Now it is time to let go of all the selves I formed during my lifetime, even the spiritual ones, and simply be, beyond time, space, and the story of my life.
I have lots of compassion for aging Shakti, I love and accept her the same way I love and accept Shakti at 10 years old, 30 years old, and all the many other ages. I observe her aging process… her face is changing… her body is different. I learn to know her in an older form, she is me but I am not her. All the Shaktis in all their ages are within me, still popping in and out as they feel. I embrace them all while being aware they are all different manifestations of my higher self.
The spiritual path, as much as it was tough and even horrifying in many segments of my life as a seeker, gave me great tools to observe and deal with the ever-changing reality. Nothing stays the same, so what is the point to hold on to anything? Just this knowledge can either take you to the edge of your biggest fears or simply enrich your every moment. The choice is up to each of us.
Many men and women get terrified when aging takes place in their physical bodies. They often try desperately to stop the physical form they identify with as who they are, from changing.
Arriving at the wisdom age while clinging on to a certain body image can end up in disappointment and bitterness, a feeling of being betrayed by your body.
Unlike in the modern materialistic world, in the spiritual realm age is a second word for wisdom…they are often expressed together, as in "old and wise". Unfortunately in the reality of our society, where we are worshiping youth and physical beauty, many people keep investing all their energy in the physical shell, which becomes very fragile when there is nothing inside to support it from within. As a result, aging and dying inevitably become a very painful experience for so many people.
Watch it!… God watching you…
By Shakti Mhi
It is fascinating to observe how in modern times, when we have already discovered that:
- There is probably more then one universe, if not many of them
- The universe keeps expanding and may not have an edge
- That there is an estimated 125 billion galaxies in the universe
- That there are 60 billion planets in our galaxy alone.
- That there are about 200 billion stars just in the Milky Way alone.
…That people can still believe that there is a God out there, and it will make a big difference to him/her/it if you go to church on Sunday, if you eat Kosher food, or if you fast in Ramadan.
Maybe if we visualize the universal structure in a smaller scale, it will be easier to realize our significance as individuals in the universe.
Imagine the president of USA as God
Imagine USA as one of the many universes that are floating out in space and time
Each of the endless numerous chicken farms in the country is a galaxy
Each chicken in the farm is a planet
The fleas on ONE chicken out of the billion chickens in the state, are the human race
And the one specific flee behind the left ear of the chicken is you
Now, can you imagine the president of USA, while occupied in creating, destroying, and governing, being aware, 24 hours, 7 days a week, of the actions, the thoughts, the intents and the destiny of this one little flee behind the left ear of one of many billions chickens in his vast state? Can you?
Maybe it is time to take responsibility for our existence and stop being evaluated by someone in the sky. The way we are tamed by the Gods we invented is the exact way we tame our dogs… through punishment and reward, based on fear. We created god in our own image because we do not know anything else outside of ourselves.
Slow Yoga is Advanced Yoga
By Shakti Mhi
The reason why we practice, in the west, fast and vigorous yoga, is because we have lost the ability to slow down or be still. We go fast internally as well as externally. On a daily basis we move fast and we think fast. We get up in the morning with the feeling that we are already behind. We sit in front of our computers bombarded by demands to reply NOW. We are constantly catching our breath… and you know what catching the breath means? It means your breath goes faster than you, running away from you, and you try to catch it. In the action of catching our breath we run out of breath and we are left with fast minds and no breath, which leads to disease, restlessness, insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, and general exhaustion and depression.
So, we started searching for something to slow us down, realizing that if we keep going this fast we will burn out. This is how the west discovered yoga… we were looking for a change because our bodies and minds could not tolerate anymore the pace of modern life.
Yoga is the practice of mindful stillness and mindful breath, the opposite from how we live our lives as modern human beings. But instead of letting the ancient yoga practice change us for the better we changed the yoga practice to suit our inability to maintain stillness.
Reasons for practicing slow yoga
The Physical aspect – the Nervous system
If you feel stressed out, if you feel you are under pressure, if you keep running all day feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things that need to be done…. If you are worried about money and you hate your work, if you're afraid to die, if you do not eat well, sleep well, and not go to the washroom regularly, if you have allergies, skin conditions, injuries, or if you breathe fast and short… this are all indications that your nervous system is in a state of fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system). That means your brain and nervous system are under the illusion that you are in danger 24 hours a day.
As a result your body acts under high voltage of "electricity" so you can act strong and fast to save yourself, as if a tiger was chasing you.
The only problem is that the body can only be under the extreme of "fight or flight" state for a short time, with breaks of shifting back to a relaxed mode, otherwise it burns out. The natural state for the body, the brain and the nervous system, is in a relaxed mode. In life this burn out may manifest as heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, problems with the period, inability to produce babies, migraines, overall exhaustion, and many more other symptoms.
When the body and mind are in a constant fight and flight state they cannot slow down anymore or be in stillness. Look around and you will see how we are all on the go all the time.
This is the reason why in the west so many acrobatic, fast and vigorous yoga styles developed in the last 30 years. We brought our restless bodies and minds to class and turned yoga to be another one of our restless actions.
When you practice slow yoga you shift your nervous system from fight and flight to a relaxed mode. When the nervous system is relaxed our bodies and minds calm down. But it is not easy to shift in one day from being in fight and flight for so many years to a relaxed mode. Often very advanced and experienced western yogis that try slow yoga report that it was very hard for them, not the physical aspect of the practice but the stillness of mind and body.
Prana- Energy
The aim of yoga is to increase the amount and quality of the Prana in our physical and energy bodies, since Prana is the fuel for high consciousness. That means we want to avoid consuming our Prana while doing the yoga asanas, and instead, store it in the chakras, the energy centers. Fast and vigorous exercises require a large amount of Prana to maintain the workout of the muscles and organs. That means lots of Prana is consumed in forceful yoga.
What is the point of eating food that supplies us with less energy than it requires to digest it?
The same goes with fast and vigorous yoga. The practice takes more Prana than it provides us with. The energy people feel after they finish fast, vigorous yoga, sports or any other work out, is the energy that comes form the fight and flight systems in their bodies, from the adrenal glands for example, and should not be confused with Prana – life force.
This is why there are so many injuries in the modern yoga practice. When the body has no more Prana to maintain itself, it falls apart.
There is nothing wrong with working out and sports, but yoga is NOT a workout or a sport. It is a spiritual discipline for calming down the body and mind, increasing Prana in the body, and finally, expanding our consciousness beyond mind and body.
So next time you tell yourself that you prefer fast, active yoga, check well with yourself: is it really a preference or you are just following your restless mind that cannot slow down any more?
Change comes only through change and not by keeping the same behavior and habits that caused us the conditions we do not want to suffer any more. That means we should practice yoga differently than we live our busy lives until our lives become our yoga and not vice versa.
If you start to connect to your inner silence and stillness in your yoga practice you may start to apply this state, as well, after your yoga practice ends.
Do you think or do you have thoughts?
By Shakti Mhi and Pepe Danza
(The difference between thinking and having thoughts)
The general assumption is that when we think, we have thoughts, in other words, the source of our thoughts comes only from our thinking.
Actually, if you could observe the mind of a person, from childhood to adulthood, you may find that many of our thoughts never arrived from our thinking… they were planted in us by our surroundings and environment.
When we think, we have thoughts, but we do not need to think to have thoughts! Many of our "planted" thoughts become permanent thoughts that mold who we are.
The first thought that was "planted" in us as babies is the thought "this is mummy and daddy". This thought never sprouted from our thinking.
From the first planted thought about our parents there is an ongoing process of taking thoughts in, without thinking them out.
Here's an example of "planted thoughts" we received in our childhood, that later flourished to be the deepest roots of our being:
You are a boy or you are a girl
This is your body, your room, your house, and your country…
You are an Israeli, an American, a Chinese, or French.
You are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist….
God is watching you, loving you and testing you…
Even when we become adults more and more thoughts keep being externally planted in us like:
- "Doctors are here to heal us and our well-being is the only priority they have."
- "Leaders are here to take care of us"
- "Armies are here to protect us"
- Death is a scary thing
- Status is important
- Owning a house is essential for security
- Having a family is the essence of happiness
- Job with benefits and pension is more important than self contentment
- Drinking milk is healthy
