Anxiously clutching rosary beads in my hand, I walked through the quiet church. Every one of my movement possessed a certain gravitas in the still of this sacred space. This was the church of my boyhood; I had gone to school here, learned my catechism, grown up here, and lost my faith here.
I stood quietly at the foot of the statue of the Virgin mother. I have been a student, a scientist, a doctor, some would say a scholar at times. But here, in this place I was a penitent asking for grace.
In this internal and external space, I felt my energy release.
I wept openly.
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“We don’t know what we don’t know.”
“We are blind to our own problems.”
“It’s hard to see when you are in the middle of it.”
These are a few common aphorisms that transcend language and culture; The instinctual acknolweldgement of the limits of our perspective coming from our mortal origins.
One of the biggest clinical challenge I have is when someone cannot understand that their lifestyle, fears, and beliefs is the source of their pathology.
That chronic disorders, debilitating pain, lack of healing can comes from a belief structure not rooted in truth but in fear.
If the mind believes something to be true then it will be expressed as truth in their reality. Physical reality starts first in the body. They are a locked self contained black box. Not aware of what they don’t know.
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There are several answers but one popular response is that it “quiets the mind.” Although a great answer my follow up question is always
“Toward what end?”
There is an esoteric framework that we all hold reverent when practicing traditional spiritual practices. Their ways and promised outcomes we hold sacrosanct and beyond question. After devoting my adult life to studying such phenomena, I have developed a certain amount of pragmatism concerning everything.
The most desirable quality in any and all of my personal practices is efficacy coupled with efficiency.
I need it to work.
I need my efforts to affect a desireable change.
Thinking in the black box does not do this.
The self contained system is self referential.
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I posed this question to my friend, Ken, a highly gifted intuitive and one of the few people I have met who has used their gift to live a very comfortable life. Ken, once a civil servant, started developmenting his intuitive skills in adulthodd and began using his insights and impressions in both his investments in stocks and real estate. Coming from a relatively small humble start, he has reached a point in his life where he has amassed a considerable amount of wealth.
He told me the reason he meditates is to see things that is hidden from his mortal perspective. The goal of his meditation is reaching a particular point of resonance where he feels connected to the universe (or the collective unconscious). In that space he opens himself (asks) for information and insight.
This is a far cry and much different practice than thinking about nothing and performing triangle pose. Ken is explicitly connecting to the source with the intent of transcending his small self to connect to the larger Self.
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Our lives are on a path created by our lives up to this point.
The readjustments and recalibrations of this path are continually made but solely by our own manipulation of information.
As I’ve already described, some people are on paths of pain, suffering, and misery that are caused by misinformation. Their recalibrations are based on a narrative that has perpetuated illness. Although I can provide information to help them to change their course, their cognitive filter can also be altered by fear, ignorance, weariness, and closed energy
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As I sat weeping in the church, I could feel the weight of the intents imparted into this space, the collective reverance, my own connection, hit me strongly. In that moment, my personal moment connection, I asked to be given grace.
Grace isn’t a particularly Catholic or Christian term, it is the invitation of our larger essence into our lives. When we set an intention for something good to come into our lives, we are asking for enormity of what we are to channel into our existence for our to receive our hearts longing.
My friend Ken had shown me that meditation was more than ‘thinking about nothing.’ It was an invitation for the cosmos, universe, God consciousness, collective unconscious, God, Allah, Ascended masters, angels, whatever, to come into our lives to provide special insight and wisdom.
If the overt spirituality of this is disagreeable, then we call call it the subconscious or collective mind. Whatever the case, when we are lost, feeling powerless, or just completely confused about our life path, journey, this is a good moment to ask for:
Insight that comes from “left field,”
Something beyond the black box of our body, of our community, of our humanity, of our known world, to come grace us with energy and a glimpse of our divinity.
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In those moments of inhertied fear, doubt, anger, and uncertainty, I have made it my practice to take a deep breath and ask for help. The more I have been asking, the more I get a response. It’s been frankly wonderful but,
Although a very powerful tool, it takes practice to,
Admit that you don’t know.
Surrender control.
Ask for wisdom.
