The Narrative Within

Take a Walk On the Wild Side

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Art for Housewives

Day 21

Every day Immanuel Kant took a walk at exactly 5 p.m. He was so punctual that it was said you could set your watch by him. He kept this routine up for years. But one day, Kant ignored the routine for one simple reason: he couldn’t detach himself from a book that he was reading, “Emile” by Rousseau.

Without a doubt, walking helped Kant maintain a certain interior equilibrium. Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasing difficult for people to discipline their emotions. Mainstream media does little more than talk about all the anger and its aftermath that’s out there. The world seems to be dominated by those wild with rage.

So where does all this anger come from? Contrast is the point of departure for anger–contrast with others as well as contrast with the self. And the inability to deal with it.

Sometimes anger is necessary and mandatory. But sometimes it’s just a chronic behavior.

So the best thing to do when you’re angry (or depressed) is to take a walk. Walking can help flush out toxic emotions.

You can’t be angry and happy at the same time. Happiness is a skill and, like any other skill, requires an investment of time and energy. So, instead of being angry, why not learn to be happy?

Today’s mantra doesn’t come from Lou Reed’s “Take A Walk On the Wild Side” but from Keith Richard ( Mr. It’s great to be here, it’s great to be anywhere) and his “Happy”.

I am happy. OM. Happy I am.

Walking with mantras and mudras

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Art for Housewives

Day 20

I take mantras and mudras with me on my walks to Krios.

Mantras.

The mantras I post everyday are Do-It-Yourself mantras that are meant to keep thoughts going in a certain direction. However, true mantra meditation originates from the Vedas and goes back as far as 5000 years. Mantras are based on the science of ”Naad”, the science of sound.

Mantras are considered sacred sounds that come from the vibration of vocal chords. All creation is based on vibratory energy. That’s why some have interpreted the Bible’s verse ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1) as meaning that the universe was created with sound.

There are secrets hidden in sound. The upper palate of our mouth has 84 meridian points and the making of certain sounds causes the tongue to hit these points. The resulting vibration is used to stimulate specific parts of the brain. Mantras can change the brain’s chemistry.

Mudras.

Nerves are like wires that, via neural pathways, carry signals from various parts of the body to the brain. The fingertips are full of nerve endings thus are a concentration of potential energy. Mudras, by touching fingertips with other fingertips, represent the knowledge of how to awaken and redirect this energy and use it for both physical and mental health.

One of the most common mudras is the Gyan Mudra where the thumb pad touches the pad of the index finger and the other fingers extend upwards. This mudra combats stress, anger and insomnia.

The Prithvi Mudra is formed by having the thumb touch the ring finger. It’s used to fight chronic fatigue, inflammatory disease, hair loss, and much more but is of particular interest in that many paintings of Jesus show him making a Prithvi mudra. Maybe because the Prithvi Mudra is also a sign of benediction.

While walking, I make a Shuni mudra (the thumbing touch the middle finger). It is the patience mudra and the one I rely upon when I go to the dentist as it helps keep me calm.

The mantra for today comes from Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice.”

If you walk without rhythm, you never learn. OM. Walk with rhythm. Walk with rhythm. OM. Walk with rhythm.

Vibrating With Plants

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Art for Housewives

Day 19

back on the path

Since 1953, music worldwide has been tuned to 440 hertz as opposed to the previous 432 hertz. The idea to do so originated with Nazi propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels. Apparently, this pitch goes against the harmonic frequency to which all life is attuned. There are those who believe Goebbels want this change in order to facilitate the manipulation of the subconscious mind. Because frequencies that lower our personal vibration turn us into sheep.

Frequencies have a tremendous effect on our daily life. The wrong frequencies can make us dysfunctional. Margaret Thatcher knew this and used ELF waves to control riots. And, during the Persian Gulf War, PSY-OPS weaponry was used against Iraqi soldiers.

Personal vibration enhances our quality of life as it affects our brain chemistry. So, to feel good, we need to get it as high as possible. There are different ways of raising it such as mediating, eating the right kind of foods, breathing exercises, getting enough sleep, etc.

Walking surrounded by nature can also raise our personal vibration.

Everything vibrates and this vibration can be measured by hertz frequencies. The Earth’s pulse rate is 7.83 Hz and is a frequency that makes us feel good. Whereas 6.6 Hz causes depression and 10.80 Hz causes riotous behavior.

When two frequencies are brought together, the lower one will rise up to the higher one and resonate. When our vibration is the same as the earth’s inherent frequency, we have a sense of well-being as we are meant to live in harmony with nature. Vibrational disharmony saps our energy and makes us sick.

