The Difference by Andrei Codrescu

This is a little something I heard at the start of Tina James' Jivamukti Yoga class, while at the lululemon Ambassador Summit a couple weeks ago.  It pretty much made my whole day.

It's a spoken word piece by Andrei Codrescu called "The Difference" from the collection: No Tacos For Saddam.

I pretty much think everyone in the world should listen to it at least once... so here it is for you to enjoy!

Hopefully it will take you into the end of your week with a smile - I know it will for me!



Thank you to Tina James for sending me the info on this little goodie. 

Much Love & Gratitude for the Inspiration. 

CLEAN WATER - IT’S A MOVEMENT - RUN WITH IT

Our global water supply has been a big concern on my mind for over two decades.  
Water scarcity and the threat of a water shortage is something I've been aware since I first learned that the average hamburger takes 2,400 liters, or 630 gallons, of water to produce.
  
Humans are extremely wasteful when it comes to water.  It seems to be one of our collective blind spots, it is just something we take for granted in the first world because we have it.  However, learning about our inefficiency in so far as it relates to food production was also one of my first reasons for becoming vegetarian, and the time I've spent in India, where clean drinking water is in short supply, has made me a whole lot more conservative in my own use, and keeps this issue constantly at the forefront of my mind.

While nearly 70 percent of the world is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh. The rest is saline and ocean-based. Even then, just 1 percent of our freshwater is easily accessible, with much of it trapped in glaciers and snowfields. In essence, only 0.007 percent of the planet's water is available to fuel and feed its 6.8 billion people. (National Geographic: Fresh Water Crisis)

As the world's population continues to grow, water is becoming more of a scarce natural resource.  In Africa alone there are 345 million people without access to clean drinking water.  Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of access to clean water or a water related illness due to poor sanitation.  An estimated 200 million hours are spent each day, globally, collecting water for families in developing nations. (Water.Org: Water Facts) 

Welcome to the water crisis.  
If you didn't know this was a major issue, you better start doing some research and getting involved because it's about to become a lot more political; and if you don't think it will effect you - you're wrong.  

The United Nations estimate that by 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change. (National Geographic: Fresh Water Crisis)

Bottled water is now a multi-billion dollar market, and to be able to sell and make money from bottling water, you must first own it.  Huge corporations like Nestle have already seen the writing on the wall and are buying up water supplies in developing nations, bottling it up, and selling it back to first world nations to make a huge profit.  
You can watch the documentary Bottled Life to learn more about this.

However, the good news is that there are some charitable organizations that are making a difference and being a voice for people who are too parched to speak for themselves.   HOPE International Development Agency is a Canadian based registered charity committed to helping the world's poorest families out of poverty. 

HOPE is among the leanest of development organizations with an amazing 95 cents out of every dollar raised going directly to the water projects.

I am so proud to tell you that my brother, Adam Slater, on May 24th, will personally be getting involved and embarking on a new exciting challenge.  
He will have the great privilege of running an Ultra Marathon (50+ km) to support this incredible cause: Run for Water.

Now, since I'm not a runner, I think anyone who wants to run this crazy long distance is a bit nuts!  My motto is: "run - only when in danger!"  

However, my brother has an amazing heart that is dedicated to serving others, and he has a calling to support and raise awareness for Hope International Development Agency in partnership with Run for Water through this special event.

I figure if you're going to run, it might as well be in support of something that can change the world.

All of the money raised from the runners, will go directly to the efforts of these two charities, who together, will work to bring clean drinking water to villages in Ethiopia, Africa.

Ethiopia is prone to droughts, which produces massive water shortages and famines; because of this, disease and death spread uncontrollably as their is limited surface water ends up fully contaminated by both human and animal waste.  
Thousands of people live in remote areas where mainly women and children walk for hours a day just to collect this contaminated water for their families.  
Fortunately, this year the Envision Financial Run for Water along with HOPE International Development Agency, will raise enough funds to provide a clean and reliable water source to a cluster of 10 villages in the Bonke Region. 

The good news is that you too can directly support my brother and this great cause by donating to his pledge page: Adam's 50K Ultra Run For Water.   

