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Posts tagged ‘meditation’

remember the Mad Hatter

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When your days start to resemble a page from the Mad Hatter’s Daytimer ( calendar/agenda) it is time to stop, take a breather and regroup.  If you are content with your status quo, progress in your life will come to a standstill, and you will be running in place. Meditation/prayer on a daily basis is not just for “other people” it is for everyone.  However, or in whatever way, you find your “inner peace” make time each day to touch base with the quiet in you. Life is simple, we (humans) make it complicated.

once upon a time

Come along with me, step inside, just for a moment, see and feel the moss how soft it is, how green the new ferns are.  Wander slowly down the tracks, taking time to take a deep breath, hold it then slowly let it go.  Listen to the calling of the birds in the trees, and feel the soft gentle breeze as it plays in your hair. Carefully step closer to the fog, let it  wrap you in its gentle mist, feel the tension lessen in your shoulders, it is so nice and peaceful here…. please come again to share another moment of letting go.

I love and bless you all.  May you find your way today still wrapped in the embrace of  Nature’s caring “Way”    Peace be yours always….    Oyashikiri

 

photos >Pinterest

Garlic Anchovy Salad Dressing

What is for breakfast ?   Good morning everyone!  I’m going to try once more to show you the first salad that tempted me. For some reason, WP (Word Press) and I were not in sync when I wanted to post this. So here goes..

Heirloom Tomatoe Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette

It worked! good.  This recipe was found on foodandwine.com   I am going to add hard boiled eggs, after all it will be breakfast.  =^_^=  I meant to only use this one picture of food, but when I saw all the wonderful ideas using anchovies, I wanted to share them.  I do recognize that there are a lot of people who do not enjoy anchovies but then, vive la difference!

Today the meditation was about beginning each new day with a renewed sense of appreciation.  I looked at my desk and found a package from the anchovies I brought back from my trip to the States the other day.  Hmm yum, anchovies with capers in pure olive oil, usually I get the little fillets and use them to season my cooking and for a special treat I will do them with cloves of fresh garlic and toss that over pasta with hot chilies …(see recipe below)  That got my morning thoughts interested in satisfying my taste bud.  I did my best to ignore Canaille’s big brown eyes looking up at me expectantly, (Canaille is our Porti, Portuguese Water Dog) it didn’t work, mindful of her empty tummy I couldn’t very well keep teasing mine with the sight and possibility of food, and not respond to my ‘baby”. so rest easy, I took time to feed the dogs.

Such is life isn’t it, we start out with good intentions, but often our thoughts are diverted, or our attention, and we need to pause and do something else. But with a purpose, if we are dedicated to the task at hand, we finish what we started, we return to our project and we  pick up where we left off.  The key to achieving something is to stick to it.   Don’t give up! Keep at it until you’ve accomplished what you started.

Now, I’ve posted some goodies for you to enjoy, maybe you’ll be tempted too.  For now, I bid you a good day, I’m off to start my day, and decide just what I will delight my taste buds with on this beautiful sunny Sunday!      Blessings all..                       Oyashikiri

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Tomatoes with Anchovy Dressing    Found on Martha Stewart.com   -Martha is one of my favourite people – she is a survivor!

Gluten free • Paleo • Serves 4
Martha Stewart         Tomatoes with Anchovy Dressing – Martha Stewart Recipes This looks dangerously good–I could eat this entire recipe easily.


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Grilled Potato Salad for lunch or dinner hmmmm…  Grill Yukon gold potato halves and combine with a mixture of tomatoes, capers, oregano, olives, and anchovies for a Mediterranean-style potato side dish. (taken from Pinterest this morning)

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This dear readers is one of my all time favourite comfort dishes. Garlic Anchovy pasta. I’ve been making it for years.  I found a recipe this morning while browsing the photo credit was to Helen Rosner.  I copied the receipt since if you want to try and do it, it will be helpful, I myself just wing it according to my wants and taste buds at that moment.  I do use the hot chillies…yum       Yup this will be a for sure later today!!!  I know I know, it will be a serving for one, you’ll get something else. (Hubby does not like anchovies) =^_^=

Ciao .. come sta? Hello!

