300,000 RUPEES!!! Thank You to all the YOGI's in Mysore!!!

My beloved friend Anu, sent me this email this morning and I am still flying high as a kite after reading it!!!! I would like to personally say "Thank You" to all of the Yogis who took part in this wonderfully thoughtful event, and bid on all of the items to raise so much money for Operation Shantis ~Karunya Mane~ may you be blessed a hundred times over!
OM Shanti


Hi Tracy!


Its been a while since we wrote to each other.


Last Friday, 23 May was a very exciting day for us here in Mysore. The yoga students organized a fund raiser for Operation Shanti. You must be aware that all the kids are now put up at the new shelter named Karunya Mane and all of them, including the day care ones, walk to a nice school nearby. Around a hundred yogis from Gokulam and Lakshmipuram (the two main residential areas where most yogis live and practice ashtanga yoga in Mysore) managed to raise 300,000 rupees in one night! it was a superbly organized event with lots of entertainment, food and auctioning. Auction items included paintings, T-shirts signed by Sharath, musical instruments, taxi and rickshaw rides, unlimited breakfast for a month, unlimited use of Internet for a month and much more. It was amazing to see that people were so eager to donate so much money on that day. A couple of kids were sponsored on the spot as well. The amount raised was far beyond expectations of the organizers.


It was amazing and I wish you were here to witness it.


How are you dear, and how are Ray and the kids? Mysore is getting unusually busy in May-June, and we expect that it will be overflowing with the ashtangis in July during Guruji's birthday.


Looking forward to some news from you,


Lots of love and hugs to you,


Anu

to give

to give........
Leo Buscaglia ~

The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.

I always wanted to make this blog mainly about being positive and bringing to light opportunities that would enable people to become aware of situations far from home...that in some way might help them even if in some very small way. You never know who might land on your blog, and read the words that you have written....that person might just want to reach out and help...I know that my blog is proof of the Magic that can happen..as I received 90 pairs of shoes last year for the street children of Mysore. I was able to go there this year and spend time with some of them....and I can tell you that I came back home a very different person than I was when I left.

There is Nothing in my life up till now that could even possibly compare to the feeling I got when I was sitting on the sidewalk with those kids and some of the parents...NOTHING.

And I know that when I went to the school there, where there were 40000 kids enrolled, and we brought some more shoes and snacks and we spend most of the afternoon with them....

and I had the experience of speaking with some of the boys and they told me that they slept 50 to a room, on a mat, on the cement floor...and how much they were so grateful for being there....

I had to fight back my tears just listening, as I knew that I had a nice big bed waiting for me back at Anu and Ganeshes..and that my children never had to know that life.

How blessed we are in this world we know here at home....

How Kaleem came to me with his big, beautiful Indian eyes and told me "Thank You for the shoes you gave me" and as I bent over to hug him and say "You are so welcome" I had to stay there with my heart pressed against his little heart because I was crying so hard....just seeing his eyes and hearing those words. You can't imagine the feeling...words can't even bring it....But it changed me forever.

Operation Shanti is offering a new program where you can sponsor a child that lives at Karunya Mane. I can tell you that I have met most all of those children while I was there, and how much it would benefit them to have a sponsor...

if you would like to learn more....please click on the link below.

It Will Change your life..and theirs Forever!

Namaste~~~

http://www.operation-shanti.org/pages/eventnotice.html

my 20th anniversary gift...so special!!

my beautiful ,amazing husband of 20 years bought me this astounding, magical and one of a kind, breathtaking crystal pendant for my gift!!!! It was created and wrapped so mind blowingly perfect by a friend of ours named Jason Waite and below are the stones he put inside of it and you MUST understand how special this piece is....notice all of the 7's??? Yes! I will have more on this later..as we will be going to visit Jays "Crystal Palace" this weekend!!! Have you EVER in your Entire life seen something SO Incredible and Beautiful as this is?? All fo the stones are the Best of the Best as he is a master stone cutter as well as a gemstone and crystal specialist. Lets just sum it up..... Jay knows his stuff when it comes to stones and he only works with the Best!

Oh, and the wrap in is in Pure Silver! Oh My Gosh....just to hold this in your hand...WOW,then imagine wearing it around your neck.....Heaven and then some!

All I can say is..I am truly just so blessed~and grateful~

Please click on the highlighted link and have a look at his work...you won't be able to leave!

Shanti~~

Finished this creation on 07/01/07 at 7:17pm... Double sider... 17 stones altogether...

