Sunday, December 27, 2009

avatar...the movie for a new paradigm






















Just saw avatar… I know I will see it again, soon, and maybe a few times, in the theater. This movie had the same impact on me that The Matrix did, in that it was/is a 'game changer' for films on many levels, as well as a statement, and possibly (hopefully) a paradigm shifter. This movie is an example of how positive messages can be sent through the visual medium of films...Not that the story line is new, dominance vs. the peaceful, or that we haven't already seen this in history before...greed, colonization, imperialism, domination...it is a sad, yet realistic quality of human nature. And yet, the story of Avatar shows, through the eyes of 'jake sully', the marine, who could be someone like you or me, that many of us have been conditioned by the group mind of deceit, power and greed. We have forgotten our connection to the earth, to all beings, and when Sully begins to have a relationship with the Navi people, they initiate him, and he begins to have his own understanding of his relationship to ALL things, to life, to the earth, to the cosmos. Not only were the special effects incredible, i was brought 'into' the film, particularly through the use of 3D, and into the world of pandora, and the navi. Of course, the beauty and imagination of the creators and animators...James Cameron and his team are powerfully creative!!

This movie is about so many emotions, ideas, imagination...and mostly, for me, it is about our relationship with life, the earth and all its inhabitants, and how greed and the selfish ego can destroy this connection and cause us to forget who we are if we are seduced by that which is not in alignment with the balance of ALL THINGS.

this is a great movie to bring in the new year, the new decade and a reminder of what our ancestors have always known...that we are the children of the earth, here to be stewards of the land and to honor our relationship with all beings, including ourselves, cohabiting together...not overpowering in the name of greed or ego, but to be living in harmony.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

this just in...now dogs are to blame for the environment!!





i awoke this morning sleepy, after a week or more of seasonal gatherings, parties, dinners, festivities, music performances and overall holiday cheer. the sun was shining, teasing me out of bed as i felt the warm, december ocean breeze caress my face and welcome in the new day. i made some tea and decided to take my furry, four-legged friend on a walk down by the ocean. on my way out the door, i decided to read a few headlines before leaving the house. and this is the first thing i read this morning!!


man's best friend could be one of the environment's worst enemies, according to a new study which says the carbon "pawprint" of a pet dog is more than double that of a gas-guzzling sports utility vehicle...

my eyes, barely open from my sleepy haze, went from half mast to fully round in seconds...

dogs are the reason for the destruction of the environment???come on!!!

while the article does briefly mention the benefits of four-leggeds as being stress-relieving and anti-depressants for the elderly(one-sentence), i wonder...how is it that the carbon foot-print, of which they speak, is causing more harm than other mis-uses of the gifts of this planet. the article claims that dog food is causing the destruction of the rainforest...they go on to say:
Combine the land required to generate its food and a "medium" sized dog has an annual footprint of 0.84 hectares (2.07 acres) -- around twice the 0.41 hectares required by a 4x4 driving 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) a year, including energy to build the car.

i have a dog...and i happen to know that the meat that dogs eat is made of parts of the animals that humans do not consume!!

what about the industrial revolution? or war? or those of us living in countries that are out-gassing and contributing to the world wide state of environmental decay??

i grabbed my dog's leash, and went out for a beautiful morning walk...as i reached the beach, the wind blew my hair, my dog's tail wagging feverishly as we started our walk along the dramatic southern california coast. i always notice how sweetums brings joy to so many people passing by...including other furry four-legged's...and i wondered...how is it that dogs are being targeted for choices that have been made by humans all these years. i recalled, in the 80's, how cash crops/cattle, logging, over-population, tourism and mining were being targeted for the loss of the rain forest...go here for more details.

over-consumption and over-population, to name a few, on a global level, is what is depleting our resources, and instead of taking responsibility for our actions...we are blaming animals...such as cattle and now DOGS!!! for our own actions and extremism.

the article goes on to say...have an animal that serves as a dual purpose...utilitarian, such as a hen or a rabbit, where they can serve as food as well as a pet. i believe this article is ludicrous!! does everything we do on this planet need to be utilitarian? this argument would mean that we would need to, for example: wipe out the 100,000 caribou that wander the plains in the tundra in canada because all they are doing (tongue in cheek) is eating and belching CO2. when in reality, their survival, and their natural habitat, is being threatened by both oil companies... go here to see this incredible feature-length documentary,

is everything only beneficial if it is convenient for our survival??? when did convenience become our god? or has it been that convenience is the silent killer?

how is it that we have come to blame everyone and everything else for our actions? we created plastic and now the big plastic soup in the middle of the ocean, is our largest trash "ocean fill" because of all of our combined actions and lack of responsibility to clean up...now the ocean and its inhabitants are suffering. we create oil spills, and the animals and earth suffers, we create wars, and the animals and earth suffers, we colonize, we categorize, we alienate and we dominate, we violate and segregate, we disintegrate and depopulate...and then...we overpopulate and blame those who do not have a voice, the animals, the land, the poor, the weak, for our violent and uncontrolled actions...we rape the earth...and her bounty...then we blame her offspring for our actions!! this is infuriating!!