Israel,Jerusalem, Olive tree

My day began at the foot of this ancient olive tree in Jerusalem.  I began my meditations there because I had been reading about symbols surrounding eating, and how they often reflect the sanctity associated with the basic human experience of eating.  One thing led to another and I found myself gazing on this amazing photograph of a tree so old it must have been around since the days when  early prophets walked the earth.  The mother trunk reminded me of my visit to Japan and the PL Peace Tower.

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Inside the Peace Tower there is an elevator that takes us up to one of the higher floors where we can look down and view the land around, PL headquarters, the town,valley, farm lands. and far beyond.  It is  a spectacular sight, one orchestrated by man.  There are no modern features to the Olive Tree it stands there in all its natural glory and is a living monument to time and Mother Nature’s constant presence. The Olive Tree carries the same symbolic significance in many oriental and European countries. It is the symbol of Peace.

The 1st day of each month, in Perfect Liberty we celebrate  – Day of Peace –  Through a ceremony, we pray for World Peace and dediiate ourselves to live as peaceful human beings in our own worlds which includes our home, school, work and community.  Join with us today in spreading love beyond  our borders and out into the entire world.  Pray for happiness and peace – everywhere, for everyone.

floral, Tibetan blue popppy

Tibetan Blue Poppy

The Answer > by Lowell Fillmore ..

When for a purpose I had prayed and prayed and prayed………Until my words seemed worn and bare with arduous use,

And I knocked and asked and knocked and asked again,   And all my fervor and persistence brought no hope,

I paused to give my weary brain a rest……….. And ceased my anxious human cry.

In that still moment,  After self had tried and failed ……. There came a glorious vision of God’s power.

And, lo, my prayer was answered in that hour.                                                                         Oyashikiri

photographs – 1,3 Pinterest      2 PL member from Spain



 

Sunday Greetings!

kayaking,iceEver tried ice kayaking………….. I certainly haven’t, nor had I even heard of it …  There is so much of life beyond  what we know in our own personal  worlds. So much to see, do and explore.  Question begs, do we do them, do we even get up out of our comfort zones and  travel the roads, or are we arm chair travelers.  No answer required, you know the answer in your heart.  Recently I had a “blue” patch, I had a yearning for a good cry, had no idea why.  It just washed over me. To me this is a sign from above, means something is happening in and around me and I’m not reading the clues, I’m missing something.  The Universe has been obviously sending me subtle messages and I’ve been missing them. We all have such ahHA moments.  In our own way, we are faced with a challenge and for some reason, either we follow the same old patterns at dealing with them, or we stumble through the process and really come no closer to resolving the matter.

Tao say, a wise man/woman knows when to stand still.  Go neither forward. or sideways..  stand still, retreat  step or two.. stop. Practice being still.  Pray, meditate.. don’t just do it.. you have to put our whole effort into being still, listening to your inner voice.  Really listen.   Sometimes we reach a point where change is both necessary and timely, but we cling and try to hold on.  Nature is every changing, trying to hold on to something is futile, spring, becomes summer, and summer fades into fall, our lives move forward, whether we want them to or not.   PL Precept. #11   Always be with God.

michigan,Glen arbor, crystal lake by forestladt flickrThe photographer of this picture, managed to show us the fish in the water, and the stillness of the lake/stream…. I’m winter wearing, =^_^= and long for the sounds of spring/summer and fall……  but today is here, and I will embrace what the day has to offer.  Starting with saying my good morning to each and every one of you.  Thank you for sharing this moment with me.  I so appreciate and love each and every one of you.  God Bless…………Oyashikiri    

Remember to smile…                         smilePencil   psst  do you know what fish symbolize?

 

c’est bien vendredi, como vai?

It is Friday, how are you today?  Happy sunny wishes to start your day!

