Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Selling credibility, deceiving oneself and others...


Can we trust those who say they're teachers?

How do I say this without offending some of my new friends... I probably can't.. So...

Deepak Chopra was once credible, now he has become a profiteer, selling certifications in things he has no right doing, has no qualifications to teach and certify, especially in four to seven days...

He has sent out hundreds of so-called Chopra Certified instructors... I'm sorry, I know a few of them, they can't keep their minds still for a moment, they are not qualified, and will not/cannot lead you to mindfulness and for sure not to enlightenment...

He's selling $$$ them a piece of paper and his name, that's it; for he cannot take people with no background and teach them anything in such a short time. Then he takes photos with them for their web sites, to help offer them credibility and bring in "customers".  Shame on him... I feel sorry for the "instructors” for they believe they've learned something worthwhile and real, and the worse for the poor students of these "instructors" who will pay them for their help. This is not real and is a rip off.  If you love this man I hope you don't feel attacked, this is not my purpose.

This is happening all over... The "Science Qigong” people do the same nonsense... The master I trained with will not teach you to stand correctly in a weekend... It just can't be done...

Meanwhile people with no skills at all become experts in days.... Scary, sad, should be illegal. It is a scam...

I was a martial artist, began at 15 yo, so years ago when I moved to Fla I looked to see what was going on, in doing so I walked into a local school to find 12 year olds with black belts, these kids could not punch or kick, yet they were awarded "black belts.”  When I came up we could not even take the exam until we were 16, and even then few were awarded one...

This is why the Asians protected their practices, why for centuries they would not permit them to be taught to non-Asians. They knew what we now see, that this is what would happen, that the capitalists would sell their lineage for a dollar, worse yet, the students never get what they pay for, for their impatience has made it impossible; the teachers saw this and began giving these things away for a price in a fraction of the time required. This I know for I have been bold enough to ask, almost getting physically attacked for my queries, but a few did answered honestly saying “these people will not wait four years to become a Black Belt, if we do not offer them belts and tips on belts regularly they will leave.”  I say "let them go...."  This practice is destroying lineages, old long lines of teachings/disciplines. Too Sad.

gabriel

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Meditation.. what is it, why do we do it?

In order to answer both we must first hear what the Buddha said concerning all things, wisdom and...

Buddha said towards the end of his incarnation

“I have offered 84,000 teaching (I believe a number that is meant to say many many) something for every being to use, but don’t believe a single word I said unless it agrees with your rational mind, if not disregard it.” (the gabriel translation)

So with that in mind let’s talk about it... In the world of meditators, those with vehicles, the Tibetan Buddhists have developed the greatest number of ways to transport oneself “to the other side.”

So let us see what they say about mediation. Considering the complexity of their practice their answer is straight up; their word for meditation translates “to get to know oneself, one’s mind”... or I would say “getting to know the nature of one’s mind, or how your head works...”

So when we sit what are we watching? I know some would say we watch nothing, or what arises, or the stream of consciousness, and I have no problem with any of it, but to me the most important item that pertains to our development is “how we work” viewing this offers us much information and a little peak, a tiny ah ha into “the way things are” for we learn very quickly just how reactive, judgmental, and how we add dialog/commentary to every moment, everything we see, hear, experience... Few just live it... smiling....gi

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Mucuna - strong mind, sexy mind, powerful body

Don't let its unfamiliar name deter you from getting to know Mucuna Pruriens for there are soo many herbs to know and many have names we've never heard.

This remarkable herb is indigenous to India the land of many herbal gifts. It may be one of your best herbs for maintaining sexual desire and ability; it's no surprised the land of the karma sutra would have things to keep the joy going. The seeds of the mucuna pruriens plant produce chemicals that support healthy levels of testosterone in both men and women. It also aids in the production of a hormone commonly associated with the "pleasure system" of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and motivation.

It is also used by Parkinson’s patients to raise their L-Dopa level, which helps stabilize the nervous system.

And shown helpful in...

