STRAHD: Cat Of The Month--December 2005

"STRAHD"

Strahd's owner is a cat (so to speak) named Alex, who is studying at Oxford as I write this. Alex emailed me the photo of his lovely feline, along with a brief write-up about his beloved cat:

"Hrmm... what to say about Strahd?I rescued him from certain death at the animal shelter, and now he's my best friend in the world. He enjoys reading (or at least lying down on my book when I try to read), sleeping (or biting my face while I sleep), and eating (whatever it is I'm trying to eat). His favorite food is buffalo wings, with extra bleu cheese dressing. He's also very talkative: he'll meow himself hoarse if anyone closes a door. I guess he feels he's missing out on some sort of fun. That, or he's got some weird animal shelter abandonment issues. He's a very lively, very male, cat; he plays extremely rough, always breaking the skin if you let him bite down. Maybe his favorite food is human. Who knows?" -A

I sent Alex an email asking him to please explain how he came to call his pal 'Strahd':

"It's from a novel I enjoyed when I was a youngster. It was about a man, named Strahd von Zarovich, who lost his one true love only to lose his soul as well. After he makes a 'deal with the devil' she basically comes back to haunt him for eternity. It was a very moving story (at least, I thought so when I read it)." --A.

CONGRATULATIONS TO STRAHD FOR BEING NAMED JAIBHAKTI'S CAT OF THE MONTH!

tags:humor, animals

What Ever Happened To Mr. Met?

Mr. Met: Stolen, abused, and thrown in a cubby hole. Blasphemy, I tell ya! Sheer blasphemy!

Now that we're on the subject of childhood dolls, I feel I have to do a post on the great Mr. Met mystery--heretofore referred to as the Mr. Met Mystery of Massive Proportion. You see, it's just that so many of you have written in and told me stories of childhood doll dilemmas, I feel that I can't conscionably ignore that this problem exists in our world. Let's take the Mr. Met Mystery of Massive Proportion as an example of this blasphemic mayhem:

When I was 7 years old, I joined my hometown's Little League. I was only the third or fourth girl who was ever allowed to play with the boys. When I was in the minors I hit an 'in the park' homerun, which cancelled any hopes of getting a date to the sixth grade dance, but that's a separate story altogether.

When I was a kid I loved the Mets. My favorite player was Rusty Staub, but even more than him, I loved Mr. Met. For any of you born before 1979, you'll recall Mr. Met as the crazy baseball-shaped guy who ran around the field trying to get the crowd to cheer while the Mets were losing trying to win their games. I got this particular Mr. Met doll while attending a baseball game at Shea Stadium sometime during the '70s.

Now, here's where the mystery comes into play: one day, Mr. Met just disappeared! He vanished without a trace, never to be heard from again (not that he ever talked when he was not lost! You get the picture). My heart was broken! Mr. Met was gone.

Well, last week, on Thanksgiving to be exact, I found Mr. Met while looking for that infamous Gene Vincent box-set in the attic cubby hole (see previous post for more info on the box-set. By the way, I never did find it!)

I found Mr. Met stuffed into a garbage bag, right next to Mr. Yankee. At first I was so happy that Mr. Met was found, but then I noticed the burn marks on his mouth. Someone tried to get Mr. Met to smoke!!! Check out the burn marks on the poor guy's mouth:

I never did find out who stole Mr. Met. Whoever it was obviously threw him in the attic cubby hole so that I wouldn't find out that he or she made him smoke a butt or two. Blasphemy. The thing that really gets me mad is that Mr. Yankee escaped without a scratch (although it's obvious that someone had spilled rootbeer, or the like, on his pinstripes). I have a pretty good idea who did this to my beloved Mr. Met. I did find one of my (male) cousin's favorite teddy-bears right beside Mr. Met and Mr. Yankee. Hhhmmm....vengeance is mine! (I know many of you probably think of me as a compassionate person who would never hurt another human being, but, let me tell you, I do have my limitations. You mess with Mr. Met, you're basically asking for the wrath of Bhakti!!!) :P

What condition is your teddy-bear/favorite childhood doll in these days? I know L>T has said that her beloved doll has been burried in an ant hole. If you'd like to share your story or some happy thoughts, please do so at the beep (if you don't hear the beep in say, 10 or 20 minutes, simply click on the 'Happy Thoughts' comment link to have your voice heard).

What's This POWER Pupsy Got??

Well, since I'm on the subject of ugly being beautiful (see my last post), I've decided to write a post about Pupsy, my childhood hero. I think Pupsy was, at one point, a stuffed teddy bear; however, I must have thought she was a doggy and, therefore, tried to call her "Puppy". I obviously got the pronunciation all wrong, as kids will do, and the name 'Pupsy' was born. Don't ask me how I know she's a 'she'; she just is.

