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Your Attention Dictates Your Experience

Here are some beautiful excerpts from Penney Peirce's "Leap of Perception: The Transforming Power of Your Attention"

“The transformation process is not an all-at once thing that blows you out of the water. There are many small shifts, and each one takes some getting used to; you’re basically un-learning a long-standing habit and relearning a new one.

“…Most of us are used to living with suppressed fear, in denial, as a sort of make-do comfort level. We use strong fixed beliefs, opinions, and habits, as cover-ups so we never have to feel our core rage, panic, and pain; we just live in our head on autopilot.

“But this is not possible anymore. The transformation process evolves your consciousness from fear to love.

“That means you have to dissolve the fears and heal the emotional wounds that are in the way-by understanding them. And that means you have to face them, feel them, and decode them, which most of us dread.

“Each time an intensified wave of acceleration rolls through you, it dislodges low-frequency consciousness-and-energy or suppressed fear from your subconscious mind. 

“Needless to say, you may experience varying forms of discomfort!…You may try and push it all back down in the substrata with various flight or flight behaviors…”

“The effort of avoiding and resuppressing subconscious blocks eventually wears you out, and the exhaustion can make you feel disillusioned, unmotivated and hopeless…You are at the turning point. The last gasp of the negative path to transformation is when you’re finally so tired of resisting and controlling, and so overwhelmed by complexity, that you stop; there is nothing more you can do…”

“You’re forced by the process to simply be with what’s happening- to be with yourself and with the fears and the pain. You must experience the state you are directly in without voting on it or having to act.

“By simply ‘being with’ Life and ‘letting things be’ as they are, you return to an experience of your own ‘being’ -your soul- which was always present under the distractions.

“This is when you engage with silence and enter the nonphysical reality. And this is when your intuition opens.

“Now your soul can shine through shedding light on everything. Revelations emerge.

“Understanding and compassion dissolve the fears. There is release, relief and a return to joy. You feel so much better!

“This is the turning point in the transformation process-when the fixed mind surrenders and precipitates a huge expansion in the consciousness of the heart, body, unified filed, and the wise evolutionary Flow.”

   ~Penney Peirce from Leap of Perception: The Transforming Power of Your Attention

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Sitting Beside Beauty

  [[ Image by Misma Andrews]]

 I'm driving through the quiet slopes of the foggy Richmond District, returning home after an evening yoga class. For some company on my lone drive, I decide to listen to an episode of a podcast called Meet the Composer in which host Nadia Sirota interviews both emerging and prolific classical composers, asking them about the nuances of their daily lives, their spiritual visions, and world views. In this particular episode, Nadia interviews a reclusive composer named John Luther Adams who lives on the edges of society, tucked in a cabin in Alaska. John, a native New Jerseyan started playing music as a guitarist in a Beatles/Birds/Beach Boys cover band. He attempted several careers before his profound impact on modern classical music was made. After much upheavel during his studies, trial and error compositions, and career refractions, John began to let go of his attachment to his idea of what it meant to be a composer. John began to focus less on the details and polishings of his musical compositions and more on what was, as he describes it: "lost in translation".

   It was his relinquishing of what was to be expected in his soundscapes that brought forth his richer, more in depth exploration of the entire spectrum of sound he was working with. In one composition, John decided to track the various melodies, frequencies, and patterns in bird calls and bird songs and then transcribe these sonic gestures into musical arrangements for full orchestra. He would visit with nature, sit, listen, and jot down what he heard without any precision. It was in this process of intuitively translating what he had heard in the outdoors, that he created a piece of music so vastly understood.

  After listening to this interview on my misty drive home this evening, I am reconsidering and evaluating the ways in which I strive for so much meaning and control in everything I manipulate in my creative practices. I have much appreciation for the meticulous and tedious work that is often done in music production. Though, I wonder how a less measured, less linear, less structured approach to creating art would impact how its message is received. As John said, it is what is lost in translation that often connects us all. Nature cannot recall our names, yet artists strive till death to articulate its beauty. Let us all try to simply sit beside the beauty while we work. 

