Yoga Rocks (like the mountains. get it..?)

Greetings Earthlings. I, at times, feel as if I'm on another planet. But its a good planet. Its an awesome planet on which I get to do yoga every single morning for free. And before I do that free-awesome-intense-beautiful yoga I get to meditate in a temple where its quiet. That means there aren't alarm clocks and cell phones and crazy old ladies screaming at you. There is guaranteed silence until 10am. Beautiful, beautiful silence. Its nice when the only noise that may interrupt your meditation is the wind. I've passed the get used to being here stage and now I'm in the holy shit I'm here stage. Everything is wonderful and perfect but it's intense. A lot starts to happen to your mind when you don't have to worry about work and the subway and your plans for the weekend.


Firstly: I don't have pictures yet. Get over it.


Nextly: Nextly is probably not a word.


Next: Vocabulary Lesson.

Lama = Teacher

Rejoicing = Being happy for something good that you or someone else has done or has had happen to to them. It's good to rejoice for the good that you do but even better to rejoice for the good that others do if you're tuly happy for them. (Buddhist secret: If you're truly happy for someone who has done something good to help others you get a piece of their good karma. Holler.)

Seeds = Buddhists say that your mind is watching everything you do like a recording. When you do good things (such as helping others) your mind records it and plants a seed. That seed grows in your mind like a tree until it's full grown. When the seed is full grown it is your karma ripening and something good happens to you that has directly come from that previous good thing you did. When you have patterns of things happening to you a Buddhist would say that you "have a seed for it."

Vocabulary Lesson in Action:

My Lama from New York, Lama Rebecca, is one of the attendants for Geshe Michael (the head Monk of Diamond Mountain) So that means that she is with him for a good part of the day up at the Lama House. The Lama House is at the top of one of the smaller mountains here and is where Geshe Michael and Lama Christie (one of the main teachers at Diamond Mountain) live. It's actually pretty interesting because the house is so old that is was used by the British when they came to kill the Native Americans and steal their land. One of the rooms of the house is made of all stone and has little slit windows where the British would shoot at the Native Americans. Not the place you would think a Buddhist Retreat Valley would be but go figure. Since I'm so close with Lama Rebecca I get to tag along up to the Lama House. So that means I get to chill with the Geshe Michael and Lama Christie on a regular basis. Buddhists say that being around your Lamas is the best thing you can do because they're such Holy people and can plant very, very good seeds for you by just being around them and helping them if they need it. Also, it's good to be around them because everything they say or do could be a form of them helping you with the things you need if you have the karma to get the message. Therefore, I would like to rejoice for the good seeds I must have that let me be so close to my awesome, wonderful Lamas. :o)