Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga

by Rolf Gates, Katrina Kenison

I have tried yoga. My mom does it for over 20 years. Plenty of friends do it, and lots of them recommend it. For whatever reason, I just don’t like it enough to say, when is the next class? So I suppose it’s somewhat weird that I would pick this up at the library book sale.

This is a day by day meditation. 365 quotes from a variety of religions, authors and celebrities: from yoga sutras, Rumi, the bible, Buddhist monks, rabbis, Confucius, new age gurus, to Homer, Shakespeare, JFK, Florence Nightingale, Nelson Mandela… Following the quote, the author expands on the sayings in relation to yoga, anyone can find something of value just by flipping through a few pages. It doesn’t just help with yoga practice, but in living a happier life in general. Most of the ideas are about letting go, breathing, accepting.

As a non practitioner, I decide to just save the gems I gathered from the book and let it go. As the quote of Day 133 says, “Try to do everything in the world with a mind that lets go… If you let go completely, you will know complete peace an freedom.” ~ Achaan Chah

A few more words of wisdom:

The ego asks a thousand questions for which there are no answers. ~ A Course in Miracle

For those who have come to grow, the whole world is a garden. For those who have come to learn, the wole world is a university. For those who have come to know GOd, the whole world is a prayer mat. ~ M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

I recently ran across a story about a Native American tribal leader descibing his own inner struggles. He said, “There are two dogs inside me. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The otherdog is good. Th mean dog fights the good dog all the time.” Someone aske him which dog usually wins, and after a moemnt’s reflection, he answered. “The one I feed the most.” ~ Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

Meditation practive is regarded as a good and in fact excellent way to overcome warfare in the world: our own warfare as well as greater warfare. ~ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Published in: on November 28, 2009 at 12:17 am  Leave a Comment  

Why Gay Guys Are a Girl’s Best Friend

by Jeff Fessler, Karen Rauch

This is a thin 100-page illustration of fifty reasons why gay guy are truly a girl’s best friends.

“A gay guy sends flowers just because you are you.
A straight guy sends flowers when he has screwed up big-time.

A gay guy hugs you to show he cares.
A straight guy hugs you to determine if your bra is front- or back-opening.

A gay guy’s reaction when you have PMS? Plenty of sympahty and an endless supply of Ben & Jerry’s.
A straight guy’s reaction to your PMS: Call me when you snap out of it.”

A laugh-out-loud quick read that I enjoyed sharing with my husband (who now declared Ben & Jerry’s to be ice cream for gays and chicks.) I don’t have any gay buddies to attest to the truth of these pearls of wisdom but at least the straight guy parts are spot on.

Published in: on November 17, 2009 at 2:53 pm  Leave a Comment  

Books Gone Wild in Kansas City

A lot of BookCrossers love leaving books in the wild, but for a shy person like me, I usually prefer the comfort, safety and laziness of online swapping or leaving my books at OBCZs. Moreover, I figure, why risk a book going into the garbage when I could give it to someone who’s interested.

Thus, it was with some curiosity, excitement, and nervous anticipation that I did my first big wild releasing, as a reverse scavenger hunt at the BookCrossing UnConvention in Kansas City. It was totally fun reading the map and preparing books to release, a combination of creativity, knowledge, map reading skills, and walking/running exercise. Totally addictive fun that kept me recounting the details to anybody who chanced to ask how my vacation was. ABout 20 of us turned out en masse to the Country Club Plaza at Kansas City, and leaving book here and there, all over the place.

My first release was at the JC Nicholas Fountain for the fountain theme, using the book Hole in the Water. Well, a fountain is technically speaking, a hole of water, sort of… (*all book titles contain BC journal link)

Hole in the Water

Hole in the Water released at the JC Nicholas Fountain

For the statue theme, I found that the stone horse statue at PF Chang bears remarkably resemblance to the unicorn on the cover of The Camelot Caper, so I left the book at the horse’s foot:

The Camelot Caper

The Camelot Caper

Next I left the book Flower (a great book by the way) in a flower pot. Okay, rather unimaginative, but hey it is themed.

Flower

Flower book left with some flowers.

For the numbers theme, I wasn’t quite sure where to release my book until I came across this sign. Funny thing is, originally I had planned to use the book The Four Agreements, which would have been PERFECT at this address. But that book was such an old BC book I couldn’t bear just wild releasing it and end up using Three Junes instead.

