JAI BHAKTI™ BLOG "Shánti DeVai: Sun Bath No. 777"

My beloved cat Shánti DeVai hasn't left my side since I came down with asthmatic bronchitis on Tuesday. There is nothing like a cat's unconditional love (except for a mother's. And a dog's. You get the picture.)

My fever broke twice this week, but it's back. It's warm enough to have the window open a bit. I'm enjoying listening to the birds frolicking around outside as I rest. It's amazing how, when you're bedridden 95% of the time, something as simple as the sound of a bird chirping brings such a profound sense of unity and Oneness with everything. A profound sense of well being, even when the physical body is ailing and depleted of energy. This is grace, and for this I am thankful.

I took this photo a few minutes ago. 'Rolled over to throw out some tissues and there she was, gazing at me. 

Some day I shall tell the story about how she picked out her own name. Well, she picked her first name. DeVai is a  portmanteau of Devi (goddess) and Vai, my dear friend, and composer, Steve Vai's last name.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Namo Namah,
Bhakti

There is a Light...

Your Light is always on.
Fear is real.
Fear is not real.
Anger is real.
Anger is not real.
Love is real.
Love is...
Love is.
Your Light is always on.
Leave your ego beside the threshold
of the door...
And Shine!
I beg you...
Bow down.
Put your Heart above your mind--
Experience THAT!
That which sustains you;
nourishes you;
breathes you;
and Loves you!
It is all I ask of you.
Find your Self
and your work here is done.

--Bhakti Brophy 10/21/10

Hello friends!
It has been a long time since my last post: I have missed the Blogosphere, to be sure. Unfortunately, the past two years have been rather hell-ish. I do loathe using the word "hell"; here I am using it to mean I was going through the most trying of trials--physical pain beyond belief, and I also was bedridden about 85-95% of the time. This messed with my body in a way that it never had before: being unable to walk around--well, you know the phrase, use it or lose it.

This past July 4th weekend I had experienced the worst physical pain in my entire life (and you all know how much I have endured already). I had a migraine headache that lasted about 4 days. I had my head covered to block any light from my eyes, and I spent the days using earplugs to drown out any noises. I had had enough. At first I wasn't depressed because I knew that I would make it through, once the migraine passed. But the migraine didn't pass the way it used to. It parked itself right in my left eye socket. At one point I picked up my cell phone and emailed everyone who was able to help me in the past, either by sending me strong energy (Dr. Kam Yuen); doing Reiki on me and sending me strong healing energy (my friend Bobby); or by sending me tsunami strength prayers (my dear friend Sally Kempton).

Bobby got in touch with me and was able to alleviate the migraine. I spent the next two weeks reading Dr. Yuen's books regarding working with and deleting pain from your body and mind. What a lesson! I started talking to Dr. Yuen on the phone. I learned his "method" by taking teleseminars and by talking to him on the phone and by reading his books over and over. My friend Bobby kept in touch and kept my level of energy up.

By the end of July I was walking around WITHOUT MY NECK BRACE ON for the first time in...almost a year. I started making myself walk to the end of the driveway and back (about two car lengths). Finally, I made myself walk around the block (about 1/5 mile). Of course, being me, I did too much too fast and ended back in bed with the pain on the rise.

People often make comments such as, "Why do you do that to yourself? You start feeling a little bit better and then you make yourself worse by doing things."

Personally, I have never understood how anyone could ask that question . I don't think anyone could truly understand WHY I do what I do unless they were in my position. If you live with severe chronic pain--you know what I'm talking about. (Let me give you a gauge on what I mean by "severe" chronic pain. After being hit by a car in 1997, I flew straight up in the air, flipped over in a fetal position, and landed on the lower left side of my lumbar spine. The sciatica I had from that accident was the worst pain I had ever felt, and I thought it was probably "severe" chronic pain. But compared to the pain I live with now, from the crushed nerve roots in my spine, the sciatica is about a 3 on my pain scale, and my pain is relatively an 8-9.)