The planted thought like "a job with benefits and pension is more important than self contentment" is the seed, and the self thinking thought such as, "it is fine to work in job I hate because I get benefits and pension" is the plant growing from it.
So planted thoughts (the seeds) influence the frequency of the thoughts we think ourselves. The thought that was planted and the thought that was thought out vibrate on the same frequency.
The planted thoughts, in our minds, dictate the thoughts we "think" for ourselves.
So if the planted thought is :"Doctors are here to heal us and our well being is their only priority they have", the self thinking thought will be: "We trust our doctors with closed eyes, they know what they are doing"
If the planted thought is "Owing a house is essential for security", the self thinking thought will be: "We need to dedicate our lives and sacrifice our freedom for a life time mortgage"
Once a while a self thought may leave the seed root and take off. At that point the self-thinking frequency increases and is not dependent anymore on the planted thoughts as the source of its life force..
Disconnecting from the seed of the planted thoughts may raise up the first authentic thought: "do my thoughts belong to me or are they planted?"
Needless to say… authentic self thinking is never encouraged by the "system". One of the many systems that is established on the foundation of planting thoughts in peoples minds is religion.
When self thinking disconnects and frees itself from the root of the planted thoughts, Science, Art, Philosophy, Spirituality, Creativity, Genius, and the extraordinary, unfold into existence, and we start manifesting our own reality.
A dream come true
by Shakti Mhi
For a few years, my husband, Pepe Danza, and myself, have been teaching a special class called "The yoga Experience", a yoga class with live music where Pepe plays endless celestial music on many instruments while I am teaching the asanas. For many years, while we were living in Vancouver, Canada, we had a dream to conduct this wonderful practice outside of an ongoing yoga class with a large number of yogis, and together create a strong energy buzz. But life is busy and there is always something more important to do, and the dream that kept coming up in our discussions remained in the form of "one day …."
A few months ago we moved to Israel and we connected with one of the greatest organizers of Yoga Arava, Roni Friedman, who offered us to come and teach the 'Yoga Experience' as part of an amazing yoga weekend that takes place, every year, in Timna, a magic place in Arava, the desert of Israel. One little powerful woman turned our dream into reality.
The day came and we finally took the right turn away from highway 90 into the untouched desert. As we drove deeper into the land away from the highway, an overwhelming natural environment embraced our car full of instruments. Red, brown, yellow and pink where the colors that the ancient land reflected back to us and we felt as if drunk…and the silence…the primal silence that got lost in our noisy busy world echoed from the giant rocks around us that truly know what stillness is, the stillness we aim to achieve in the practice of yoga.
The car kept moving in the dirt road while we both stared in awe at the magnificent views that kept being revealed to us with each turn we took.
When we finally arrived at the spot where the magic yoga class had to take place we were not alone. A few rain clouds that are rarely seen in this time in the desert arrived with us. Before we had the time to share our concerns with each other a strong rain started pouring, covering the earth and the rags that were being placed on the ground for the coming yoga practice. We were sitting in the car in silence watching the beauty of the colors; sky and earth connected through water, wondering if this is how far our dream goes. But deep inside us, we both knew that this heavenly yoga event would happen… we had already felt its signature in our destiny. We felt it, but we weren't sure how it would come about… there were two more hours before the start of the event and even if the rain would stop, the ground and all the rugs could be too wet to be practiced on. But then, the rain stopped and a powerful sun came out like a big mama and dried the ground and the rugs with a huge warm smile. And we were laughing with joy, knowing this event is blessed.
Pepe started to arrange his orchestra station and I was sitting quietly watching the horizon. Buses carrying yogis from all round the Arava started to arrive. These yogis spent three days with different senior yoga teachers in different retreats, and now they all gathered together to share a big community class. Most of them were wearing white and all of them were holding yoga mats. My heart was melting with love and gratitude for being part of such experience. Five hundred yogis arrived to share a moment together, where the intention is the harmony and union of body and mind, breath and energy and being here and now. Watching such large group of yogis moving and breathing together confirmed my long path as teacher. The yoga practice started to Pepe's healing music. Very quickly we all felt the prana of the people combining with the prana of the desert getting stronger and stronger. The only way to describe this experience would be through silence! No words to describe it. As we were moving through time and space mindfully, sunset started to color nature with golden light.
It will be so wonderful to see this group of dedicated yogis growing every year, together, creating an abundance of high frequency energy, peaceful minds and high consciousness. May it shift the distressed, restlessness energy that often takes over our beautiful earth, and turn it into LOVE.
Shakti Mhi
Prana Yoga College
watch the video clip from the event:
Women as Donkeys
By Shakti Mhi
A few days ago one of the main Rabbis of Israel died at the age of 93. Rabbi R. was known for his brilliant mind and depth in the knowledge of the Torah and Judaism in general. A day after his death the newspaper was full of stories and quotes describing his impact on Israel, both in the religious and political spheres. In one of the many articles about him we read about rabbi R. saying that a man who walks between two women is like a man that walks between two donkeys. The article kept going describing his great virtues, as if comparing women to donkeys is just a brilliant thing.
Putting women on the level of donkeys demonstrates, in general, what is the perception and approach about women in the eyes of Rabbi R. In Judaism donkeys are discussed mainly in relation to other things, they never stand on their own. Because the perception of women is the same as towards donkeys, the same applies to women then. Women do not stand on their own as equal to men. Women are important because they are the men's wives and the mothers of the men's children. Like dinkies they are just vehicles to carry the men through their religious evolution.
Donkeys do not mix with men… the same with the women in the Rabi's court. Women cannot be among men. They are always separated and often hiding behind curtains. Why? Because women represent temptation, the source of all evils, and of course, it has nothing to do with the men being weak and driven by their un-mastered desires. It is simple, as if you had a big weakness for cookies… so instead of mastering your weakness you are removing all the cookies and declaring it's the cookies fault.
This is not a feminist article, this is about discrimination that gets accepted because it is represented by a holy man on the behalf of god. Comparing anyone to donkeys, be it man or woman, white or black people, gays or straights, demonstrates great ignorance. Rabi R may have been a genius in the Torah and Judaism, but his greatness was in a very limited aspect of existence. His knowledge and depth were within the shallowness of a religion that was conceived by men for men. Rabbi R.'s vast knowledge did not encompass people that are not Jewish or women or donkeys or gays or the rest of the whole existence. His immense knowledge dwelled within a very limited perception that deals and serves a very small group of humanity while leaving the rest of humanity outside of it.
Great teachers are the ones that embrace in their teaching the whole universe with no separation of any kind!
The right to die
Few days ago there was a horrifying story in the newspaper about a young single mother who killed her two little children with a knife, and then she tried, unsuccessfully, to kill herself. She was brought in a very critical condition to the hospital where the doctors tried to save her life.
This article is not about the horrible event where a mother kills her little offspring. It is not as well about the intense life we live that can bring some people into madness through despair. This article is about not respecting adult choices when they decide to check out of their reality and leave their own lives behind.
I felt very angry when I read that despite the clear action of the woman to kill herself by cutting off her own throat, and by doing so, ending the nightmare she perceived herself to be in, the authorities around her, decided against her will, to keep her alive. For what reason? Besides the fact that they act against her choice, if "they" successfully keep her alive, a very predictable reality is waiting for this already poor woman. Either she will be sent to jail for the rest of her life or she will be checked into a mental hospital for the rest of her life, and in both situations she will have to live the nightmare she created, day after day, until her last day on earth.
Is anyone around who would wish themselves such a reality? What on earth can be the reason to keep such a woman alive when she demonstrated clearly that she'd rather be dead? There is only one answer: PRETENSE! The pretense is that we declare people lives have the highest value.
We pretend the above while we send young people to die in nonsense political wars.
We pretend the above while we create nuclear weapons so we can kill as many people possible in one shot.
We pretend the above while we can pass by a sick and lonely homeless person on the street on the way to a restaurant or for shopping.
We declare the high value of life while people kill people for greediness, jealousy , beliefs and principles.
But when an adult decides to check out of her own life, everyone jumps to save the unwanted life ignoring the one that owns this life and her decision to die.
What right do we have to stop an adult to die when they wish for it? After all, compared to a murder, they are not harming anyone else.
We did not chose when to come to this world… we should at list have the choice when and how to exit our movie.
I am turning this article to be my public will: If a day will come and I chose to leave my physical body, please stay away and do not disturb my wish to die.
With love and compassion I am praying for this woman, that her wish to die will be fulfilled.