· Improved sleep (promotes deep sleep)

· Reduced body fat & decreased cellulite

· Decreased wrinkles

· Improved skin texture & appearance

· Increased bone density and reversal of osteoporosis

· Increased lean muscle mass

· Improved mood and sense of well-being

· Enhanced libido & sexual performance

· Increased energy levels

· Improved cholesterol profile & regeneration of organs (heart, kidney, liver, lungs)

· Dramatically strengthen immune system

Turning Wheel Herbs (my herb company) has this and many other power-filled herbs for both body and mind.

Don't take any herb unless you have spoken with a certified herbalist, there are many i.e. clerks in health food stores, friends, resellers, etc who will offer you herbs for health and healing. Herbs are powerful and should not be taken mindlessly, but instead with wisdom; I am one of a few herbalist who will work with you to find the correct herbs at the correct dosage. Write me at subtlethings@bellsouth.net

Friday, July 16, 2010

There is never enough of what does not satisfy


Friends.... this link was posted on Facebook... click

This was my response...

Thanks for the information...

I ask all those who are in the health community to continue to keep a clear mind, watch your motives and to not get too caught up or attached to any financial rewards you may find or have found from your ventures.

It was not so long ago that this "business" was just a few hippies like myself in food coops around the country trying our best to get real food for ourselves and our family. Look what has happened already.

I would also ask all those who purchase such to diversify those purchases so as to not offer too much power to any one seller; this would be good for all concerned...

Be wise people.. we are dealing with lusty human beings who want want want and are rarely satisfied, the more they get the more they need, they become insatiable...

Who knows, perhaps this young man started this biz with good intentions as a way to rebel against his family's corporate food biz. I don't know... the bottom line he has gone off track to say the least...

I'll send this to Whole Foods home office. smiles...

visit my site (click)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

It's capped, now what?


They only sell, we buy.......

Today I announced to my FB friends that the gulf well had been capped (for now)... This began a conversation; I said all this will not change anything until “we” do something, until we are willing to change our lives, perhaps “god forbid” even sacrifice...

One fine lady wrote this, you’ll find my response following her comment... Let me also say she is complaining that she lives on a mountain (her choice to save herself and family from the world) and therefore cannot live without a car. I see a bit of selfish hypocrisy here...

The dear one says........ "I beg to differ.... The clean technology is being withheld...as a result of greed...there are so many solutions to our oil addiction...it's just that the oil companies and gov'ts benefiting from the oil profits are withholding the info, there is a huge green energy cover up."

My reply.. dear one, I agree with u, but differ too...

if it is greed, and I agree it is, then if we stop using it they will begin selling something we will buy; there is no profit in product that doesn't sell, so the problem continues to return to us...

We want someone else to do it for us, we complain "they" should offer us something else so we don't have to ride bicycles and take mass transit, walk even, so we shift the blame and continue stasis quo...

My car has gone 3 miles since last friday and I own two... My friends see me in the streets and ask "do you bike everywhere?" My answer is "if I can"

When our cities look like this (click) we'll be on our way... and our fat American asses will shrink too...

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Gourmet Raw Food... Sustainable?


The comments here were meant for my Facebook friends, but it is a bit long so I’ll place it here for all of you to enjoy and place the link on FB.

Here we go....


I sit here reading what everyone’s (by everyone I mean the raw fooder's) is eating this morning and ask why?

When I began my journey many many years ago (OK 1967 smiles) the point was to eat simply, to return to nature, to eat real "food" as it is... Today I see things like banana cream this, and taco that, and raw pizza, mock cheese cake, etc...

As for me I would prefer just having a banana, some nuts, juicing some veggies, eating some sprouts, chewing on some wheat grass, and if I want cheese cake, once a month go to a good restaurant and have a slice of the real thing, it won’t kill me and it tastes soo much better...