So, why do I do things when I start to feel a little better?
A) Because I don't want to lose the use of my legs and body.
B) Although I try to make the best of it, by reading and learning and keeping my mind sharp, I cannot stand being in bed anymore.
C) I am an extremely creative person. I wish to be able to go outside and see nature. I love to look at the sky. I find much strength and rejuvenation by going outside and staring at the moon--oh, and it's especially cool when the moon is out during the day!
D) What is the point of having good days if I don't embrace them and make the most out of them?
E) The truth is, from a psychological point of view, when you live with a chronic condition and you are bedridden most of the time, getting a "good" day is such a gift--there is the feeling that one must not squander it; but there is also the fear that "this may be the last 'good' day I am blessed with, so I am going to do everything I can with the time I have!" This is the main reason why so many people who live in severe chronic pain, or any other chronic condition, tend to push themselves too far when we have good days. We're not masochistic...and we're not doing anything wrong by taking advantage of the blessing a good day brings.

I think people who are able to get up everyday and do the things they love (or do things they don't love, but have the ability to get up in the morning) forget what a gift it is. I don't mean this as a judgment. I mean it sincerely. If you spent two years unable to do the things you truly loved, wouldn't you spend every last ounce of energy you had doing something if your body actually decided to function the way it is meant to?

It takes strength to endure. It surely does. And people have called me courageous and inspirational, but the truth is...the Truth is what sustains me. Knowledge of my inner Self. Of course, my Mother and Father--wow, was I blessed with great parents! It is true that my Father had an extremely difficult time dealing with my disability the first two years I was 100% disabled--most likely due to the fact that he watched me build up a photography business and career in NYC and then watched as I lost it after my accident. Then I got back on the horse and got a teaching job four years later, and I lost that due to the Sept. 11th attacks...I think my father was taking his anger out on me. His anger over all of my losses and trials. But I must tell you--I feel it is my duty to tell you--WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE STRENGTH AND COURAGE AND POWER WITHIN OURSELVES THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE! I know this from experience.

I was fortunate enough to have been born innately "spiritual"; by this I mean I have always--since the age of three--been asking questions like, "Who is God?", "Why are we here?", "Who made us?" These questions used to freak my Mom out when I was a youngster!

The Truth is...there IS an answer. And you must find it yourself. No one can give it to you. No one can take it away. It is always present.

As I was stating above, I was fortunate enough to experience this before becoming totally disabled, and this knowledge has served me well. I can go through a day of hell-ish pain and then start reading The Upanishads, or Jesus's words, or I can start to simply focus my attention on my Heart Center. The joy is always there...ALWAYS present underneath the fear, anger, guilt, sadness, happiness, etc.. The joy is ever present--just like the sun.

It always struck me as funny that we say, "The sun is rising," and "The sun is going down." No it's not. We are spinning, not the sun. The sun is ever-present, as seen by it's reflection on the moon.

Your Light is ever-present, too. You have to find it. lt is always on--for as long as you are alive, your Light is shining...and when you die, it will merge with the Greatest Light Of All, like a river merges with the ocean...and you will shine on in Eternity.

You are That.

Much love
and Warm Regards,
Bhakti

JASON BECKER

CLICK ON LINK ABOVE TO BUY JASON BECKER'S
NEW ALBUM: 'COLLECTION'. YOUR EARS WILL
THANK YOU!


As many of you know, I have been a great fan of guitar virtuoso Steve Vai for over twenty years. You also know that I had the great pleasure of meeting him last year. What you may not know is that when I told Steve about how my physical limitations have made it virtually impossible for me to play the guitar, drums, etc., he told me about Jason Becker's spiritual triumph over his physical limitations. Steve introduced me to the life of a man who would become my inspiration to keep making music, even if that meant writing a piece of music one month, programming the drum track another month, recording the drum track to my 8-track digital recorder another month; you get the picture. I was used to writing a tune in one day and recording all of the instruments myself until the piece was finished, most times working through the entire day and staying up all night. It never occurred to me that I could enjoy recording my music any other way, but after reading about Jason's story and watching videos illustrating his unique music writing style on YouTube, I have learned to discipline myself. I am recording again, albeit slowly but surely, and Jason is my hero.



