MAKING/music

Hey Y'all!

The 2nd episode of The Spandananada Show has been released.  When Doug and I made the first episode a couple weeks ago, I told him that I wanted to have a short, fun, catchy opening segment that would introduce the show every week-- like Dexter!  The problem is, I complained, for I didn't have any non-copyrighted music to use.  He immediately ran into the other room and came back with a bunch of instruments telling me that I should make my own music.  I, in turn, immediately went into resistance, telling the same story that I've always told myself:  I don't play music.

I'm one of those types that tells everyone around me to just create and play and have fun, and that it doesn't matter what it sounds like or looks like.  For the most part that's how I live my life-- except when it comes to musical instruments.  So.  Recognizing my resistance, and the hypocrisy of the talk that I don't walk, I made the decision that I would give it a try.  Still in my pajamas, I plopped myself down on my new fluffy orange meditation cushion, and spread out the instruments around me.  I handed Doug the camera, and without rehearsing told him to start recording.

I took a deep breath and committed myself to doing it. I grabbed an instrument and started.  In literally 45 seconds it was complete.  It only took one take.  What you see as the opening track is an unedited first, final, and only attempt.  It changed the way I relate to playing music, and it gave me the confidence boost to make this show a success.

Read the Rumi poem above again.  What are you resisting?  What creative expression excites you and scares you?  Too often we allow our fears to limit our ability to create, to be happy, to be successful. Whatever it is that makes you come alive please, I beg you, please please please start doing it.  Don't wait for the right moment.  Don't put it off thinking that you need to do something else first.  Now!  Right now is the time. You have nothing to lose and everything, everything to gain.

Lots of love,
Roger

COME/alive

SECRETS/success

Richard St. John condenses years of interviews into an unmissable 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success.

SPANDANANDA/show

The Spandananda Show:

A variety show of wonderments

Spanda - A sanskrit word for the sacred tremor or the creative pulse of the universe.

Ananda - Bliss.

Therefore, spandananda is the bliss we achieve when we are tuned in to that dynamic, creative energy that ignites our spirit.

The Spandananda Show is a variety show of wonderments leading us to greater health, vitality and joy.  Each week, a new episode will debut, all having to do with improving our ability to show up more fully in life.

Indulge your sense of wonder.  Create boldly.  Start now.

EPISODE 1 : Green Juice

Give your body what it needs to be a mean green creatin‘ machine!  Your body and your mind will jump for joy with all the nutrients that this lip-smackin’ green juice recipe provides!

BE/bold

Hey Y'all,

I want to start of first with a gigantic THANK YOU to everyone who wrote to me last week regarding my last newsletter.  So many of you told me about your intentions to start juicing, your desires to live more passionately, and some of you shared with me your own personal stories of successes and challenges.  Hearing from you inspires me to keep writing, creating, living more boldly, and sharing my own personal stories.  The Spandananda Show was born out of that wave of responses!
(Click here to watch the first episode!)

I've also been inspired by Tommy Faricy, who is a life coach and very dear friend of mine.  Recently, in the midst of  dragging my feet about a life decision, he stopped me in my tracks and said:  "Be bold.  That's who you are."  I heard those two simple and powerful words as if for the first time: Be bold!

So.  For those of you in the duldrums of indecision, stumped by life, dragging your feet, or simply procrastinating being who you know you are, let me now be the one to say to you: BE BOLD! Unfetter your brilliance. Follow your urges. The path isn't always clear.  Sometimes it might seem ridiculous.  Sometimes it might even seem foolish or dangerous.  Now is not the time to be timid about following your dreams.

It's important that we recognize the beautiful and devasting truth of what Martha Graham writes.  We must listen attentively to the "urges that motivate us," and then we must respond to those deep urges.

Lots of love,
Roger

VITALITY/force

About Martha Graham, Agnes de Mille said: ‘I was bewildered and worried that my entire scale of values was untrustworthy. ... I confessed that I had a burning desire to be excellent, but no faith that I could be. Martha said to me, very quietly,’

‘There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique...