Pupsy

My father gave PUPSY to my mom on their very first date, back in 1959. That would make PUPSY 46 years old, or 10 years older than me. My parents gave me PUPSY when I was born. Believe me, she didn't look much better back then. In fact, I had one friend, LP, who refused to sleep in my room if Pupsy was present. She was just too darn dirty and scary looking for her liking. Thank goodness LP had a twin sister named SP who promised to protect her from the Wrath of Pupsidome, and our slumber party went on as planned.

Looking back now, I'm starting to wonder what it is about stuffed animals that we love so much when we're kids. We give them so much power. I mean, come on--I wouldn't sleep over Cousin Chrissy's house unless I had Pupsy in tow. One time, Pupsy's eye fell off and I refused to even think about going to sleep unless my aunt stitched the eye back on (you can see evidence of the stitching and gluing in the above photo). It was as if Pupsy was going to save my life if an intruder came into my cousin's house; or Pupsy was going to pull me out of a blazing fire. Like I said, Pupsy was my security blanket--she made me feel secure, like nothing bad could ever happen to me. I felt helpless and afraid without her.

Pupsy, of course, is an inanimate object, so the power and protection I felt coming from her was really coming from a place deep inside of me. Obviously, I was projecting my innate power onto Pupsy. I just gave Pupsy the power because I didn't know I had it within myself. I had to believe that someone else was going to have to save me, because I wasn't brave or strong enough to save myself. That's okay for a child to do, but so many of us carry this line of thinking with us into adulthood.

I don't remember how old I was when I didn't need Pupsy's 'protection' anymore, but she still holds a special place in my heart because of of the love and protection she once stood for.


CLARA

Well, now that I'm on the subject of childhood stuffed animals, let me introduce you to Clara. This past Thanksgiving, my cousin G. came over to remove the air conditioner from my bedroom window. He asked, "Do you still have that Gene Vincent box-set that you bought out in San Francisco?" This got me searching through the attic cubby holes of the house, whereupon I found Clara. She was second on the totem-pole, right behind Pupsy. Clara was cool, but she didn't possess the security-blanket powers that Pupsy possessed. I usually brought both Pupsy and Clara with me to sleepovers, but I could make it through the night without Clara. I used to feel guilty that she played second fiddle. It's beyond me that I would even think that a stuffed animal would give two hoots! But, you know, my vivid imagination was always at work, even back then. Just look at her clothes! In the photos she's wearing vintage Bhakti Coulter from the 1970's. I designed and created her ensemble using a cut up pair of jeans for the jean jacket, and some black fabric for the pants. The jean jacket was fashioned after Dallis (sic), Matt Dillon's character in the movie version of The Outsiders. I even wrote the name Dallis on the front of the jacket. Her pants were fashioned after Sandy, Olivia Newton-John's character in Grease. You might be able to make out the green Mohawk. I don't know who that was fashioned after.

Anyway, thank you for humoring me by reading about my stuffed animals. You may be wondering, "How did we go from meditation instructions to stuffed animals??" Well, it's interesting to note the difference in my thinking as a child vs. now. Back then I projected my innate power onto something else, now I'm aware of the power within.

Happy Wishes.
Bhakti

tags: spirituality, humor, journal

SAM, World's Ugliest Dog, Dies At Age 14

Sam, voted World's Ugliest Dog three years in a row

This post is not a joke. The above photo is not meant to shock you. Please do not leave rude or mean comments about Sam, they will be deleted.

Last night, after Thanksgiving dinner at Cousin Chrissy's house, my other cousin, G., informed me that the 'World's Ugliest Dog' had recently died. I had never heard of this dog before, so G. pulled up an image of him on the computer he was tinkering with. I couldn't believe my eyes. When I saw the dog, Sam, I knitted my eyebrows and thought to myself, 'Who would own a dog like that?'. Then, Galen told me about how Sam's owner rescued him from a pound and gave him a home because she knew that no one else would ever adopt him. I found that very touching, and decided that I wanted to read more about Sam and his owner. It turns out that Sam was a very loving pet, and kept Susie, his owner, very comfortable during her battle with cancer.

The point of this post is simply to share Sam and Susie's story. I think it is absolutely beautiful. Sam passed away on November 18th, but he leaves behind an extraordinary legacy. It's been noted that many animals that were deemed 'unadoptable' because of their looks, are now finding loving homes since Sam made the news by becoming the World's Ugliest Dog in 2003. I rescued Kitty Von Kitty nine years ago. She lived in a shelter for 2 years and was never adopted (that baffles me because she has one of the cutest faces of any animal I have ever seen). I don't know if I would have adopted Sam.