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On this Super Moon: Trust Your Inner Teacher

    [Image by Beth Hoeckel]

To consider myself a student of Life has always been my intuitive nature. Through my yoga practice, I have easily glided into the role of a learner, a listener, and a spartan doer. While moving through asanas without thoughts and while listening to guided suggestions for alignment of my vertebrae, hips, and joints, I have cultivated a strong ability to do as I am told. When executed with understanding, knowledge, and compassion, the role of the teacher presents the student an opportunity to grow. Without the commitment and faith of my teachers, I would not have cultivated a commitment to myself. Now, nearing my 30th year of life in this body, I have been accosted by my subconscious fear of sitting comfortably as an independent learner: a self-trusting student and self-initiated yogi practitioner. Is it time to be my own teacher?

   As my daily schedule has shifted into a more demanding routine, I have begun to reconsider my weekly commitments, along with my approach to learning new things. For most of my twenties, I solely confided in the knowledge and sagacious words of others to help guide my career decisions. As a musician in New York, I sought comfort in collaboration, discussion, and questioning of my creative choices. I believe this form of growing served me at the most felicitous moments. And now, here I am, arrested by my own psychoanalysis, seeing symbols of shifts and change mirrored in my daily encounters and conversations: It is time to be my own teacher. It is time to wholly trust the Self. I have studied astutely with other musicians, and I have listened to my gurus in yoga class. It is time to hear what my own body, mind, and soul have to say. 

   What will my creative projects sound like in a year? At what hour will I rise for yoga practice? As I surrendered to the words and guidance of beloved mentors, gurus, and creative partners, I surrender, now, to the will of my Highest Self. I am petrified, but I think this is a good sign. 

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Reiki: The Essence & A Practice

Rei  : universal essence or force

Ki: nonphysical energy  

Put together, Reiki can be defined as a universal force, the essence of all things, which exists in the form of energy. If we wanted to use this term in the context of yoga philosophy, we could refer to Reiki as Prana, or the Life Force existing in all, which is the essence of Purusha, Self. When using the term Reiki, one may be referring to the healing practice of balancing this energy or to the energy itself. This innate vital force and ancient practice may seem esoteric to some, though, the act of giving Reiki is often times a preternatural experience. It is in our nature to want to heal others through the warmth of our hands and hearts. I thought I would share a bit of the history of Reiki, my own experience practicing Reiki, and shed some light on this beautiful healing mystery for use and application in our daily lives. 

The healing practice was created in the 1920's by a man named Mikao Usui while on Mount Kurama, northwest of Kyoto, Japan. The practice emphasizes the subtle healing powers of the hands being placed over different parts of the patient. Usui's teachings emphasize the balancing of body, mind, spirit, and emotions. The practice serves to rebalance the body as a whole, rather than to specifically focus on a certain area. Thus, when receiving a Reiki treatment, all aspects of the body will begin to rebalance and gain equilibrium, and as a result, serve as a healing benefit for any specific physical or nonphysical ailment one feels. The main goal of Reiki practice is to restore balance in the gentlest way possible.

Scientific studies help elucidate the subtle benefits of Reiki practice. Reiki may aid the normal functioning of one's digestive system, improve sleep, lower stress, reduce anxiety and depression, strengthen creativity, balance one's hormonal/endochrine system, and improve one's overall sense of well-being. The power in Reiki practice is that it will never override any other therapy; it will only serve you for your Highest Good. There is a saying: no one ever leaves a yoga class regretting they did it. I would have to say the same about Reiki.

I was exposed to the healing practice of Reiki at a very young age. My mother, a Reiki Master, would often offer me healing sessions to help ease my cumbersome teenage insecurities...In 2012, I received Level 1 Certification from Jennifer Brinn in the Usui System of Reiki and have since then received Level 2 training from my mother, a Master Teacher in the same Usui method. My own Reiki practice focuses on healing through the chakra system with the aid of crystalline solids and gentle pranayama. I invite you to consider what the Reiki practice might do for your own balancing of Reiki energy and Prana!

[Image by Beth Hoeckel]

                                             The Reiki Precepts

"Just for today, do not anger. Just for today, do not worry. With gratitude, work diligently, and be kind to others." 

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Understanding the Narratives of Others

   ”When you tell someone’s story, that’s something precious, and you have to take care of it.”   

[“Frenzy” painting by Beth Hoeckel]

   As I approach the commencement of a culturally-sculpted milestone decade called “The 30’s”, I consider the inevitable implications this new age will bring forth regarding my financial and life responsibilities. Yet, more subtly and more importantly, there exist implications of embracing a more abstract and less tangible mindset of compassion and openness.

