Today I’ve decided to talk about the Kindle for Barrie Summy’s Book Review Club.  Don’t forget to check out Barrie’s other great book club reviews.

 I didn’t know what to get my husband for Father’s Day, so I consulted with my daughter and decided that since he is an avid reader and our bookshelves are overflowing, what better present than a Kindle.  I checked out the smaller 6” and larger DX 9.7” models.

It was a toss up, smaller and less expensive ($359.00) vs. larger screen and costlier ($489.00).  But the ultimate decision on any purchase lies in it’s use.  What will he use it for?  What capacity will he need?  What features most closely match his needs?

While you can read a book on both Kindles, the new DX model with the larger screen is more convenient if you want to subscribe to journals and newspapers or purchase college textbooks. 

So far, we haven’t subscribed to any journals or newspapers, but we purchased a textbook the other day.  The download took more than 60 seconds.  I think the wireless connection in our house was slow, so I can’t say whether it will always take a longer period of time to download, but we’ll see.  We did download several samples(The first chapters or pages of a book).  Those downloads were quicker, 60 seconds or less.

The text-to-speech is very clear with English.  However, I happened to download a book that included several foreign words and I needed to check the text to identify the word.

The rotating display is cool, but sometimes you had to tilt the screen upright before the display turned to landscape mode.

 I love the way you can be reading several books at a time and the Kindle knows where you left off in each of them.  The menu screen is easy to use and allows you to jump to different locations in the book, search for a particular word or phrase, add a bookmark, highlight, and add notes.  The charge lasts several days.  You can also turn the wireless option off when you are not downloading a book and of course Amazon has made purchasing books so convenient and easy.  I know I haven’t talked about all the features, but it’s a busy day with lots more to do, so I’ll end here.

 If you haven’t gotten the idea yet, yes, my husband agreed to share his Kindle DX with me.  He’s pretty good about sharing.  I try to read my books while he’s at the office and he gets access nights and weekends.  It’s kind of like sharing a cell phone in the early days of cell phones when you only kept it in the car for emergency use.  I’m guessing that as time goes by, we may need to buy another Kindle, and maybe by that time there will be more competition in the electronic book market.  But until then, I’ll sit back, pick my feet up, and enjoy the Kindle DX.

Happy reading everyone.

p.s.  Amazon is now saying that that Kindle DX is sold out.  Glad I got mine early.

Here are the stats on the Kindles from Amazon 

Posted: July 1st, 2009 under Uncategorized, writing.
Comments: 3

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Today I’m combining a little teabag wisdom with a book review for Barrie Summy’s Book Review Club.  Don’t forget to check out Barrie’s other great book club reviews for June. 

Today, my little yogi teabag saying is: “The body is a temple.  Take care of it.”  Well, that certainly is an excellent lead in to the book I’ve been reading, which is in my humble opinion, a real eye opener to our SAD (Standard American Diet) diet.  “The UltraMind Solution” by Mark Hyman, M.D.

Are you stressed out?  Do you need mega-cups of caffeine to get through your day?  Do you find yourself craving sweets?  Are you plagued by depression, anxiety, memory loss, brain fog, ADD, ADHD, autism, or dementia?  Are you tired of going to the doctor or popping pills?  You are not alone.

There’s an epidemic going on that is causing many illnesses today that didn’t exist in previous generations.  Millions of people are suffering and spending billions of dollars on drugs, only to find they don’t work.  What Dr. Hyman suggests in “The UltraMind Solution” is your food may be the source of the problem.

I found this book to be an easy to understand explanation of how problems associated with the brain are really a disconnect between how your brain and body communicate.  It’s the old “garbage in – garbage out” idea.  If you consume unhealthy foods (like junk food, red meat, high-fructose corn syrup, etc.), your body has a difficult time processing the food and getting the proper energy to keep your body and brain functioning at optimal capacity. 

Dr. Hyman explains his seven keys to Ultrawellness: 1) Optimize your nutrition, 2) balance your hormones, 3) reduce inflammation, 4) fix your digestion, 5) detoxify your body, 6) boost your metabolism, and 7) calm your mind.  It’s a holistic approach to getting healthy.

Inside the book, you will find research on different illnesses and how changing your diet and lifestyle habits can improve your health.  There are dozens of stories of his patients who have suffered from these illnesses and are now cured.  In addition to an easy to understand explanation of how the body metabolizes food which affects the brain, the book includes information on nutritional supplements, checklists to see if you are deficient in a particular nutritient, and a six-week plan to follow.  I particularly liked all the quizzes sprinkled throughout the book to help identify vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

There is also a website you can go to for a free download of The UltraMind Solution Companion Guide filled with recipes, menus and my favorite – a shopping list.  www.ultramind.com/guide

I’ve tried out several of their recipes already and I have to say I’m sold.  In one week, I have more energy and feel healthier than I have been in years.  If you are ready for a change, this is the book for you.