Red Ruby, from Kenya,Orange Hessonite Garnet, from Canada,Yellow Prehnite, from Tanzania,Green Diopside, from Tanzania,Blue Sapphire, from Sri Lanka,Blue Cavensite, from Pakistan(?)Blue Tanzanite, from Tanzania,Black Tourmaline, from Brazil,Pink Tourmaline, from Brazil,2 Blue Tourmalines, from Brazil,Blue Apatite, from Tanzania,Double Term. Quartz, from Brazil,Amethyst, from Vera Cruz, Mexico,Spessartite Garnet, from Mozambique,Topaz, from Guerro, Mexico,Azurite, from Morrocco.

Ammas Ashram in Kerala

(an exerpt from a woman who recently went there)

Everyone should sleep without a fear at least one night.Everyone should eat at least one day till they are full.There should be at least one day where the hospitals wouldn't admit a single
Keralan Architecture victim of violence. Serving selflessly at least one day everyone should help the poor and those in need. Amma prays so this dream would come true." I read while waiting for a tour to take me around the place and there goes my wow. I am brainwashed. I decide that a person who preaches such a beautiful ideal can not be a bad person, and I get her biography from the library. I wont bore you with the details and I really don't believe half of the stuff in the books describing miracles, but cant help to see the miracle of this woman who has built an empire out of love . She travels most part of the year giving her darshan (blessing ) in a form of a cuddle. Which is a miracle itself in male chauvinistic India where they don't even embrace in the movies, where women sits apart from men Where publicly showing affection is frowned upon, even if is coming from a foreigner This woman who is called by everyone Amma ,embraces everyone, men and women all the same regardless of caste, color, religion . The other miracle comes to me in a form of a
Keralan Fisherfolk at work video, I learn that Amma's hug gave 46 million USD to tsunami victims, 1 million USD for those who lost everything to Katrina, and the organization has built 125000 homes for the homeless, 10 hospitals with free care for the poor, 53 schools, (including 9 universities) and the ashram serves 10000 free meals daily to the poor. Amma is a big hit overseas and I can see her giving a hug to Richard Gere in the video. She also has been asked to speak in the UN Peace conference in 2000 where Dr J. Goodal called her "God's love in a human body"

visualize-a-tion!

winding down after a very full week. oliver has only 4 more days of school left and we ALL get to be together for the 3 day weekend!!!

I got in a lot of training this week...feeling like a powerhouse, and contemplating registering for the San Francisco Marathon for August 3...hmmm, just ran one in LA in March...BUT Dean Karnazes (one of the gods i worship..sorta :0) will be the Marathon Race Host this year and that would be Sweet to see him! So.....maybe it is time..my toenails are almost back to normal....yeah, I could do this~ a pre-birthday sorta thang~~

Heard from Ganesh in India and my friend Liz from London..then my other friend Sandy from Georgia...it's so nice to hear from friends so far away...it brings them right back to where you were when you were last with them. Hoping to get back to India...Visualizing being on the plane (though i dread that) then in the taxi....then at the guest house..and then in the rickshaw being whisked around and laughing my head off with ray~ we have SO much fun there..and it does add years to our life each time we go. We have come to that conclusion...because we always, always lose 10 pounds at least....we never have red wine or any alcohol for that matter when we are there...and no coffee...no sugar...why can't it be that easy here in the USA?????

Its ok...I wouldn't be running 35 miles a week in India...I NEED that coffee and sugar..and the occasional glass of red wine :0) at least that's ALL we do! Back in the day though......oh boy! Crazy stuff went on back in the day...but I am older now, and of course SOOO much more mature..right??!! I am aren't I??!! Nooo.....what fun would that be?? Boring!!!

Life is a Journey though and we are on that train..just waiting...and loving it all~

Peace~

George Michael "Praying for Time" live American Idol

Saw him years ago...had front row seats, and he just looks so different now. Such a beautiful song with such a powerful, important message...if you really listen. The words mean so much more to me now than they did all those years ago~

if you are currently in mysore....

please try to make it to this event!!
Click it to enlarge!
OM Shanti~

The Secret of Life is Enjoying the Passage of Time~

what a great weekend...although a bit on the warm side...we do have air conditioning which makes life so much sweeter these days.

Lobster, shrimp and a Petite Syrah for dinner..my husband makes such wonderful dinners!!!!!

Back to work tomorrow for him, and NO COMPLAINTS either....well actually he has never complained once about going to work, in 19 years with UPS. That is a record~and work is a sweet word these days around here....You know with the economy thing and all....but life is back to normal once more and we are SO Grateful for that!