Jason Becker is a TRUE guitar hero. He has been living with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for almost twenty years. In a nutshell, he went from being a famous guitar prodigy in the late '80s, to a man not able to breathe by himself. He never lost his spirit or desire to live. I don't think I would be remiss to say that our physical 'dis-eases' have brought both of us closer to the Truth than we could have ever imaged. Perhaps I have that backwards: maybe it was our innate knowledge of the Truth from a very young age--our thirst to find that Truth--that has sustained us both.



An artist MUST create. Jason is a true artist. I could go on and on and write about what I know of Jason's life, but I would ask that you go to the source. PLEASE WATCH THIS TRIBUTE TO JASON BECKER'S LIFE. Your life will be changed for the better after you watch this video. There is nothing greater than being in the presence of greatness: Jason is the personification of how great the human spirit truly is.





FOR MORE INFO:



http://www.jasonbecker.com/



www.myspace.com/jasonbecker



TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO JASON BECKER PLEASE GO TO HIS WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE APPROPRIATE LINK.

Thank you.
Warm Regards,
Bhakti

tags: Jaibhakti, Bhakti Brophy, Jason Becker, Jason Becker Collection, Steve Vai, Guitar Hero, Jason Becker Tribute,

Link

ENGRISH!

The funniest website I have EVER found is called ENGRISH. I suggest you visit it often and a lot, whichever comes first.

http://www.engrish.com/

While there, you can learn how to create your own Engrish!

"Steve's vai is the electric guitarist where the world is best!!"

I hope this finds you all well and happy,
Love,
Bhakti

COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, I AM GOING TO SEE STEVE VAI!!!!

Hello everyone. It's been awhile..but I'm back with a vengeance. I ordered a Steve Vai CD via the Internet, and when I received it in the mail I noticed that there was a free "Meet and Greet" backstage-pass in the CD case. Just the day before, I had written this message on the dry erase board that's in my immediate view upon waking up in the morning: EXPECT GOOD THINGS. LIFE IS GOOD. The "expect good things" was just something that I wrote because...well, I want good things in my life. "Remember: life is good" is what Steve Vai says at the end of one of my favorite Vai songs titled Warm Regards (it's the last song on the Fire Garden CD. If you don't already have this CD, please do your ears--and heart--a favor and bookmark this blog, put your computer on standby, run to the closest CD store and buy it. Your ears will thank you later. Trust me. I'm a professional Vai-ist. In fact, I've been listening to his guitar playing for so long that I wasn't even aware of it!! [?] Yes--that's a fact! I used to listen to Public Image Limited--aka P.I.L.--while in high school. And, of course, who can forget that I loved putting Zappa's vinyl "Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch" on the turn-table while enrolled in the same aforementioned high school?) Oh yeah...back to my story: I wrote the message "Expect Good Things" on my wall, and the next day I get the Steve Vai Meet and Greet backstage pass. I figured there was no way in hell that I'd be able to stand through a concert--I can't even stand in the shower! (That's not really true...it's late and I just thought that was a funny visual.) Therefore, I logged on to Steve's website (http://www.vai.com/) and discovered that he's playing in Atlantic City, and it's a place with actual SEATS! My mom and dad agreed not only to pay for my ticket--but they upgraded my ticket to an EVO UPGRADE PACKAGE---which means that I'll be able to sit through Steve's sound check and then sit in an question and answer type of thingy. It just sounds so cool.

Click on the title of this post to watch a video I just created!

People, I'm here to tell you that I am going to the show...even though riding in the car the 10 minutes it takes to get to the doctor upsets the nerves in my neck so much that I have to lie down for a couple of hours when I get home; yes, I am going to be driven 2 1/2 hours down to Atlantic City to spend about four hours before the show with Steve and the band (including the great Dave Weiner. Check out http://www.daveweiner.com/ for great guitar info. He's terrific. Full of wisdom and willing to share. That's an enlightened guy. Young, talented, with his ego checked at the door. I love it.)

You probably all know by now that I have very cool parents who have always been supportive of every endeavor I've ever endeavored to endeavor. They happen to LOVE Atlantic City. They're not high rollers by any means, they just enjoy the slot machines. My Uncle Bob agreed to let us stay in his condo--which is a mere 10 minutes from Atlantic City--for two nights. That way, we can drive down on Friday--I can sleep all night and ice my neck, arm, and hands. Then, I can sleep in until right before the EVO package events begin--and I'm good to go!