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New to Typophile? Accounts are free, and easy to set up.
What not to do for your conference presentation: Stop your presentation before it kills again! (via InfoDesign)
What to buy if you are craving peanut butter and curry: PB Loco
What to read if you need a light in your life: WikiQuote on Hope
What to wear to your next client meeting if all is already lost: Very Necessary
just for me? awwww! *squish*
my friend joey tells me he'll show me where to buy curry chocolates when i'm in NYC. can't wait!
We study curcumin (one of main ingredients in curry) in our lab. Has good nutritional benefits... [google scholar search] May be offset by the sugars they add to the chocolates though. :)
you can buy curry chocolates at Vosges Haut Chocolat in NY, CHI, Vegas, Miami and online at

subset: commoncrawl


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President Obama says he's surprised that debate over contraception and free preventive health care services for women under the health care law have taken center stage in the 2012 presidential campaign.
"We always knew this election would be about two competing economic plans — whether we get to build on our progress or see it taken away," Obama said in a fundraising email to supporters.
"But we had no idea we'd also be up against a social agenda that would roll back decades of progress, particularly for women's health."
The appeal comes as part of a broad effort by Democrats to embrace the recent debate over social issues in order to mobilize the base and deflect discussion away from a slow and still fragile economic recovery.
The message is also directed at women, a key constituency with which Obama has worked to expand an edge against likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney.
Obama asked for donations of $3 or more in a late push for cash before March comes to a close.


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Erykah Badu's Malaysia concert has been canceled, and it's all thanks to the singer's tattoo. A newspaper photo revealed that Badu has the Arabic word for "Allah" inked on her upper body; officials called it "an insult to Islam" and canceled tomorrow's planned performance in Kuala Lumpur. The newspaper that...
read more
The ?Bag Lady? singer was schedule to appear in Kuala Lumpur for a concert on February 28, but the scheduled appearance has been canceled, thanks to the Malaysian government finding a photo of a controversial "Allah" image featured ... Read Post
Grammy-award-winning singer Erykah Badu is the latest to test taste limits in Malaysia, as the R&B musician's concert – scheduled for this Wednesday evening – was banned after a photo published in a local newspaper showed the Arabic... Read Post
R&B singer and songwriter Erykah Badu has been banned from performing in Malaysia after pictures began circulating of the singer with what appear to be temporary tattoos of the Arabic word for "Allah" on her body. Read Post