   Since returning home to my native land of northern California, I’ve been exposed to a greater, more varying social pool of humankind, outside of the musical micro-community that is New York City. I understand that people have different stories to tell, careers to strive for, and perspectives to share. Admittedly, It has been quite the challenge for me to begin to cultivate an openness to variety and believe in the power of compassion rather than firmly gripping on to the ego of my twenties. Here, nearing 30, I consider that number the symbol of compassion; It is a potent occasion available to us to practice the ancient arts of letting go, opening up, and receiving.

   In order for us to understand our own capacity, we must understand the narratives of others. As I abandon a fantasy that I was once naively reverent to and easily shared with all of my neighboring artists, I walk into a land and space where many different kinds of goals exist. Many different kinds of ideas and perspectives are all worthy of an artistic portrait. And it is in listening, opening, and holding a space for these ideas to be shared, that I realize my former fantasy can be so much more. We deserve something other than our former selves, and we can only grow into our greatest potential if we are able to hold the space for each other and understand that we each have a story to tell. 

[“Sash” Painting by Beth Hoeckel]

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On This New Moon: Relinquish your need to be.

At the advent of this summer season, I spend contemplative hours in the warm, afternoon light, observing the subtleties of my blooming garden. I notice details; my lavender and kale sprout about a centimeter more every 7-10 days. Deer come on mornings when dew is still felt and temperatures remain below the 70's. It's getting warmer here, and I'm enjoying it all.

  At times I question what is superfluous and irrelevant to the development of a higher Self. The mind often desires to define his/her self as any one identity when lost in seas of social-ring conversations and casual pleasantries. There is so much to see in this world, and there is so much to be felt. We hinder the expansion of our higher capacity when socially captive. As our addiction to technology and society rapidly accelerates and begins to affect our physiology more grossly, it behooves us to disconnect and relinquish our working identities. More importantly, we must relinquish our need to talk about these identities. The work will never get done this way. We will never be able to hear our connection to each other and our higher selves amidst the chatter. 

  You are doing just fine. You are Perfect. No one but the bees need hear of your work, your letters, and effort. This fecund Earth feels and recognizes your steps, your might, and your tenacity. Quiet down, sweet minds. Listen, and watch your garden grow. 

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On This New Moon : Honor Your Whole Self & Keep Going

  [ Art by Beth Hoeckel]

    It seems as though the human condition is designed so that we are predestined to encounter the same challenges time and time again. Throughout a lifetime, one human may champion a fear, continue linearly for some time while accumulating a seemingly reliable sense of self-awareness and confidence, begin to share this knowledge and strength with others in need, celebrate the awareness of this knowledge, and soon, indubitably, be presented the same challenge and yet have misplaced his/her conscious tools and greater awareness of how to face the familiar situation with more grace and understanding. Failure. Defeat. Not good enough. Oh, the things we tell ourselves.

   It is my firm belief that this characteristic of the human condition - our capacity to fall - is one of the strongest survival traits we have as a species. What if our tendencies to forget, shut down, and feel defeated are not signs of weakness, but, rather, our reminders that we need each other in order to keep going? Reminders that we cannot control the world. Reminders that the best is only what we have in front of us. Reminders that our past, our lows, and our fears are a part of our whole, perfect selves. Reminders that in order to move forward in this lifetime, we have to be able to fall together, time and time again. 

   Once we open up the space in our hearts for our own mistakes and misunderstandings, we can greet the unknown with compassion, forgiveness, and a willingness to keep going. On this new moon, let us move forward as our whole, essential selves. Invite your past to walk beside you. Honor your mistakes. Praise your failures. Keep going. 

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To persevere with great grace and compassion is to invite and greet the knowing of the heart. 

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To Create Outside the Frame

   As an artist in my twenties, I always struggled with the inability to integrate my identity as an artist with the other parts of my life and social world. What did it mean to live as a musician? Did it mean I couldn't take on a different profession at the same time? Did it mean I had to stay out late with all the bands after a show in hopes of making one photo-worthy encounter? Did it mean I had to limit my social interactions to the realms of the music world? Or could I choose to explore and live out all of my wonderments through fearlessly saying yes to my other equally rewarding desires? In the past two years, I have begun to think more critically about the latter question, and I have begun to live out the questions without searching for the answers.