I'm very happy that I decided to 'expect good things'. As a lifelong student of spirituality and meditation, I know that the mind is a very powerful thing and that our thoughts do, in fact, shape our reality. However, there is something extra special about making an intention; or, in my case, stating exactly what I want to happen. Thinking is extremely powerful. We must always be aware of the thoughts that are playing like a broken record in our minds.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that yes, I do remember that life IS good.

As you know, you all bring so much incredible joy to my life. Carmi leaves me these incredibly thoughtful, humbling comments. I am so gracious that my offerings affect you in such an inspirational way, Carmi. I love when you visit. And to the ZombieSlayer--who is an avid music lover, I thank you for visiting often. And to my beloved Gyrobo (little metal guy), you know I am forever grateful for the lovely avatar you have created for me. I am on fire (literally!). And Jinn, I got the virtual chocolate truffles you telepathically sent to me. They tasted fabulous, and even though they were virtual chocolates, I still gained twenty pounds from them. I hate when that happens.

Lest I digress,. I've created a video letter to Steve telling him how incredibly excited I am to be meeting him. I created the video on Monday and Tuesday and have been 100% 'unabled' ever since: i.e.
disabled. Oh well, I know my pain will subside a bit in a few days (as you know, it never fully goes away--thank GOD I learned to meditate at a very young age. If you still don't know how to practice meditation--put that on your list of things to do right after you get back from the record store!) I'd rather be creative for an hour and then spend four days immobilized, rather than succumb to my disabilities and give up and be a blob of a person lying in bed dreaming of being creative again. You know what I mean? This is the hand I've been dealt. My doctors are amazed that I can do anything. But then again, they're not really---because they know me. Nothing can break my spirit (although I must admit that the withdrawal from lowering the Oxycontin by 40 mg almost threw me over the edge. It actually did break my spirit--but, as Adi Shankaracharya says--"Nothing is ever lost". In other words, you can't lose what you've always had in the first place! More on that later.)

For now, won't you please watch the video I created for Master Vai and perhaps leave a comment on Youtube? If you don't have an account with them, it's real easy to create one; and remember I'M WORTH IT!!! :)

Big smile--big hugs,
Warm Regards,
Bhakti

Click Here to watch the video!!!

(Update: It's now September 13, and I am still unable to play the guitar due to the fact that when I created this video for Steve Vai, I just fell into an artistic zone and couldn't feel any pain: My mind was focused 110% on what I was trying to achieve in that moment. Unfortunately for me--once I came out of the zone, there's physical hell to pay. That's what I deal with: that's the cards I've been dealt. If I choose to type on the computer today, I know that I will have to ice my arm, neck, and hands before bed in order to get some relief in order to sleep. That's just the way the cookie crumbles for now. It just 'is'. As long as I know that, I can deal with it in stride--well, okay, sometimes I get quite bitchy, but what's a woman to do?)

tags: Jaibhakti, Bhakti Brophy, Steve Vai, Evo upgrade, Taylor Guitars,music, humor, zappa

Steve Vai photo: http://hypertensao.blogs.sapo.pt/arquivo/steve%20vai.jpg

Link

OM SHREE SHREE GURUMAYI...JAYA!

"In truth, the gift of life must always be recognized and never be taken for granted. Why is life so precious? In Siddha Yoga philosophy, we recognize that in this human life we have a rare opportunity. We can transform an ordinary perception of this universe into an extraordinary vision. To be on this planet and to behold the universe from the divine perspective is a sign of an illumined heart. To put this vision to best use in the best way possible is a human being’s highest duty."

--Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Sadhana of the Heart, Vol. I, pg. 162



To see everyone, everywhere as a manifestation of Divinity is a rare gift. For this gift, I thank my Beloved Jesus Christ, the Light Within, and my physical spiritual teacher, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, for giving me the key-- for showing me that I am the Guru I have been searching for; I am That, the Self. She is the manifestation of the Self--showing me my Truth. It is only with this supreme knowledge, and through this gift of knowing the Truth that I have been able to get through the past two years of "hell". Even while going through my darkest times, through the worst physical pain and mental anguish, it is the knowledge of the Truth that has made it possible for me to go on. It is my knowledge of how precious this very life is that carries me through the darkness, even when "I" can not see the light. I know it's there. 'IT' is always present; the Self, the Guru within and without, is always present--even when our minds cannot perceive this notion; even when we feel as though we have sunk so low that we feel we have lost everything we have ever worked for (spiritually speaking), the Light is shining.

