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Even the idea of love is separation. In claiming a beloved, earthly or divine, we put ourselves into separation. Through this separation we have the chance to seek Continue reading In Honor of Ramadan From time to time Lasara offers small working groups based on Sexy Witch. These groups are conducted through teleclass and/or “webinar” formats, plus a private e-group. “LaSara Firefox is a genius! You couldn’t ask for a better guide to take you on this emboldening adventure. and engaging whether or not you consider Continue reading Sexy Witch Classes and Groups with Lasára As you move through your life today, think “I love you” to everything and everyone, ALL THE TIME! Or at least whenever you remember to. Most importantly, think “I LOVE YOU!” when you are feeling sad, angry, separate from another, or from source, or alone. Don’t forget that YOU are Continue reading I Love You – A Daily Practice I come awake at night these days I come awake at night Virginia said Continue reading Untitled (vortex i) Often referred to as “Dalai Lama’s 18 rules for living”, this piece of writing does not actually originate with the Dalai Lama. Regardless, it’s a great piece of writing, with many important reminders. I needed some of them badly today, and thought you might, too. Enjoy. I hope this list provides some sweet upliftment for Continue reading 18 Rules for Living August, 2007 here, bodies quiver restraint here, still, Continue reading A Poem for Palestine The wall coming towards Beit Jala. Imagine you are sitting in your home. Imagine that when you look out the window, you can see a wall growing close and closer, day by day, straight toward the walls of your home. You know that the larger wall will not correct its course. You know that soon, Continue reading The Wall Entry to Arroub Camp (Al Arroub). August, 2007 Yesterday I went to Al Arroub Camp. Remember, you take the bitter with the sweet… In 1948 the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands began. Palestinians were driven forcibly from the homes their forefathers had built, whole villages were emptied of the Arab population. Villages that had been built of Continue reading Sixty Years of Temporary – Arroub Refugee Camp, Palestine The world is ending. The world has always been ending. For as long as humanity has had creation myths, we’ve also had destruction myths. Old wine in a new skin, enter the destruction myth du jour. The End Times as we know them; the Apocalypse. “An Apocalypse (Greek; “lifting of the veil” or “revelation”) is a Continue reading Apocalypse Now…and Now…and Now…and Now This is the beginning there will come a time Continue reading For my love, on his 45th birthday Yesterday I had a first appointment with a new psych doc. Never something I look forward to, but just like the search for a good care-provider of any type – massage therapist, chiropractor, general practitioner, gynecologist – sometimes finding Doctor Right takes some time. As with ending any relationship – getting fired from a job, losing Continue reading Finding Dr. Right (Wanna play yoga with us? Join our Community Yoga Experience – yoga everyday, from now until the autumnal equinox – Sept. 23.) Physical exercise for me, from asana yoga, to running, to Pilates, to dancing, is not an optional part of my self-care. Yet I still act sometimes like it is. And end up back in Continue reading Exercise is Not Optional I didn’t write my 800 words yesterday. It wasn’t a case of too few ideas, but too many. So many possible things to write about, and so much to write about them. On the other hand, it was a desire for a royal flush in the writing department. After a number of articles that have struck Continue reading On Writer’s Block – From a Writer to her Reader Teaching Our Children About Sex. (Reprinted from elephant journal, June 19, 2010.) As a child of the ‘70s, and more-over, a child of the counter-culture, I can say there is such a thing as too much permissiveness. However, sexual positivity and sexual permissiveness are not by nature the same thing. Conscious parenting has many focuses and aspects. But Continue reading Sex Positive Parenting A while back my ten-year-old kid came home from school and said, “Mom, is the world really going to end in 2012?” This moment was one I hadn’t even known I had a secret dread of. I was raised as part of the Back-to-the-Land movement. If you weren’t there, you probably don’t know that a big chunk Continue reading To Hell With Chicken Little! I know very few peers who were raised by both parents. I have very many peers whose fathers were at best absent, and at worst abusive. Though really, abandonment leaves scars nearly as readily as any other kind of abuse does. Most of us lived through our parent’s divorces