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Ken Caldeira
Kenneth Caldeira is an atmospheric scientist who works at the Carnegie Institution for Science's Department of Global Ecology. He researches ocean acidification, climate effects of trees, intentional climate modification, and interactions in the global carbon cycle/climate system.[1][2][3][4][5] He also acted as an inventor for Intellectual Ventures, a Seattle-based invention and patent company headed up by Nathan Myhrvold.[6]
Caldeira's work was featured in 14 May 2012 article in The New Yorker, entitled "The Climate Fixers"[5] and in a 20 November 2006 article in The New Yorker, entitled "The Darkening Sea."[1] In 2007, he contributed two op-ed pieces on the subject of global warming to The New York Times.[2][3] He was named a "Hero Scientist of 2008" by New Scientist magazine.[7] He was listed as number 36 out of 100 Agents of Change in Rolling Stone magazine's 2 April 2009 list of 100 "artists and leaders, policymakers, writers, thinkers, scientists and provocateurs who are fighting every day to show us what is possible."[8]
In response to the controversy caused by the book SuperFreakonomics over Caldeira's view on climate engineering, Caldeira rejected the suggestion that he had said, "Carbon dioxide is not the right villain". He responded by posting on his website, "Carbon dioxide is the right villain...insofar as inanimate objects can be villains."[9] He said that while the other statements attributed to him by authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner are "based in fact", the casual reader could come up with a misimpression of what he [Caldeira] believes.[10]
In 2011, Caldeira resigned as a lead author of an IPCC AR5 chapter, stating "Again, I think the IPCC has been extremely useful in the past, and I believe the IPCC could be extremely useful in the future. [...] My resignation was made possible because I believe that the chapter team that I was part of was on the right track and doing an excellent job without my contribution. Had I had a scientific criticism of my chapter team, you can be assured that I would have stayed involved. So, my resignation was a vote of confidence in my scientific peers, not a critique." [11]
Caldeira has argued for a policy goal of zero carbon dioxide emissions. In 2005, he said, "If you're talking about mugging little old ladies, you don't say, 'What's our target for the rate of mugging little old ladies?' You say, 'Mugging little old ladies is bad, and we're going to try to eliminate it.' You recognize you might not be a hundred per cent successful, but your goal is to eliminate the mugging of little old ladies. And I think we need to eventually come around to looking at carbon dioxide emissions the same way.".[1] In 2014, he said, "It is time to stop building things with tailpipes and smokestacks. It is time to stop using the sky as a waste dump for our carbon dioxide pollution." [12]
In 2013, with other leading experts, he was co-author of an open letter to policy makers, which stated that "continued opposition to nuclear power threatens humanity's ability to avoid dangerous climate change."[13]
In the 1980s, Caldeira worked as a software developer.[1] He received his Ph.D in Atmospheric Sciences in 1991 from the New York University Department of Applied Science.[14] From 1991 to 1993, Caldeira worked at Penn State University as a post-doctoral researcher. He then worked as an Environmental Scientist and Physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory until 2005, when he began his current position at the Carnegie Institution: Department of Global Ecology.[15]
See also[edit]
- ^ a b c d "The Darkening Sea http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/11/20/061120fa_fact_kolbert The New Yorker". 20 November 2006.
- ^ a b "When Being Green Raises the Heat http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/opinion/16caldeira.html". The New York Times. 16 January 2007.
- ^ a b "How to Cool the Globe http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/opinion/24caldiera.html". The New York Times. 24 October 2007.
- ^ "New Study Warns of Total Loss of Arctic Tundra http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/01/science/earth/01cnd-climate.html". The New York Times. 1 November 2005.
- ^ a b "The Climate Fixer http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/05/14/120514fa_fact_specter The New Yorker". 14 May 2012.
- ^ http://www.intellectualventures.com/inventor.aspx?id=61a71154-7e35-4cd4-8cc9-1f2cd69baa5b
- ^ "Science Heroes and Villains of 2008 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16299-science-heroes-and-villains-of-2008.html New Scientist". 22 December 2008.
- ^ "The RS 100 Agents of Change http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/26754176/the_rs_100_agents_of_change Rolling Stone". 2 April 2009.
- ^ Caldeira Lab webpage. Retrieved 2010-05-15
- ^ Jeff Goodell (2009-10-21). "Geoengineering the Planet: The Possibilities and the Pitfalls (interview with Caldeira)". Yale Environment 360. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
- ^ New Directions for the Intergovernmental Climate Panel Andrew Revkin, New York Times, December 21, 2011
- ^ David Perlman (2014-05-01). "High carbon dioxide levels set a record". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2014-05-03.
- ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/03/world/nuclear-energy-climate-change-scientists-letter/index.html
- ^ Final Prospectus for Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.2, Biography: Ken Caldeira
- ^ Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution of Washington
External links[edit]
- Home page at Carnegie Institution, Department of Global Ecology
- Home page at Stanford University, School of Earth Sciences
- SourceWatch profile