   We have a limited capacity to express ourselves creatively when we confine our constructs of what it is to be an "artist" to the social norms provided for us by the various industries pumping out and distributing OUR art. "You have to dive into the deep-end and scrape your knees," some would say. Or some might push you to believe, "You cannot be an artist and work in a different field at the same time." I invite you to consider the possibilities outside of this narrow vision. 

   If you could create your perfect art and live sustainably happy all at once, what would it look like? How would it feel? Would you be living the same way? What are you afraid to lose? Perhaps you would not choose to change anything. In that case, what a gift! I believe one of the greatest debilitations in cultivating and maintaining this holistic view of one's ideal life is the arbitrary decision made by society that we can only be one thing at any given time. And that one thing can only exist within a specific frame. Remember, this is entirely fabricated; Herein lies the illusion that we are unable to make a choice in making manifest how our creativity is expressed and sustained throughout our lifetime.

 It is only until recently that I have begun to create a life for myself that is whole, integrated, and satisfying. Consider this life the only opportunity you will have to remember your freedom. You have a free will to choose your life deliberately and consciously. It is our right as artists and as humans to express our vision when and how we choose. The choice is actually in your own hands. I invite you to create an authentic framework of what it is to be an artist. I invite you to step outside of the frame and live your own perfect picture. 

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To Cook Is To Nurture

I have spent the past few months transitioning into a new life, new environment, new house, new garden, and a new kitchen. With this transition, I have cultivated a strong desire to nurture Self and fulfill my intrinsic needs for warmth, bliss, and comfort. I have found no better way to satiate these needs than harvesting the herbs and vegetables from my new garden and celebrating the native flora of northern California in my kitchen every evening. 

Our beloved Sri K. Pattabhi Jois used to say that the sattvic nature we experience when practicing yoga could be experienced in our daily lives through simple-minded practices such as gardening, cleaning, and cooking. I have found great peace of mind and balance through the romances I have developed with my garden and oven!

Here is a simple and nurturing recipe for one of my favorite foods to help warm your bones during this change of season:

Tomatillo, Heirloom & Rosemary Cornbread

1.5 cups of organic cornmeal 

1/2 cup of organic brown rice flour

1 organic cage-free egg

1 cup of whole, organic milk

2 tbsps of raw honey

2 tbsps of organic ghee

2 tbsps of fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 cup of organic diced baby heirloom tomatoes

1/2 cup of organic diced tomatillos

1 tbsp of salt

1 tbsp of organic baking powder

--

~Preheat oven to 400˙ & glaze 10x8" (or similar) baking dish with ghee to prep.

~Sift flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. 

~In a saucepan, cook tomatoes, tomatillos, rosemary, ghee, and honey at medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously. 

~Add milk to the dry ingredients bowl. Mix in well-beaten egg. Lastly, add mixture from sauce-pan. Stir until well mixed and of pancake-batter consistency.

~Pour evenly into glazed baking dish, place in oven, and cook for 35-40 minutes until top is golden and sides are lightly browned. 

Enjoy this nurturing sattvic bread as a side dish with your favorite macro vegetable plate or for breakfast with some sweet nectar jam. 

You are a whole, light being. 

xo,

Chiara

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At 15, I nearly died of a stroke caused by severe anorexia. Yoga helped save my life. Help me conduct an evidence-based study on yoga for eating disorders.

"Yoga taught me how to be compassionate with my own body." Please help fund this necessary study so Chelsea Roff can prove of the tremendous power of yoga in healing body image, ultimately helping implement this more than valid form of therapy into mental illness rehabilitation programs. XOXO YES XOXO 

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Stress-Free Food : Eat Healthy & Avoid Stress

Stress, as a physical condition, is an infant among the human ailments recognized in western medicine. It is only in the past century that medical practitioners have acknowledged and diagnostically defined stress as both a mental and physiological condition. More importantly, it is only within the past few decades that medics have begun to attribute stress to causes outside of the socioeconomic realm. Studies now show us that stress is also, in fact, induced by the poor and insufficient ways we choose to fuel and nurture our bodies.

The quality of food that we give to ourselves is now proven to have a direct effect on our stress levels and by stress levels I mean the amount of stress hormones our body is emitting through our endocrine system. In turn, our stress levels have an effect on what food we choose to consume.

