for the next seven generations.

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Live with the intention to leave the world better than how you found it...for the next seven generations.  

There is a beautiful Iroquois law that states,  "In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation... even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine." 

This is The Great Law of the Iroquois. Everything you do, everything you create, everything you say - you must first consider the effect that it will have on the seventh generation. This law asks you to look about 140 years or more into the future. Look at everything you do...the car you drive, the food you eat, the materials you buy, the way you treat people... and weigh the effects of your choices. Always keeping in mind what it will mean, not only for you and your children, but for the children who are not even a thought yet.

I wish this law had been a universal law for the past 140 years. If we all lived with the next seven generations in mind, would climate change be an issue?

Many of us are good, kind people. Yet we make choices without getting all of the information first and without considering how it will affect even just the next generation. We consume things that destroy rainforests but we do it blindly. Even though we're aware of how awful industrial factory farms are for the environment, we consume. This blind consumption doesn't make us bad people, but it does make us selfish. What if we cared enough about the welfare of those who haven't been born yet to make ALL of our deliberations carefully and with them in mind? What if we truly wanted the best for our grandchildren's grandchildren, and their's after that? 

The truth is, we are responsible for the state of the planet for generations to come. Once we accept this responsibility and choose to honestly do our best I believe we'll take our time and think things through. Maybe the age of convenience will die. Maybe our grocery shopping trips will take longer because we would check the ingredients to make sure we weren't buying anything with palm oil or any other ingredient that could be destructive to the environment. Maybe we would pay closer attention to politics and the state of the world, in hopes that the next seven generations could enjoy peace in their lifetimes. Maybe we'll look ahead. Maybe, just maybe, our thoughts will create a better future for these children who won't exist until long after we are gone. 

 "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. " - Greek Proverb 

higher vibes.

Why do we talk about "vibes"? What does that mean? Vibe is short for vibration - which you probably could have guessed. Everything is made up of atoms. Atoms are roughly 95% empty space. Therefore, everything  is mostly empty space. We see things as solid because our eyes can only process electromagnetic vibrations. Electrons are constantly circling the nucleus of the atom, constantly moving, vibrating. This is what we, and everything else in this world are made of. Constant vibration. Energy. Energy which cannot be created, nor destroyed. What is consciousness? Energy. We can feel energy. We feel vibes. The heart generates an electromagnetic field that can be measured several feet away from the person's body. An aura. When two people are in close proximity, within each other's heart space, there is an undeniable exchange of energy. So what does it mean to "raise your vibration"? It means to be a source of positive energy. To me it means to let your heart radiate an aura of loving kindness. In order to raise your vibration, you first have to let go of fear and fear based emotions - like anger, jealousy, guilt, laziness, and selfishness. Replace those with love, and love based emotions - like forgiveness, generosity, peace, bliss, and unity. Meditate on the visceral sensation of love within the body. Radiate that energy out into this world. Vibrate higher, friends. 

Painting by Alex Grey, Yogi & Mobius Sphere

namaste.

Today is International Yoga Day, the second one ever. Millions of people will celebrate, and seal their practices with the echoes of one word. Namaste. This word has been given so much meaning in the West. Especially to those of us whose lives were changed by yoga, saved by yoga. Namaste in India is a formal greeting. A sign of respect. But here, we've taken its original meaning and heightened it. Because for us, it's more than that. It's the word we spoke after our very first yoga experience, and each practice after that. It was the first word to come out of our mouths after we cried in savasana. For us, namaste means I humbly bow my body, mind, and soul to your body, mind, and soul. The divine in me recognizes the divine in you. All that is good in me, honors and loves all that is good in you. We have packed this word with meaning. With emotion. The fact that it isn't the "correct" or original meaning, does not lessen the value this word has for us. Originally the swastika was a symbol of peace, but now most people would consider it a symbol of the exact opposite. Meanings can change and grow, and that is perfectly natural. We can honor our roots and pay homage to the beautiful beginnings of yoga, and still choose to feel the reverberations of the word namaste deep in our hearts. More than just a respectful greeting. I bow to the place in you where the entire universe resides. Where lies your love, truth, beauty. I bow to this place in you because it is also within me. When I am in that place and you are in that place we are one. Cosmically connected. Namaste. 

Be love.

The truth is, we are more alike than we are different. We are more united than we care to recognize. We can't be separated. Not by religion, not by race, not by country, or whatever senseless border we choose to create in our little minds. We are stuck here together on this tiny planet hurling through the vastness of the universe. When one of us is hurt, we all hurt. When wars are waged over petty stories about what God we subscribe to or what chunk of land we think is ours, the whole of humanity feels it. The truth is, we are one people, one love. The sooner we recognize that truth the better. We may not be able to change the world, but we can treat each other with compassion, respect, and love. If the only thing you accomplish within this lifetime is learning to treat others with compassion then I'd say you lived a successful life. Fuck religion, fuck money, fuck what country you came from or what career you had. Just be love. Infinite love. 

Reflection at Cathedral Rock in Sedona, AZ. 

just breathe.

Inhale. Pause. Exhale. Pause. Inhale.

It always comes back to this, the gentle flow of breath. Exhale. Pause. This natural rhythm that keeps us going, gives us life force energy. Inhale. Peace. Exhale. Simplicity. When we turn our attention to the breath, we are immediately brought into the present moment. Inhale. Now. We are brought into this very moment. Where everything is happening, always. Exhale. Surrender. Let go of the need to chase thoughts. Let go of worry and struggle. So often our thoughts can turn into a wild goose chase of what ifs and then whats. Breathe in. Be here instead. Why allow the mind to run in all directions? This moment isn't so bad. And by the time you've had a chance to over analyze and critique this moment, guess what? It's gone. On to the next. Exhale. Enjoy the ride. This life has plenty of chaos. Why live in chaotic thoughts? Let it be. Half the struggle happens in your own mind. Inhale. Peace comes from within. So does happiness, and love. Take a deep breath and just be with that breath every now and then. Exhale. Be grateful for each and every breath that graces your lungs. Someday there will be no more breath. And that's okay too. It all comes full circle. But for now, while you can, pause and enjoy what happens when you inhale. Notice the chest rise, notice the way it feels. Exhale. Feel the chest fall. Notice the way you feel when you exhale slowly. The way your heart beat gently slows and relaxes you. Pause. Inhale. There is so much beauty in the simplicity of the breath. So much to discover about yourself by simply quieting the mind. When you strip away the layers and layers of mindless chatter, the stories, the thoughts, the nonsense...what you have left is you. Not the story you tell to describe you. Not what's happened to you that makes you the way you are. Not your name, not your profession, not your hobbies or skills or fears or insecurities. Not your hopes or dreams. Just you. Exhale. That's where you'll find yourself. In that innermost space that's always been there and will always be there. That tranquil place that we forget exists because we are just so busy thinking and thinking and thinking and. Inhale. If you look into a mirror that's been covered with mud you won't see yourself. You'll see mud. That doesn't mean that YOU are mud. Strip away the layers. Wipe away the mud. And there you are. Exhale. Some call it spirit. Others call it the soul. Some call it atman. Why bother with names? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. It's you. Inhale. Peace comes from within, do not seek it outside of yourself. The more frequently you go back to the breath, the easier it is to find that inner space of serenity. The easier it is to find yourself. Exhale.