I can see the substitution deal as a transition diet for those with little will power to cross over, or for a fun treat, diner party, etc. but to have to make every good thing mock the crap we used to eat, the SAD mode, is foolishness and keeps the mind locked into a pattern that makes it easy to return to eating poorly again..... for many will say, "I don't like this mock stuff, i want the real thing."

I believe something goes on in the mind when we eat things that look like food, that there is a primal message offered when we see a living thing, kill it (yes vegan do kill) and eat it... and the message the mind offers the body is “here come X, do this to use it”... If you reject that, then let me ask, has your mouth ever watered when you've looked at or even thought about something you love to eat? This is your mind preparing your body to digest...

I know many of my sweet friends are vested in this gourmet raw food thing, some because they like it, some because they are making a business out of it, but please, let’s not think this is a way to live, and let's not make others believe this is how it “must” be to be raw, vegan, healthy.. It’s not...

Believe me, this is discouraging for the majority of the population, for most people just do have the willingness, time, or ability to live this way; for it is very time consuming; as anyone who lives the life can tell u.

If we are trying to be helpful, live and eat well, we must get real... this is not a sustainable lifestyle for the “average” person.

Smiles....

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

It Is Up To Us........

Let's make a difference..Really...

On a social network I posted some information about plastics and the damage it is doing to us and to our planet... A dear woman wrote back complaining about how hard it is to change and how expensive it is to buy things in glass... This is what I wrote. I hope it motivates even one of you to do something... Today.



Dear one... Know this... “it is up to us what will happen” nothing changes unless people are willing to make changes, sacrifices, and plenty of noise.


When I was a young vegan/activist in the early seventies, I would carry glass containers and cloth bags to the grocery, me and my lady would right there at the checkout unload the food from its containers, saying out loud to all around us, “why do we need all this packing, why can’t we buy in bulk, why all this waste?” We’d walk out, checkout littered with milk containers and oat meal boxes, etc... They were left with their mouths open...


What can we do??? Everything... First stop buying the products that are irresponsibly packaged, next tell the companies that you’ve done this, tell your friends also... It’s easier these days to make your voice heard, you can email these companies, and email them again, and again, you can call your local paper, news people and make a scene... Get excited... share the video...

Things stay the same because individuals believe they are powerless againist such large corporations. That’s just what they want you to believe... The plastics industry is huge... Also government is lazy and in their pockets...

Let me ask... Why is there no deposit on all plastic packaging the same way there was once on all pop bottles? If there was people would be motivated to recycle them, then much of this plastic would be going round and round instead of in our oceans and ground, where it makes its way into our ground water, poisoning all we eat and drink.

So yes its takes some effort to make a change, it may even cost you some money, require some sacrifice, but what’s our option, to surrender our lives, our planet so that a few, a very few, super wealthy people can live like gods while we pay their tab and die from their abuse...

We need to stop it now! It’s like anything else... you say you’re a vegan, don’t like killing, then I don’t want to see any animal products on you or in your home, car, etc... You say you care about this planet then prove it... It’s easy to retreat in to ones little world, grow a garden in the back, smile at the sun, dance around the fire... but if you really care, do something! Don’t wait till tomorrow, if you do it will never happen... Today, do something... remember... “IT’S UP TO US WHAT WILL HAPPEN”

Smiles...gabriel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-CVRFzLoEY

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Success


The desire to succeed is an expectation, one that is a set up, for the success we project is often not the success we obtain... and the success we obtain is often not seen as such and we suffer...

Success is a strange concept, one that has killed many a person, especially those who have reached their mark after many years just to find it does not satisfy... that's when the gun goes to the mouth...

"there is never enough of that which does not satisfy"

smiles.... gi

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Resiliency and Abuse...


On a sweet day in December of 2001 I went to my doctor for my yearly checkup, something I did just to monitor my well being and to keep my insurance company happy. Life was pretty good, things although not perfect were moving long well. A new business I had begun was growing, money was not really an issue, and although my marriage was iffy and my elderly mother who lived with me had Alzheimer’s, all was ok, doable. Yet looking back is see all this exerted much pressure upon me; something I see had a profound effect upon my health and mental clarity.