We have all repeatedly felt an unnerving overswell of "stress" from our jobs, interpersonal relationships, home, and social environments. We have also commonly perceived this stress as something intangible, psychological, and strictly of the mind. "I'm so stressed out," we say. "I just need to relax, have a drink, and stop worrying," we also say. But how many of us have ever said "I'm so stressed out. I feel my body telling me its out of balance. I think I may need to cut out all of the processed food, refined sugar, and coffee I've been supplementing my day with in order to feel better." Not very many people have said the latter, and it's hard to blame them! It indubitably becomes a challenge for one to listen to his/her own body's nutritional demands when the endocrine system is on overdrive, fueling out cortisol and norepinephrine hormones like an open fire hydrant. So, why are these hormones linked to our physiological/psychological symptoms of stress?  

Brendan Brazier, a professional Ironman athlete and author of the bold, inspiring, and wholly informative book, Thrive Foods, explains:

"Nutrition -whether good or bad- plays a role in the regeneration process. Nutrition can speed it or slow it, depending on the quality of food. The stress incurred from poor diet brings no gains. When the body doesn't get the biological building blocks - the nutrients - it needs to keep pace with cellular regeneration, it experiences nutritional stress. And the body reacts to nutritional stress just as it does to physical stress. The typical symptoms of stress begin to develop (general fatigue, difficulty sleeping, irritability, mental fog, and cravings for sugar and starchy food). Increased stress drives cortisol levels higher. The higher cortisol levels, the faster the symptoms of stress develop."

Brazier also states:

"Second only to overconsumption, the greatest reason for obesity in North America is that we are simply inundated with more stress than our adrenal glands can deal with in a sustainable and healthy manner... The reality is that work, family, and the other stressors in our lives are sometimes not within our control. Fortunately, what we choose to eat is. Therefore, we can have a commanding influence on our overall stress levels."

In order to combat the "stress" we experience in our working, social lives, we must begin to understand the stress as a biologically imbalanced state in the physical body. By recognizing and then attributing our physical symptoms of stress to nutrition we, in turn, become more in control of our daily lives, health, balance, and self-sustaining bliss. Stress does not begin or end without your permission.

"

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Here is a beautiful introduction to the wisdom embodied by the ancient greek goddess Sophrosyne, who inspired the philosophical term and lifestyle ideal I strive for today. 

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The Power of Turmeric

For at least 6,000 years the people of India have used turmeric as a daily nourisher and primary healing plant. In Hindu tradition it has been used as a devotional offering to the Sun. 

If I were to only take one supplement a day, it would be a daily cup of turmeric juice. It has been proven to reduce skin conditions, purify the blood, reduce risk of or existing tumors, and improve the heart, liver, and lungs.  This sacred root is also an analgesic, antibacterial, anti-allergic, antioxidant, astringent, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory. For women, it has been prescribed by ayurvedic practitioners for healthy uterus and the regulation of the reproductive system.

According to Prashanti Degager - a board member of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine:

 "Turmeric has hundreds of molecular constituents, each with a variety of biological activities. For instance, there are at least 20 molecules that are anti-biotic, 14 that are known cancer preventatives, 12 that are anti-tumor, 12 are anti-inflammatory and there are at least 10 different anti-oxidants. The list goes on and on, in fact I counted 326 known biological activities of Turmeric in one particular database. Like Rose, Turmeric is a veritable pharmacy in its own right, with literally hundreds of molecules and activities on its ‘shelves.’ This is also testimony to the use of whole herbs and not just isolated molecules...Turmeric has a broad spectrum of actions, mild but certain effects, and is beneficial for long term and daily usage."

Here is my recipe for a powerful turmeric juice you can enjoy once or twice a day:

  Boil 8 cups of water in a pot. When water has boiled turn off heat and add 1 tablespoon of whole cardamom, 3 tablespoons of turmeric powder, 2 tablespoons of fresh ground ginger, 3 tablespoons of honey, a pinch of sea salt, a pinch of cayenne. Let seep until cool. Strain and store in refrigerator. I prefer my juice to have more kick, but you can experiment with ratios to your own taste. Enjoy. 

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Kitchari Meal

Here is a very simple, traditional Indian recipe prescribed by most all Ayurvedic practitioners for it's sattvic (light, nurturing, balanced) qualities. A simple meal of kitchari at night helps stimulate the digestive system's removal of toxins, lubricates and nurtures the stomach lining, and is entirely satisfying! Enjoy a simple, blissful meal!