Posted: June 1st, 2009 under healthy eating.
Comments: 9

 Last week I had a bad cold.  It made it’s home in my sinuses and the only relief was laying down.  I drank a lot of tea and contemplated the wisdom instead of thinking about the pain and pressure in my head.  There is so much to be gained by slowing down and going within.  Which teabag saying speaks to you?

“Let Things Come to You”

“Love Your Soul”

“Our Intuition Lies in our Innocence”

“Let Your Heart Guide You”

“Practice Kindness, Mercy, & Forgiveness”

“Love Your Soul”

“Let Your Heart Speak to Other’s Hearts”

“Your Destiny is to Merge with Infinity”

“Understanding is Found through Compassion”

“Open up to Infinity and You Become Infinity”

“Meditation is the Medicine of the Mind”

“Old Age Needs Wisdom and Grace”

“Mental Happiness is Total Relaxation”

“Let Your Manners Speak for You”

“Oneness is Achieved by Recognizing Your Self”

Posted: February 5th, 2009 under meditation, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 4

I just reread a great book I’d like to share with you, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  The story is about a boy from Spain who became a Shepard in order to travel and see the world to follow the path of his Personal Legend.  As the boy travels, he meets up with a King, a fortune teller, and an alchemist, each of whom help the boy find his treasure.  The boy sells his sheep and sets out on his journey to the Pyramids in Egypt, encountering one obstacle after another.  He heeds the advise he received from a King to watch for and follow the omens that appear.  He meets up with an Alchemist who is known to change lead into gold.  The Alchemist, sees the strength of purpose in the boy and helps him reach his treasure.

I was struck by several passages that I’d like to share with you.  It reminds me of my own journey into yoga, from the first day I stepped into a yoga class, through all the yoga retreats, and teacher training.  To my upcoming trip to India and advanced training in Vedic Healing I’m scheduled to take later this year.  See if any of these passages also resonate with you.

When the boy first decided to look for his treasure, Paulo Coelho wrote:

“He still had some doubts about the decision he had made.  But he was able to understand one thing:  making a decision was only the beginning of things.  When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”

Later, when the boy was fearful of being killed by the Arabs at war in the desert:

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.  And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”

So when the boy forgot about his fear:

“his heart began to tell him things that came from the Soul of the World.  It said that all people who are happy have God within them. … Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. …But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them – the path to their Personal Legends, and to happiness.  Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.”

Then the boy thought he had learned all he needed to learn about finding his Personal Legend, but the alchemist said there was one more thing to learn:

“before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. … That’s the point at which most people give up. … Every search begins with beginner’s luck.  And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”

 There are so many thought provoking passages in The Alchemist, but I’ll stop here.  I’m sure that most everyone has had a dream they wanted to pursue sometime in their life.  Did you go after the dream or did you convince yourself it would never work out before you even began?  Were you afraid to go in search of your dream?  Did you have beginner’s luck but give up after you encountered some adversity?  Are you truly happy with your life?  If any of these passages or questions struck a cord, I encourage you to read The Alchemist.

 A few notes about the author:  Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1947.  He was a nonconformist and sought out new things.  He followed the teachings of Carlos Castaneda.  In 1988, he wrote The Alchemist which sold only nine hundred copies and the publisher decided not to reprint.  But following his dream, he found another publisher.  The Alchemist went on to sell more copies than any other book in Brazilian literary history.

 If you want to see more book reviews, stop by Barrie Summy’s Blog and meet others in the Book Review Club.  

Posted: February 3rd, 2009 under present moment, writing, yoga.
Comments: 9

This past weekend I was reminded about the benefits of communing with nature.  I was in Muir Woods, just north of San Francisco.  It was a holiday weekend and the park was filled with other nature lovers, but as I walked along the dirt path, I feel into silence.  I looked around at the giant redwoods, a thousand or more years old.  I noticed the furry bark, the gnarled swells along the trunk, the bright green moss covering the roots of a long dead tree.  It was at that moment that I felt compelled to step closer and touch that beautiful living thing.  I stood there for about a minute, breathing slowly, imaging the cells of the tree growing beneath my fingers.  I continued along the trail, listening to the breeze rustling the leaves and the chatter of people close by.  I found myself speeding my steps, searching for the solitude and quiet.  In the silence there was such peace.