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Music has always been a huge part of my life, even before I knew it would become my career. I began taking piano lessons as a kindergartner and joined my first choir in 5th grade. I began taking voice lessons at age 15 and found my passion in opera by the time I graduated high school. I got my Bachelor of music at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where I sang with Chamber Singers and Concert Choir as both a choir member and soloist. I also sang the roles of Hippolyta (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Third Lady (The Magic Flute), the Mother (The Consul), and Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro). After college, I moved up to Seattle to get my Master's in vocal performance at UW, where I participated in Chamber Singers, and played the Witch in a whimsical production of Hansel and Gretel. ...
My music education began at age 8 when, after a year of pestering my parents, I got my first guitar. My self-taught forays began casually at first, until I was introduced to the likes of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton (the Cream years) and then later, Frank Marino, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Allan Holdsworth. By age 15, it was "all about the guitar: eat-sleep-school-guitar," with many countless hours burning the midnight oil, deciphering the solos of my heroes. I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area after high school and began studying guitar under the mentor-ship of virtuoso Marc Bonilla (who has worked with such luminaries as Ronnie Montrose, Derek Sherinian, Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple). Bonilla has since moved to L.A. to pursue an ...
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Nature. 20 Captivating Photos Shot At Exactly The Right. There are some things in life that make me feel dated (notice I didn't use the word "old" LOL).
For example, sending a fax, writing in cursive (with a pen) and talking on any phone with a cord (and twirling it around my fingers) are all things that kids born in 2011 might never have the opportunity to experience. I remember back in the days when people would say, "I wish I had my camera with me today, I could have taken some great pictures." Now that practically everyone has a smartphone, we all have our cameras with us everywhere we go. Crystal Cave by Örvar Atli Þorgeirsson. A very long thinking by mathilde guillemot. Stars.jpg (JPEG Image, 600 × 904 pixels) - Scaled (73%)
Two levels. ISS029-E-06020_lrg.jpg (JPEG Image, 1440 × 960 pixels) - Scaled (69%) 23 Fascinating and Forgotten Monuments from Yugoslavia. Podgaric – Photograph by Jan Kempenaers Below you will find an incredible collection of photographs by Jan Kempenaers.
All of the images are from his book, simply titled Spomenik. You can find the book for sale through his publisher Roma Publications or on Amazon. Details about these fascinating monuments along with a brief overview of Yugoslavia can also be found below. Enjoy! AA_000_updt_by_scarabuss.jpg (JPEG Image, 622 × 800 pixels) - Scaled (86. 339.jpg (JPEG Image, 950 × 759 pixels) - Scaled (91%) C404-5244-6082AuroraTakasaka.jpg (JPEG Image, 1200 × 800 pixels) - Scaled (86. 10 Examples of Incredible Starry Night Sky Photography, and a How-To Video. 36 Jaw-Dropping Nature Photos.
50e8f523e8e30e0fda3bcb7baaeb668c_l.jpg (JPEG Image, 1024 × 682 pixels) The cynics are right nine times out of ten. 59464_0_908x756.jpg (JPEG Image, 908 × 756 pixels) - Scaled (91%) A-New-Day.jpg (JPEG Image, 900 × 600 pixels) Pictures In Motion (17 pics. RIFT_003.jpg (JPEG Image, 1024 × 683 pixels) A u d r e y * k a w a s a k i. Disturning-photo.jpg (JPEG Image, 500 × 414 pixels) Nwoehnl-m8VDrqaU7No-hd.jpg (JPEG Image, 1624x1080 pixels) - Scaled (59%)
Meduses_dorees_Richard_Hermann_H.jpg (JPEG Image, 2184 × 1456 pixels) - Scaled (47%) Nwoehnl-m8VDrqaU7No-hd.jpg (JPEG Image, 1624x1080 pixels) - Scaled (59%) 20070526161918_img_4575_resize.jpg (JPEG Image, 691 × 459 pixels) Incredible Wildlife Photography. Wildlife — By Stephanie on January 11, 2010 at 10:58 am Canada goose protects her young Ever have one of those moments when you think to yourself, "Boy, I wish I had my camera?!"
Well, you can enjoy the good fortune of the photographers who were not empty handed when they shot these amazing animal pictures. These high-speed images are treasures that tell stories we rarely get to see – let alone capture – in stunning detail. Another World on Photography Served. Mcnaught3_kemppainen_big.jpg (JPEG Image, 1744 × 600 pixels) - Scaled (81. 101 - Women. Beautiful Portraits of Strangers. Beautiful Portraits of Strangers Danny Santos II is a weekend photographer who likes to shoot strangers in the streets of Singapore.
He's been shooting street for about 2 years now. 306205_detail.jpg (JPEG Image, 1150 × 863 pixels) - Scaled (80%) Inquirer.jpg (JPEG Image, 1200 × 851 pixels) - Scaled (81%) 8slcqru2gqb14s6tzia8qjgbjf4yb51ohoh9rbsl.jpg (JPEG Image, 600 × 600 pixels)
Surreal-beach. Funny pictures of animals (9 PICS) 350+ Free Textures. Get the FlatPix UI Kit for only $7 - Learn More or Buy Now 17 scratched and scraped textures grab bag 40 random free textures 14 free high res slate textures Aqueous Sun Texture Pack Volume 1 (50)
3003407.jpg (JPEG Image, 1000 × 667 pixels) Moonlight.jpg (JPEG Image, 1920 × 1080 pixels) 90 Incredible Drawings and Pencil Illustrations. Eerie yet Stunning Pictures of Chile's Volcanic Hell on Earth. Most Amazing Sand Sculptures. Most Amazing Sand Sculptures Anyone who has ever been to the beach has probably tried to sculpt a simple sand structure of some sort.Well leave it to the pros, because we have some great sand sculpture pictures listed below. 36 Comments: rachael said...
I've tried making sandcastles before.. Explorations with space : cole rise. 54817_0_1008x803.jpg (JPEG Image, 1008x803 pixels) - Scaled (86%) 50 Images from National Geographic`s 2010 Photo Contest. This is one of the most anticipated annual photo contests.
The deadline for the submissions is on November 30th so if you have an interesting photo, submit it. Below you can see 50 images collected from different categories. Andrej Belic / Undersea Photography / Unterwasserfotografie. AT-110805-colorful-ants-03.photoblog600.jpg (JPEG Image, 600x442 pixels) The 50 Best Animal Photos Of 2011. Japanese graphic design from the 1920s-30s.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Japan embraced new forms of graphic design as waves of social change swept across the nation.
This collection of 50 posters, magazine covers and advertisements offer a glimpse at some of the prevailing tendencies in a society transformed by the growth of modern industry and technology, the popularity of Western art and culture, and the emergence of leftist political thought. "Buy Domestic! " poster, 1930 [+] Picks the Best Viral Photos of 2011. Spontaneous snapshots.
Intimate moments. Unexpected exposures. There was no one formula for this year's most viral photographs. Most were based on news events, such as the death of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi—but these photos ended up becoming the news themselves. Awesome pictures from around the world. Someone sent me these in a chain email, it was horribly formatted.
I also do not know who made the comments, or how accurate they are. I take zero credit in the pictures, I just wanted to compile them nicely for all to see. The world's highest chained carousel, located in Vienna, the height of 117 meters. Popular posts this day. Best Reuters Pictures of 2011 (22 pics. The 45 Most Powerful Images Of 2011. Big cats photography {Part 2} All That Is Interesting - Part 10. RARE: Portraits of America's Endangered Species « Joel Sartore. Rare: Portraits of America's Endangered Species features portraits of some of the country's most imperiled creatures from whooping cranes to wolves. Some of them are likely to go extinct without people ever knowing they existed. Rare shows what we stand to lose if we don't act now. Conserving Africa's Wildlife Through Photography. How often do we see exquisite imagery of animals that isn't a "When Animals Attack" special?
Photographer Nick Brandt says, "The emphasis has generally been on capturing the drama of wild animals IN ACTION, on capturing that dramatic single moment, as opposed to simply animals in the state of being. " I agree with Brandt and appreciate his stunning contributions to wildlife photography. The native Londoner first discovered the beauty of Africa's majestic creatures sprawled out on the breathtakingly unaltered landscapes in 1995, when he was still making music videos, practicing his formal training in film. It was in 2000 that that he shifted his medium of choice to photography. _ii_.. GGB-DayFog.jpg (JPEG Image, 1282x855 pixels) - Scaled (75%) Photo Awards 2011 - Voting. Most Beautiful Lakes in Canadian Rockies. Yokai_jiten_2_large.jpg (JPEG Image, 1000x712 pixels) - Scaled (90%) Launch_vernacotola.jpg (JPEG Image, 1009x768 pixels) - Scaled (83. Hang-en-cave-vietnam_32754. 4365489343_012a666186_b.jpg (JPEG Image, 1024x683 pixels) - Scaled (94.
Mwcliffs_vetter_2000.jpg (JPEG Image, 2000x1219 pixels) - Scaled (50. Rune guneriussen. WISE2011-022-lg.jpg (JPEG Image, 1600x1309 pixels) - Scaled (49%) 20110615TLEKotsiopoulos.jpg (JPEG Image, 1296x864 pixels) - Scaled (74. IC1848-HST-1200.jpg (JPEG Image, 1200x1200 pixels) - Scaled (53%) 3D_Fantasy_Places_HD_-0035. 1143a. 25 Best Photos from Wikipedia. We all know what wikipedia is, so here i got some best images from wikipedia today which came after careful selection and long voting process, finally lucky people became the winners of the photo contest, for which community members voted Wikipedia Commons. Take a look its cool & interesting…. 1. Luke Viato "Lock Belay" 2. Amazing Mystery Photographer Comes To Fame After Her Death. 35+ stunning photographs of the night. Icevolcano_fulle_big.jpg (JPEG Image, 1500x1000 pixels) - Scaled (64.
I got 5 on it and Disney princesses tattoos – 11 awesome illustrations by Telegrafixs. Panavia Tornado F3 Aircraft Pictures. Orgues volcaniques / Organ volcanic by Eric VOLTO. The cynics are right nine times out of ten. Concept Art: Spectacular - The Heist - 3D, Concept art, Photoshop. Powerful weather conditions photography {Part 2} Extreme Instability, Scary weather and incredible shots [37 pics. Extreme Instability: Nebraska Sand Hills Monster Supercell Storm Very intense high precipitation supercell storm moves south in the Nebraska Sand Hills south of Valentine, July 13, 2009.
Very low, long and fat inflow cloud stretches east of the storm. Winds gusted upwards of 60+ mph into this storm. Pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope was deployed from the Space shuttle Discovery during STS-31 on April 25, 1990. Since then, there have been 5 servicing missions that continued to upgrade the telescope's scientific instruments and operational systems. Hubble reached a major milestone, its 20th anniversary in orbit, on April 24, 2010. Hubble imagery has both delighted and amazed people around the world and has rewritten astronomy textbooks with its discoveries.
The Stunning Glasswinged Butterfly. Olympic National Park: One of the wildest places left in the USA [36 PICS] 100 Beautiful Examples Of Photo Manipulation. 15 Places To Download Free High Quality Stock Photos. 26 Beautiful Handpicked Color Palettes. Elf Picture by Stanislav Lord_Lambert. Waterfall and pool at the base of Wapama falls. Yosemite National Park. 228.jpg (JPEG Image, 1280x800 pixels) - Scaled (78%) Rimantas Bikulcius - Туманные мечты. Double Exposure Portraits. Amazing reflection photography. 387352_1303402509_large.jpg (JPEG Image, 1480x984 pixels) - Scaled (65.


