~ Mmm, Tasty Little Nuggets

Attitude Calisthenics

"A smile is a frown doing a somersault" MOM

~ Mmm, Tasty Little Nuggets

"If you don't give up something has to give."

MOM

~ A is for Attitude

In my Mind Over Matters Workshop and private coaching sessions, I teach many techniques on how to achieve a balanced, happier and creative life. One of my golden rules is "The only real control we have in our life is our attitude".

SO, the next time that negative inner voice says "NO" just spin those two letters around to... "I'm ON it!" MOM

~ The Mighty Little Neti

Flu and cold season is in full swing and there're many suggestions on how to help our immune system fight off those pesky bugs; drinking hot herbal teas, taking daily dosages of vitamin c and rinsing your sinuses with the Neti Pot.

Our noses are the pathway for germs, bacteria, and plant allergens which can affect eyes, sinuses, ears and throat. A safe and easy way to irrigate the sinuses is using the mighty Neti Pot. It's easy and can become habit forming like brushing one's teeth whether you do it over the sink or in the shower. It's a miracle attaining relief without using over-the-counter or prescription drugs. And by flushing out your sinus cavities you're helping your immune system fight off colds and seasonal flu.

All you need is:
~Distilled water
~Neti Pot
~Sinus /saline solution (easily found on internet, drug or health stores)
~Sink / shower
~Tissues
~Sense-of-humor

And remember what MOM says...

"It couldn't hurt!

Click here to view a demonstration on how to use your Mighty Little Neti

Click here for CBS article on how teas affect immune system

~ A Housewife’s Spiritual Journey and the Teachers She's Met Along the Way

Click here to view Mr. and Mrs. Chow's paintings.

Chapter 2: “You will Become Tai Chi and Tai Chi will become you” Mr. Chow

“Brrring, brrring…Hello who is this?” asked Mr. Chow with a strong Cantonese accent.

“Oh hello, Mr. Chow my name is Stephanie Rosenblatt and I would love to take some tai chi classes from you.”

“Yes, yes, very good. You start next Tuesday. Good, good, bye. See you then.”

Mr. Chow’s studio was off Biscayne Boulevard in the Colony Hotel, an old 1920’s white, stucco building in downtown Miami. I knocked on the door

“Come in” a voice answered. I opened the door and felt as if I was entering another time and space. Something felt altered in my psyche. All the furniture was moved to the front of the living room and in the middle of the room was Mr. Chow and three students doing their tai chi. Along the side of the room were four metal folding chairs. Mr. Chow pointed to one. So, I dutifully sat down and watched.

Mr. Chow was slender, neatly dressed in gray trousers and a white shirt with perfect posture. He was in his early sixties although he looked ten years younger. There he was, patiently counting the steps as he and his students slowly moved their arms and legs in unusual ways. After a few minutes he politely bowed to the students and pointed to a bamboo tea warmer on a table by the chairs where Jasmine Tea was steeping. I heard some rustling to my right and rushing out from another room came a petite Chinese woman in her early fifties, her hair in a bun and glasses perched on her small nose. She was holding a plate of warm, freshly baked, almond cookies. She insisted we all have one and when a student said “Thank you Mrs. Chow” did I realize that Mr. and Mrs. Chow were a team. I thought ‘Isn’t this sweet he teaches the students and she bakes cookies for them’.

I’m surprised that a very large two-by-four didn’t come crashing out of the sky and bop me on my head. For little did I know Mrs. Chow was a master tai chi teacher who taught advanced students. At that time all the students were beginners and under the tutelage of her husband. She was patiently waiting for the ten to twenty months it would take us to learn the entire first form: Right Hand Square. After having Mr. Chow patiently and lovingly coddle us through the six hundred and sixty steps we were then given over to Mrs. Chow. Our vision of this sweet, cookie baking woman would soon transform into Mrs. Chow The Dragon Lady! Which I write with much love and respect.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. So, there I was sitting in the Chow’s Studio in the Colony Hotel, munching on the most delicious almond cookie I’ve ever eaten. Mr. Chow begins to speak to me in a soft voice.

“Ah, you must be Stephanie. It is very nice to have you come and learn Tai Chi Ch’uan. Tai Chi is very good for your health. I am sixty-three years old and I have wonderful health. I never sick. You will learn that tai chi will become you and you will become tai chi.”

I thought ’ What does he mean Tai Chi will become me and I will become Tai Chi?’ My musing was interrupted by the elegant motion of Mr. Chow as he began to demonstrate the first few steps of Wu Style Tai Chi Ch’uan.

Then Mr. Chow asked me to stand and follow him. First he corrected my posture and told me to take a few deep breaths to relax my body and mind. The other three students were now sitting in the metal chairs as they were watching me. This was an uncomfortable situation for me. I never enjoyed being the center of attraction. I was very nervous and felt myself hyperventilating as I followed Mr. Chow. But the most amazing phenomena occurred…somehow I lost my self-consciousness as I was attempting to imitate Mr. Chow’s movements. I was so focused on the way I had to move my body that I left my ego-state behind. It was love at first step. I was hooked.

