The Perfect Match

The meet on Friday the 13th was lovely! In spite of some fears, the India team seemed to really hit it off. The group is extremely eclectic and comprises amongst others Shalmali (an adventure tour guide), Sheema (a writer, stacker-of-backyard-with-tortoises, soul cook and collector of exceptionally ugly dogs), Abhishek (a spectacular coffee maker and cook who teaches finance in his off moments), Sharupa (a cat phobic film-maker, event manager, theatre artiste, spiritual healer, FUN person with a hugely calming aura), Anurupa (puppeteer, evangelist, collector of even more ugly dogs), Harmeet (entrepreneur with the most incredibly generous spirit), Yasmin (Fashion aficionado on crutches, good looking dog, cat and hamster collector, and sane, focused and soft-centered Gucci bag carrier), Rupinder (dedicated nutritionist), Leena (who is more “carbon footprint aware” than anyone I have met), Mr Mehra (engineer and salsa dancer), Sonia (yoga enthusiast and self- abnegating rotten cook), Monika (TV journalist, sniper at Esha and the print media, dedicated eradicator of plastic from her drawer and kitchen, and serious conscious living desirer) Saazid Singha (Organic farmer with a mooing cow as his mobile ring tone http://www.singhafarms.com/ ) and Geetanjali (travel writer and unconventional mom- when asked by her kids to get a pet, bought them a bug, box and a magnifying glass).

We are all meant to shine!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

- from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson.

Meditation found to benefit those suffering from chronic pain

From his blog, Dr John Briffa tells us:

"I’m a great believer in the power of the mind. And while I don’t practice meditation (in the formal sense) myself, I have always been impressed at how often regular meditators tell me what a difference it has made to their lives. Their testimonies usually report a sense of improved physical and emotional well-being, a bit like the things I hear from individuals who practice yoga.

For me, meditation (just like yoga) is not something that requires scientific validation..." more

In the Garden

Heads up on Zegg - "meeting point for a culture worth living"

What is ZEGG?

We are a community project and an international meeting point for a culture worth living. In living together, studying other cultures, and in cooperation with committed groups, communities and individuals we are exploring the foundations for a non-violent way of living. Some questions that move us:

• How can we integrate personal development, new ways of living and political engagement to realize a humane world?
  
• What inner sources and know–how is needed to live ecologically, sustainably and non–violently?
• What social structures do we need in order to make truth among lovers possible?
  
• Which life forms support the development of our human beauty, compassion and ability to love?
  
• How is the level of peace in a culture related to its ideals of love?

More at: http://www.zegg.de/index.php?whatiszegg

Who do you think you are?

"The process of awakening brings you into a struggle with every habitual way you have of thinking about the universe...because every one of them has you locked into being some facet of who you think you are." - Ram Das

(Thanks to Alternatives for reminding us about Ram Das' words - http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/)