as kids. Divorce is as prevalent as Continue reading A New Generation of Fathers – A Shout-Out to the New Dad For the first day in this 21 day experiment, I am not feeling overly inspired to write. As another writer taking part in the experiment asked this morning, “where do I start?” I answered; “Start where you are! Trite, but still good advice. ” And here I am. Stuck. Over the past few days I have Continue reading Breathing for the Liberation of All Beings Polyamory (from Greek πολυ [poly, meaning many or several] and Latin amor [love]) is the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. Love is God, God is love, both are the same, and as God, love is limitless. This Continue reading Confessions of a Bad Polyamorist Today I start with frustration. It’s not the topic I want to write about. I am dead-tired of self-introspective, self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing writing, yet here I am today, finding my self starting with my own self-indulgent expression of dissatisfaction. Yesterday at therapy my (very awesome) therapist and I were talking about summer break. About how it’s easy Continue reading Learning to be Human Dilemmas of a Householder There was a time in my life where I so strongly desired to be in perfect Presence all the time that my desire for Presence became the greatest pain I had ever felt. I sought absolute ego death; annihilation of self into Self, the surrender of “I” into that which is greater than Continue reading The Devotion of Presence, The Presence of Devotion God was, literally, talking to me. It (my gender-neutral pronoun – I just can’t say He!) was waking me from my dreams every night. It was giving me clear directives. It was telling me how to live my life, what to do, and how to do it. When I wasn’t awakened by The Voice, it found Continue reading Fearless in the Face of God – my journey to the Holy Land, part I The Arab cawe (coffee) is thick and bitter-sweet. Dark and steaming, I take a sip, sitting in the square in Bethlehem. I love this square. The vast expanse of worn marble in front of the church, the seats of carved stone. When seated in front of the church, you see a mosque at the other end. Continue reading Arab Cawe I ask… I ask I plead but deeply, Continue reading Send me the Sunset I wrote this piece on the day Mahmoud Darwish, Poet Laureate of Palestine, the voice of the Palestinian people, died. It is dedicated to him. Filistina, Ya Habibi (Palestine, My Beloved) I invite you to smell the scent of the dirt that holds Continue reading In Memory of Mahmoud Darwish, 13 March 1941 – 9 August 2008 (Today’s 21*5*800 post is harder to publish without serious revision. It’s deeply personal, and intimate, and may not make sense. None of those are things I love to publish without serious work, serious thought, and serious introspection.. But yesterday Bindu suggested we write on fear, so here it is. Raw and wild, as fear often Continue reading 21*5*800 – Day 5 – The Stability of Fear Today you will have to go over to elephant journal and read The Presence of Devotion, The Devotion of Presence for my 800 words. I feel slightly like I cheated today, though I probably wrote (and unwrote) 800 words anyway. Somehow editing doesn’t seem to count as writing for me, which is silly, since as you Continue reading 21*5*800, Day 4 – The Presence of Devotion, The Devotion of Presence Here is today’s writing. It’s become the basis for my weekly column at elephant journal. Tomorrow I’ll post the edited version, titled The Presence of Devotion – Dilemas of a Householder II, at ele. But in the spirit of my commitment to post my writing for this experiment daily (or mostly daily), here is the Continue reading 21*5*800 Day 3-There is a balance between dreaming and living (Read about the 21*5*800 challenge here.) Continue reading 21*5*800, Day 2: This is how the world ends… (Read about the 21*5*800 challenge here.) Practice is called practice for a reason. We never reach the end of it. There is no end point to practice. When we apply the word practice to spiritual pursuit, it can tend to gain some onerous weight, like there’s some goal to be reached. Some final gate to walk through. Continue reading 21*5*800, Day 1 – Practice Makes Presence “Sufi sheikh who preached nonviolence laid to rest”…may his spirit guide us still. One of the sweetest men I have ever met, a man I am grateful to have had the occasion to learn from and work with (for far too short a time), a man of peace and true heart, has passed on. Continue reading Sheikh Bukhari, man of peace, laid to rest in Jerusalem at age of 61 Did you know that Mother’s Day was created as an opportunity to stand against war? Here is the first stanza of a piece of writing called The Mothers’ Day Proclamation written by Julia Ward Howe, a feminist