(All gifts over $20 will get a tax receipt and you can give anonymously or publicly)

The link above will tell you more about the project and there’s a great video that will explain why this project will literally change the lives for many young people in Ethiopia; especially young girls and women, who bear most of the burden of collecting water for their families, and consequently, miss out on education, and other activities. 

Running an Ultra Marathon has been a goal of my brother's for the last two years, so running 50K for this incredible cause was a no brainer for him.  Even if you do not donate to his run, we both encourage you to make a donation to one of the charity organizations above, and get involved.  You can make a difference in the lives of millions of families.  

Their pain is our pain.  Their suffering is our suffering.  We all share this planet and her resources.  
We all need water to live; it should not be reserved for only the fortunate few.

We thank you for your support!

“God is always with you, that you have more strength than you ever realized, and that if you don’t stop, you can’t be stopped”  ~ Jason Lestor

Life is Beautiful, Full and Sweet

It has been an action packed week of having my parents here, and two days with my brother and sister-in-law along with their two sweet girls visiting.  The days have been full, and our fun often flowed well into the night.

Now that it is Sunday evening, Mother's Day, and my parents are on an airplane home back to Calgary, my brother with his family are on the ferry-boat back to their home, and my two gorgeous boys happen to be out at a park; I find myself sitting in the stillness of our apartment all alone.

I am able to just relax and bask in the afterglow of a weekend filled with family love, and a beautiful day to celebrate motherhood in conjunction with being a child.  As I put my feet up, it occurs to me that our days go by all too quickly, and the years disappear in the blink of an eye.

I am reminded to live each day as if it were the last and best day of my life.
For truly today is the only one we have, and I'm sure that those days where I am successfully able to live in this way, will indeed be looked upon as the best days of my life!
For life is a divine mystery, and each moment is beautiful, full, and sweet, if we have the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to feel the very pulse of life itself.

Something Special For Mother's Day:

Your Mother is always with you.  She is the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street.  
She is the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick, the fragrance of life itself.  She is the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well.  She is your breath in the air on a cold winter's day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colours of a rainbow; she is Christmas morning.  
Your mother lives inside your laughter.  She is the place you came from, your first home, and she is the map you follow with every step you take.  She is your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you not time, not space... not even death.

~ Author Unknown ~  

Love for Moms

In India your Mother is your first Guru.  Mothers are honoured and given the highest respect.  It is incredible to experience the transformation from woman to mother in the land of India, as your status in society is immediately elevated with the birth of your first child.

Motherhood is a privilege reserved exclusively for women, and the ability to nurture and bring forth new life is a manifestation of Shakti (divine power) and is thought to be a great gift inherent in the female form.

I adore the way becoming a Mother is esteemed in India.  Culturally, I don't think we have the same reverence for our Mothers here.  I think many women feel becoming a mother will ruin their independence and depress their lifestyle.  We don't tend look at Mothers with the same eyes of admiration and respect, and instead many women are made to feel marginalized and no longer desirable after they have children.

However, Mother's Day is definitely an exception to the norm.  This is one day where we collectively stop and take the time to appreciate and honour our Mothers.  We give thanks for all the sacrifices they made, all of the organizing, driving, cooking, cleaning, volunteering, loving, and nurturing.  We make an intentional gesture to show our deep love and gratitude for their steadfast patience and endless hours of devotion to us over so many years.  No matter how old we are, to our Mother we will always be a small child, and she will love us as much as she did on the day we were born, and probably much more.

So today I am going to thank my Mother for being my first home, my arms refuge, and constant defender.  Thank you for your endless hours of time and energy you poured into all of my hopes and dreams over the years.  Thank you for sacrificing your own needs and desires to answer my every wish and prayer.

Thank you for always seeing the good in me, even when it was covered in a cloud of darkness, and for always giving me the best advice, even when I didn't ask for it.  I know we might not always see the world the same way, and that I don't always remember to say "thank you" or "I love you" but you are my first Guru and teacher and I am ever grateful for your presence and guidance in my life.