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Today, Stacey Lukas helps us open up and embrace a sensitive, but timely topic, as we interview two gay men living in Kansas City. One who is raising his three children as a single father, and putting them through parochial school. The other is a young man who is out of high school and preparing for college. We discuss the differences and simillarities of their stories, and what it's like to be gay in Kansas City. Plus more fun with Duane, Rachel and Stacey.
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Loko (21 May, 2009)
What is pagerank?
PageRank is a link analysis algorithm used by the Google Internet search engine that assigns a numerical weighting to each element of a hyperlinked set of documents, such as the World Wide Web, with the purpose of "measuring" its relative importance within the set. The algorithm may be applied to any collection of entities with reciprocal quotations and references. The numerical weight that it assigns to any given element E is also called the PageRank of E and denoted by PR(E).
Source: Wikipedia.Org
PageRank Technology: PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.
PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page's importance.
Source: Google.Com
The best source to understand and learn things about pagerank I found is this website.
What can we discuss in this thread?
A lot of things can be discussed in this thread, when there should be a new PR update, when the pagerank updated, how important it is to have backlinks with a high Pagerank and so on!
Terms that might be used in this thread (for newbies):
SEO: Search Engine Optimization
PR: Pagerank
Have fun reading this thread, I hope some valuable info will be posted that might help other people!
|Nico Lawsons
Loko (21 May, 2009)
I'll start with a first comment, as that's why I made this thread (I have a question). Does somebody know when the next PR update will be, I thought the last one was February so the next one should be in June if I'm correct?
What do you NetBuilders think?
|Nico Lawsons
IMO no body knows when will be the next update, the last was in April, generally it is after three months.
As far as I have read, the next update is going be somewhere around June end or July first week!
It that's true then you can expect some ups and downs by Mid July
Since last 6 months or so, pagerank is fluctuating. It happens anytime.. Some of my sites and blogs had their PRs up and down a week back. Pagerank is uncertain since last few months.
It depends upon quality and number of backlinks achieved over certain time, as far I have an experience.
SEO girl...
An interesting fact about pagerank:
Full article with a lot more information here: Seo tutorial - seo recommendations - seo tips - practical seoEach page has a real PageRank value known only to Google. To derive a displayed PageRank range for their ToolBar, they use a logarithmic scale as shown in this table
Real PR ---> ToolBar PR
1-10 ---> 1
10-100 ---> 2
100-1000 ---> 3
1000-10.000 ---> 4
This shows that the PageRank ranges displayed on the Google ToolBar are not all equal. It is easy, for example, to increase PageRank from one to two, while it is much more difficult to increase it from six to seven.
Aquarezz (18 May, 2009)
I have always liked PageRank Explained with Bright Colours.
Submit Your Webmaster Related Sites to the NB Directory
I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.
Aquarezz (24 May, 2009)
Pagerank got updated today! ProxB.Com now went from PR3 (that I got in one month) to PR4 (after 3 months)
That seems to be great, now the only thing I want is ProxB to get better in search engines
|Nico Lawsons
So when do you expect the next Page Rank update now?
Need to gear up and pull my socks now.. (Opps I am not wearing any )


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How Lu Verne Residents Watch TV
At CableTV.com we love TV. Here are a few tidbits we know about it and Lu Verne, IA. A third of the U.S. population owns four or more TVs. Did you know that even though roughly half of Americans stream video online, 97% of us still watch broadcast television? Around 72% of Americans are now bundling their cable services with high-speed Internet subscription. With a population of 264 in Lu Verne, that boils down to 87 Lu Verne residents with a multitude of televisions, 127 who stream video, 256 with a cable-ready TV, and 190 people with bundled cable contracts.