and abolitionist, in 1870. Arise, then, women of this day! Continue reading Arise Then, Women of This Day – The Roots of Mother’s Day 1. Be yourself, and represent yourself truly and fully. If you don’t, you’ll be getting into a relationship with someone who thinks they’re getting into a relationship with someone other than the real you! Not a good start to a relationship that you may want to be a lifelong thing, right? Show up as who you Continue reading Getting the Relationship You Want Do you want more gratitude in your life? If so, cultivate it! This article will give you tools that allow you to take an active part in creating a more grateful world. As AJ Muste, a committed nonviolent peace activist said, “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” The more we practice peace, Continue reading How to Grow a Grateful World: Three Steps to Engaged Gratitude The world is what you make it. The Buddha is credited with this quote: “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” Consider how you are making your world – what thoughts are building what outcomes in your life? If you can change how Continue reading An Empowerment for Presence: Change Your Mind, Change the World Prayer of Saint Francis O Divine Master, Continue reading A Meditation on Peace, and the Prayer of Saint Francis As a mom, sometimes the most perfect intentions for self love and self care fall short of reality. You have a very full life, and it’s often a challenge to find the “extra” time to build in those moments of self-nurturing. Resistance may be deeper than it even looks at first, too. When you first start Continue reading Moms and Self Care; Do it For Those You Love Reprinted from Gauntlet Magazine, 1999, edited 10/2008, very partial edit, 3/2010, edit, 3/25/2010 Neo-Feminism: I call myself a neo-feminist rather than a post-feminist. Post-feminist implies that feminism may indeed be dead, as was the cultural myth for a while (still under debate?) whereas the term neo-feminist illustrates that the movement is vital, alive, evolving. The term post-feminist gives Continue reading Outrageous Roots and a Bright Future; Sex and Feminism This memorial day, I hope you’ll take a moment to remember, to pray for, all those who have fallen in the lines of fire – not just “our” men and boys, wives and daughters, but all of those who have fallen, everywhere around the world. In Memoriam Written Memorial Day, 2009 My mother grew up with photos of Continue reading My Grandfather’s Flag – In Memoriam Bodies communicate, moods, good or bad, are caught and transmitted like a virus. Like ripples in a pond, what you feel radiates out. Your happiness, your ease, your joy. Or, your stress, your fear, your anger. Every moment, you are modeling the creation of the world. And, every moment, your children are building the foundation of Continue reading Your Family is a Living System Modeling is always the strongest message. You want your kids to be honest? How about you be honest, too? What is transparency? The definition I like the most is; the quality that allows light to pass through, undisturbed. As a parenting metaphor, this is a great image; we’re transparent when there’s nothing clouding our interactions with Continue reading How to be Transparent in Parenting by Lasara Allen Each of us has a desired level of clean. Or in the case of my daughters and I, a desired level of comfortable mess. The desire for “comfortable mess” on the part of the ladies and the desire for an orderly point within the chaos that is life on the part of my husband sometimes Continue reading Mess or No Mess? That is the Question. It’s happened to all of us; you wake up in a great mood. The sun is shinning, and the first thought you had when you opened your eyes was, “Ah, I’m so lucky to have this life!” You happily hum your way into the kitchen, and begin getting ready for another full and fabulous day. You’re Continue reading How To Stop the Spread of a Bad Mood Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl. Her skin was the color of dark mocha. Her hair was joyfully bouncy, and curled like baby grapevines do. It was as black as darkest night. Her teeth gleamed white and her lips were full. Her smile shone like light breaking through clouds. One day the Continue reading The Question Box As conscious parents working to create a better world, we know that the work – and joy – of it begins at home. Here are seven steps that offer you a foundation for clear and healthy communication with your most precious focus; your Continue reading Seven Steps to Healthy Communication with Your Kids Even on your darkest days you can get to gratitude in three easy steps. Here’s the low-down! 1. Take Inventory There’s ALWAYS SOMETHING to be grateful for. It’s just true. There always is. Every complaint