 This morning I had another opportunity to commune with nature.  I woke up to gray skies, a rare sight in sunny Southern California.  I donned my raincoat and headed out for a walk.  The skies were misting and I uncovered my head, feeling the moistness against my face, picturing my skin drinking in the rain.  I began to remember my childhood on rainy days, taking walks in the warm summer rain, getting soaked, then washing my hair in the downpour before getting ready for bed.  As I continued my walk, I became aware of the smell of eucalyptus and pine.  I saw beads of water sitting on the leaves of bird of paradise plants and imagined all the plants drinking in the precious gift of rain, just as my skin was doing.

 In this fast paced world, we are so rushed to get from point A to point B, that we don’t often notice the wonders of life.  So let this be a reminder.  There is peace in nature.  All you have to do is notice.

Posted: January 23rd, 2009 under mindfulness, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 4

It’s a half hour before sunrise as I grab my cup of tea and head out the door.  The sky is cloudless blue as light ascends on San Diego.  The near full moon lights my way as the car snakes down Torrey Pines Rd, around Hidden Valley and up Capri.  My destination, Mt. Soledad National Park.  I can see the large cross in the distance, the center of the war memorial. 

 As I reach the top, I am alone.  Silence surrounds me, except for the background hum of early morning traffic along Interstate 5 and a couple of crows whom call this park home.  I grab my yoga mat and climb the stairs then take in the beauty around me.  The light blue and orchid sky surrounding the moon, the yellow and orange sky to the east, the calm ocean, the flickering city lights, the shadow of Mission Bay, the Coronado Bridge and the Coronado Islands. 

 I set up my mat facing south so that I can drink in the moon as I twist right and the growing dawn as I twist left.  My yoga asana practice is short, a series of three gentle vinyasa flows and warrior pose.  I keep my eyes open and notice a constant stream of jets rising from the airport.  I breathe in the clean, warm air during pranayama practice (breathing exercises): ten rounds of nadishodana (alternate nostril breathing) and 108 kalabati breaths (bellows breath).  I meditate on the phase: one breath, one body, one moment, one heart; then add ten rounds of mantra on my mala beads with one-pointed concentration on the eastern horizon as I await the sun.

 The bright light winks at me, then rises majestically over the mountains. 

 The lights of the city dim.  Cars arrive in the park.  It’s time for me to go.  I say good-bye to the moon and thank God for this opportunity to see, feel, touch, and drink in this magnificent planet.

Posted: January 12th, 2009 under Stained Glass, meditation, yoga.
Comments: 3

Each morning when I complete my yoga practice and come down for breakfast, I start the day with a cup of tea.  I tend to drink Yogi or Good Earth Teas because they have little saying on their teabags.  I look forward to opening the packet and reading what I’ve come to call “Teabag Wisdom”.

Today’s teabag wisdom is very familiar to all of us.  It’s an old Chinese Proverb:

“When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy.”

In yoga, we learn to live from the heart.  When we open our hearts to the world around us, we find peace.  Where there is peace, there is no stress, no anger, no anxiety, no depression.  There are many scientific studies that point to negative emotions being the direct cause of many illnesses.  Heart disease in particular.

Dr. Mimi Guarneri, a cardiologist at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, CA. has written an excellent book “The Heart Speaks” that documents examples of how negative emotions effect your heart and your health.  In the book, Dr. Guarneri refers to living from the heart as the secret language of healing.  “The heart has a mind that some might call the spirit, the higher self, intuition or the small voice within.  How many times have you said to yourself, ‘If only I had listened to my heart.’  By not listening, we often pay the price in time and energy in cleaning up the mess afterward.”  Her reference to “cleaning up the mess afterward” is seeing a patient on the operating table to fix a problem with a heart.

Posted: January 9th, 2009 under Stained Glass, yoga.
Comments: none

The Yoga Sutras refer to negative thoughts (Vitarka) and how to get rid of them.  The solution is to think of something positive.  This is pratipaksha bhavana and is so much easier said than done. 

 How many times during the day does someone (usually a close friend or family member) say something and suddenly your gut tightens?  Maybe you respond verbally, maybe you keep your thoughts to yourself, but the cortisol in your body is already released and cortisol is the chemical that stresses your body. My cardiologist once told me that it takes 4-6 hours for the cortisol to be reabsorbed into your system.  When cortisol rushes into your system, your blood pressure rises.  You become distracted.  Whatever you were doing before is forgotten.

