Monday, May 31, 2010

The following is from YOGA JOURNAL by Judith Lasater. I was pleased with what I read...



Isvara Pranidhana (Surrendering to God)
Patanjali defines "isvara" as "Lord," and the word "pranidhana" conveys the sense of "throwing down" or "giving up." Thus, isvara pranidhana can be translated as "giving up or surrendering the fruits of all our actions to God."
Many people are confused by this niyama, in part because yoga is seldom presented as a theistic philosophy even though Patanjali states in the 23rd verse of the Yoga Sutra that devotion to the Lord is one of the main avenues to enlightenment).
In fact, some yoga traditions have interpreted isvara pranidhana as requiring devotion to a particular deity or representation of God, while others have taken "isvara" to refer to a more abstract concept of the devine (much as Twelve Step programs allow participants to define "Higher Power" in their own way).
In either case, the essence of isvara pranidhana is acting as best we can, and then relinquishing all attachment to the outcome of our actions. Only by releasing our fears and hopes for the future can we really be in union with the present moment.
Paradoxically, this surrender requires tremendous strength. To surrender the fruits of our actions to God requires that we give up our egotistical illusion that we know best, and instead accept that the way life unfolds may be a part of a pattern too complex to understand. This surrender, however is anything but passive inactivity. Isvara pranidhana requires not just that we surrender, but also that we act.








Saturday, May 29, 2010

Lost 9 lbs.

After 58 years, I've found the secret to weight loss and keeping the weight off. With the help of my therapist, yes I said therapist, I learned to love myself and accept me for who I am. People have told me that so many times, but I didn't listen or catch onto it, had to hear it from a total stranger to grasp it. I am a very special, beautiful, fun loving, funny, joyful person and I deserve to be anything I want to be. I was beautiful as a baby, very beautiful as a child, a teenager, a young adult, middle aged, and now 58... I am beautiful, gorgeous in fact. I truly believe this, and I love myself without reservation, and know that I can be thinner and feel better, and am on my way to doing just that! It's not all about weight, it's about living your life to it's fullest and getting the most you can out of it, because we're just not here that long.

I love the words journey and adventure, don't you? The thing is, I'm not waiting for the journey or waiting for the adventure... I'm living the journey, the adventure. That's what I have to do, is to be present in my life and do the best I can for myself and those around me. Of course, I can't make the journey on my own, and I don't want to have an adventure by myself, so I have God with me at all times. I don't need another human being to complete me, I just need God. I talk to Him often and thank Him for my triumphs, plead with Him for help, and praise Him for his miracles. He helps in so many ways. Here's an example: I've got 4 hours of work left and I didn't bring any extra snacks, so I go out to the snack machine and find the lowest calorie thing I can - animal crackers. I go and get my 50 cents and when I return I put my $ in the machine, but find out I put $ in the soft drink machine instead of the snack machine. The money won't come out, so I see it as I need to get me a diet DP instead of the crackers. Get back to my desk with a drinking glass full of ice and some DP in it and realize I have grapes in the refrigerator!!! Wow, what a save by The Big Guy. If you ask for His help, He'll be there. With His help, I've lost 9 lbs.

During my journey, my adventure, I've got my eyes and ears opened to His direction. Not trying to be over religious, but He is my God and He helps me. Here are other things that I do, you've probably heard 'em all:

1. Eat with chopsticks when I can. It takes longer to eat and you end up taking food in slower and realize how full you are before you overload.
2. Think before you eat. Find out if you're really hungry before you eat.
3. Keep only "good" food around the house, fruits, veggies, popcorn. I just bought a hot air popper!
4. Drink lots of water. Water is my favorite drink!
5. Bring to work with you a drinking glass that you love to drink out of, fill it with ice and pour in Crystal Lite Peach Tea or a Diet DP or Diet Coke. It's a treat.
6. I'm going to take an exercise class, probably water aerobics. I have bad knees and a bad back and feel like exercising in the water will be best for me... besides, isn't that how old people exercise anyway. Ha!
7. As much as you possibly can, do NOT watch commercials. They lure me in and make me crave everything!
8. Do your own cooking. Leave fast food for reward days.
9. Set aside a day of the week to eat what you really are craving. I can't do without pizza or hamburgers or Mexican food forever, so I save special days to have these kinds of foods. In the meantime, I cook them myself, but with fewer calories - it's really the best way, and after awhile you grow to like the less calorie foods.

Those are just 9 ways that I live my days, will post more later. You'll be hearing of my success and of the miracles that occur.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Why????


I was just wondering...
...Why racing bikes have those horribly, thin, uncomfortable seats on them? If you're going to get outside and exercise on a bike and ride long distances and pedal like a pusher, why would you want to torture yourself while doing it?
...Why do some people ride on other people's bumpers? They're not going to get where they're going any faster by doing this. Be patient, and when you can pass the slower person, do so, but no finger jestures, they're really not necessary, I get it.
...Why is it when you go garage saleing in Clear Lake, that the people there follow you around and watch you like a hawk, like you might steal something? I know there are those who do steal, there is evil in this world; but dude, did you really think I was going to stuff your old rusted bait bucket in my purse? Come on!