is a request. Where you see a complaint (“The financial news is so bad!”) there’s a request underneath it (“I Continue reading Three Simple Steps to Gratitude Written Aug., 2008 (Follow me: http://www.twitter.com/Yoga_Mama) I was skeptical at first, but now Twitter is my golden city. As a busy mom and entrepreneur, I can take a few minutes and digest a handful of posts from my favorite Twitter friends, or post a bite-sized delight about my own day – Continue reading Be a Model Twitizen: A Twitter How-To Samhain: Celtic The word Samhain seems to have come from the word samhraidreadh, which in the Gaelic, the language of the Celts, means “summer’s end.” The Celts divided the year up into two parts; the Winter Half, or Dark Half, and the Summer Half, or Light Half. The Celts considered the day as starting with Continue reading Origins of Halloween: Celtic New Year, Dia de los Muertos. Fun family activities! Election Special – Nov., 2008 I have a lot going on in my life right now, as do we all. All of it is an opportunity to achieve a more constant state (or station) of awakening to compassion. One of the largest of my personal challenges to living in my compassionate Continue reading Generating Compassion for Sarah Palin – Election 2008 Special Oct., 2008 **This piece was written shortly before the presidential election of Barack Obama, but can easily be carried across to any election, or even to daily life.** As the election nears, there are questions on everyone’s lips. Whether it’s okay to talk about politics is one of this big ones. My opinion; Continue reading A Guide to Compassionate Citizenry – Election Year Special **This meditation is modeled on the loving kindness meditation from Ezra Bayda’s book, Being Zen, and further modeled on many practice for what in Buddhism is called generating bodhicitta.** This Awakened Heart meditation is designed to encourage awakening, develop presence, and to cultivate compassion. Bring your whole self to this experience, and come fully Continue reading An Awakened Heart Meditation: Cultivating Compassion From time to time the home-fires cool. Here are some sure-fire ways to raise the temperature in your personal temple of love! Man or woman, we all love to loved. We love to be appreciated, showered in praise, listened to, noticed. We love being recognized and worshiped in little and big ways, quiet and loud ones. Here are some simple steps to gently coaxing those glowing coals of desire to full Continue reading Heat Up the Home-Fires and Reintroduce Romance – Everyday! With respect, a clear understanding of the rules, and a whole lotta love for the kids, ex-spouses are redefining family. Some call it divorce; I call it the “Two-Family Solution.” Assuming your divorce was peaceful and you and your ex have basic respect for one another, there’s no reason not to revel in the benefits the Continue reading A New View of Divorce; Three Simple Benefits of the Two-Family Solution Give your loved ones sweetly creative, inexpensive gifts that will make them smile the whole year round! These easy to make, creative, do it yourself Valentine’s Day gifts can be given to your lover, your child, your mother, or anyone you’re grateful for. For even more smiles, you can make one or more of theses gifts Continue reading Sweet Valentine’s Gifts that Won’t Break the Bank! Give your loved ones gifts that will make them smile the whole year round! These easy to make, creative, do it yourself Valentine’s Day gifts can be given to your lover, your child, your mother, or anyone you’re grateful for. For even more smiles, you can make one or more of theses gifts with a loved Continue reading Sweetly Creative D.I.Y. Valentine’s Day Gifts A Gratitude Altar or Gratitude Shrine gives you and your loved ones a visible reminder of all there is to be grateful for. Creating this altar with family and/or friends can be an act that allows for bonding, as well as an opportunity to focus on the gratitude you all have for each other, and Continue reading How to Create a Gratitude Altar or Shrine – Gratitude Games A preface for the ladies; Continue reading What Women Want – The Ten Secrets Every Husband, Lover, or Partner Needs to Know! Often my anti-consumerist, smaller footprint, “live simply” self, and my “the kids deserve the joy that materialism so easily delivers”, acquisitive, affluenza-suffering self war with each other. Especially during birthdays, and holidays. During these special days I, like every other conscious consumer, enter the battlefield of who to buy for, what to buy, and why? And, Continue reading Yoga Mama’s Guide to Compassionate Consumerism – Gift Buying with Consciousness Sometimes arguments just happen. And in those moments, anger can flare. Voices are raised. Postures are struck. Positions are held. Of course this