And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.’

from The Life and Work of Martha Graham

MUSIC/playlist

Music playlist from Saturday's 11:15 class at Heart Fire Yoga

NATALIE MERCHANT/poetry

LOVE/farting

Some of you know me for my bold statement:  I don't fart.  And for a long time that was true.  Or mostly true.  So, this is partly a confession and partly a coming out.  I fart.  And not only do I fart, but I LOVE TO FART.  So there.  I said it. 

Freedom is farting!  or maybe it's the other way:  Farting is Freedom.  In either case, Fart Freely.

SIGUR ROS/valtari

   

Sigur Ros is releasing a new album on May 28th!  This is a track from that album.  Super excited to hear it when it's released.

RAW/food

These guys are awesome.  Amazing raw food recipes presented in a super fun creative format.  Check 'em out.  Jonsi & Alex.

TWO/choices

Graffiti on a Williamsburg wall

In the past few months I have been met with a situation that has challenged me greatly.  I have hemmed and hawed over it.  I've talked to friends, meditated on it, pushed it away, embraced it, journaled about it, created art about it, etc.. It seemed that no matter what I did I still suffered.  Recently, I had a conversation with my spiritual teacher and therapist.  She told me that there are two choices that I can make:  I can choose to be a victim of life, or I can choose to be a student of life.  It reminded me of a quote I once read on the inside of a Hallmark card:  The only difference between a rut and a groove is your state of mind.  She then gave me the assignment to journal about everything I've learned about this challenge.   Here's an exerpt from my journal answering the question, what have I learned from this recent experience? 

I've learned that:

- I have no control over what other people do.
- I have the ability to be present with myself with honesty and curiosity.
- if I compare myself with others I shrink.
- lying creates disharmony and disengages the ability to have true intimacy.
- when I connect to my body and my breath I feel more grounded.
- when I meditate regularly I create more ease and contentment in my mind.

Perhaps the most important thing I've learned is that like most life lessons it is something that I've learned before: that only when I take care of myself can I help others.  It's a basic principle we learn when we fly: put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others.

Today, I'm going to be a student of life.
On the wall above my desk I tacked these words of intention to help me remember to be open to learning, to be curious, to listen, and to continually choose to be a student.

When life delivers you a challenge remember that you have a choice to be a victim or a student.  Being a victim makes you helpless.  Being a student makes you wise.

JUICE/energy

I've been in Portland for 10 days.  Everyday I love it more and more.  A lot of people talk about how rainy it's been lately, but honestly I haven't noticed.  Perhaps it's the fresh perspective that a new environment, a new climate and new people inspires. Perhaps it's just that I like the quiet introspection that the rain creates in me.  Today, it's blue skies and sunny.

It's been fun wandering around the neighborhood checking out restaurants and thrift shops.  I've also been checking out different yoga studios.  The yoga classes here are strong and sweet.  The vibe is very laid back, which is quite different from most of the classes I took in Manhattan.  Yesterday, I took a class at Yoga Bhoga.  The instructor opened the class with the harmonium and a long sequence of Aum's.  Bliss.

I've been juicing every morning.  I alternate daily between a green juice and a red juice.  (Below are 2 of my favorite recipes.) I also drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) stirred into a glass of water.  The results of the juice and apple cider vinegar is that I have a lot more sustained, steady energy that doesn't fade quickly or cause ups and downs like coffee.

I'd love to hear about your morning ritual, or a favorite juice that you have.  Write a comment when you get a chance.

My two favorite juice recipes:
GREEN:
kale, celery, cucumber, fennel, cilantro, lemon, apple, ginger.

RED:
Beet, carrot, apple, lemon, ginger.  (add something green if you like-- the beet greens are perfect for this).

BEING/happy

What would make you happier: Winning the lottery or becoming a paraplegic? Watch this inspiring TED talk to find out the truth about happiness!

CHILL/out

Gotta listen to this album. Super spacious ambient music to ...drift ...float ...chill-out. (This link is to the entire album)