On a physical level yoga teaches us to be supple, balanced, and to treat our bodies with reverence. Less talked about but equally important is what we put into our bodies. For our health most of our diet should include plenty of locally grown fresh organic fruits and vegetables. We are teaming up with two local organic farms to make it both convenient and affordable for you to get your fill. Supporting local organic farmers has greater significance than just a convenient source of good healthy food. Unethical agricultural practices are threatening the very balance of nature itself. This might seem like a lofty claim but the harmful effects of genetically modifying plants and animals is doing irreversible damage to farming, the environment, and those that are habitually eating these unnatural foods. As a nation that consumes tons of genetically modified foods, if your not convinced try to buy foods without high fructose corn syrup in it, we are nation of test subjects for other countries that are trying to keep modified foods out of their countries.

The closest organic farm to us is the Lakeplain Prairie Farm located in Brownstown Twp. The farm is owned and operated by Henri and Mary LaFrance (Phone 734-789-1164). They are committed to organic farming and to community supported agriculture and use their own personal property to promote organic community farming. When I spoke to Mary a few weeks ago they still had a few openings for families that want to participate in this years growing season. Call her if interested, but she might not have more room. We are hoping to help this farm out this summer by providing karma yoga. The farm offers a couple of plans which include working on the farm for 25 to 40 hours during the season. The cost of the program is just $400. They put out a really nice newsletter with information on organic meat farmers too. More information is available if you ask me.

The second farm is Maple Creek Farm in Yale Michigan. This program is a little more money, $525 for the season, but doesn't require any farm hours. Rising Sun is proud to announce that we will be the Downriver drop off location for this farm this year. Our weekly pickup day will be on Fridays. For more information you can visit their website at www.maplecreekfarm.com. I have heard great things about the weekly produce you receive from these programs. The amount of food provided each week is more than a small family can handle so you might want to consider sharing the cost and the food each week. If you need someone to share with let us know and we can post something at the studio for you. We do have people now that are interested in sharing.

Eat Well Be Well,

My first yoga teacher Kaye Thomas-Hogan’s mother has been an inspiration for many people. Maude Howes has practice yoga most of her life well into her 80’s until recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. She is remarkable woman who stays strong and fearless through her remaining days. God Bless you Maude. Please include her in your prayers and enjoy her quotes titled My Thoughts on Life by Maude Howes February 2005

• Exercise everyday. If your job is very active-- it doesn’t matter. Move more.
   
• There’s no such word as “can’t...until you are 80. Then you may “choose to try” or not. Or simply say “I can’t”, after all, you are 80.
   
• Don’t argue. What’s the since? If you know it is pink and they say it is blue, what’s the difference? Let them think it is blue until one day they find out it is really pink. Is it worth the argument just to prove a point?
  If you do have an argument don’t go to bed with it unresolved.
   
• Experience nature. Look deep into a flower, smell the woods, see the droplets in a waterfall, kick up the fallen leaves, listen to the wind through the pine needles, watch the colored leaves float down a stream, look at individual snowflakes, watch a sunrise or sunset, dissolve clouds, look at the stars and the moon.
   
• Enjoy being with yourself (your Self) in silence. No TV or music. Sit in silence, think in silence, walk in silence, BE in silence. Just BE.
   
• Be a good listener. Others have a need to be heard, and it takes a lot less energy to listen with 2 ears than it does to speak with only one mouth.
   
• Don’t hate anything.
   
• Let God be a private thing.
   
• Take up a new hobby or pastime to stimulate your mind.
   
• Do things that are inexpensive or free, simple things. Do crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, board games, take a walk, people watch, look into the eyes of your pet or loved one, paint your toe nails, watch the flames dance in a fire or candle flame, burn incense, write a letter to a friend, play cards, wear cologne.
   
• Save for your old age. You never know what lies ahead. Maybe you will need it. If not, it will help someone else.
   
• Appreciate the little things in life.
   
• Don’t save your good china, crystal and silver just for special occasions. Every day is special and who is more important than you and your family.
   
• Never lie.
   
• Don’t drink, smoke, do drugs, or cheat.
   
• Keep your head and feet dry and warm.
   
• If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.
   
• If you can’t pay cash for something, you probably can live without it...if not, save up for it.
   
• Use affirmations – my favorite: I am healthy, I am strong, I am well, all the rest can go to hell
   
• Always have a friend.
   
• Be happy.

After running the Detroit Marathon two years ago I decided that running was just too tough on my joints and keeping alignment through a run might not occur in this lifetime. I sought a kinder gentler form of cardio exercise and mountain biking manifested itself into my life. I road my first trails on our first warm day this spring. My guide, an experienced cyclist of ten plus years who’s never practiced yoga but surprised me with his yogic ways. Ahimsa, (doing no harm), was my first lesson; learning to keep my bike on the path to do no harm to nature which flourishes on either side of the path. This is challenging as a beginner, and the two states of the mind as taught in the yoga sutras, focus and distraction, are easily evidenced. While focused staying on the trail was relatively easy. When distracted I often found myself lying in a mud puddle.

Breathe he ordered after ascending our first step hill, using the breath to recover from working the muscles just as we do on the mat. Like yoga biking develops balance, reversibility through symmetry, and strength. Of course any repetitive activity with misalignment of the joints can cause damage. But clips on the petals help to keep the feet straight making it easy to keep the knees aligned. The back doesn’t take the constant force of compression that running presents, but keeping the proper shape and elongation is still a challenge.

Deep into the woods we took our first break. Far from the noises of the city there were the sounds of nature: the trickling stream, breeze through the trees, music of the birds and frogs, and moments of silence. We both agreed on the spiritual importance of taking time to commune with nature. He shared with me a thought about breathing in air from nature compared to the air that we breath in the workplace and city. In the city, in dwellings, in the car, at work, we absorb molecules through the breath that are artificial. Plastics, cleaners, toxic fumes, asphalt all become part of our physical makeup in a quantum physics type way. It is no wonder that when we journey into nature we almost instantaneously start to feel better he said. We are breathing in natural elements and the molecules that are absorbed into our bodies are that of nature while expelling waste toxins. I’m not into traditional or religious ceremonies, but it occurred to me how vitally important it is for us to take a pilgrimage to nature. We are as much a part of nature as the trees, rocks, animals, and plants but we are too detached from nature, from our own nature. As my guide put it we are like a fish out of water.

Spring is the time for starting new things, or starting over, I am encouraging you to take advantage of the weather and make your own pilgrimage in your own way to a place in nature far from city life. Enjoy the sights, sounds, or silence. Marvel at the detail making all things possible. Breathe in nature. Connect with that place within you where the true Self resides. Focus or distraction the choose is yours.

Feel the Peace, Jim