On that day my blood was drawn, an ECG (Electrocardiography) was taken and I left my doctors office not thinking I’d see him again till next year, surprise! Two days later I received a call from his office asking me to come back in, he had something to discuss with me. I figured my cholesterol was probably too high since I had not been watching my diet as well as I should, so I called, made an appointment, and saw him the next day. He said Gabriel your blood work came back and there are some concerns, I’ll have to refer you to a hematologist. I said ok, thinking nothing of it, assuming my diet had my blood in disarray, that I’d get a talking to, and my life would continue on...

The appointment day came, I showed up at the office, an extension of University Hospital in Tamarac Florida. I was in a great mood, played with the nurses, the one who drew my blood was cute and I flirted a bit, all the time thinking all was well. It was not...

After waiting for a bit, they had a lab in house, I finally saw the doctor, a cold man who I saw more of his back than his face as he stood back to me flipping through my chart. While still back to me he said Gabriel your numbers are way off, please lie on the exam table face up. He finally turned and began to palpate my abdomen and in only a second said “your spleen is huge, did you not feel this?” I had not, my belly had recently grown, but I thought it was the food and drink and nothing more.

Again he turned his back and began to write offering me these words, “Gabriel you are very sick. The exact nature of your disease is not yet clear, but it is severe based on your very enlarged spleen and low blood counts. I will have my nurse schedule a bone marrow biopsy.” He was about to walk out when I demanded more information asking “doctor tell me what are the possible causes of this and how serious are these?” he turned looking not so happy to have to offer me more time and began to spit out a list of nasty things. Hairy cell leukemia, lymphoma, myelofibrosis (who knew this would be the one since I had never heard of it and it was the most deadly and rare). I asked “can these kill me,” he said yes.

He then turned leaving the room at a break neck speed as to escape before I asked more questions. I was shocked and angry that after giving me such bad news he would walk away, soo cold leaving me in this little room alone. Well I did not stay there long, I took off after him calling his name, he continued to walk, I caught up to him grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, saying “doctor you cannot tell me this and then just walk away... we need to talk” he said “there is nothing to talk about, you need a bone marrow biopsy, my nurse will schedule it”...

The story goes on, you’ll find it complete in my book and on the net soon, the message of this piece is about how mindless we are about our bodies state of being, how I could have walked around dying with a huge spleen and had not known a thing.

During my lectures I use a prop, it’s a sweet little plant, I carry it out, show it to the audience and say “sweet isn’t it, healthy looking yes?” then from behind the lectern I pull a can of coke saying, “oh little plant you look thirsty” and begin to act as if I’m going to “water” this plant with it. Many in the audience gasp, some laugh, but there is always response...

I then stop before actually pouring the poison into the plant, I say “I see many of you think it would be a mistake to water a plant with coke and yet we drink this garbage, this and worse every day”. If I had poured the soft drink into the pot, the plant would have died quickly, most likely by morning.

The blessing and curse of our sweet bodies is it's resiliency, that it can take a beating and keeps on living. If we were like the plant, we would have immediate feedback screaming at us saying “stop!” but because we are so resilient we continue, day after day, month after month, year after year to pour crap into our bodies thinking all is well. This mindless abuse leads to days like the ones I told you of above, days of surprise as we are told the years of abuse have come to offer their nasty payback.

This resilience breeds a mindless attitude of abuse, one in which we take this life, this sweet opportunity for granted, living our lives pouring, inhaling, and soaking up the poisons of the world we've created... Everywhere we look, if we look, is death, from the antiperspirant we spray under our arms, the food we put into our mouths, to the toxic news we watch over and over again on the death tube.

My friends just because the poison we consume does not immediately show its nasty intent, please don’t be deceived, it is killing you. Don’t let the strength of this flesh suit we live in delude you into a belief that all is well, it is not, and the piper will have to be paid, and the price is high, very high...

