I was out on Halloween night with my master/teacher and we went to a party where everybody dressed up. He chose to be a monk & I chose a daredevil or a female evil keneival. As I pondered the process of picking out a costume, getting in costume and presenting yourself to others I realized this could be easy or difficult for a person. I got to thinking about why that might be and went on to observe what I thought of the night in a new paradigm. One that made me question: who we are, what we are made of and how comfortable we are in this process. The Halloween party was a unique experience because I felt like the hundred’s of people that were there had transformed themselves into a deeper version of themselves or brought out a hidden part of themselves. Either way the party was full on and everyone was in character. It was so great to see people living life and feeling free and happy!

As I thought of the act of transformation I decided that yoga was the catalyst for my most complete and significant transformation. I’m not sure if the people around me really know how different I feel in my same skin. I don’t know if others realize that while I am the same being; I do not resonant on the same channel, in the same vibration or in the same harmony. Much like music I have changed my tune. It is a subtle thing from the outside; it is the deep internal changes that make me feel like a slightly different person; oddly, more like the little girl I remember from childhood. Shedding layers of negativity and toxicity to shine as the person I had lost somewhere along the way. It has been several years since I felt whole and calm; but, I do notice the process continuing and that each new dimension continues to be significant as I continue on my path to be One with the Universe.

In yoga transformation comes as a byproduct of practicing yoga. The positive effects of yoga are so overwhelming that most who find that connection are like spokesperson for the cause. Yoga can take an old body and make it flexible and graceful, meet a rigid mind and make it more focused, clear and take a closed spirit and soften it.

Yoga can literally burn off layers of your former self in the form of physical, mental, spiritual toxicity. It is amazing to experience the process of change for yourself and in others. We hold old memories
In our bodies, spirits and minds. Eventually if a person has enough bad or negative experience their being shifts toward darkness. Once this happens it becomes more difficult to look for or believe in the light. Eventually life can become like a self-fulfilling prophecy never quite treating you right or turning out the best. On the other hand, if the cup is half full then life can keep getting better and better.

Transformation starts with feeling things could be better or they are not right, the action is change and the goal is transformation.

Greeenfest Philly will be holding their annual Greenfest this Sunday, September 7th, 11am-6pm, 2nd & South Street. In 2006 Urban Green Partnership started to bring people together to become more connected and aware of the environmental issues facing the city and Delaware valley. 6,500 people & 40 vendors took part in the day long festival. In 2007 they decided to repeat their efforts and the festival grew to 14,000 people, 130 vendors. This time the focus was on joining with the Delaware Valley Building Council to accentuate the need for Philadelphia to build and be greener. The festival then became part of the Green Plan Philadelphia.

All I can say is: What a way to create community! What a way to turn people on to becoming, embracing or supporting the Green Movement!

What is Green & Why is it important?

Green is a way of living, thinking & acting. Recycling & re-using everything you can, conserving all resources, making more green decisions, refusing to use products & services that are not green & supporting greener ones instead! Once you raise your awareness you will want to make changes by consuming in a more conscious way.

Detoxification of the planet is essential for all species health and continued longevity. Can’t you sense the planetary shifts and see the toxic materials building in our supplies of natural resources? What will we do & where will we turn for natural, clean essentials if we pollute all our Earth?

“There is a very common mind-set right now which holds that all that we’re going to need to do to avert the large-scale planetary catastrophes upon us is make slightly different shopping decisions,” said Alex Steffen, the executive editor of Worldchanging.com, a Web site devoted to sustainability issues. “The genuine solution, he and other critics say, is to significantly reduce one’s consumption of goods and resources. “

I found a website, http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/4990/index.html, that gives some startling statistics, suggestions & information on going green : 

• The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.

• 99.5 percent of all fresh water on Earth is in icecaps and glaciers.

• Each gallon of gas used by a car contributes about 19 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. For a single car driving 1,000 miles a month, that adds up to 120 tons of CO2 a year.

• A single polystyrene (Styrofoam) cup contains one billion billion molecules of CFCs–that’s 1,000,000,000,000,000,000.                                                      

• Once a CFC atom reaches the ozone layer, it can take over 100 years before it breaks up and becomes harmless.

• About 110 million Americans live in areas with levels of air pollutants the federal government considers to be harmful.

• Americans dump 16 tons of sewage into their waters–every minute of every day.

• Although water covers two-thirds of the surface of the Earth, all the fresh water in lakes, streams, and rivers represents only one-hundredth of the Earth’s total water.

• Each year, 1 million sea birds, 100,000 marine mammals, and 50,000 fur seals are killed as the result of eating or being strangled in plastic.

• A plant called the rosy periwinkle, which grows in the rainforests of Madagascar, has been used to make a drug that can cure some kinds of cancer.

• Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every year, and 2.5 million plastic beverage bottles every hour.

• Americans throw away enough glass bottles and jars to fill the 1,350-foot twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center every two weeks.

• Americans throw away about 40 billion soft drink cans and bottles every year. Placed end to end, they would reach to the moon and back nearly 20 times.

• Eighty-four percent of a typical household’s waste–including food scraps, yard waste, paper, cardboard, cans, and bottles–can be recycled.

• Using recycled paper for one print run of the Sunday edition of the New York Times would save 75,000 trees.

• If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees a year.

• Each year, 40 million acres of tropical rainforests–an area larger than the state of California–are destroyed through logging or burning.

• Only 10 percent of the 35,000 pesticides introduced since 1945 have been tested for their effects on people.

• It takes only one-twentieth as much raw materials to grow grains, fruits, and vegetables as it does to raise animals for meat.

• The typical American home uses about 300 gallons of water a day.

• A 1/32″ leak in a faucet can waste up to 6,000 gallons of water a month, or 72,000 gallons a year.