7 more years...just 7 more years of work...unreal! I can't wait! I can, and will, don't want to, but do we have a choice??

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time...

James Taylor song, yet oh so true!

Happy Sunday~~~

Namaste~~~~~

just give into it all and SMILE!

if you do...it will be so much easier.

That is the lesson, and I followed it and it worked. I just completely surrendered myself to everything that was scaring me and making me think way too much!

Guess what? If you do this, things somehow magically work out in your best interest!!!! Try it...I dare you!

OK..so I did really try to go back into the working world...I did...I REALLY did!! But nobody wanted to hire me...

and it worked out sooooo great! Because I have started my Dog Walking Business again! Yes!!

I really thought it wouldn't fly here where I moved. And in a way..it didn't fly how I expected it to fly..as the people here aren't nearly as wealthy as they were in Marin...but they DO need their dogs walked! So...Monday I start with another new client..Button, a Cockapoo..(I love them by the way) actually, I love all breeds, but her face is so priceless! She will have her daily exercise for precisely half an hour per day beginning on Monday.

It is one of the most Healing jobs in the world...walking a dog, outside in the fresh air, looking at the beauty that surrounds us all...and taking it all in, one step at a time!

There is one downfall though..you MUST be strong enough to be able to pick up the poop!

Open the bag, take a deep breath in, grab it up, tie the bag, and on off you go!

Easy as 1,2,3

a new day

My life has been a series of many ups and downs lately, as I know have lots of other peoples lives. But I am feeling positive that things are getting much better...day by day. Health means so much to us, and when we have good health we are so blessed..but then when someone whom you love very much is not doing so well in that area, of course it affects you...and it has been.

Along with work...your work is such an important aspect of survival...and when that is in jeopardy, well, we all know the stress that brings as well. But everything is changing, the tide has turned and there truly is light at the end of that very long tunnel.....thank god!

I am happy to say that I am filled with Hope and the Fear is lifting...I can see through that heavy fog that was clouding my eyes for weeks, and it is truly the Dawning of a New Day..after a pretty long darkness...

OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

The Love Guru

I do Love Mike Myers....but wonder how this one will pan out...
The Trailer was sorta funny...but the Hindu's aren't laughing according to the news this morning....

what are you reading?

I always have at least, at the very least...two or more books going at the same time.

These are what I am currently reading..at least, what I read all day today!

It all started out with Meditation this morning, then onto my Ashtanga Practice....then outside for a little sun and reading~ just like another ordinary day in India..minus India :0( but I did have the incense going and the birds were at it....just no horns from the distant rickshaws~

so..tell me..what are you reading these days??

Rambo...Indian Style....

so,did you hear the one about the American girl who walks into this movie house in India with the 4 monks...and watches Rambo???

end of joke....

It happened to me actually, and at the time it wasn't very funny....

but whats good about the process of Time, is that it heals things. I can now look back on this memory and laugh....

did I mention I hate Rambo movies???

Namaste~

a Mothers Day bouquet~

The Fed Ex woman just delivered this amazingly beautiful bouquet of "Vera Wang" flowers to my front door....they are from my oldest son Aaron...who is so busy these days with the new business that he bought last month and his wife and two children, and we won't be together tomorrow...but he always gives me beautiful bouquets of flowers every year for Mothers Day~

I love you Aaron~and I am so proud of you!

Do you have 5.00 that you really don't need?????

I was searching on google this morning for information on Swamiji, who lives in the cave up on Chamundi Hill...and right below his information was an article that I had not seen before on Operation Shanti...it was written by a Doctor who found out about Operation Shanti and wanted to take a closer look and see what he could do to help.

I found out some important information as well in the process of reading the article....

especially what 5.00 can do for them.....

I know that I personally "blow" 5 bucks thoughtlessly all of the time! We all do...and after reading this article it pretty much opened up my eyes as to what 5.00 could REALLY do for Karunya Mane and the residents that reside there....

Solar Panels for heating the water for the baths for the children and elderly

Mattresses so that they have beds in which to sleep on

A used Van to transport the residents here and there..especially to doctors visits and shopping, etc.

If we all just donated 5.00 each it would add up quickly....and it really isn't asking that much.

My dream for this month is that ALL of the readers who visit my blog will go to

http://www.operation-shanti.org/ and donate just 5.00 (of course if you'd like to donate more that would be so great as well!) but Please read the article before you do so...so that you will understand more about the program and what they do and how it all began!