Don’t take this life for granted, don’t assume all is well, educate yourself, give yourself the same grace, offer the same mercy as you do your pets, you would not feed your dog or cat half the crap you feed yourselves, saying “the vet says” they should eat this and not that, we buy special formulas, offer them clean water (not coke) to drink... Friends awaken!

Save yourselves... Know that it is up to you what will happen, that the thoughts, words and actions of today, yesterday, and all the days you’ve lived so far are at this moment an accumulation of all you've done, one waiting to hit that critical mass, one that most likely has you sitting on a fence, a fence that divides life and death, wellness (the appearance of) and disease... The next nasty thing might be the one that takes you over to the other side, you are at a tipping point, don’t be deceived, you may be ready to fall over to the bad side of the fence... don’t do it; you may not find your way back.

The good news is the healthy, vital, sexy side of that fence is there for you, you can tip over and move into a fine life, one that offers you all the strength to live a sexy, active life long into your later years, to live long, one hundred years or more; not sitting in a wheel chair or shuffling around on a walker, demented, but one with a strong mind and body, one that is useful and full of joy till the day you pass into Bardo (the time between lives). Please friends awaken, again I say AWAKEN!

I send you all waves of joy, peace, and understanding... Be well...gabriel

If you want to learn more about how to stay well, or get well, click on this text it will transport you to my site.

I Came Back.. You Can Too


It took me four years full time to get well. What I did was the exact opposite of what I considered (through much meditation, asking, and honest introspection) had brought me to my knees.

The day after my diagnosis I closed my business, went on a fast, joined a Zen group, and literally turned my world upside down. Coming from a technical background where I had trouble shot $60K pieces of video gear day in and out, designed studios, etc. I said to myself "if I can fix them I can figure out what's killing me and fix it too."

So I took my skills and went at my body; researched, asked, busted balls, spent all my money, then begged for free help, went away on retreats, fasted again and again, and in the mist of it signed up for a full load at college which dismayed my friends and relatives for in their minds I was dying and what the fuck thinking going to school. They thought I should go have gone to Europe, Costa Rica, and laid on a beach and died. Instead I studied, sat on my pillow meditating, became close to a qigong master traveling the country to find the best teachers. One time I had to be emergency airlifted home from Boston after four day class arriving at my acupuncturist near death, scarring the life out of him. They all thought I had lost it, but I knew in my knower what I needed to be doing. I knew it was my mind that required healing, that my state of being had become sooo fucked up. IN order to heal I needed to rebuild myself from the inside out. To literally become a new creature.

I ate the wildest shit. I was raw for two years, lived on wheatgrass and sprouts, became soo thin I could hardly stand and knew I need to be nourished. I found a man who told me about the primal diet. A raw diet that included all foods... Meat, eggs, lots of raw butter, goat milk, cream, and raw greens. After 2.5 months eating this way I awoke... (let me say that for years I had bled every day. I’d awake with blood on my pillow, my nose clogged with it, my bed soaked with sweat from night sweats. I would sleep on beach towels to absorb the sweat, changing them many times each nite) that morning there was no blood in my nose and my bed was dry. I thought... hmmm oh how interesting... I will continue.

This was the beginning. In the next two years I worked on my spleen (it was huge), rebuilt my body, continued my schooling and received my Masters in Oriental medicine (April 2010). Today I am well, whole, educated, and positioned to offer hope and help to all those who are willing to any length  to find their healing. Considering my quest, what I was willing to endure, I have little patience for those who whine and cry, saying "I don’t like to eat that, do this".  Fuck them! Let them die (he says with a Buddha’s compassion) I say this for "it's up to us what will happen," personal responsibility is of the utmost importance. Too many people want things to be done "for them," few are willing to do for themselves..

So that’s a thumbnail of what I did. The particulars will take a book, which btw is in the works... All is well dear ones. All is well. So be it...

Smiles... gabriel

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

energy soup


Energy soup... this soup, like a raw vegan gazpacho, is made from whatever you have that is good for you, raw, and hopefully organic...