...Why is it that people who live in beach houses in Clear Lake act like they're better than those of us who don't own beach houses? I know they're better, but they don't have to act like it, riding around hither and yond in their golf buggies. I could own a golf buggy if I wanted one... I can save for anything I want... just don't happen to want a golf buggy... very much.
...Why, if a person from Clear Lake is going to have a garage sale, do you NOT put prices on things? If there is no price on your items, then I don't want your items. That would be like going to a restaurant, looking at the menu, and seeing no prices... I'm outta there... 2 tacos and a 5-layer burrito for me! I'm a cheap date.
...Why are all the Schlotskys sandwich places, closing down?! The one on Spencer and Burke is now a Verizon store! The closest one to me is now the Schlotskys on Bay Area Blvd. What is going on?! It's like when the Taco Buenos disappeared around here. I mean, I love Taco Bell, but I also loved Taco Bueno, plus Taco B had a beef burger to die for! No one has that anymore. Please if you know where I might purchase just the bread that they make Schlotskys sandwiches from, I will buy you a sandwich... seriously.
...Why would a guy who drives a golf buggy around his neighborhood in Clear Lake with his 3 grandkids sitting with him, be drinking a beer at 9:30am? #1 He's driving = bad; #2 He's driving children = very bad; #3 He's drinking at 9:30am = people, we must draw the line somewhere!! The only good thing about it... probably around 3pm I could buy his house from him and he wouldn't care.


Sunday, May 2, 2010

Jill's Journal - Entry 2: To Kansas I go for the 6th Time

13 days and I will be in Holcomb, KS! Going to see my youngest son Ethan, daughter-in-law Deni, and my beautiful, genius, talented, funny little Grandsons Faolan and Rowan! I call them My 4 Moochies. May 17 is Rowan's birthday and November 17 is Faolan's birthday, so I make the trip to Kansas twice a year for their birthdays, and that is every 6 months - in May and in November. I usually stay 5 or 6 days.

My adorable Grandsons call me Gamma, I love that name. I made it up because it's like I have extra powers like in the Gamma rays The Hulk has. I'm mean like The Hulk, and if I continue this same course, I'll be as big as The Hulk in no time. Don't know what to do about being green. But I sure am Gamma.

Anyway, while I'm there... I sit and watch them watch TV, every once in awhile Faolan will say somthing like, "Gamma, you're looking at me." I also play with them as much as I can, working through the knee, foot and back pain... usually sit on the floor, makes it easier on the pain and we surround ourselves with toys. We also go to the Richardson Zoo in Garden City, and I watch Faolan and Deni climb The Rocket. The Rocket is on the playground there and people climb to the top of it. The Rocket even has a profile on Facebook... I kid you not! It's not real tall, I plan on climbing it this year. I am an actual friend of The Rock! Cool!!

And we'll go to "Story Time" at the Library, and I'll get to watch the boys faces light up while listening to some sweet person read a book to them and other kids. You know, I think I'd like to do that. I can do voices and a British accent that Big Al absolutely hates me to do but I love doing it. Wow, that would be a bunch of fun to read stories to kids. Wish I could make a living at that, or add to my income by doing it - very cool. I wonder if they even pay the person who reads to the kids, it's probably a volunteer thing, that might be fun anyway.

We ALWAYS go to the Thai Restaurant! It's excellent food, very hot! My Moochies are beyond regulars there, they are totally into Thai food. I don't know of a decent Thai Restaurant around here, wish I did. I always get the chicken with veggies, extremely spicey - Moke couldn't take the heat, he's not good with spicy hot flavors, he's such a weenee. And you get a big glob of steamed rice with it.

Let's see what else are we going to do, oh yes, we'll go to Sondra and Robert's (that's Deni's Mom and step-dad) house and have a BBQ in their backyard. This is always fun and we have a good visit with them. They're putting their trailer in E&D's yard and hooking it up so that I can stay there during my visit. The reason for that is that E&D have some exotic animals that I'm totally unfond of and don't want to sleep in the same room with. For instance... cats, 2 rats, and a bearded dragon! Oh such joy for me!! But staying in the trailer is going to be a dream, and an awfully sweet and loving gesture from my dear friend Sondra.

Another thing we'll be doing is to go to Walmart, probably 2 or 3 times during my visit. I hate Walmart, especially hate the Walmart in Garden City. The diversity of this town is... well it's diverse... very much so. You have many, many Mexican Americans, lots of white people, some Ammenites, and a few blacks. On rare occasions I will get a return smile, which truly makes my day! But for the most part, these groups keep to their own kind and give the other kind hateful looks. It can get scary, but the best thing to do is just to pretend that we're all a like and that no one is better than anybody else, and remember to smile... smile you're ars off, and you'll pretty much be okay.

Yelp, 13 days and I'll see My 4 Moochies - Gamma is beyond excited!!!!!