Scotland, Shetland islands, 400-200BC

A look at the past, poignant yet alluring, we are drawn to explore, to wander to be awed.  Another time, a time when life was very different from what it is today.  Shetland Islands, Scotland  Does it capture your imagination, snare your attention, do you want to walk the path that so many have walked in bygone years,  Even now, today there are echos of visitors footsteps and the sound of distant conversation as people went about their day.

We live our lives everyday with a certain routine, we take certain roads, drive or walk along streets we see every day. If you work and take a bus to work, it  is usually the same bus and it follows the same route, day after day.  We shop in the same malls, or go to the usual markets all the time. Do you put your heart into all you do? Or because we have done it a thousand times  before, so you just get it done? In Asian teachings, we are asked to put our best effort into everything we do, whether or not it is a daily and repetitive task/chore or not.

While in Japan this past summer, in one of our assignments we were asked to do certain tasks, depending on which  group you were in, the tasks were different, some got to wash the bathrooms, some got to clean mats, sweep the roads, my group was asked to wash the hall floors.  Teachers, students, professionals, we all grabbed rags and down on our knees we cleaned the floors inch by  inch. (Noooooooooooooo I do not do this at home, it wasn’t a task I perform on a regular basis and certainly not on my knees, so what do you think my immediate reaction was!)  Old and young, we applied ourselves to working together and doing it.  Those who could no longer get down to the floor due to age, or physical limitations, manned the buckets, and rinsed the rags, ringing them out to hand to us as we brought a used one back.  Getting up and down from our knees and working in unison we chanted to stay focused and in step with each other.   To a city born and bred woman, it peeled away layers of self imposed thought patterns and opened up space in my “brain” for a greater and deeper awareness of being alive  and experiencing life.

Irealnd, DublinThis picture of Dublin in Ireland had me looking at it several times and finally with a magnifier because of the way the photographer shot the picture and how my eyes were seeing it.  The lights reflecting off the water had me wondering and trying to discern just what that was going across the river.  On closer inspection and because I made time to really look, I saw that it was the reflection of the bridge,

Today lets take the time, (make time) to enjoy every second of our day, even if you are doing something you have always done before, try to be mindful of your actions. Put makoto (sincerity) into all you do and say,   Have a good day everyone!  Where ever you are in your day when you read this.. smile.. I’m sending lots of love and positive energy your way… always, today, tomorrow.   Blessings…..     Oyashikiri 

        smilePencilphotographs >Pinterest 

Transformation

NorwayToday’s PL thought for the day is about discovering the joy of transforming one’s Self.  It talks about how when we strive to improve ourselves,and the changes begin to take place…. we are filled with a happiness  that is more satisfying and rewarding.  Change is the only constant in life.  The sensual delivery/impressions of  this photqgraph is stunning. The slightly stronger presence of Yin,  merges with Yang in a true blending of light and shadows.  Nature is Art in its purest form.

imagesucrkovy5For readers and followers of the Tao, the hexagram #5 HSU, calculated waiting is the meditation of the day.  Creativity  and strength in the lower trigram, Ch’ien are held in check by the profound mystery of K’an, above.  ( Calculated waiting  hexagram #5 ).   In groups or relationships, all parties are involved in a situation that requires calculated and good natured waiting.  The situation is not in anyone one’s hands, it is about Destiny.  there are times when any action could or would be a foolish  one ..ie. over-reaction.  So nourish one another instead with a happy and loving heart that provides reassurance instead.

Good Saturday morning to you my friend, may the day develop into a perfect memory for you…. Smile, you are never alone.    Blessings…  Oyashikiri