Human nature being what it is, it appears that many people prefer to blame others or situations when things go wrong – a sort of convenient scapegoating – instead of taking the blame on the chin just like real men and women do.

i know...it is the holiday season...it is a time of giving, loving, sharing and good cheer...and i am all for this, in fact, i participate in the joyous celebration with friends and loved ones...and, this morning, i could not help but see this article as a wake up call for me, and all of us who are able to recognize that while giving gifts is a beautiful tradition...it is also important to give the gift of our awakening...to the greater good, the collective...to take responsibilities of our actions, in our hearts, in our relationships, in our communities and in our work place...so that we are not contributing to the destruction of this planet, and its inhabitants, but that we, as a part of the whole, are giving the best of who we are, so that this planet grows, prospers in her natural state, and all beings benefit from the beauty of our awareness and love.


LOKAH SAMASTA SUKHINO BHAVANTU

May all beings everywhere be happy and free

and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life

contribute in some way to that happiness

and to that freedom for all.



Wednesday, December 16, 2009

singing tomorrow night, December 17th at Euphoria Loves Rawvolution on Main Street in Santa Monica...hope to see you there!

LIVE MUSIC AT ELR CAFE (Euphoria Loves Rawvolution)

Thursday Dec 17th 6:30 - 9:30 The beautiful music of Ena Vie

If you have not come to our Thursday evening gathering, it is a really wonderful, heart opening community event.


Ena Vie's songs are written from the soul and sung from the heart, inspiring those who hear her to connect with her lyrics in a way that touches them uniquely yet collectively. not just a singer/songwriter, ena is also a poet, who brings a message to live authentically while celebrating who we are.


with special guests Christo Pellani (percussion) Deepak Ramapriyan (vocals, violin, bass) and Howard Lipp (keys)

Thursday, December 10, 2009

reminder...tomorrow night - December 11th...NetteRadio Holiday Party Benefits Toys For Tots!



NetteRadio Holiday Party Benefits Toys For Tots!
Fri Dec 11 at The Talking Stick
For every new unwrapped toy you bring we'll give you an 'opportunity
drawing' ticket for one of our great prizes! (from Daisy Rock, NetteRadio
Artists and more!)
w/ The Conlons, Ena Vie, Seeing Thingz, and Kelly's Lot!
7-10pm FREE! All Ages!
1411 C Lincoln, Venice, CA

www.netteradio.com


see you there ♥

Friday, December 4, 2009

this weekend...2 great events...see you there ~




this saturday...December 5th

10am-1pm...come join us @ Modern OM...

This Saturday is our 2nd annual Yoga Mala for the Tree of Life Yoga School. Last year, we raised $2,000. This year my goal is to raise $3,000. Please come and join us, if you want to participate in the mala or just to come show your support and give your energy. Our good friends Cyrus, Zat, Ena Vie and Momo will be doing kirtan to keep the energy up. So even if you just come to support, you can join in the chanting.

Proceeds go towards "Healing the Mother". A women's education project. Helping the women in the city of Vizag to achieve their dreams through education, yoga and job skills, allowing them to create a foundation for self fulfillment and self reliance and to become empowered members of their community. By helping empower the women, we empower the children and families they help support. Tree of Life Yoga School & Community is a 501(c)3 corp.

I will be leaving on Dec 25th for India, you are all invited to come join the service project "Healing the Mother" to open Sri Lalita School for Women's Empowerment at Devipuram Ashram Feb 10-22, 2010.

Modern Om is located at 13452 Washington Blvd (just east of Lincoln) Venice, CA 90291
Modernom.com

Thank you for your support,

Psalm Isadora



Experience a rare opportunity to say 'yes' to this voice within, to return to our natural state of reverence for all things. Allow yourself to be overcome with awefor all of life's expressions... a feeling akin to falling in love or feeling like a child again.

From this space we
overflow with reverence and express it by cherishing every moment, every breath, every interaction. Everyone in the room becomes a mirror of you, and suddenly 'namaste' is no longer just a word. It is an experience. The essence within you is honored by each man and woman, and it fuels your genuine acknowledgment of the essence of them.

We will draw from the 112 Meditations from theVighyan Bhirav Tantra which use breath, movement, sound, visualization, and simple partner exercises.

This is an
opportunity to explore reality, awaken to the present and be deeply nourished by life. The ritual is an offering, a shedding of our limiting beliefs... making way for a simple delight rarely experienced in our modern times.