Recognize the connection.
These blog post is my way of saying thank you for my gifts of grace.
These blogs are more than an invitation to you into something larger.
They are are reminders to recognize your connection.
Ernest Holmes, noted spiritual philosopher, once said,
“It is the nature of the Universe to give us what we are able to take.
It cannot give us more.
It has given all, we have not accepted the greater git.”
To receive more, sometimes you just have to ask for more.
Give an invitation and accept the invitation.
Reach out and you’ll be met halfway
Namaste,
Emill (aka Dr. Kim).
Emill.kim@gmail.com
Liquid SugarDid you know that the sugar (corn syrup, cane, etc..) added to soda, sports drinks and energy drinks makes up 36% of all the added sugar consumed. That makes liquid sugar the single largest source of added sugar in the average American’s diet.
There’s been much discussion about sugar in the media and the use of it into almost everything we consume. On a recent radio segment I caught the other day on my local public radio station, KPCC, host Alex Cohen, from Take Two, spoke with Laura Schmidt the lead investigator with SugarScience.org and a professor in the school of medicine at UC San Francisco. They discussed the abundance of the different types of sugar in our world and the launch of their new website to educate the public about all the effects of sugar on their recently launched SugarScience.org The interview is terrific and I’ve put the links below. Two things stood out for me, after I heard it, the differences of the types of sugar and sugar belly.
According to SugarScience.org, research has found a difference in the health impact of added sugars vs. sugars naturally occurring in food. For example, eating more fruit over time appears to protect us from heart disease, which is currently the number one cause of death in America and worldwide. Meanwhile, those consuming sugary drinks and sugar-laden processed foods appears to increase the risks of acquiring heart disease and, ultimately, the risk of dying from it. Scientists are studying a range of reasons for this. It may have to do with the ways in which sugar comes packaged in the fiber in fruit, and wrapped with beneficial nutrients (such as antioxidants) that are known to protect us from heart disease.
Much like a beer belly, sugar belly refers to weight gain around the abdomen as a result of eating too much sugar – what doctors refer to as “visceral fat.” Fat stored around the midsection is different from other fat and can send signals that disrupt the body’s ability to sense fullness and stop eating. If a person’s waist circumference is significantly larger than his or her hip circumference, this may be a sign of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). In such a case, it is important to consult with a physician, who may want to run some blood tests to assess whether MetS is a concern.
Renew the MindToday, we close out the week renewing the mind. As we focus on our body connection the idea is to train the body and make the decision to renew and restore your thinking by aligning what you do with what you think. All physical practices are design for the renewing of the mind.
Today’s Affirmation: Just for this moment… just for this breath, say to yourself, “I renew my mind, body, and spirit with the Love of God”.
Have a terrific weekend,
-Skip
Pre-cation? A recent Slate article highlights what companies like #Atlassian and #42nd Floors are doing in offering a new perk called a pre-cation or offering a vacation before a job candidate even begins with them. Only these two companies are doing this, but it makes complete sense especially in today’s stressful workplace. Why leave on stressful place and jump into another stressful environment. I’m for it! What’s your take? Do you like? Not like?
Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly
Today’s Vegan recipe, Breakfast Quinoa and accompanying maple vine vinaigrette, is from my upcoming book, The Lotus Kitchen with Gwen Kenneally. It’s fun way to use quinoa in the morning. Plus Look for more recipe from my upcoming cookbook in the coming weeks.
I recommend that you make the vinaigrette first, then the quinoa.
Breakfast Quinoa
2 cups quinoa
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup candied ginger, chopped
2 cups dried fruit, chopped (an assortment of apricots, cranberries, cherries and blueberries works nicely)
1 cup sliced almonds
Mint for garnish
Bring quinoa and vegetable broth to a hard rolling boil. Remove from heat and
cover, fluffing with a fork every ten minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and it has cooled down.
Mix together remaining ingredients and toss with maple syrup balsamic dressing (below). Garnish with mint. Serves 6-8
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Whisk all ingredients together and let stand for one hour.