Mr. Chow patiently corrected the angle of my hands and legs and after ten minutes he asked me to sit down with the other students. Then he began to show us the entire form. It was as if I were watching Fred Astaire demonstrating Tai Chi. Mr. Chow had the most graceful hand motions and there was an aura of stillness as he moved effortlessly. After fifteen minutes I heard him say “Conclusion” as he placed his hands by the side of his legs. He smiled sweetly as he escorted us towards the door. The lesson was over. But somehow I knew my life was forever altered.

As I walked out the door I heard him softly say, “Stephanie, you remember to practice. What ever your remember, you practice.”

“I will Mr. Chow. I’ll see you next week”

That next week turned into an amazing life-changing thirty-five year relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Chow and my own journey into Tai Chi Land.

~ Mmm, Tasty Little Nuggets

"If you don't give up something has to give."

MOM

The Flip-Side

It seems as though in our society we're into the rush of the quick fix. In my reality that state-of-mind creates horizontal, emotional stagnation. Trying to move away from the discomfort is only placing a band-aid on the present challenge.

The other day in my tai chi class one of my amazing students mentioned how she was feeling frustrated when she forgot a movement when practicing at home. I know this feeling intimately from my early journey in Tai Chi Land when I was in my twenties. After many years, (yes, I wrote years... I was a slow learner) I had what Alan Watts penned as an "AH HA Moment." I finally understood that my judgements and attached, negative "glommers"* were creating energy blocks. Those emotional traffic jams were also jamming my mind. And I felt frustrated.

I asked my student to think about what the opposite word or feeling was for ~ frustration. I assured her she didn't have to come up with her answer at that moment. But she responded that contentment was the word.

I requested she take a few minutes each day and think about what contentment truly means; then progress to how it makes her feel. Eventually whenever she begins to feel frustrated she'll travel through the "FLIP SIDE" to contentment. I assured her that her tai chi will unfold effortlessly and she'll also discover a quiet, sense-of-ease with everything she does.

And as MOM says "Try it... you may like it."

*Glommers is how I describe what happens to our souls as we grow-up on Planet Earth. As children we often accept negative descriptions and/or actions from others and adopt them as our own truths. These "glommers" are like sticky scales that attach one by one onto our psyche. (When in this state we look as if we're related to armadillos.)

Through daily practices like: yoga, tai chi, mindfulness, moving, sitting and laughing meditation we can begin to release each glommer... the gift is the incredible lightness of being and BE-IN one with yourself.

~ Mmm, Tasty Little Nuggets

Imagine how different our world would be... if we "saw" the human form as vessels of precious energy. MOM

~ MOM's JSIT Hall of Fame

In my April 12th post, I introduce the concept of being a "Joyous-Savant-In-Training. (Click here for post.)

Laughter cleanses the body from toxins lodged in the bottom of our lungs and it also releases endorphins; those incredible uplifting, mood elevators.

Click here to meet "Sunflower Priestess."

~ Nathan's Tea Tonic for Men

Here's a great inexpensive, insurance policy that tastes good and will help support your system. Take a few moments from your busy day either in the evening as you create a meditation by making your daily herbal brew.

Loose, bulk teas are the most beneficial and if you don't have an herb store in your community you can order online. Click on the asterik* next to each ingredient for a link on the healing properties. Sipping a large cup of tea is a soothing way to take great care of yourself. MOM

Ingredients: (1-2 months supply)

Nettles*~ 2 ounces

Red Clover * ~ 2 ounces

Oatstraw *~ 1 ounce

Hops *~1 ounce

Peppermint* ~ 1 ounce

Alfalfa * ~ 1 ounce

1) Place 4-5 tablespoons in a glass quart jar

2) Pour almost boiling water over herbs and fill to top

3) Close and let steep overnight

4) Strain in the morning

5) Put into water bottle and drink throughout the day / or divide into 3-4 cups. Can be hot or cold.

Click here for Penelope's Tea Tonic for Women

~ Wellesley's SUNDAY FUNNY

Wellesely's* SUNDAY FUNNY is now our weekly comic strip.

*Meet Wellesley... MOM'S Mascot

~ MOM's JSIT Hall of Fame

In my April 12th post, I introduce the concept of being a "Joyous-Savant-In-Training. (Click here for post.) Laughter cleanses the body from toxins lodged in the bottom of our lungs and it also releases endorphins; those incredible uplifting, mood elevators. We've been blessed with talented comics through the decades. Many of my younger clients haven't had the opportunity to see them in action.

Today, MOM'S COSMIC DINER welcomes the cast of the Seinfeld Show.

Click here for video clip.

Meditation State-of-Mind

Breathe deeply,

become one with the breath.

Then step aside and listen.

Hear the silence,

feel the inner quiet,

and the peace that is you.

Click here for MOM'S Seated Deep Relaxation

~ Penelope's Tea Tonic for Women

Here's a great inexpensive, insurance policy that tastes good and will help support your system. Take a few moments from your busy day either in the evening as you create a meditation by making your daily herbal brew.

