The Sycamore Tree

The leaves fell on the meadow
from the giant Sycamore Tree.
And no one was round
to hear the sound
of the woodpecker tapping
on the old, big tree.

It probly stood there
for round a hunerd years.
But now it's grey
with swollen bark,
and can't sway in the wind
no more.

No one will miss it
when it's gone.
It just stands there
all alone -
and
forlorn.

It will turn into garbage
for the grubby worms.
The leaves and bark
and limbs and roots
of the Sycamore Tree.

And again some day,
in its place,
there will spring up
a new, young 
Sycamore Tree.

The Dying Man

The dying man
looked into the abyss,
and what he saw
gave him no bliss.

What he saw
he could not forget.
It was not happiness
but more like a threat.

Deep in the pit
was a very dark hole.
One that was familiar
yet startled his soul.

He knew what it was
and was afraid what he knew.
There in the blackness
 it shone through and through.

His heart leaped with joy
but yet there was fear,
that soon there would be
an end that was near.

"Come closer" he heard,
so he bent down to see
there in the hollow
lay all his debris.

Strewn here and there
were bits and pieces,
what once were
all the lost faces.

Friends and foes,
some happy some sad
reminded him -
what he once had.

He finally decided
to stand and look up.
Face away from
all the darkness and stuff.

There in the sky
looking down on him
was a light so bright
it blinded his sight.

He stood for some time
in a bewildered state,
not knowing what happened,
not knowing his fate.


Then, no earthly senses
and no worldly thoughts 
flooded his soul
from head to toe. 

He no longer had fear.
He no longer had dread.
There was a serene comfort
in knowing he was dead.

What is Chanting?

Here is a little something for those of you, or your friends, who may shun chanting for religious reasons.

Chanting is simply vocalizing words or phrases repetitively and is usually accompanied by some kind of music. Chants can be in any language: Sanskrit, English, American Indian, Hebrew, Tibetan, Hawaiian, African, and so on. Chants do not, necessarily, have any meaning other than the experience we have by doing them.

Chanting is a way of letting go of the ego and becoming one with the energy that flows within you, around you, and through you. It is not so much about singing as it is about feeling. While chanting you do not have to be concerned with whether you sound okay or whether you are singing the words correctly or even what it means. It is a way of letting go and feeling the peace, love, and harmony that the vibrations within yourself and others connect as a single flow of energy.

Chanting has been a way for people to connect spiritually for thousands of years. One of the oldest texts known to man, the Vedas, contains many different kinds of chants. These ancient texts were written in Sanskrit and date back to around 1500 BCE (3,500 years ago). They contain poems, hymns, rituals, and writings that have to do with how to ward off enemies, live a long and healthy life, and secure harmony among neighboring tribes.

Back then people had to exist the best way they knew how. Staying together in harmony and protecting one another was one of the best ways for doing so. Staying alive had much to do with having faith in God, praying, practicing rituals, singing hymns and anything else that could possibly make life a little easier. Chanting was one of the easiest and fun ways for doing that.

Chanting can be very fun and fulfilling if you can just let yourself relax and go with the flow.  Let go of all your inhibitions - feel the sound, the energy, the music and you will begin to understand what our ancestors knew; it is okay to be yourself.

Ten Reasons Why You Should Meditate

Meditation

1.  is a way to relieve your mind of rambling thoughts.  A study reported in the Brain Research Bulletin, vol. 85, May 2011 says that people who meditate regularly demonstrate enhanced alpha power in the brain. Alpha waves are associated with a calmer and more relaxed mind.

2.  can change the brain's circuitry and increase gray matter.  In 2012, Duke University Medical Center found that meditation practitioners had greater gray matter volume than non-meditators.  They also discovered that gray matter volume positively correlates with the duration of meditation practice.

3.  reduces anxiety. On June 3, 2013 the Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC reported that anxiety can be significantly reduced through meditation.

4.  decreases the aging process. A recent study conducted at Harvard Medical School shows that Loving-Kindness Meditation increases the length of telomeres. Telomeres are the ends of chromosomes and the longer they are the healthier cells are.

5.  improves memory. "We discovered that mindfulness meditation enhances numerous mental abilities, including rapid memory recall," said Catherine Kerr of the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School. "The ability for the brain to screen out distractions could explain its superior ability to rapidly remember and incorporate new facts."

6.  helps with depression. A study done July, 2013 at the University of Washington School of Medicine found that Loving-Kindness meditation reduced symptoms of depression as well as PTSD.

7.  improves heart function. The International Journal of Cardiology, July 24, 2013 reported that meditation positively influences the cardiovascular system. Meditation can have beneficial effects on patients with cardiovascular diseases including inflammation, heart rate variability, and myocardial infarction. 

8.  reduces stress. The Dept. of Neurology, UCLA Medical School did a long-term study on the effects meditation has on stress and stress related symptoms. They found that meditation reduces stress hormones and decreases neurotoxicity.

9.  increases attention, awareness, and motivation. The Dept. of Psychology, Brigham Young Univ. did a study and showed that meditation improves attention, awareness, and motivational salience.

10.  is just plain good for you. In the Neuroscience Research journal, vol. 71, Sept. 2011 - 343 long-term meditators were compared to non-meditators and they found that the meditators scored significantly better (p<0.005) on pain, mental health, general health, emotions, social functioning, and vitality.

The "I," the "My" and the "Me."

Sometimes it's strange to be
thinking, thinking, and thinking in threes -
the "I," the "My" and the "Me." 

I sit and focus on the breath
but things come up 
like birth and death.

What can I do, where can I go
to put an end 
to this ceaseless flow?

It's not the mind that is the stinker.
It's the idea that I am the one
who is the thinker.

Get rid of the "I" and the "My"
and there will be no "Me."
And then the thoughts will say good bye.

But yet my mind says to me,
"Without the "I" you cannot be.
And without "Me" I will die."

The question is -
Who is "I"
and what is the "Me?"

So, here someone sits
with the who and the what,
the "I," the "My" and the "Me."




















 

Where have all the good times gone?

Where have all the good times gone?
There use to be gaiety, dance, and song.
But now, it seems, everything is wrong.
And many of my friends and family are gone.

The sun comes up and the sun goes down
and everything I think makes me frown.
I use to have fun and acted like a clown.
But now I feel run-down.

What is wrong with all that is?
Can things be other than what 'tis?
My ice cream soda doesn't fizz.
And time is passing like a whiz.

All I can think of is the past
when I really had a blast.
The present is going much to fast,
and leaves me in aghast.

If I could only be here now.
I would if I knew how.
If I could I would no longer scow.
That truly do I avow.

I want to sink deep in the present.
It would be oh so pleasant.
But I am so discontent
with all this torment.

The time has come for me to release
this bent-up rage and turn to peace.
There comes a time when we must cease,
and let the good inside increase.

Now it's clear.
I have no fear. 
All that was is in the rear.

Time is coming near.

Time is coming near for the GoBeyondMind-Body Workshop.