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Wat een prachtige dag! Good Sunday Morning =^_^=

a0c89d466de7ba0a00e2d4b17a3a770cWouldn’t it be nice if our lives could be all planned out in neat little rows,   That we could organize, sow and cultivate, knowing that our wants and desires would line up just the way we want them to. The above picture is lovely,  it took hours of work, and many people  working together to produce this “garden” of colour.  Realize that all of their hard work, planning and efforts came to fruition, because they had a clear vision of what their goal was,  & what they wanted to achieve   The unspoken here, but the obvious, and this dear reader is  what we need to remember in life.. without the input and unseen help and support of Mother Nature the outcome could have been much different.  We take for granted the air we breathe, the rain that washes over and cleans our planet. Nature is a force that is a constant in our lives – sometimes we rejoice in the sunshine, – we love it and want it all the time, but without the rain our crops would fail, rivers and lakes would run dry,  When you  cry, you wash away the dust in your eyes, the sadness in your heart  grows lighter.  Appreciate all of life.

nederlands,Den BoschThis tranquil setting is in Den Bosch,Nederlands.  I invite you to spend a few minutes with me in silent meditation  Take a nice easy breath in, ahhh … hold it for just a few seconds, feel it open your lungs, and now… slowly let it out… let your gaze relax, follow the ripples as they slowly meander through our view and into the beyond.  See how the stillness in the water captures the images that are beyond our immediate sight….. just because we don’t see them, doesn’t mean they are not there……………………. enjoy this brand new day……………………make it count ……………..I so appreciate  and love sharing these moments with you…………………..peace and prosperity be with you…..………….Oyashikiri

 

Welcome another day!

Yesterday I found myself at the bottom of the steps in a beautiful environment,  in reflecting on my post, I realized that not all steps are a welcome sight.  That there are days when our thoughts and emotions are in a different place.  Or should I say, in wandering through the hallways of the brain, we come across a scene perhaps like this one.

9a98ec7ae23e621913bcac5743154dc4Pause for a moment.  Look at the picture that the photographer of this shot captured.  I’m not sure I know his/her intent, but to me it speaks volumes.  Much like this one does.  Again it was a toss up on which picture I would use today.  Both spoke volumes to me and had me meditating on my thoughts for some time before I took to the keyboard.

339939f9024c0c5082a0d995848a9bcdBoth of these pictures (for me) capture the essence of life at given moments during certain cycles we live through.  When all around seems dreary,painful,lost, when our hearts are heavy, and our laughter barely a whisper, it is in such times that we have to call on our faith, know that the beauty is still there, that the sunshine is merely behind a cloud.  The moment will pass, and the light of love and happiness with shine through once more.  To love, to care is to allow yourself to feel vulnerable.  Mother Nature is ALWAYS present.  WE cannot know happiness without sadness, they go hand in hand, when you hold out your hand, you only see one side until you turn your hand over to see the palm. They are ONE.

db1dbddd00387b6a1ce711435e689d69A sun filled path of flowers for you today.

Love and Blessings……thanks for sharing this moment with me.   Oyashikiri

Appreciation

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On this sunny day in February, my prayer,meditation is one of appreciation for my health, life and friends.  I am grateful for the gifts/skills that I have been blessed with.   It is important to remember that I am not alone, part of my blessing is the wonderful community I find in sharing with you.  Today I want to say thank you for your messages and continued support . I appreciate each and every one of you.  Thank YOU!!!! 

You can only go halfway into the darkest forest,  then you are coming out the other side.  -Chinese proverb –

photo-vintage memory                                                                       bear hugs

Interacting Proactively

When you hear” Let’s interact Proactively”,  what comes to mind?  There is a lesson in PL, that with society changing as rapidly as it is, we have to keep our eyes and mind in tune to the changes and learn to deal with them proactively.  I agree, however in my daily meditations, I find that there are times when I struggle to be proactive with mySELF.  I underlined, read and reread a sentence once that began “Come back home to yourself” during an especially difficult time in my life,  To this day, I pray for the strength to remain true to the belief that I am where I am meant to be, and to give thanks for getting this far. I will accept and surrender to my present moments, the difficult ones, and the easy ones. LOL and here is the biggie for me… I will stop trying to control the process.…..I will trust in the process.….  I will be proactive with the guiding light of God.

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The more knowledge shared/given away, the more  will be received – Tao

Many blessings on this wonderful day, may you find joy and sunshine, today, tomorrow and always.   Oyashikiri

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