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Team Cycling Fiends @ The Cycle for Life for Cystic Fibrosis by Team Cycling Fiends - Cycle for Life for Cystic Fibrosis - 5 months ago
"Greetings, We had a wonderful experience working with CustomInk and were very happy with our team t-shirts. This Saturday, September 20th, our team participated in the Cycle for Life for Cystic F..." view full details
Village Cycle Center Cycle for Life by CathyRae3 - over 2 years ago
"This is the Village Cycle Center team from Chicago cycling to support the Cystic Fibrosis foundation. It was a bicycle ride that took place in hilly Geneva, Illinois. Approximately 200 riders raise..." view full details
Cycle for Life Team by Pacu Pedalers - over 4 years ago
"We recently formed a team in the Post Anesthesia Care unit at Tufts Medical Center, Boston to participate in a charity ride for the children;s cancer center. We ordered Team T's form Custom ink and..." view full details
Cycle for Life by Jimmy's Team - over 4 years ago
"My brother-in-law works for Floating Hospital, which is part Tufts Medical Center. He works in the Pediatric Heme-Onc department (Pediatric Cancer Center) of the hospital. Floating Hospital was t..." view full details


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What does PAEC mean in Governmental?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand PAEC in the field in general and in the Governmental terminology in particular.
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
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"PAEC." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2015. <http://www.abbreviations.com/term/579441>.
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text:
For Durga puja this year, south Indian temples have been replicated in Kolkata
The Lakshmi Narayan temple at Sripuram in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, is just across the street from the Madurai Meenakshi temple and some distance further south, one can cross the border into Kerala and see the Kalamandalam in Thrissur.
These spiritual and cultural identities of the South have been brought to life for the residents of Kolkata during the Durga Puja festival.
The Durga Puja break is perfectly suited to many city residents to satisfy their wanderlust. In recent years, hundreds of spectators have started going around long before the festival began, but the crowds swelled outside pandals as 'Maha Ashtami' was celebrated on Monday.
One of the pandals that witnesses the highest footfall every year, Ekdalia Evergreen in southern Kolkata sought inspiration from the Lakshmi Narayan temple or Golden Temple. The shimmering gold of the original façade has been replicated in thermocol, but the deity within is not Mahalakshmi.
A short walk away is Singhi Park, where the organisers have been inspired by the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple. The main pandal is shaped like the 'gopuram' of the temple even if it cannot match its dizzying heights. The ornamentation of the idols of Durga and her four children are inspired by the artwork of south Indian temples.
Not too far away, the pandal of the Lake Garden People's Association has not only tried to recreate the architecture of Kalamandalam, but also brought in traditional drummers from Thrissur to accompany your walk through its premises.
But south Indian temples are not the only items on the itinerary — puppet shows from Rajasthan, dragons and lanterns from China and inspirations from the Akshardham in Gujarat have all been interwoven into the 'themes' this season.
A trend that began in the 1990s, pandals worked around a particular subject — exotic or abstract — have become the biggest crowd-pullers of the festive season.
Conceptualising a pandal around a theme has now trickled down to smaller localities. A 10-minute walk away from the big-budget fares at Ekdalia and Singhi Park is a small pandal that is inspired by ghosts. Step into the pandal and the visitors are plunged into a room that is pitch-dark with the glowing 'ghostly' eyes peering down at you. Besides the eerie sounds playing in the background, visitors pitch in with their own contributions.
A narrow passage leads to the main idol, but Mahishasura is no longer being speared by the Goddess. The demon is dead — a ghost himself — and the cycle is complete.


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CNU Salons
London Transportation Summit to Offer Program on Contemporary International Street Design
Submitted by tbellino on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 1:48pmAs part of CNU's 2007 Transportation Summit in London, there will be a comparison of three different street design manuals from three different countries: The United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In addition to providing new and valuable information, the program can count as AIA Continuing Education Credits.
McKibben on Global Warming, and (New) Urbanism
Submitted by mackean on Sun, 09/30/2007 - 11:48pmBill McKibben's recent reviews from the New York Review of Books suggest New Urbanism's potential role in the fight against global warming.
Austin, Texas Emerges as America's Greenest Big City
Submitted by tbellino on Fri, 09/28/2007 - 12:55pmIn a recent Chicago Tribune front page article, writer Howard Witt details the Texas capital's rigourous efforts to curb climate change and set an example for cities around the world.
The grand design for Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront: Help Philadelphians reconnect with their river.
Submitted by Michael McAteer on Mon, 09/24/2007 - 6:07pmThe plan's biggest idea - and easily the most controversial - is the Penn Praxis recommendation to march the city's street grid right down to the river. In voicing his strong support,Democratic mayoral nominee Michael Nutter calls for "a more urban, Philadelphia-style feeling along the water."
Call for Submissions: Connecting Active Living Research to Policy Solutions
Submitted by crandell on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 1:51pmActive Living Research forwarded CNU the following announcement. New Urbanism has a lot to contribute to the public health discussion, so if you're doing relevant research, please consider sharing it with ALR.
The Camden NJ Regional Equity Demonstration Project - Rutgers University
Submitted by Michael McAteer on Sat, 09/15/2007 - 11:12pmAfter 50 years of continuous and accelerating job loss, population flight, propertymarket
decline, plummeting municipal revenues, and civic collapse, Camden has embarked on a
land-redevelopment process of unprecedented proportions, initiated by a state takeover of the city's municipal functions, Ambitious plans are under way or in the pipelineCivic Engagement in Camden, New Jersey
Obesity-Walkability-New Urbanism Link
Submitted by crandell on Thu, 09/13/2007 - 10:51amIt seems more and more studies these days are making the connection between the built environment and health, and pointing to the challenge we face in improving our communities.
Two recent news stories are a case in point. One covers a study that found a link between gas prices and obesity. Higher gas prices encourage walking and alternative transportation. But another covered a study that exposed a lack of walking amenities in communities. So what do people do when it gets too expensive to drive, but walking, biking, and transit aren't options?
SNU Congress I
Submitted by erfurt4 on Thu, 09/13/2007 - 6:17amTo anyone interested in the first Students for New Urbanism Conference:
This post is to notify you about the first Students for New Urbanism Congress
to be held this October at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
Campbell Soup plan challenged again. Campbell Soup deadline to resolve; this Friday, Sept.14.
Submitted by Michael McAteer on Wed, 09/12/2007 - 11:36pmFiled in the Appellate Division of Superior Court, the suit is the fifth challenge to the proposed expansion of Campbell Soup Co.'s world headquarters here.
Cities Key to Curbing Climate Crisis
Submitted by crandell on Tue, 09/11/2007 - 9:34amAs New Urbanism grows in popularity and programs like LEED-ND start to take off, more people are paying attention to the natural environmental benefits of urbanism...
The Urban Revival