Please visit the following links to get the entire story straight from the source:

Sam Ugliest Dog

Sam and Susie's Blog

I thank Susie for the unconditional love that she showed Sam. She showed that even God's strangest, most odd creations can be loved.

tags:entertainment, random, spirituality

101* THINGS: Happy Thanksgiving!

In no particular order and for no reason other than my gratitude for their existence in my life, here is an un-edited 'top of the head' list of 101* things I am grateful for. If you didn't make the list, the very fact that you are reading this means I am grateful.

1. eyesight
2. my body
3. my spiritual vision
4. food
5. shelter
6. blankets
7. clothing
8. water
9. mom
10. dad
11. Tom (brother)
12. Jerry (brother)
13. Colleen (sister-in-law)
14. Melissa (sister-in law)
15. Brett (nephew)
16. Megan (niece)
17. Jenna (niece)
18. Kevin (nephew)
19. Cousin Chrissy and Larry
20. Sean
21. Julia
22. Aunts and Uncles
23. Shirley Emma Little Davis Campbell (my grandmother)
24. Kitty Von Kitty
25. Gurumayi Chidvilasananda (Sadgurunath Maharaj Ki Jay!)
26. Jesus H. Christ (in all of His beautiful forms; His love and laughter forever ring in my ears!)
27. Sallyji Kempton (Durgananda) Her wisdom is beyond words; her giving and sharing of said wisdom is one of the most beautiful things in the world!
28. music
29. Bade Baba Nityananda
30. Baba Muktananda Paramahansa
31. Frank Zappa's music and humor
32. this blog
33. the sun
34. the Earth
35. THE MOON (OM Guru OM!)
36. chocolate
37. Paramahansa Yoganandaji
38. Saint Francis of Assisi
39. Saint Anthony
40. Savitri Miriam Axelrod
41. ability to type
42. ablility to read
43. ablility to write
44. Zombie Slayer
45. Gyrobo
46. Miladysa
47. humor
48. James Thurber short stories
49. J.D. Salinger books
50. The Red Cross
51. Anyone in the world who gives their time and hearts to charities
52. My beloved Nguyen Quoc Huy (the child I sponsor in Vietnam)
53. Krishna Das' musical vision and wisdom
54. Jai Uttal's devotional music and vision
55. Jnaneshwar Maharaj's poems
56. The Jnaneshwari (Jnaneshwar's rendering of the Bhagavad Gita)
57. Hafiz's poetry
58. Rumi's poetry
59. Shree Muktananda Ashram, NY state
60. Bade Baba Temple at SMA
61. Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Rhinebeck NY
62. Dick Sclove
63. Janet Armstrong
64. Puck, Puck, and Nike (Brett and Jenna's mini hamsters)
65. Ramana Maharshi
66. Leo Tolstoy
67. Fyodor Dostoevsky
68. Nikolai Gogol
69. the seasons that change
70. nature
71. birds
72. my guitars, drums, and various other noise makers
73. my meditation space
74. the LOVE in my heart
75. the LOVE around me
76. the giving and taking of LOVE (it's a circle; not a straight line)
77. my doctors
78. my physical therapists
79. Franco
80. Sardi
81. Maryanne Fahey (however old she may be!)
82. Shri Hanuman! Ram! Ram! Ram!
83. Shiva and Shakti
84. Shree Ganesha
85. Shree Durge--the remover of ignorance, bestow your grace on me.
86. Coffee
87. peanut butter
88. bananas
89. olive cream cheese
90. Johnny and Naomi Canatella
91. Money
92. Thelonius Monk's musical catalogue
93. Chet Baker's musical catalogue
94. Charles Mingus's musical catalogue
95. Siddha Yoga's musical catalog
96. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's musical catalogue
97. The Crystal Method, Fatboy Slim, Maroon 5
98. my parents unconditional love
99. Shankaracharya and Narada's divine wisdom
100. Flatlander and Fakiegrind
101. Vision of the Truth of my Self

* Honorable mention: POTATOES (Thanks to Cousin Chrissy for reminding me of how extremely grateful I was (am) for that life-sustaining baked potato.)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!

tags: personal, journal, humor, spirituality

HUMOR: Happiness Is A Warm Gub!

Anyone who knows me, or who has read a couple of posts on this blog, knows that my life is a complete mix of spirituality and humor. I don't think one can exist without the other. What I mean to say is that I believe laughter is one of the greatest gifts we, as humans, have been given. And I use this gift often.