I know that spending time with Operation Shanti while I was in Mysore changed me on a very deep level and made me realize that we have SO much and if we just gave a Little..what a difference it would make!

http://drbenkim.com/operation-shanti

and DO leave me a comment after you donate along with your email address (or I can send you my email)..as I am sending everyone who makes a donation... something special in the mail and will need your address!! :0)

OM SHANTI

on top of it all~

one of those crazy running around "like your heads cut off days"!

thankfully I was able to get in an hour of Yin Yoga and a 5 mile run yesterday...because it just wasn't happnin' today~

got a great email from Tracy in India...sounds like they have lots of kids and moms at the new Operation Shanti compound~ if you have not checked in lately...please do so at

http://www.operation-shanti.org/ so you can see what's new!! and perhaps take some time to spend with Operation Shanti if you are planning a trip to Mysore in the near future??!!

My husband and I are planning on doing so when we travel back there...hopefully next year :0)

and life sometimes gives you lemons...and of course you make lemonade...and it tates SOOOOO good! This evening it tastes delicious~~~and life is good. Planning and dreaming of what is to come! Tomorrow a nice long run and some meditation practice~ then I will get down to business...

more to come!

Peace~

"Dalai Lama Renaissance"

being Blessed

so...I went with the current, and I rode those waves....and we have come out the other side now and the Sun is shining upon us and life is as it should be....or Life is how I love it to be rather!

All is well....

I am going to be a working girl again. Well, let me rephrase that..I have always been a working girl...at home lately and at my office, for Joy~ But I am stepping back out into the working world soon. I am going to be working at the new Health Food Co-Op down the street from my house.

I want to start helping more with our savings and our BIG plan that will happen in 7 years from now....my husband will be retiring from UPS at the ripe old age of 48 years old! We are going to put our belongings into storage and head off to India for about 6 months...and if we like it, (we already love it) we will extend our stay longer...with intermittent flights to Sri Lanka and the US to see family~

It's something we have been pondering for years...and we have decided to give it a whirl~

We have friends and contacts over there now...and we have places to stay....and it fills our hearts with Peace and Joy and Contentment when we are there...so what better place to go for 6 months or more?!

It's exciting to have a plan and see it set in motion..which is what we are doing~

seven years should fly by...it already seems like such a short amount of time. I mean, my youngest son is 17 already!! Time does fly!

But there is no hurry...enjoy each day as it comes and try to find a blessing in all that is given~

OM Shanti

comfort

I received the email below from one of my best friends this morning...she has this way with words that is just so comforting and it's just what I needed to hear today. Love you my friend!

i have been reading a lot in a course in miracles...well not a lot, but what i have been reading may give you both some peace. it has been talking about God's will versus our will and the desire for us to have our will be unified with God's will. i have really been praying for that today. for Gods will to be done because I can't see the big picture and he knows what is best for me.i am pretty sick right now, miserable head cold and i never get sick like this where i just cant do anything. i really wanted to call you today but i can hardly think...the only relief i experienced was lying on the floor and my massage table and just praying and focusing on healing and not resisting this sickness. i was reading in a new earth about what you resist persists and how when we bring consciousness and acceptance into a situation that is troubling us in the now that it creates more space and energy. but what we resist and fight against only brings us more resistance. i think it makes sense. being with the discomfort and being comfortable and trusting that everything does work together for good. you and ray are such wonderful lights...i know God is working through you both right now.i wish you both peace of mind. i know it seems like wave after wave is hitting you...but remember you are the water and the wave is one with you...just ride it and try to keep that joyful spirit of yours that shines so bright.

love you both!

me

remembering

missing everything about India~ especially my friends Anu and Ganesh!

yoga really is magic!

i just read "C.K's" blog entry....Blew my Mind! So many people just give up, but see what can happen if you stick with it? Just really an inspiration.....http://mysore.blogspot.com/ in case some of my readers would like to see it as well...

as for this girl, well, i have been running like a mad woman..that is what happens when i have lots of stress in my life, but realizing that i need to pour in more of that blessed yoga practice. my legs are so strong and my upper body is as well...weights too...but i do need that thing called "balance".

life sometimes throws you a curve ball, and if your strong and you have someone that supports you and truly loves you with all of his heart...you CAN make it through. I will too!

always do........

but sometimes you just sit and close your eyes and maybe for a brief moment you pretend you are back in India...where life is slower and things are simple and there really isn't a worry in the world...that is what i long for at this very moment in time!

it will come again....

patience

Om Shanti