An addition to the ongoing inquiry into the spiritual practice of being "Happy for No Reason." You can't go wrong with a chorus that says, "I love you. I love you." Alive and sensuous images from Brazil (I think) and a nice tune if you are in need of a "happy for no reason" break.
[youtube]eoaTl7IcFs8[/youtube]
(Thanks, Laurel.)
My father, who served in the trenches on the front lines of WWII, sometimes speaks of the randomness of events and how the mind tries to manufacture stories in order to make sense of it all. Having had a few NDE's (Near Death Experiences) myself, I'm not sure what to make of them. This is a pretty wild montage of fantastic timing and some events that could have been tragic but somehow were not.
Miracles? Chance? The result of prayer? Karma?
[youtube]h5piu7fzGls[/youtube]
(Thanks, George.)
I still like the clip of Head-Banging Parrot, but this bird also rocks. [youtube]0bt9xBuGWgw[/youtube]
(Thanks, Nar!)
Pretty wild. Autotune certainly changes the delivery of information through the spoken word! This is a collection of samplings from Sagan, Feynman, de Grasse Tyson and Bill Nye. [youtube]XGK84Poeynk[/youtube]
(Thanks, George.)
A meditative cruise with the Tibetan monk Mipham. Turn up the speakers and enjoy. More on him at this site. [youtube]FDSAAlrqAHM[/youtube]
Best narrative short from the Cleveland International Film Festival. [youtube]Cbk980jV7Ao[/youtube]
(Thank, Ellen!)
How cool. [youtube]SqqwF9uJAcE[/youtube]
(Thanks, Bob!)
If you haven't seen the movie "Doing Time, Doing Vipassana," it's incredibly inspiring. And it's now on youtube in five parts. [youtube]bOoFXOWGC5o[/youtube]
For more on yoga and meditation in the prisons, this Wikipedia link has a lot of information. If you're interested in doing prison work here in the DC area, let me know and I can connect you with some very active and inspiring people.
I had the opportunity to meet Father Thomas Keating at the Garrison Institute at a conference a few years ago on inter-disciplinary traditions where I was leading yoga and meditation and could take part in the sessions. He was teaching about "Contemplative Prayer." I loved his explanation of how he got started into this. Someone asked if they could use a room to teach meditation in their church. Attendance was so high he got alarmed and starting attending. From his own practice he has managed to articulate what is essentially 'mantra' meditation into a format that has made it accessible for countless people.
He has a wonderful transmission. When he taught at the conference it was clear he was giving a talk he's given thousands of times, but he used that as a way to personally connect with each person through eye contact. I was touched and inspired by his friendly and caring nature.
[youtube]88UukqH3kDQ[/youtube]
(Thanks, George!)
A real treat. Wait till you have about twenty minutes to enjoy. Benjamin Zander is a passionate, engaging speaker who transmits joy and possibility. [youtube]r9LCwI5iErE[/youtube]
(Thanks, Sheila.)
You never know what your dogs are up to when you're away from home. [youtube]osoVBtxXyfc[/youtube]
(Thanks, Sylvia!)
Can we change behavior by encouraging fun? [youtube]Rg4k5eUl3lo[/youtube]
Here's a link to an interview between Karen Armstrong and Tavis Smiley. As Don, who passed this on to me, said in his email, "Interestingly, she makes many of the same points the Dalai Lama spoke of in the compassion portion of his teaching Saturday." Here is the link to the PBS interview (video).
By the way, Karen Armstrong's book "Buddha," blew me away. Highly recommended.
(Thanks, Don!)
Quite wonderful. [youtube]yjbpwlqp5Qw[/youtube]
(Thanks, Smaudrey!)
Very creative. [youtube]ojKSvKHm1Ys[/youtube]
(Thanks, Beth.)
Some inspiring words from Jane Goodall. As a friend who passed this on to me said, "This will take an hour of your time to watch - a lot, I realize - but ... oh! How worth it! It found my heart and brought me to tears." [youtube]s3FEWKdIvcA&feature=channel[/youtube]
(Thank you, Elizabeth.)
This is mind-blowing. Scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at 'nothing' and ....found something amazing. My English major brain has trouble taking in this data. This reminds me of Sri Nisargadata's famous statement:
Wisdom tells me I am nothing.
Compassion tells me I am everything.
Between these two my life flows.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAVjF_7ensg&feature=player_embedded]
(Thanks, Mark.)
Jon Kabat-Zin has been one of the most influential people in the west when it comes to bringing meditation to the mainstream. Way back when meditation was seen as an exotic and weird practice, working through the University of Massachusetts, he was looking at how it would be quantified as being of benefit. Below you'll see Jon on Mindfulness. [youtube]3nwwKbM_vJc[/youtube]
(Thanks, John!)
The first time I did Dynamic Meditation was in 1983. I was 25 and I'd just moved into the Kripalu ashram and was living in a tent for the summer and fall. In the tent next to me was a Vietnam vet and former Osho disciple who'd spent a lot of time in the ashram in Poona. He asked me if I'd like to do dynamic meditation. I loved meditation so if it was dynamic, I thought, so much the better. He pulled out a boom box and we sauntered over to a corner of the campground near the woods. He hit 'play' and the we were enveloped in a soundtrack with drumming and synthesizer. He started dancing, shaking, hooting and snorting. I was painfully self-conscious, but thought, "What the heck," and threw myself into what were progressive phases of cathartic movement, free flow and sitting meditation. The transition from intense activity to stillness settled my mind quite dramatically. Since then I've led a seven-phase version of this countless times.
In response to questions, I thought I'd offer a little A/V description of the retreat in 'talking head' style:
[youtube]-3MulH5jl4U[/youtube]
For more on the daylong and an application, you can click here.
To register online, you can click here.
By the way, while this can be dramatic, I consider this a very safe and profound practice. In the first phase (more energetic movement) there is no pressure to move in any particular way, but to listen deeply to your body and respond in a way that feels right for you.
We're scheduled for September 26th and the retreat will be at the Bethesda Elementary school. Metro accessible!
This piece from Radio Lab is an exploration of a collection of moments. When I feel sadness or regret I've come to notice that it is often when I recognize how much of my life I wasn't there for - all the moments I missed because I was someone on my way somewhere else. [youtube]jNVPalNZD_I[/youtube]