Maybe some of you are wondering why I published pictures of my X-rays on the blog. I had an incredible meditation the other night where I envisioned my spine and everything I've been through these past several months. It was the first time that it occurred to me--Wow! I had my neck reconstructed! It truly was an important part in my recovery to realize the scope and breadth of what I've been through; I tend to be hard on myself when I feel run down.

My neuro-surgeon always praises me for keeping my spirits so high. That got me to thinking: Hhmm...being run down--how do I ('me' personally) get myself back "UP"? I began to just sit and think about the things in my life that bring me joy and keep my spirits up. I thought I would share some of them with you:

I'VE GOT TO HAVE HUMOR!

Woody Allen

When I feel run down, I tend to call Cousin Chrissy. She's one of the funniest people I have ever met. We just riff off of each other. We've always contended that we should have a talk show, but decided that no one would find us entertaining besides ourselves. We recently (well, a year ago) discovered that we both LOVE the movie Take The Money And Run, by Woody Allen. Have you seen it? We love the part where 'Virgil' robs a bank but spells the word GUN wrong on the note he hands to the teller:

"That looks like 'gub'--it doesn't look like 'gun.'"--Bank Teller reading Virgil's holdup note.

I love the part where he's playing the cello in a marching band and every couple of notes he has to stand up, pick up his chair and cello, and move forward several steps in order to keep up with the rest of the band! I would highly recommend this movie--might be a little slow at times--but some of the gags are just too hysterical to miss!

CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT MY MUSIC!
Chet Baker

I can't live without music. I got my first drum set at age 5 (which my brothers trashed, as brothers will do), and my first guitar at age 7. As you already know, my favorite modern musician is Frank Zappa. I also listen to a slew of devotional music, mainly performed by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Jai Uttal, Krishna Das, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. (Right now, I'm listening to Jeff Buckley--who was a student of Nusrat's, by the way.)

I have a select few artists that I've been in the mood to listen to lately (I've spent the last 3 1/2 years listening to mostly devotional Indian--bindi not feather, Zombie Slayer!!--music). I love listening to Chet Baker. His voice just soothes me, as well as his melodic trumpet. Unfortunately, I haven't been in the mood to listen to my other jazz faves: Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus.

The Crystal Method

I was in the hospital for three days before I had my fusion, and, believe it or not, the only thing I listened to was Community Service by The Crystal Method. What an incredible duo these guys are. The most amazing beats and hooks in the world. Thank God I can still listen to them. Did you ever have a favorite album that you listened to during a trying time and then couldn't listen to that album anymore because it reminded you too much of the pain? Not so with The Crystal Method--I love all of their albums. Unfortunately, I listened to Jai Uttal's KIRTAN album during my three days in the hospital after the surgery, and can't bear to listen to it now. But, I recommend that CD for anyone who wants to soar! (To the heavens, that is!) KIRTAN, as well as a chanting CD with Gurumayi, helped me weather the pain and fear of being in the Neurology ICU (without a phone!) for those three days. Thank you Jai!

BOOKS, BOOKS, AND MORE BOOKS
Ramana Maharshi

I love to learn, therefore, I love to read. I'm currently reading many books. Before turning my light off at night, I tend to reach for TALKS WITH RAMANA MAHARSHI. This book details the simplicity of God-realization through a series of questions and answers with this revered saint. I wake up in the morning and read the daily passage from RESONATE WITH STILLNESS from the words of Swami Muktananda and Swami Chidvilasananda.
Paramahansa Yoganandaji: the first Eastern Guru invited to the White House! (Around the 1920's)

Did you ever read a book where every single passage just sets your heart afire? No matter what religious or spiritual background you hold dear, I believe every human being should read AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI, by the sweet, loving, and gentle Paramahansa Yogananda. I can't even put into words the amount of love that his books generate. (Not only is he a great Hindu saint, he's also a great Christian Scholar.) I also read a lot of Eastern Philosophy: Hinduism, Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism; as well as Christian, Buddhist, and Taoist texts.

I just finished reading FREAKONOMICS, which was a fun read. If you enjoyed Malcom Gladwell's BLINK, you'll like Freakonomics (although I must admit that I thought Blink was far superior). I just bought Maureen Dowd's ARE MEN NECESSARY?; When Sexes Collide. Don't get all bent out of shape guys, the title is a play on James Thurber's funny diatribe: IS SEX NECESSARY? Dowd is an Op-Ed writer for the Time's and I thought it would be an interesting read. I tend to go for the non-fictional over fictional. With one exception:

Leo Tolstoy, circa 1849

I'm still working my way through Tolstoy's WAR AND PEACE, which I LOVE! I started it last January and was giving myself a year to finish it (reading it intermittently, of course). I'm on page 1,000, with 400 to go. Don't think I'm gonna reach my goal. But hey, life happens.

