(Thai Massage with Chock and Rocie)

I'm back sooner rather than later. As I've grown through these challenging, and yet, positive changes, it's allowed me more time and energy to focus on what matters most. It's interesting how any unhealthy relationship, whether it's to food or anything else, drains us rather than replenishes us with Life Force. That's why true Yogis who have been been practicing for many years can be more energetically alive and charged than a person who is considerably younger in years. It's instantaneously obvious in their aura they are making the right choices in their life and aligning with what's best for them. In other words, in reference to my last post, they are 'being the change they wish to see in the world.'...

Some great news! Chock Petchprom, who is originally from Thailand and lives in Norman, OK with, Rocie, his wife of 40 years, will be coming to Dallas the weekend of Juy 25 and 26th from 9 - 1 pm to offer group Thai Massage, $60/person for 30-45 minutes of massage. If you are interested in receiving the best Thai Massage ever, you can e-mail me and I will add you to the list of participants if you would like to take part in this experience. Chock and Rocie are, most likely, moving to Thailand in a couple of months, so this opportunity may not come again for some while. They have 4 beautiful children who live in different cities in the U.S., but they will probably not return back to visit until next summer. The interesting thing about Chock, is he has his M.B.A. and worked in corporate America for over thirty years. As a child growing up in Thailand, he learned Thai Massage from monks and would give it to his mother. In the last 6 years, since he's been retired, he has dedicated himself to deepening his studies of Thai Massage. He knows more than anyone I know about the meridians and what they are connected to physically in the body. If there are certain issues that need to be addressed, he can discover where the body needs healing, or a releasing of blockages, through his intuitive sense of touch. The bodywork I received from him was, perhaps, the most healing treatment I have ever had. I hope you get to experience his gifted and incredibly healing touch.

What else has been going on? I've been reflecting on the True Yoga acronym that Truth Resides Universally in Everyone and on Gandhi's teaching that Truth is God and God is Truth. (And, of course it was the Black Eyed Peas who said, If you never know Truth then you never know Love.) We could take this one step further. What is more honorable than to be truthful in one's thoughts, words and actions? Truthfulness is one of the Yamas (the great universal vows that are not limited by class, creed, time or circumstance) in the eight-limbed path of Yoga, which is the path prescribed by the great sage, Patanjali, also known as the father of Yoga. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a must-read for any true spiritual aspirant, and the eight-limbed path when followed and practiced earnestly, produces success in Yoga, the union of the ego with the soul, or the union of Atman (individual Spirit) with Brahman (Universal Spirit/God). It is also said that it is the yoking of individual will with The Will. To learn more about the eight-limbed path check out this site.

So, the Yamas are the guidelines for how we interact with the outer world, the social disciplines to guide us in our relationships with others, and one of them is Satya, truthfulness. Without truthfulness, life does not work. I love what Patanjli says about truthfulness. He describes it as: "To be in harmony with mind, word and action, to conduct speech and mind according to truth, to express through speech and to retain it in the intellect what has been seen, understood or heard." A perfectly truthful person is he who expresses in his speech exactly what he thinks in his mind and in the end acts according to it."

I think a lot of times what keeps us from being truthful is the fear of losing something. Maybe this somehow got instilled in us as a child. I can remember if I misbehaved in some way, as a child, sometimes, something would be taken away from me. So, I am practicing being truthful in my relationsihps, about my thoughts and feelings, even if I get a little scared that the person I'm being totally truthful and open with might not like what I have to say. But, what's interesting, is it's amazing how liberating being completely honest about our thoughts and feelings really is.

Also, if you like, check back to this post, because I'm going to post a poem here, as well, something by Rumi. Om shanti! Read more