never solves Continue reading Men, Anger, and Arguments; Some Do’s and Don’ts by Lasára Allen, MPNLP, www.lasaraallen.com As Continue reading Seven Steps to Healthy Communication With Your Kids Four Easy Reasons to Go Green with Us Combat the waste of shipping; each mile a product travels to get to shop, or to your house, or a shop then your house, Continue reading Doing Our Part to Safeguard the Heritage of Future Generations http://www.LasaraAllen.com Okay, I admit it; we bipolar folks can be a real handful. If you have close friends who live with bipolar disorder (BD), you’ve probably had a couple – or more – not-so-easy interactions with them/us. This is my invitation to walk a mile in their/my shoes. But before we go further, terms; I choose to say, Continue reading Bipolar Disorder: …It Sucks. The celebration of this season has roots in the timeless, hidden promise of light and warmth that lives within the dark. Even after the longest night of the year is over, winter still holds sway. But the light does begin its ascent to grandeur and glory in the eternal procession of seasons. With eyes open to Continue reading Finding Light in the Darkness The holidays are upon us. No matter what your spiritual persuasion, you’re probably going to be finding time within this season of cold days and long nights to gather with family and friends, sit around the feast table, and celebrate some light in the darkness. What a wonderful thing! But even so, the most joyful season Continue reading Self-Care for the Holiday Season Keywords: — santa claus, question, god, christmas, family, values, generosity, mysticism, children, santa is real, holiday season, hard questions, faith, christmas spirit, jesus, belief , magic, miracles, christmas miracles When it comes to the delicate matter of belief, there are creative ways to answer our childrens’ questions without taking the magic out of life. When my oldest Continue reading The Answer to the Season’s Biggest Question; Yes, Santa IS Real! Recycling is probably the most mentioned, but least effective of the three Rs. Of the four items mentioned above, only the yogurt container can be recycled. And at, that, only at some recycling centers. The shirt and plastic bag are landfill. Over time, the shirt will rot away. The plastic bag will not. Of all the Continue reading THE THIRD R: RECYCLE Reusing is step two; once you’ve purchased an item and put it into circulation, the more times the item is used, the less the overall impact. This is just as true for a plastic bag, yogurt container, t-shirt, or computer. Of the four items mentioned, only the shirt is biodegradable. And, at that, only truly biodegradable Continue reading THE SECOND R: REUSE Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -it’s actually a pyramid, not a circle! The slogan “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is in that order for a reason; it makes more sense to envision it as a pyramid than the circular form it’s usually represented as. Reduce is the foundation of that pyramid. Reevaluating and reducing consumer habits is the best thing we Continue reading THE FIRST R: REDUCE Every challenge is an opportunity. The recession is a perfect chance to create a shift in your family’s, and your own, values; a chance to move from want-based, status-based, and impulse spending, to sustainable consumer choices. Of course, the first step is to that reframe is in shifting your own thought process. In this article you’ll Continue reading Re-Framing Your Family’s Recession Anxiety to Conscious Consumerism Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. ~ Kahlil Gibran You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, Continue reading Some of Lasára Allen’s Favorite Gratitude Quotes Gratitude increases health dramatically on all levels; there are health benefits to gratitude on the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual levels. It’s been scientifically proven that the regular practice of gratitude can improve your level of overall happiness by Continue reading The Benefits of Gratitude in Family Life – It’s Never Too Late to Try Dedications, Intentions, and WHY NOTs! by Lasára Allen, www.LasaraAllen.com Have you made any resolutions for 2010? Many of us make resolutions – and then fail. Though I have almost always met with success in my new year’s resolutions, I think resolutions come from a somewhat limited, and limiting, perspective. So Continue reading A New – Or POST – New Year’s Tradition; Give Up Resolutions! I just found out the 2011 is the 2500th anniversary of the marathon! This is super cool, as my plan is to run a full marathon for my 40th birthday – in 2011! The fact it’s such a momentous occassion makes my goal that much sweeter. (See more on this soon.) My other piece of news Continue reading