MEDITATION, REFLECTION, PRAYERS

The basis of my true happiness comes from my meditation pratice and my trust and faith in my Self, God within and without. Nothing I have listed above would mean anything without my faith. A great Indian saint, Bhagawan Nityananda says that 'The Heart is the hub of all places; go there and roam." Meditation is a terrific way to anchor yourself in the Heart.

I am also a very grateful person: grateful for my family, my friends, my teachers, and the fact that I've been blessed with such a spiritual life, and a thirst for the Truth.

Thank you for being a part of my journey.

Love and Blessings,
Bhakti


Photos for this post were downloaded from:
http://www.poegilly.com/
http://www.norcalmovies.com/
http://www.yogananda-srf.org
http://www.ramana-maharshi.org.uk
http://www.thedjlist.com/
http://www.dancewithshadows.com/

tags: movies,humor,spirituality

THREE LEVEL FUSION: The Hyundai In My Neck

Gosh--with this much titanium in my neck, you may as well just call me the Bionic Woman!

A Joke From Jane (my mom)

I come from a very funny family (not just talking 'bout our looks, either). The other night, I joined my mom and dad for dinner and this joke rolled off my mom's tongue:

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One looks at the other and says, "Does this taste funny to you?"


tags:humor

Meditation Instructions Just For You!

First of all, let me begin this post by letting you all know how happy I am that you found my previous post so helpful and enlightening. It seems obvious that the spirit of Sally's workshop carried over into the post, and that makes my heart smile a mile wide.

Many of you have asked me to share my meditation secrets with you. There are no secrets, but there are many techniques that can help you center yourself. Here's a very simple technique to help you center yourself (to find the space within yourselves that is pure being; i.e. no stress, no worries, no anxieties. The place of strength, courage, and contentment). You can do this meditation while waiting in line at the bank, or in the supermarket; while waiting at a red light, or while waiting for your computer to boot up. The possibilities are endless!:

1. PAUSE and BREATHE DEEPLY
Bring yourself into the present moment by taking at least 3 deep inhalations and exhalations.

2. BECOME AWARE OF YOUR MENTAL STATE
How do you feel right now?
What emotions do you notice?

3. BECOME AWARE OF YOUR PHYSICAL STATE…AWARE OF YOUR BODY
What part of your body needs to relax right now?
Where do you need to release tension?

4. LET IT GO
Let go of any tension…breath into it, and breathe it out on the exhalation.
Acknowledge—but don’t judge—any thoughts or emotions that come up. Simply acknowledging them usually helps to weaken their grip.




Some of you have asked me to share meditation techniques that alleviate pain, while others have asked me how to relieve stress by way of meditation. The following is a technique that I learned years ago while practicing Chi-Kung. The same practice can be found in Tantric, Hindu, and Buddhist texts. It's a relatively universal meditation technique! The instructions may seem simple, and this may appear to be a 'beginners' meditation technique, however, the more you do it, the deeper it takes you and the richer your meditations become. My point is, it's a terrific meditation/centering technique to teach beginners, but don't let its simplicity fool you: it's powerful beyond words!

The following is Sally Kempton's rendering of this practice which you can find in her Heart of Meditation book:

*UJAYI BREATH—(3-part breathing)
The Ujayi Breath is when you fill up the lungs in three sections: the lower third, then the middle third, then the upper third.

· Sit in a comfortable, upright position. If you are sitting in a chair, make sure your legs are hip-width apart, and your feet are flat on the floor. Sit up nice and tall, extending the spine upwards.

· Breathe in with the feeling that you are filling up your lungs in three separate sections. You may find it helpful to place your hand on your abdomen and actually feel your lower lungs fill with air. Notice your stomach area filling with air. Notice your upper chest rising as the upper third of your lungs fills with air.

· Breathe deeply, and long. Deep inhalations. Long exhalations.

· The ratio to inhalation vs. exhalation is 1:2. Breathe in for 4 seconds, filling all three parts of the lungs, abdomen first. Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Breathe out long and slowly for a count of 8 seconds. Pause for 4 seconds before your next inhalation. For deep, instant relaxation, repeat this breath for 3-5 minutes. If you start to feel lightheaded, you simply need to slow down, and let your body acclimate itself to all of the newfound oxygen!

If you find it difficult to learn the meditations on your own, you can always do a guided meditation. I would highly recommend Sally Kempton's Awakened Heart Meditation CD (click here for more details).