The one in the jar was made from reguvelac, sprouts grown in soil, sprouts grown in air, greens,(kale) carrot, sea weed, spirulina, cilantro, bee pollen, goji berries, coconut oil and cayenne pepper to balance the yin/yang of it.

Raw greens are very cooling to the system, if you have a tendency to become damp (carry or put on weight easily, phlegm in lungs, lung problems, diarrhea, UTI's) or if you are cold (cold hands, feet, aversion to cold air and wind) or if you live in a damp/cold climate, always put something warming into your smoothies/energy soups salads, etc. and NO ICE CREAM FOR YOU!

Click on this text to find more information about energy soups and many other good things - please visit...

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Dirty Hands, Frightened Minds

This little note was in response to a FB post what asked... Why don’t waiters wash their hand, change their gloves, etc?

So I went off.. Surprise ha? Hee hee.......

An aside... I was at Whole Foods the other day (another place I’m really not happy with) while checking out I looked down to watch the young man scanning my food, he pick a piece of my fruit and suddenly I noticed both his hands and arms where covered with open sores. YIKES!

I was shocked and disgusted, but in kindness to the lad I didn't say a word, but instead found the manager and mentioned the condition of the boy. He looked at me like "what's your problem" I said “do you think it's proper for this boy to be handing food?” to which he shrugged his shoulders and said "I don't have time to examine all my cashiers.”

I washed my fruit well... What that said, let me carry on...

Like everything else that has to do with business and mind there are problems that need be addressed... good luck...

First one must have the mind to do things correctly; this means being educated to what that is and to have the intention to do what your education has taught you...

Next business... I'm getting to really dislike that word, for in business one often loses (if they ever had one) their integrity and positive intention as the strain of making money, keeping it, growing it and keeping up with all this world has convinced us is necessary for happiness. The weight of this load often bends the backs of even the best of us. If it costs a penny, they would spend it, if it takes a moment, they won’t take it... It is the manifestation of greed and fear... a nasty combination...

I know, I know, there are a few who are not in this box.. Sorry for the box, but look around, where do you find truth, integrity, good service or product. Capitalism is a killer... Mindless living steals from both the participant and all those within reach of their energy field...

big smiles...

Friday, January 22, 2010

Is this world for sale.. and if so, who owns it?

Is there really a mine and yours?

This note is in response to what I daily see and hear all around me. The now long embedded idea that this earth, this universe is for sale to the highest bidder. We already have companies offering trips into space; soon the moon will have Hilton hotels, casinos, etc., then mars, then??? Who gave anyone permission or the idea that they own or can own any of this?

If we do not control our lusts there will be nothing left for generations to come... This lust to own is a manifestation of the sense of entitlement many have, thinking that the world is theirs to buy and own if they have the money to do so...

This idea that having “made it” entities us to take, own, destroy or horde is the manifestation of a sociality, a world soo caught up in “mine mine mine” that there is no room for the rest of us... At this moment there is an antique car action going on, selling cars I personally have purchased in my youth for pennies, now for hundreds of thousands of dollars... meanwhile millions suffer, but these “made ones” only seek to satisfy their lusts.... Oh yes some of them give, but only under the advice of their accountants who help them steal from all of us by playing with the tax laws...

No one should own a tree, a piece of property, a drop of the ocean or a star in the sky, these are all community property. The desire to own will soon blow up in all of our faces as these things become more and more hard to own, as these items literally “run out”... Sorry to say, but human beings will not put up with this, they will rebel. Those on their estates will not have enough money to protect themselves from the thousands who will be at their door demanding their piece of the pie. This is what is on the horizon... wake up folks... Revolution is just around the corner...

And btw:... this same scenario will play itself out as sick people will also show up at doctors’ offices and hospitals with guns demanding their sick and dying loved ones receive the care they need/deserve. People... where is your compassion?

Sorry my friends, but if someone doesn’t yell fire all of our asses will soon burn... Be well...gi