When I feel I can no longer live with the physical pain and mental anguish caused by the level of pain I am in, there is always something that gets me through those incredibly dark, wretched times. That 'something' is the Light Within. That something is the knowledge that EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE is of a divine nature. Yes, EVERYTHING. I recall that even my worst feelings and emotions, and the darkest places in my psyche are a manifestation of pure consciousness. Nothing exists that is not God.



As the Hindus say: 'Nothing exists that is not Shiva'.

In the New Testament John proclaims that Jesus was made before him, even though he is IN him!

The Creator is the Created, and vice-versa. (Take a breath and chew on that one for awhile--it does make sense, I promise!)



Yes, that is the key.



I have been struggling--REALLY struggling--these past few months with issues of life vs. death. How is one to live with this amount of pain? And worst still, how am I supposed to live with the knowledge that my disability is taking a toll on my mother?



The answer, my friends, is recognition that all is Divine! Once experienced, it's a simple recognition; it's like riding a bicycle. The problem occurs in remembrance, i.e. 'how to remember this while in the throws of despair?' Not such and easy task!

When I'm in a deep, dark hole (created by my mind no longer being able to handle the level of physical pain--coupled with the toxicity of the meds I'm on), I find it virtually impossible to remember that this, too, is Shiva. This too is a manifestation of God. It's all good! Even the 'bad' is good. Actually, if we take the concept of 'good' and 'bad' out of everything, we are left with simple 'being'. (And I very graciously thank Master Dr. Yuen for reminding me of this TRUTH.)



In short, I have not been posting on this blog for some time now for the simple reason that I had nothing inspiring to write. I was loathe to write about my struggles with keeping my head above the water. My journey since last November's surgery has been brutal: the greatest thing I've learned is that I don't care what anyone thinks anymore. If people don't want to be supportive of my condition, that's their decision, that's their choice, that's their prerogative. It's also MY prerogative to focus on the good--to focus on the people who actually take an interest in helping me survive. People who are willing to admit that one of their loved ones is suffering and that I need their help, rather than making every excuse in the book to run the other way.



The truth is, I have PLENTY of supportive, loving people in my life. The problem used to be that I spent so much energy trying to get the people who DIDN'T understand,-- and who DIDN'T want to help me-- to understand what I'm going through, and I wasn't focusing on the people who ARE here for me, who ARE helping me.



I was taking care of some online business when I came across the above quote--and that's when remembrance hit me. The question of life vs. death is no longer going to be in my vocabulary. (When did that question even enter my vocabulary? I'm the one of the most positive people I've ever met. I know the answer to that question: the level of pain mixed with the high level of pain medications.) This life IS a gift. I have been to the darkest caverns of my soul--to the darkest corners of my mind--and I've survived. I will continue to survive.



I spent the past three weeks withdrawing from 1/3 of the total amount of Oxycontin that I take for my pain. This has been a hellish experience, to say the least. I have experienced hell in all of it's forms since July 29, 2005, when my neck decided to fall apart; however, trying to lower the dosage of Oxycontin was hell: shaking, irritability, restlessness, loose bowels (eww! but true!), insomnia, crying, and more shaking. I reached a point where I had to admit that I am no longer living for myself; I am alive for the sake of my mom and dad; for my nieces and nephews, etc. What is the purpose of experiencing all of this pain, day in and day out? That's the conclusion that I drew last week. That's a terribly low place to be.



I don't think it's hard to imagine how this could wear a person down--two years of third-degree-burn-like sensations going down your left arm, into the wrist, and palm, through the middle and ring fingers; going down your back into both shoulder blades. Etc. You've heard it all before.



But the answer to my question is simple. And, of course, my Beloved Gurumayi Chidvilasananda revealed it to me just when I needed it: Life is a gift. Focus on the positive.