If you'd like to learn more about Sally Kempton's Heart of Meditation book, click here. Note: 30 years of meditation experience wrapped up in a book! :)

Visit www.sallykempton.com for her workshop schedule (SHE'S IN NEW YORK CITY THIS WEEKEND!!)

I hope these meditations prove fruitful for you. They are pillars of strength in my life. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at any time.

Namaste!

Bhakti

(Note: NONE of these meditations should be used to treat medical conditions unless by the advice of a doctor. Do NOT do these meditations while driving. Be sensible.)

tags:

spirituality

Meditation Master Sally Kempton Takes On The Big Apple--With Love And Compassion

I just returned from a 3 hour trip into New York City. I went in to the city to take a meditation workshop with my friend, and Master Meditation teacher, Sally Kempton. She's just out of this world. I can tell you right now, whether you've meditated less than one minute your entire life or if you are a master yourself, you'd love her workshops. Sally has a way of making everyone feel comfortable, no matter how far along the spiritual path you are. She engages everyone. There's just no ego holding her back from touching the hearts of all of her students.


I must admit, getting to the workshop was like pulling teeth. I was dealing with an infected surgery all week, coupled with the fact that I can't drive yet due to the fact that I can't turn my head (plus, I'm on some serious spinal meds that make me loopier than usual). Luckily, my parents offered to drive me into the city. They ate dinner at Mickey Mantle's Restaurant (my mom's all-time favorite player--#7) while I enjoyed the relaxing, comforting atmosphere of Sally's workshop.


The workshop material was just perfect for me. I propped myself up against a wall so I would have something to rest my head against, considering it's not too easy for me to hold my head up for any length of time yet. Sally spoke about dealing with pain during meditation. This is one of the greatest lessons that I have ever learned from her: how to enter into the feeling of pain, rather than resist it. That practice alone helped me get through the triple fusion like you could never even imagine. Sometimes when I was experiencing pain, I would say to myself, "The pain is just a ball of energy" or "Nothing exists that is not Shiva. This pain, too, is a manifestation of Shiva." These practices would remind me not to resist the pain, but to accept it for what it is. I really didn't have to take too much pain medication while recovering from the fusion surgery (not as much as I expected, anyway). Now, last week's pain from the latest surgery's infected scar was another story; that pain was so bad I felt nauseous. I needed the pain meds, coupled with remembrance (of God in my life, etc.), to get me through that period. God bless the people in my life who put up with my cranky disposition when I am in pain!


Today's workshop was incredible because I'm at the point in my meditation and sadhana (spiritual path) where I know the incredible joy and bliss that exists in the world also exists inside myself. I used to think that I needed to be around Sally in order to feel that power. But, she told me so many times that I 'wouldn't be able to feel the power unless I had it myself', that it sunk in. It's quite amazing to be around an incredibly enlightened person and have them tell you that you already contain That which you are looking for. Truly, nothing is ever lost. What we search for on the outside can only be found on the inside. Everything else is transient. Sally's workshops not only tell us about this great Truth, but they also teach us how to tap into the place within our own hearts that contains the joy and bliss of the life-force; of the Self. It's so wonderful to experience the power and unconditional LOVE of the Self--even while going through pain, or while experiencing the ups and downs of life, in general.


Because I used to think that Sally had all of the energy that I wanted and needed in order to meditate effectively, I used to believe that I needed to sit next to her to 'get' that energy. Now I know differently. However, I'm still incredibly drawn to her particular 'form' of this energy. Today, I walked into the meditation room where the workshop was taking place, and I just walked around until I found a spot that 'felt right'. I sat down and propped my self against the wall. I closed my eyes and started to center myself. Then, someone tapped me on the knee--"Excuse me, but Sally stood in that exact spot yesterday while teaching, and I think she might want to stand there again, today." Figures...I found her energy even in the empty room! I got up and found a spot against the wall across the room from where Sally was to stand.


This was the most incredible meditation workshop I've ever taken because I could listen to the instructions with the knowledge that my loving energy was melding with the energy of all of the loving bhaktas in the room, as Sally led us all into the Heart Center.


So many of the practices Sally teaches in her workshops, and in her book Heart of Meditation, have become a way of life for me. They're ingrained into my being. I often find the mantra (Om Namah Shivaya) repeating itself over and over right behind the noise of my thinking mind. As Sally says (and I'm paraphrasing) meditation starts to show up in all different aspects of our lives. Being connected to the Self, the life-force that breathes us, gives us such power and courage.