News About Long-Term Goals – the 2500th Marathon Anniversary in 2011! Race as Platform for Bipolar Advocacy & Education. Photo credit; Khalid Arar Schawabkeh How to Host a Gratitude Gathering! by Lasára Allen, MPNLP 1. Choose a date! What date makes you want to practice gratitude? You can choose Sunday, and have it be your church. You can choose the new moon, and have it be the beginning of a new cycle. You can choose Continue reading Host a Gratitude Gathering! The Benefits of Gratitude in Family Life Gratitude increases health dramatically on all levels; there are health benefits to gratitude on the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual levels. It’s been scientifically proven that the regular practice of gratitude can improve your level of overall happiness by 25%! Practicing gratitude with your children encourages both humility and empowerment. Continue reading The Benefits of Gratitude in Family Life When funds are tight, giving reminds us of how much we have, and how fortunate we are. While coming face-to-face with money problems can be a challenging experience, being able to do something about it is a saving grace. Especially or children, a sense of empowerment is a key factor to viewing the global situation Continue reading 5 Ways to Engage Your Kids in Grateful Giving Robert (the Mr.) just went out to meet the fedEx guy…I thought it was the Mr’s second cashmere sweater (wine colored v-neck! First was a black, double weight), a late delivery from Santa… But he comes back in and says, “It’s a box of macho.” I was like, “What?” He says “It’s a box of macho Continue reading Supplements I’m Starting With. A Bodhisattva Meditation for Cultivating Loving Compassion for the Self by Lasára Allen, www.lasaraallen.com Gate gate, para gate, parasam gate, bodhi svaha. The one responsibility of the bodhisattva is to not cause suffering. The one commitment of the bodhisattva is to love all beings pervading space and time, regardless of any beings ability to return, Continue reading A Bodhisattva Meditation for Cultivating Loving Compassion for the Self Thanks and credit for this page to: Tom Barrett and www.interluderetreat.com Mantra Mystery GATE GATE PARA GATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA!Mantra of the Prajna Paramita (Hint: Gate is pronounced like “gah-tay”) The mantra of the Prajna Paramita is found at the end of a brief, but classic Buddhist scripture, The Heart of the Prajna Paramita Continue reading Gate Gate Paragate Para Sam Gate Bodhi Svaha A NEW New Year’s Tradition; Give Up Resolutions! – Try Dedications, Intentions, and WHY NOTs Instead. Have you made any resolutions for 2010? Many of us make resolutions – and then fail. Though I have almost always met with success in my new year’s resolutions, I think resolutions come from a somewhat limited, and Continue reading A New New Year Tradition; Give Up Resolutions! Things I’m most grateful for from 2009 Getting married to my true and eternal love. It’s for reals, yo! Seriously now, I didn’t think that love like this was possible, and there’s nothing I have loved more to be proved wrong about that. I want to shout it from the mountaintops; TRUE LOVE IS REAL! Continue reading I’m Grateful for 2009! Photo credit; Khalid Arar Schawabkeh Host a Gratitude Gathering! by Lasára Allen, MPNLP 1. Choose a date! What date makes you want to practice gratitude? You can choose Sunday, and have it be your church. You can choose the new moon, and have it be the beginning of a new cycle. You can choose your birthday, Continue reading Host a Gratitude Gathering! When funds are tight, giving reminds us of how much we have, and how fortunate we are. While coming face-to-face with money problems can be a challenging experience, being able to do something about it is a saving grace. Especially or children, a sense of empowerment is a key factor to viewing the global situation Continue reading 5 Ways to Engage Your Kids in Grateful Giving Self-Care for the Holiday Season Lasára Allen, MPNLP, http://www.LasaraAllen.com The holidays are upon us. No matter what your spiritual persuasion, you’re probably going to be finding time within this season of cold days and long nights to gather with family and friends, sit around the feast table, and celebrate some light in the darkness. What a Continue reading Self-Care for the Holiday Season The Answer to the Season’s Biggest Question; Yes, Santa IS Real! When it comes to the delicate matter of belief, there are creative ways to answer our childrens’ questions without taking the magic out of life. When my oldest daughter was about five, she asked whether Santa Claus was real. Her dad and I told Continue reading The Answer to the Season’s Biggest Question; Yes, Santa IS Real! |
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