 This is a natural response, but for me I’ve found that the key to practicing pratipaksha bhavana is to catch myself, to be aware of what is happening, and either remove myself physically from the situation or stop to take a deep breath.  Depending on the circumstances, maybe it takes five or ten breaths.  Sometimes I take a walk in nature or look up into the sky and watch the clouds float by.  The point is to be aware of these circumstances as quickly as possible and come back to peace.  

Posted: January 8th, 2009 under Stained Glass, yoga.
Comments: none

I’m reading David Frawley’s book “Vedantic Meditation.”  He writes about how our lives present us with both limited and unlimited views of the world.  So this morning when I completed my morning yoga practice, I walked onto my back patio and contemplated my view.  I have an enclosed space, surrounded by other buildings.

There are a lot of things to see in my back yard: trees, shrubs, flowers, flower pots, a stream, a bridge, a sun umbrella, table and chairs, barbeque grill, surrounding condos, the sky, clouds, the sun shining on the tree tops. 

Yet, as I stop to focus on one tree, I am awed by it beauty.  I am looking at the tree from a distance of about fifty feet, my view is limited, yet there is so much to see.  The tree contains thousands of green leaves, a gray-brown bark that’s smooth in some areas and rough in other.  Each leaf has veins to receive nourishment from the earth.  There are varying hues in the leaves.  When the sun kisses a leaf, the color brightens.  I don’t know the name of the tree, it doesn’t matter.  All I know is that it stands tall, reaching into the beautiful blue sky.  I can look at this tree every day and see something new.

How many times have I passed this tree and been blind to it?  How many times have I gone through my day limiting my view of the present because I’ve been caught up in past memories or the future?  How wonderful to start the day noticing more of my life.  I can not yet see the unlimited, but I’m one step closer to seeing today.

Posted: January 5th, 2009 under present moment, yoga.
Comments: none

Ever since I discovered I had heart disease, I treat myself to a monthly massage to keep my stress in check and to relieve muscle tension in my neck and shoulders.  While at first I thought it was a luxury, I came to realize that taking care of my body was one of the most important things I could do for my overall health.  If you’ve never had a massage or you are constantly under stress in your life, I suggest you put some money aside into a “Be Good To Your Body Fund,” and try it.  You won’t regret it.

Here’s an article by Kelly Kilpatrick on how massage can be beneficial to relieve stress and management pain.

5 Benefits of Using Massage for Stress and Pain Management

Stress and anxiety can create tension in our bodies that can ultimately lead to debilitating pain.  Therapeutic massage is one method of managing stress and pain that many people have begun to turn to.  There are many benefits of using therapeutic massage for stress and pain management, five of which will be explored in further detail in this article.

Target Areas of High Tension

Most people carry their stress in certain parts of there bodies, like their shoulders, neck, or legs.  Over time, this can create painful knots in the muscles, resulting in limited range of motion for the person suffering from this stress-related condition.  A licensed massage therapist can help target these tense and knotted areas, ultimately helping people to feel better and learn how they are creating these knots in the first place.

Releases Endorphins

As you undergo a therapeutic massage, painful knots in muscles will be targeted, triggering the release of endorphins into your bloodstream.  Endorphins are the human body’s natural painkillers and help fight pain while simultaneously helping the patient feel a sense of euphoria and release as a result. 

Eliminates Harmful Toxins 

As muscles knot and twist from stressful conditions and situations, they store harmful toxins in the fibers of the muscles.  Receiving a massage from a licensed massage therapist can help release these stored toxins as the knots in the muscles are manipulated.  Once the knot is worked out, the body works to eliminate these toxins rapidly.  It is important to drink plenty of water after your massage to help expedite this process.

Reduces Overall Stress and Anxiety

When giving a therapeutic massage, many licensed massage therapists will use a variety of techniques to help you to relax.  There are several methods that will help achieve this end, including calming music, aromatherapy, and even scented oils that trigger relaxation centers in the brain.  Allow the therapist to take care of you while communicating with them throughout the massage itself.  Massage ultimately helps reduce stress and anxiety levels, bringing about good feelings and a peace of mind like no other.

Improves Circulation

Another result of receiving a therapeutic massage is that your circulation will improve significantly, especially to those areas that had previously been knotted up and storing toxins.  Good circulation in your body will help deliver oxygen-rich blood to areas that have been suffering for some time and carries many other health benefits as well.

 This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of massage. If you are interested in receiving a certification in massage therapy, her website is National Massage Certification. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com

Posted: December 21st, 2008 under heart disease.
Comments: 2