I like to use my pressure cooker for most meals. It makes the job easier, quicker, and preserves your ingredients' nutrients the most while at the lowest temperature. So, if you have a pressure cooker, start by cooking a 1/4 cup of raw soaked mung beans with 1 whole cup of water. Have the heat on high until the pressure button pops, and then cook on low for the remaining time. After 15 minutes, remove from heat, and let the pressure release. Add a 1/4 cup of organic, brown basmati rice. Add a pinch of himalayan sea salt, ground black pepper, and a teaspoon of each: coriander, ground mustard seeds, turmeric, and cumin. Add enough water so that it fills the pot about 2inches above the ingredients. Close lid, and cook again for another 25 minutes. Start the same way, and cook at high heat until pressure button pops (or beeps, however yours operates). Then cook at low heat until time up. Remove from heat, and let pressure drop naturally so that food is not overcooked. 

If you don't have a pressure cooker you can cook the same style in one pot. It will take a bit longer. Start with cooking a 1/4 cup of pre-soaked mung beans in 1.5 cups of water. Make sure the beans have been soaked overnight for at least 12 hours. Cook at high heat until water boils then cover with lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add more water, basmati rice, and ingredients the same way as stated above. Add a bit more water in this case so that water sits 4 inches above ingredients. Heat to boil and then simmer with lid for another 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

Best part: Stir in a tablespoon of organic goat ghee and enjoy warm. 

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Sri Yantra: We are the Microcosm of the Universe

A beautiful introduction to the Sri Yantra, the Mother yantra of all other yantras, taken from Tantra Kundalini: 

"Sri yantra, also known as Sri Chakra, is called the mother of all yantras because all other yantras derive from it. In its three dimensional forms Sri Yantra is said to represent Mount Meru, the cosmic mountain at the center of the universe.

The Sri Yantra is conceived as a place of spiritual pilgrimage. It is a representation of the cosmos at the macrocosmic level and of the human body at the microcosmic level (each of the circuits correspond to a chakra of the body).

Sri Yantra is first referred to in an Indonesian inscription dating to the seventh century C.E. It may have existed in India, its country of origin, long before the time of its introduction to Indonesia.

The Sri Yantra is a configuration of nine interlocking triangles, surrounded by two circles of lotus petals with the whole encased within a gated frame, called the "earth citadel". The nine interlocking triangles centered around the bindu (the central point of the yantra) are drawn by the superimposition of five downward pointing triangles, representing Shakti ; the female principle and four upright triangles, representing Shiva ; the male principle. The nine interlocking triangles form forty three small triangles each housing a presiding deity associated with particular aspects of existence.

Man's spiritual journey from the stage of material existence to ultimate enlightenment is mapped on the Sri Yantra. The spiritual journey is taken as a pilgrimage in which every step is an ascent to the center, a movement beyond one's limited existence, and every level is nearer to the goal. Such a journey is mapped in stages, and each of these stages corresponds with one of the circuits of which the Sri Yantra is composed from the outer plane to the bindu in the center.

The Sri Yantra is a tool to give a vision of the totality of existence, so that the adept may internalize its symbols for the ultimate realization of his unity with the cosmos.

The goal of contemplating the Sri Yantra is that the adept can rediscover his primordial sources. The circuits symbolically indicate the successive phases in the process of becoming."

  Draw Your Own!  Draw your own sacred Sri Yantra by following the numbered lines indicated in the figure below:

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What Are You Capable Of?

What are you capable of?

Do you know how you react under extreme circumstances?

How much will-power do you think you have?

How much will-power do you believe and know you have?

How do you behave when you see the worst of yourself in someone else?

Do you respond to life with compassion?

Do you take off all your hats at the end of the night?

Do you embrace the moment in it's totality?

Do you expect anything of others?

Is there a home for hope inside of you?

Do you realize that nothing matters?

Can you detach from the momentary, external pleasures fed to you by society?

Do you demand the best for yourself from your Self?

Are you able to say no when something no longer serves you?

Are you able to fearlessly say yes when something is presented to you?

Do you realize that sustained happiness comes from within?

Do you realize your Self?

Again, what are you capable of?

[[Photo by Beth Hoeckel]]