My wish is that everyone will be able to experience this for themselves. And for those that already do, let your lights shine!

For more information on Sally Kempton and her book and CD, please visit http://www.sallykempton.com/

The Beauty Queen Just Ain't Too Happy These Days...

The Envelope, Please...

And the winner of the first JAIBHAKTI writing contest is....

Jenna received 149 votes
Kid-B received 103 votes
Cousin Chrissy received 72 votes

Personally, I think the voting procedures (by a couple of the parties concerned) were about as suspect as G. Gordon Liddy breaking into the Watergate Building to bug the Democrats for...er...uh....Tricky-Dick (a.k.a. 'Nixon' for all you young folk).

Having said that, I will award the following prizes in good faith:

Jenna is awarded the "Best Beginning, Middle, and Ending in a Fictional Piece of Writing" by the editing staff of JAIBHAKTI. CONGRATULATIONS, JENNA!


Kid-B is awarded the "Best Graphics and Design in a Picture-Prompted Piece of Fiction" by the editing staff of JAIBHAKTI. CONGRATULATIONS, KID-B!


Cousin Chrissy is awarded the "Most Original One-Liner in the History of Picture Prompts" by the cleaning staff of JAIBHAKTI. CONGRATULATIONS, COUSIN CHRISSY!

ALL WINNERS WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR ICE CREAM SUNDAE IN THE MAIL (Please allow 3-5 business days for delivery).


And to everyone who voted once, twice...three hundred times, thank you for your patronage!

I Voted!...and Why I'm Eating a Bagel With Olive Cream Cheese...

Just a quickie to let you know that I just cast my vote for the governorship of the altered state of New Jersey. I wrote in Frank Zappa for Governor, and Alfred E. Neuman for City Council. I figure Zappa will do a better job dead than the two who are actually running (and alive); and, well, Alfred just looks good.

Anyway, now I am running off to have yet another surgery. Albeit this one is scheduled to be 20-30 minutes...not six hours, like the last one. I'm eating my favorite breakfast food as I write this (a grain bagel with olive cream cheese) just in case it's my last meal. (Jesting, of course!)

Pray for me and wish me well...and if you wish, leave me absurdly funny comments for the flipside (when I return).

Love and Happy Wishes,
Bhakti

Writing Contest Entries: YOU Vote For The Winner!

Two weeks ago, I asked the JAIBHAKTI bloggers to write a story about the above photograph and submit their stories to me for possible publication on this blog.

The writing contest is over. Below are the three finalists. After reading each entry, please cast your vote on the official JAIBHAKTI Blogpoll found on the Sidebar (to your right). All winners will receive an ice cream sundae.

Submitted by Kid-B, 7 years old:

October 29...10:00 AM

It is a picture of a person with another person. He is walking with his friend on his side. He is on the beach with water on his feet. I thought this picture was cool. XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO

XO

* * * * :) :) :) * * * *

Submitted by Jenna, 8 years old:

The Sunny Day

Once, there were two boys on a beach on a sunny and foggy day. The beach was in North Carolina. The beach was called Sunset because when the sun sets, it always sets by the beach. There were two boys that always watched the sunset. The boys names were Bob and Bobo. From that day on, the boys did not give up their hope to see the sun set again.

Submitted by Cousin Chrissy:

This is a picture of me stuck in the fog of this blog!!!

____________________

As always, I wish you all the best life has to offer, and I sincerely hope you all find the treasure chest of love and joy that resides right within that loving heart of yours.

Bhakti

I've Solved The Mystery! I've Broken the DaVinci John Doe Code!

Did you ever lay awake in the early morning and just day dream? (If you haven't, then, you know, that's kinda strange.) Well, this morning I was following my thought patterns all over the world and this is what I came up with:

I have done what no scientist/philosopher/or plain 'ole know-it-all has ever done. I've discovered the true identity of 'John Doe'. Call me a Modern Marvel if you want, but that's really not necessary. Here, step by step, is how I broke the code:

(Note to reader: The steps contained below remain the sole copyright of D.L. Bhakti Brophy because I bet the FBI will be willing to pay me a HUGE reward for this information.)

1. Start with the name 'John Doe'.
2. Change the first name 'John' to its common nickname: 'Johnny'.
3. Change the last name 'Doe' to its homophone: 'Dough'.
4. Now, change the homophone 'Dough' into its synonym: 'Cash'.

Lo and behold, the infamous 'John Doe' is no other than--you guessed it--Johnny Cash! (*applause*- And the crowd goes crazy!-*applause*)

'John Doe' in the early days of his career.

Cash photo downloaded from: http://www.allemaalkunst.nl

We Should Have Voted for Pedro Shirt

ARE YOU NORMAL?