In 1894, Nikolas Tesla tested his vibrating platform on his good friend, Mark Twain, believing the vibrations could improve Twain’s health. Twain liked it so much he didn’t want to get off.

The human body is 70% water. Water is also found in trees so, if you hug a tree, the water vibration in the tree is transmitted to the water vibration in your body. This resonance produces a calming effect.

Trees stand still thus are better at absorbing the Earth’s energy. Plants, via their roots, also absorb this energy. So, when we are surrounded by trees and plants, we pick up on their frequencies and automatically absorb this energy, too.

So hug a tree and you’ll feel better! Via Bebina Bunny’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Today’s mantra comes from “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys.

I feel good vibrations. OM I give good vibrations.

Backtracking and Walking on Rocks

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Art for Housewives

Day 18

The other day, while putting my walking sandals back on at Mar Tango, I left my notebook behind. When I discovered the loss, I had to backtrack quite a bit to recover it. This put me behind my time schedule so, once on Krios Beach, I took my swim near the camping site which meant, to get into the sea, I had to walk on rocks.

lost then found notebook

Backtracking is something we’ve all done at one time or another. In Italian, there’s the expression “tornare sui propri passi” which means retrace your own steps because, for some reason, you must start over again. Often this saying is used when someone has realized they’ve been wrong about something so, as a result, must make a change. Reflection often inspires this kind of change.

I’ve been keeping notebooks for years. Moleskins are for home and tiny ones like the one above are for my purse. Strange as it may seem, I feel naked without one. And as long as I have a notebook and a pen, I feel at home wherever I am. To lose a notebook would be to lose all of the ideas and observations I’ve written down which would be like losing a private patrimony.

Keeping notebooks is a form of backtracking because your write something down so that you can retrace it in your mind at a later date.

Below are a few sketchbooks and notebooks by others that I find interesting:

others:

Nicholas Stevenson Sketchbooks

Stephanie K. Birdsong via shoulda-woulda-coulda

Francesca Woodman‘s notebook

Dieter Roth Diaries

The Sketchbooks of Cynthia Korzekwa

Today’s mantra comes from the Allman Brothers Band “Blue Sky” and it’s “I’m just walking down the road”. And that’s exactly what I’m doing–just walking down the road because the sky above follows me wherever I go.

Walk down the road. Om. Walk down the road.

related links: A Traveling Sketchbook + sketchbooks on my Pinterest + On Keeping A Notebook pdf by Joan Didion

Posted in Health & Healing, Paros | Tagged backtracking, notebooks, Paros, sketchbooks, walking | Leave a comment

Foraging on Paros

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Art for Housewives

Day 17

Because there’s more and more people and less and less natural resources, feeding everyone is already a problem and will become even a bigger one in the not too distant future. So while on the promontory, I look around to see if there’s anything edible, anything foragable.

It’s August and thus most everything is dried out and brown. But during the spring nature is generous and the area is full of wild plants including sage, oregano, thyme, milk thistle (great for the liver thus good to take if you’ve had too much alcohol), cactus and helichrysum.

On the path, there’s a carob tree, wild fig and bamboo (bamboo shoots are edible). I’ve also seen chamomile in Livadia, some wild greens like horta (amaranth), and a plant that looks like plantain, too.

the wreath on my door is made from wild herbs like thyme and oregano collected here on Paros

So why not find out what’s foragable in your neighborhood? If you’re from my hometown, San Antonio, you might want to read FREE FOOD: FORAGING IN SAN ANTONIO.

from BEBINA BUNNY’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

Edible Ice plant

As for today’s mantra, I will first say that I simply adore the PLAYING FOR CHANGE idea and should use more of their videos for my mantras. The idea of people all over the world getting together to sing creates harmony in more ways than one.

Keith Richards’ “Words of Wonder” is the point of departure for today’s mantra. It’s a rather naughty little song but does have the phrase “giving thanks and praise” in it. And nature is to be thanked for all that she gives us.

Thank you Thank you. OM Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Related links: Urban Foraging Guide pdf + Eat Bamboo Like A Panda + Edible Chamomile +Parian Dried Fruit Compote recipe + Blood Orange & Black Olive Salad Recipe + Words Of Wonder Lyrics + Eat The Weeds

if you are interested in learning more about foraging and edible weeds, try the Eat The Weeds youTube channel

Posted in Health & Healing, Paros | Tagged Bebina Bunny, edible weeds, Foraging, Paros | Leave a comment

The Narrative Within

Take a Walk On the Wild Side

Related links: THE KANT WALKS BY JOACHIM KOESTER + “Emile” by Rousseau pdf

Walking with mantras and mudras

Related links: What does this hand gesture mean in Icons? + 10 Mudras For Healing, Health & Happiness + WEAPON OF CHOICE LYRICS