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3 posts found | |
so i was recently banned for 3 days due to flaming. im wondering is there a difference between flaming and trolling? i always thought it was the same thing but is flaming when you do it at another person or somehing? long story short this guy was trolling like everyone does on this site about a game that hasnt come out yet and isnt even in beta yet. i decided to post in a sarcastic way listing everything HE did. i did not make up anything this guy actaully did and said those things. i feel like this site protects all the haters and trolls because they do literally nothing but post on here 24/7, they remind me of the republican tea party, small group but have the largest voices so whatever they say goes. i can see why mmorpg wont ban them for trolling since the site would be pretty empty of topics but do they need to ban those who troll the trolls? if someone starts something they should get what they deserve, thats what i feel is wrong with this country. people have no morals and get a free pass to say or do whatever they want with no backlash when they are clearly wrong. im all for people giving their "opinion" but when you are hating for no reason thats just pathetic and you guys really need to look yourself in the mirror and ask why am i being a hater? why can i just not click the link of the thing i hate and click something that i like and put my opinion there? why do i dod this? why does my brain tell me this is ok? do i want to be a real man or woman? or do i want to be a pathetic boy/girl for the rest of my life with nothing better to do? do i want to be that person who acts tough behind a keyboard and not in the real world? get some morals and live by a code people, their was a time when there was more real people in the world than fake. that time is long gone and idk how it happened. "Is being real hard? I wouldnt say its hard, but being fake is too easy."
Flaming: Making hateful remarks directed at a person or group. Trolling: Posting in a way to bait negative replies. Flaming is directly insulting another whereas trolling is posting hoping to get flamed. Bren while(horse==dead) |
Originally posted by Brenelael gotcha thanks man |


text: The Texas Tech University Institutional Review Board works primarily with social and behavioral research protocols. Figure 1 displays the distribution of 2013 protocols in Full Board, Expedited, Exempt, Amendments, Terminated and External categories. Figure 2 highlights active protocols in 2013 within each of the colleges at Texas Tech University. Figures 3 and 4 provide a breakdown of the larger number of protocols into departments within certain colleges.


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Introducing leggings. You'll never run out of inspiration.
Laminated prints available here
Poster prints available here
Greeting cards and postcards available here
Framed prints available here
Canvas prints available here
down by the riverside
this is a pencil drawing on paper, created in my A2 acid free art diary, it's been photographed and painted in photoshop with a wacom pen and tablet. Creation took 2 sittings, the drawing takes approximately 4 hours, the painting was a 9 hour sitting. In all, this piece required around 13 hours to complete.
the song above by Obél is one of my favourites
deer, doe, christmas card, peace, harmony, sweet, characters, cute, karin, taylor, country, countryside, children, fairytale, kids, decor, vintage, retro, nursery, new baby, babies, baby, welcome, christening, baptism, girls, boys, summer, river, down by the riverside, riverside, butterfly, butterflies, animals, couple, love, brother, sister, mothers day, valentines day, valentine, girl, gifts for her, fun, new mum, twins, two, childhood, innocence, story
Copyright Notice
All rights reserved © Karin Taylor 1965 – 2013*
Contact email firstname.lastname@example.com*
These images are the exclusive property of myself, Karin Taylor and are protected under the Australian and International Copyright laws. These images must not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of myself, Karin Taylor.
Awesome work Karen. must have taken ages to complete this amazing scene.
HI Don, thanks so much, it's been a long day but i enjoyed every moment working on this, it has touched my heart in a way I can't express. I feel so fond of it …really appreciate your lovely response :)
– © Karin Taylor
so sweet karin-and your signature little bird-just lovely xx
thanks so very much Holly, I'm so happy you like it and saw the little birdie too! xx
– © Karin Taylor
Love all the soft pastels you're using at the moment Karin. Gorgeous subjects too!
Thank you so much Mel, this was so much bolder in colour during the painting process, but I'm very much toning them down as I go, the pastels just somehow seem much more appropriate, tho i love bold colours too :) xx
– © Karin Taylor
Really sweet, great work
thank you so much Michelle, i'm so pleased you like it :)
– © Karin Taylor
how adorable,
the colours are earthy and beautiful
sigh I so want to frolic :) xxx
thank you so much dear Lisa … hehe…and frolic you shall xxx :)))
– © Karin Taylor
well, what do i say kt..this is so lovely…it has a slightly different feel, and the more subdued colours give it real childlike, dreaminess. i imagine picking up an old nursery rhyme book from my childhood and seeing something just like this inside. really wonderful.
aw, thank you lk…so pleased you like it, and i take that as a very special compliment too :) cf's :)
– © Karin Taylor
Gorgeous creation Karin! Takes me back to childhood story books – Wind in the Willows and Bambi all rolled into one! x :o)
Marilyn, so good to see you, i'm so glad it had that effect on you and lk…cool!!!!! hugs xox
– © Karin Taylor
Absolutely adorable- it reminds me of retro children's stories when childhood was all innocent & magical. Love it soooooooo much xox
aw Anita, thank you so much, that's a wonderful compliment for me, i take it to my heart…xox
– © Karin Taylor
Such a wonderful feeling of innocence, peace and harmony radiating from this… Mmm… just what I needed to see! Beautiful work Karin. xx :)
Thanks so much dear Cianna Rose, your comments always uplift me and leave me refreshed and smiling, big hugs xox
– © Karin Taylor
Cute animals. :)
Thank you very very much Dominika :)))
– © Karin Taylor


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Windseasons (Choral Suite)
Windseasons (Choral Suite) composed by Audrey Snyder. For Choral (3-Part Mixed). Choral. Festival. 40 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.8744631).
Comprised of four movements, one for each season, this suite is perfect for either 3-Part Mixed or SAB groups. Wonderful text-painting and a well-crafted accompaniment combine to make a magical journey through the year. Includes: Winter Storm, Breath of Spring, Sweet Summer Breeze, and The Autumn Reel. Performance time (if performed as a choral suite): Approx. 10:40.