There are plenty of people in my life who don't give me the time of day. They make it a point to tell me that it is 'difficult to be around you' and talk about my bad moods, etc. They ignorantly tell me to 'get out more'--not knowing that if I could, I would--DUH! Although I no longer have patience for this kind of behavior anymore, I forgive them, and I thank God that they know nothing of the pain that I am going through. They may have forsaken me, but that's not my problem. It's not even my business, really. What others' think and/or feel about me is not my business.



I have been blessed with the knowledge and vision that everything, everywhere is Divine, albeit I don't live in this state of unity awareness all the time. Even the greatest sinner has the Light Within, shining brightly--the problem is, they can't see it; they don't know it exists--and that's why they do ungodly things, such as kill, molest, rape, etc. 'Forgive them, they know not what they do.' I say, 'They know not what they are.' I believe when Jesus was on the cross saying "Forgive them, they know not what they do", he was saying--they don't know that My Light is shining right within them. They are ignorant of their own divinity.

Jesus came to Earth not merely to show us that He was God, but to show us that WE, too, are God. We have the eternal flame burning inside every cell of our bodies! The nucleus of every atom in our body throbs, pulses, stating 'The Word' (Om---God!). "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God." The 'Word' was God. In other words, God created sound, and the Sound was God: sound was made of God--and God was in sound. The early Hindus explained it thusly: you have pure gold. You melt the gold and make necklaces, rings, picture frames--heck--even the interior of one of Elvis' Cadillacs. Even though the gold has taken different forms, it's still gold. If you melt down a gold earring, you have pure gold. This is what I believe the author of Genesis was stating when he said "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God": God began creating--and He is in everything He is, and He is in everything He does.

Lest I digress, I must say thank you to everyone who has kept in touch. I will try to hold my head up high--thanks to Dr. Kam Yuen, I can actually hold my head up for up to 5 hours at a time, and he got rid of my stomach spasms and my migraines--I'm going to write an article on him soon. Stay tuned. (If you are in any kind of chronic pain, please click on his name for more information on instant healing. This is no joke--he is the real deal.)



Darkness is ALWAYS dispelled by Light. It can be no other way. If you feel like you can't go on, like you have no purpose in life anymore; if you are on medicine that makes you depressed, or if you feel you aren't getting the support you need, pray for help. Pray for guidance. Reach out to someone in your neighborhood. If you have to, beg for mercy. I begged for God to dispel some of the darkness I was experiencing-- and two days later I happened across the above quote by my beloved spiritual guide. Not to mention the fact that my friend Sally paid for me to have an alternative healing session with a woman named Anne--who in turn sent me to her husband--who in turn introduced me to Master Yuen.

I just thought of a funny image: For the past three weeks I have been feeling as though I was at the absolute end of my rope--and believe me, this is not a place I've been many times before. And then yesterday, something clicked. I found the Gurumayi's quote. I got more insight from Master Yuen. It seemed like the sun came out after a long winter's sleep. I realized that yes, perhaps I was at the end of my rope--but it was then that I realized that I merely had to look up, look around, and I see that there were other ropes to grab hold of. I stopped banging my head against the same wall over and over again (figuratively speaking, of course) and grabbed a different rope; or should I say a different 'life preserver'.

Prayer is so powerful--and I'm not talking about blind faith. You have to believe, you have to know that we (the entire world, universe) is, on some mysterious level, a collective soul. If you ask for help, someone will hear you; something will happen to you that will open your eyes and begin the healing process. Even something as simple as a quote, or as gracious as an email from a Master healer can open your eyes to the beauty of life--and the knowledge that life is precious--and should not be taken for granted.



My love always and forever to Gurumayi Chidvilasananda---the One who gives freely of her love, support, knowledge, and wisdom. I have given her my heart and she has given me the world.



Om Shree Maha Ganapatayi Namaha!

Om Shree Shree Ganesh,

The remover of obstacles.



Go in peace, my friends.

In the famous words of my beloved favorite guitarist (tied in first place with Frank Zappa, of course) STEVE VAI: "Remember: LIFE IS GOOD!'

~Bhakti

tags: Jaibhakti, Bhakti Brophy, bhakti, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Divine Love, quotes, spirituality, steve vai, pain management, Dr Yuen,