• America’s refrigerators use about 7 percent of the nation’s total electricity consumption–the output of about 25 large power plants.

• By turning the heat down, Americans could save more than 500,000 barrels of oil each day–that’s over 21,000,000 gallons.

• A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to two million gallons of fresh water.

• By the year 2000, U.S. businesses will need the equivalent of all the office space in Pittsburgh, PA, to store the paper it uses in just one year.

• Driving an average of 1,000 miles a month produces about 120 tons of carbon dioxide a year.

• If all the cars on U.S. roads had properly inflated tires, it would save nearly 2 billion gallons of gasoline a year.

We can no longer wait until tomorrow to embrace this challenge! We need everyone’s commitment! Hopefully, we’ll see you there &/or inspire you to Get Greener everyday!

I have never written anything about politics and when I conceived the Totally Zen blog I made a mental note to avoid the subject. Now, a year later, it is election year; I find myself unable to withhold my opinion.

My motivation comes from watching part of the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night and because the current campaign is founded on an initiative of fundamental principals that I believe in and strive to make part of my world and this world I am putting forth in the form of Totally Zen.

Might I add, after I finished this post I went to You Tube & found the Hillary Clinton montage that had inspired me & while there I found the Bill Clinton speech which I saw by teleprompter while I worked out at the gym. I didn’t catch the beginning of his speech; so, I played it and I am floored to find that the sentiment in this post and his opening summary are one in the same. Bill Clinton’s speech was amazingly powerful and direct (you can find the links at the bottom of the page).

I feel as a collective Americans have been feeling: feel beat up, frustrated, helpless and hopeless. Our economy is in need of help, our country shows signs of being structurally unsound, our men are at war, the world is not our friend, we have given up our world power and world class reputation.

Who knows where our common sense and manners went when dealing with our own people and our global neighbors? How long did it take to create all our inefficiencies, lack of attention to detail, arrogance in how we deal with people, businesses and international relationships?

Can we be forgiven for our mistakes and rebuild a country that is respected and solid, intelligent and aware?

Is it possible to change that much and are we even going to try?                                                                               

The scary thing is our problems are so deep it almost seems impossible. Alas, hope and dedication, perseverance and determination in a person, in a leader, in a country can carry much weight on their shoulders. Why give up when you can fight for the American dream?

In fact, this is a great time to shape up. Much like a person who’s life, health, relationships start to fail them: our country needs a new attitude.

Changing our ways, instilling energy, motivation, passion, and desire to be better, live simpler and be more conscious are great transformers. Funny, the same qualities needed for change in an individual are the same for a country or a global initiative. Spiritual principle says you cannot change anything until you change yourself.

No matter who you feel is more experienced, has better policy, plans and is going to get the job done for you and the United States of America – it is important to know and feel your opinion matters to us! Get involved and take action.

Are you ready to act? Are you ready to vote?                                    

Express yourself!

Rock the Vote!

Register:

http://www.rockthevote.org/

Be Inspired:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaFduweUXmE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_6IXjUNP84&eurl=http://perezhilton.com/2008-08-27-first-hillary-now-bill

It is extraordinary that a voice can continue to have such a strong presence through unchanging words and that through music this message can continue to chronicle so much change in peoples’ lifetimes. Stevie has been singing the same songs since the 70′s. My parents love Fleetwood Mac & Stevie Nicks so their music was played in my childhood and made it my music through repetition.

Ever hear a voice that echoes through your body and gives you chills? Ethereal and enigmatic qualities fill her voice as she sings. It takes me to a place beyond the common to a kind of haunted, mystical one. Much to my surprise her voice still sounds exactly like it did in those recordings. If the voice is akin to an instrument; she has kept hers fine-tuned.

Last Friday I checked out her show. Although she kept the show moving and her songs are hits with as much guts as any other songs out today; her stage presentation seemed like it got stuck in the days of yore. I guess how do you change your look if your music hasn’t changed in thirty years?

It seems to me that such a talented singer and songwriter would have continued to craft songs and play new music from her heart as a continued way to express her soul. I am sure she does; but if your first songs are spot on I guess your fans don’t want you to move on from them. Even though her songs are timeless as an artist it must get old singing the same songs each year, even if you only tour for a few months a year. I wonder why she is mostly known for her early music?

I couldn’t help but notice the banter and self-talk she infused her show with was slightly negative and self- depreciating. I was confused as to why and how such a talented woman can have the opportunity to become bored and lonely. I hope I never figure it out. You have got to keep it moving and fresh to stay alive and hungry!

Stevie Nicks has got a voice that resonates into my soul and even though I don’t listen to her music often it seems the words she uses create symbols and metaphors that evoke feelings which apply uniquely to each different set of life experiences I happen to find myself in as I listen along to her songs. This is a true testament to being a classic.

So, my question becomes: how do you keep up with the shifting seasons of life, moving through the winds of change, maintaining a sturdy, balanced, positive outlook while keeping the past, present and future in equal parts harmony. Practice my dear, practice.

Landslide, 1975 by Stevie Nicks

I took my love and I took it down

I climbed a mountain and I turned around

And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills

The Landslide brought it down

Oh mirror in the sky, what is love?

Can the child within my heart rise above?

Can I sail through the changing ocean tides

Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Mmm mmm I don’t know

Mmm mmm

Well I’ve been ‘fraid of changing ‘cause I

Built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Children get older, I’m getting older too

Soo (Interlude)

I’ve been ‘fraid of changing ‘cause I

I built my life around you

But time makes you bolder, children get older

I’m getting older too

I’m getting older too

Soo take this love, take it down

Ohh if you climb a mountain and you turn around

If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills

Well the landslide will bring it down, down

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills,

Well maybe, the landslide will bring it down

Well well the landslide with bring it down

www.nicksfix.com/