Loose, bulk teas are the most beneficial and if you don't have an herb store in your community you can order online. Click on the asterik* next to each ingredient for a link on the healing properties. Sipping a large cup of tea is a soothing way to take great care of yourself. MOM

Ingredients: (1-2 months supply)

Nettles*~ 2 ounces

Calendala * ~ 1/2 ounce

Oatstraw *~ 2 ounces

Raspberry Leaf *~ 2 ounces

Peppermint* ~ 1 ounce

Alfalfa *~ 2 ounces

1) Place 4-5 tablespoons in a glass quart jar

2) Pour almost boiling water over herbs and fill to top

3) Close and let steep overnight

4) Strain in the morning

5) Put into water bottle and drink throughout the day / or divide into 3-4 cups. Can be hot or cold.

~ A is for Attitude

In my Mind Over Matters Workshop I teach many techniques on how to achieve a balanced, happier and creative life. One of my golden rules is "The only real control we have in our life is our attitude".

SO, the next time that negative inner voice says "NO" just spin those two letters around to... "I'm ON it!" MOM

Click here for more info on Mind Over Matters

~ Mmm, Tasty Little Nuggets

A Mom's Spiritual Lesson

Once upon a time there was a little boy who adored his father and shared his Dad's passion for fancy cars. The father worked long hours for many years so he could buy the car of his dreams. One evening when the boy was ten years old he heard an unfamiliar honk from the driveway. When he looked out his bedroom window he saw his father in a shiny, new German vehicle. He flew down the stairs... there stood his mother by the front door. She embraced him and whispered in his ear, "Remember, cars don't hug".

~ TODAY'S Menu Special

Scrumptious Broccoli Soup (4 servings)

Ingredients:

6 cups water or vegetable stock

4 cups broccoli flowerettes (Click here for benefits)

1 medium onion chopped

1 cup raw cashews, roasted (in frying pan on medium heat until golden)

3/4 cup celery, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 teaspoons celtic salt (to taste)

1 teaspoon fresh dill minced

pinch red pepper flakes

Add water or stock, broccoli, onion, celery and garlic to a large pot .

Cook over medium/high heat until all vegetables are soft, stir occasionally.

Remove from heat, cool 10-15 minutes.

Place in blender, add roasted cashews, blend until texture is creamy. (Blend in batches: starting with low speed then increasing until smooth).

Return to pot, add remaining ingredients and stir well.

ENJOY

~ Wellesley's SUNDAY FUNNY

Wellesely's* SUNDAY FUNNY is now our weekly comic strip.

*(MOM's Mascot)

~ MOM's JISIT Hall of Fame

In my April 12th post, I introduce the concept of being a "Joyous-Idiot-Savant-In-Training. (Click here for post.) Laughter cleanses the body from toxins lodged in the bottom of our lungs and it also releases endorphins; those incredible uplifting, mood elevators. We've been blessed with talented comics through the decades. Many of my younger clients haven't had the opportunity to see them in action.

Today, MOM'S COSMIC DINER welcomes NUK, NUK! WHO'S THERE? The Three Stooges... Moe, Larry and Curly.

Click here for video clip.

GONE FISHIN'

Smell the Basil

The weather is amazing and it's my day off... so here's an aromatic household tip.

~ Put a handful of fresh herbs (stems and leaves) in a glass of water and place on the refrigerator shelve. ~ MOM

~ Recession as a Meditation Teacher

As humans our five senses are continuously grasping for perceived desires and pleasures as well as life-supporting needs. Meditation is taking time out and discovering an inner universe of tranquility, wisdom, compassion and empathy.

It seems to me when in a recession we're forced to take control of our desires, whittle out the extraneous and bring in only what is necessary.

This economic downturn will eventually shift. However, at this time we can glean spiritual lessons and create a new economic paradigm for ourselves. Do we want to be mindless, over-zealous consumers? Or become conscious of how we use the resources of our beautiful-jewel and life-supporting spaceship, "Mother Earth" as she travels through the outer cosmos. MOM

~ Many Lives

My friend and mentor, Sachi* is a gifted healer; one of her gifts is facilitating Past Life Regressions. I know it's hard for many people to "buy" into the concept of reincarnation. However, if you're curious about this topic, I suggest you read Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss.

Here's my observation as I was regressed for the first time, twenty years ago. It felt as if I was watching a movie in my mind. I was having a vivid, mental, experience as a Native American. I was a young male about 18 years old and living in the Southwest. I saw "myself" perched high at the edge of a mesa, in a squatting position. I sat there for hours as I patiently gazed and scanned the horizon. As this regression was unfolding the "present" me was thinking what is he looking for? I didn't have clue.

After this thought, I again found myself observing through the eyes of this young man and in the distance I saw a faint hint of beige dust. I watched the direction of and how the dust was becoming larger; billowing upward from the earth. I had found a herd of animals and it was time to alert my fellow warriors, so we could hunt and provide food for our tribe.

The insights from that experience were quite amazing. As a male I was concentrating on the horizon for hours at a time. I was with myself, not talking, just observing. This has helped me understand my husband's behavior. He doesn't like to multi-task, which is quite natural to me. He's quiet where I seem to chitter and chatter throughout the day. It's not that he's ignoring me, we're just genetically wired in different ways. And I finally understood why.

*Click here for Sachi's website.