Three Junes

Three Junes released at 444

I found a White House/Black Market store, a perfect spot for Blackbeard’s Ghost as a Colors themed release.

Blackbeard's Ghost

Blackbeard's Ghost showing up at Black Market!

Now on to hot and cold. First is The Grilling Season at The Capital Grille. Spot the book? It’s at the paw of the left lion.

The Grilling Season at The Capital Grille

The Grilling Season at The Capital Grille

Then, at my favorite ice cream shop, Coldstone Creamery, a copy of Cold Company. If it weren’t so cold (for me) and if I had more time, I’d definitely have gone in for a pumpkin ice cream.

Coldstone

Cold Company at Coldstone Creamery

There are lots of fountains everywhere, so at this Mermaid fountain I released my water book, Beneath the Surface, though the book remained stubbornly afloat. Should have learned from the Mafia and tied it with some stones…

Beneath the Surface

Beneath The Surface stays afloat in the Mermaid Fountain

I had quite a few dog books. This one, Why We Love The Dogs We Do, awaited a dog + book lover at the Three Dog Bakery.

Why We Love The Dogs We Do

Why We Love The Dogs We Do at the Three Dogs Bakery

I didn’t plan to release this book here, but Benji spotted this fire hydrant and simply refused to leave…

Benji at Fire Hydrant

Benji loves this fire hydrant

Morning, Noon & Night was left next to a string of lights for the lights release.

Lights

Lights Release: Morning, Noon & Night

Again, a book that I planned to take home but released instead. This one is for KC Connection, as the author of For the Beary Best Mom lives in Kansas City. Left this on the Kansas City Star newspaper box.

KC Connection

Released for KC Connection

I also did a bunch of themed releases.

You’ve got Nickel ad Dimed at the bank!

You've Got Nickel and Dimed at the Bank!

You've Got Nickel and Dimed at the Bank!

Some Uncommon Grounds (a coffee house mystery) showed up at Latteland (book on front table).

Uncommon Grounds

Latteland has some Uncommon Grounds!

Kind of wish I still had Cold Company, as the eagle would work great over here too. Anyway, a chocolate themed book, Like Water For Chocolate, at the Panache Chocolatier.

Chocolate

My Toy Voyager toys bravely left a book in the eagle's nest.

Love and Other Recreational Sports looked right at home at the Diebel’s Sportsman Gallery.

Sports book

Love is a recreational sport!

This is one of my favorite releases. Why Me? Guess!

Why Me? Guess!

Why Me? Guess!

I had looked for a while to find this perfect chair for Three for the Chair. I believe this is at Brio Tuscan Grille.

A chair release

Chair book on chair

You have to admit that Bead on Trouble looks right at home in the Brighton Collectibles store, though I doubt the shop assistant would agree.

bead on trouble

Beads release

It’s Zero Hour at the Clock Tower of Fogo de Chao. This is the only catch I got so far from this Scavenger Hunt. Plus the very photogenic tower makes this one of my favorite releases.

Zero Hour at Fogo de Chao

It's Zero Hour at Fogo de Chao

As I am not inclined to hang myself under a cliff, this little book Over Sea, Under Stone has to be contend with under a little stone ledge.

Under Stone

Not quite over the sea, but definitely under the stone.

Sorry, dear shop assistant, I knew photography was not allowed in the store. But hey when I have a book called Shades of Earl Grey and you have some boxes of earl grey, what do you expect me to do??

Earl Grey

Earl Grey!!

There is a bonus for finding a pay phone, and I have the perfect book for a themed release. Except that I couldn’t find a darn payphone!! Well, I never did pay attention but just presume them to be everywhere, but never did I imagine that even hotels don’t have payphones anymore!!

Anyway, it wasn’t until we got to the Hallmark City Center that we spotted one. Here you go, Superman Returns. Maybe not. Guess he has to use the men’s room and hopefully not get arrested.

Superman Returns

Superman Returns

Also, about twenty steps away from the payphone, we found this book lying on the bench. I was like, no way, that was the book I released two hours ago! It couldn’t be showing up here! Turns out it was another copy from the same BookCrosser… I guess this is my second wild catch of my BC life!!

A wild catch!!

A weird moment of deja vu indeed!

Published in: on November 5, 2009 at 4:52 am  Comments (1)