When I was a teenager (early '80s), I used to walk around my high school with my guitar in tow. The guitar case was littered with stickers-- my favorite being the black and white WHY BE NORMAL one. Now, twenty years later, I teach fourth grade and my boss always call me 'nuts' and says, 'you're so out of the box, you can't see it'. I never took offense to this for several reasons: 1) I knew she wasn't being mean, just teasing; 2) It's true; and 3) Most great teachers are a bit on the wacky side (at least the ones I loved--perhaps I'm biased, though!).

So, just a couple of minutes ago I was checking out the 'Type Brighter 'blog (if you haven't visited this one yet, you're missing a great time! see sidebar for link)
and he, Dee, has this new post about identity theft. I couldn't help but notice all of his Google Ads picked up on this. All of the Ads were about personality disorders and personality tests. One of them really caught my eye. It read: ARE YOU NORMAL? and that was it. That was the entire Ad. So, I had to click on the link and take the test. I had to find out once and for all if I am, in fact, clinically deemed as being a couple sandwiches short of a picnic. O well, the results weren't too surprising, really, and I quote:

"You are a Marvelous MaverickGiddy-up partner. You're a maverick and don't know what the definition of normal is. That's a-okay because you're now part of a fascinating group of desperadoes."

"Wherever you ride, it's sure to be off the beaten path because it's way more fun to find the path least traveled."

So, there it is in black and white (well, okay, in orange!). Actually, I think it's pretty fun to be 'out of the box', as it were. It's not like I can help it. I don't try to be different. And the cool thing is, most of my friends fit the exact same mold--that is, we don't fit into a mold.

I offer you this, take the test, and report back to me whether or not you are normal. I would think that if you love this site enough to visit it more than once, or your name is Zombie Lama :), you may not be seeing the proverbial 'box' either!

http://www.chatterbean.com/runormal/?

As always, have fun and keep your hearts open to the joy of love and laughter!
Bhakti

p.s. Don't forget to check out the newest JAIBHAKTI feature. See the post below for details!

I'VE FINALLY BEEN TAGGED! (Well, kind-'of)

Note to readers: I had to coerce this tag from none other than the Zombie Lama with a bribe of chocolate. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

7 things to do before I die:
(I've thought about this a lot since being hit by the car eight years ago! Most of them I try to do already...)

• Love my family
• Love my friends
• Love my cat
• Teach my students (fourth grade) how to love themselves for who they are
• Teach meditation classes
• Spread the love and grace I've received from my teachers (both spiritual and otherwise) on to others
• Leave the world a better place than I found it

7 things I CAN do:

• Play the guitar
• Play the drums
• Teach writing to little kids
• Make people laugh (mostly myself, at times!)
• Bake a mean chocolate chip cookie!
• Spend hours reading various books of various topics
• Bake a potato

7 things I can't do:

• Spell the word 'brocolli' correctly without using a dictionary
• Stop watching Law and Order reruns on the USA Network
• Finish reading War and Peace in this lifetime (although I love what I've read so far!)
• Take Tom Cruise seriously
• Tell someone I have a crush on that I like them (I'm shy, alright?)
• I'll admit it: due to my last (spinal) surgery, I CAN'T play the guitar and drums at the present time. :(
• Play the piano

7 things that attract me to the opposite/same sex:

• A pulse
• Eyes
• Hands
• Intellect
• Buttocks
• Sense of spirituality (or acceptance of mine)
• SENSE OF HUMOR!!!!!!!!

7 things I say most often:

• "No Way!"
• "Yeah, right!"
• "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..."
• "Stop being a silly monkey-butt, you pooh pooh head!" (I only say this to my nieces and nephews!)
• "Om Namah Shivaya!"
• "You're too silly."
• "What's up?"

7 celebrity crushes: (Note: I don't really get crushes on celebrities, but if I had to...)

• Christopher Melony (Law and Order SVU)
• Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order SVU)
• Johnny Depp
• Sean Penn
• Helen Mirren
• Frank Zappa (I know he's dead, but his humor lives on...)
• Alfred E. Neuman

7 people I wish to tag:

• Cousin Chrissy
• Janet Armstrong
• Type Brighter
• Chris Lion
• Mark (who put Gurumayi on his dinner list)
• John Canatella
• Gurumayi

Separated at Birth?

Kitty Von Kitty.............Peter Criss / KISS
Yes, once again, Kitty Von Kitty has dressed up as my childhood hero, Peter Criss, for Halloween. Were they separated at birth?
Peter Criss photo downloaded from: www.rocknrollhell.com