Now that I am a Mother myself, I can appreciate your dedication and devotion to your family so much more, and your generous heart and unconditional love is a daily inspiration for me in my own journey through Motherhood.

I Love You Mom.  Happy Mother's Day!

On My Way To The Other Shore...

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. 

~ Christopher Columbus ~

I guess I've been blessed in some ways to have been exposed to the idea of "practice" from a young age.  Growing up I was completely committed to perfecting the art of ballet, as well as other dance forms, and I would practice seven days a week to the point of exhaustion.  However, because of this dedication, I never have been one to shy away from a little hard work.  I like a challenge, and I enjoy activities that drive to the heart of feeling alive in some way.  Over the years I've noticed that these activities usually involve some element of risk, whether it be emotional, mental or physical.  They also tend to bring up some kind of unpleasant sensation or pain that is shadowed in pursuit of a higher beauty or a greater sense of freedom.  They also include being brutally honest about where you are and how you're doing because "faking it" can cause serious problems for yourself or others.
I've never been one to dabble.  If I'm in - I'm fully in, and when I'm out - I'm fully out.   

I've noticed these same qualities exist in authentic spiritual pursuits, which are transformative in nature.  An honest and powerful spiritual practice is going to take you into the very heart of your pain.  It will drive you directly into the storm.  If we are to harness the power of chaos, we must first identify what is driving all the turmoil.  Perhaps you are doubting that you too have a raging storm within yourself, I encourage you to go deeper...  you have not yet begun to even touch upon the periphery of the truth of who you are or what you are capable of.    

An honest and powerful spiritual practice is going to make you feel a little uncomfortable at times, and it may even hurt a bit; you will be sure to taste the sweet pain of being alive. 
It will stir up some strong reactions, and shake you out of your conditioned way of thinking and seeing the world.  It will shine a light on all your unexamined beliefs, and rip away everything you cling to or hide behind, forcing you see all the presumptions that are no longer true.

Any authentic spiritual practice is going to agitate the hell out of you and leave you feeling raw and exposed.  All of this and more happens for your own liberation.
For it is not until we die to our preconceived notions of who we are that we can truly start living in the freedom of our Higher Self.

Finally, when everything external and superfluous has been stripped away, and our inner light is all that remains, the spontaneous experiential realization of our interconnectedness arises.  However, in my experience, this process is neither blissful nor easy, and it certainly isn't all warm and fuzzy.
It is birthed from an ocean of sweat and tears, a balance of effort and surrender coupled with an unwavering willfulness and relentless receptivity.  It requires honesty with where I am at mentally, physically and spiritually on any given day, and a readiness to see where I fall short and make the changes necessary without hesitation.

It demands vulnerability, which for me, is mostly really scary.  I am not happy all the time, I'm certainly not perfect, and I fail on a daily basis; but each morning I get up and attempt to do better.  I get on my mat and look into the mirror of my practice and realize I am not my victories nor my failures, I am not my body nor my mind, I simply am.  

The path to liberation is difficult and not well-worn. It remains hidden from the masses who are content to appease their pain by seeking pleasure, stroking their ego, and wrapping themselves in a false sense of bliss.  A true and deep spiritual practice is only discovered by the courageous souls who are not content to settle for merely existing, and in response to their inner call are willing to sacrifice their safe abode to embark upon a threatening process of metamorphosis to discover the extraordinary pulse of life that surges in every cell of creation.

The rewards are beyond what we can conceive or imagine... a lifetime changed.



Yet, we must be willing to do the work, to get messy while renovating our psyche.  Only then will we have the clarity to see the obstacles within ourselves and the wisdom to know how to remove them.

It will take dedication, determination, and devotion.
We must be tenacious and never give up.

Rise with me! You Come!

Stand today and make a vow to stay committed to this deep and demanding process of transformation.
 
AND Keep going... Never Look Back...   

I will meet you on the other side.

Steeped in gratitude I rejoice 

Spirit Awakened

A lifetime... Changed

For I have dipped my Soul 

In the Ocean of Yoga

~ Dena Kingsberg ~