The Practice: Breakfast is exactly as it sounds, we ‘break the fast’ from not eating while we sleep. Yoga is the invitation for us to fast from what no longer services so that we may embrace our true nature by becoming the practice. Like the breakfast, quinoa symbolizes the ending of a period of time and the beginning of a new day, each pose must end so that we may begin one. Before each pose we return to the breath as a way to release that what is in the past and embrace what is the present.
Breathing Meditation Instruction: Sit in a comfortable position. Relax and place the hands lightly on the knees. Close your eyes and begin to breathe. Be mindful of when you inhale and when you exhale. Begin to count each breath. As you breathe create a mantra that incorporates your intention. “I breathe this breath for the preparation of this meal. I am aware of the Universe. This food and breath are one.”
A great article from Smithsonian on the benefit of standing desks. Many of us today are having to work very long days, and most of the time it’s sitting at our desks.
When we are at work sitting down, our energy levels can drop like crazy. A good rule of thumb is getting up and moving every twenty to 30 minutes or so. Try and get up from your desk and stretch, or do a few walks back and forth to the water cooler. Make yourself aware of the lack of movement you’re doing and how you could change your sedentary habit.
Standing desks help out amazingly and can range in pricing from cinder blocks or wood blocks, from your local hardware store or the pricey versions, but totally worth it. Trust me, you will feel so much better.
To do you one better, they have desks that are built in with treadmills underneath them which is a nice way to get even more calories burning, but of course this is a step up worth the challenge if you’re game.
Check out the article here.
We started off the week with meditating and reminding ourselves that you are a gift to this planet and you have said yes to a mission that only you can do. Remember, when you exercise the body hosts our mindfulness and acts as a shelter, haven, temple, that radiates your presence. This radiance or aura shines a brightness that everyone can see. Have you ever run into someone after a great workout and their response been something like, “You look amazing!” or “You’re glowing!”? It’s more than just sweat, that’s your light of God shining through and as you, activated be your physical practice. When you get your blood moving and elevate your heart rate, there is a natural radiance of health and fitness that cannot be denied.
Your Action Plan: Get your eternal glow pumping by participating in your physical practice or if you are just beginning see about taking the stairs instead of the elevator or doing a 15 minute walk instead of 10.
Peace and Blessings,
-Skip
The team here at SkipJennings.com has been sampling a variety of pre-workout drinks. To be honest, some of them were better suited for places we’ll not share. Well, this past week we sampled #VegaSport Pre-Workout Energizer and my goodness it tastes so much better than any other brand we’ve tried so far. It tastes great and gave us hope that there are good pre-workout drinks that are good for you AND taste delicious. Vega Sport doesn’t use any harsh additives only mother good natural ingredients that make you feel ready for your workout.
Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer comes in individual packaging that’s measured out just right so you can rip off the top and add it to your water bottle in seconds flat. No need to measure out. It’s convenient and really does give you the energy you need without a crash. Natural supplements like this won’t make you feel sick, you feel great. Learn more about VegaSport here.
– The Skip Jennings Team
Skip Jennings & Gwen Keannelly
More of my recipes from my upcoming Cookbook with Gwen Kenneally. This week, Black Bean and Lima Quinoa.
Black Bean and Lime Quinoa
3 cups water or vegetable stock
Juice and zest from 3 limes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup quinoa
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together lime zest and juice, oils, salt, pepper in a large bowl. In a medium sized pot cover the quinoa with the water or vegetable stock and bring to a boil, about 15 minutes. Cover and remove from heart and let sit until all of the water or stock is absorbed. Cut vegetables while you wait. When liquid is absorbed, fluff with a fork and toss in the bowl with the lime zest dressing and add the black beans, tomatoes, scallions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with cilantro.
Serves 4-6
The Practice: Side dish or main course, Black Bean and Lime Quinoa can be enjoyed either way. Yoga is the same, it can be your complete physical practice or it can be a side dish to a physical practice you may already have in place. You decide by using a contemplative meditation. Go within during mediation and ask the simple question “is yoga my only practice?” or “what is it that my body needs?” Once you have asked the question have faith that you will receive the answer. Self-exploration is one of the main principles of yoga; know thyself.