Monthly Archives: April 2013

http://hyperlapse.tllabs.io/

Hyperlapse video travel has to be one of the more bad ass things Google has brought to the consumer to date. It allows anyone, anywhere, to travel from a specific point to another specific point in a hyper lapse video recorded by Google Maps and the Google street view teams.

I constantly find myself on Google Earth for hours looking at satellite images and pictures of places I want to travel to. This app now gets you on the ground and lets you journey through different countries and cities that you may potentially want to see in person one day.

-BL

http://www.tristudios.com/events/past

Every Wednesday night Bob Weir does a live broadcast from his world class studio in San Rafael, CA. One of the kings of rock and roll brings in different legends of the music game weekly to discuss and play music.

4 mantras explained with the help of Mandy Burstein

1) Mantra: om

Translation: The sound of the universe. It’s the first, original vibration, representing the birth, death and re-birth process.

Modern adaptation: Chanting the sound OM brings us into harmonic resonance with the universe – this is a scientific fact! OM is said to vibrate at 432 Hertz, which is the natural musical pitch of the Universe, as opposed to 440 Hertz, which is the frequency of most modern music.

Decreasing your frequency to coincide with that of the Universe stills the fluctuations of the mind, allowing you to practice yoga through sound. OM is an idyllic way to begin and end a yoga or meditation practice, and also comes in handy when you just need to chill out.

2) Mantra: Om Namah Shivaya

Translation: I bow to Shiva, the supreme deity of transformation who represents the truest, highest self.

Modern adaptation:  “I honor the divinity within myself.” This is a great mantra to help build self confidence , reminding us that we are all made up of divine energy and should treat ourselves accordingly. Bow to shiva- the destroyer. He can take you at anytime.

3) Mantra: Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Translation: 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

Modern adaptation: Most commonly associated with the Jivamukti Yoga School, this mantra is a powerful way to dedicate yourself to living a life of non-harming and being of service to the greater good. This mantra encourages cooperation, compassion and living in harmony with the environment, animals and our fellow human beings.

4) Mantra: Shanti Mantra 
Om Saha Naavavatu
Saha Nau Bhunaktu
Saha Veeryam Karavaavahai
Tejasvi Aavadheetamastu Maa Vidvishaavahai Om

Translation: May the Lord protect and bless us. May he nourish us, giving us strength to work together for the good of humanity. May our learning be brilliant and purposeful. May we never turn against one another.

Modern adaptation: A perfect mantra to start a yoga class, a new day, or even a new business with. It unites the participants and sets a tone of non-competitiveness, unity, and working together towards a common goal.

http://theumlaut.com/2013/04/24/conspicuous-frugality/

Dalibor Rohac presents a lot of interesting points about today’s world and being cheap.

Quotes that stand out:

“If one’s utility depends, say, on his earnings or consumption relative to his peers, then earning more or consuming more imposes a negative externality on other people”

“the modern economy enables people to maintain high standards of living while spending less.”

“In the present era, in contrast, they embrace frugality as something cool.”

“I don’t get the impression that swanky residences and Bentleys of Russian oligarchs and Saudi princes were buying them a lot of goodwill with local residents.”

“True, the embrace of frugality seems to be an elite phenomenon, and may not extend beyond large cities and folks with university degrees.”

“I am almost willing to bet that we are living in a world in which the social effects of status seeking—including status seeking through frugal and low-key consumption—are becoming increasingly beneficial.”

A wise man once told me “luxury conveys arrogance, simplicity conveys reliability.” I have taken this to heart. Of course there is nothing wrong with having great material possession-  possessions are one of the reasons so many people push themselves so hard everyday to make money. But what is the opportunity cost of making so much money? Does it limit time away from your true family and friends? As a conscious being is it really the driving force behind your happiness? These are questions people have to consciously ask themselves daily. If what you are doing is making you happy all day long, God bless you. Don’t settle for being happy half the day.

1.4 billion people live off less than $1.50 a day. Many of those people, while living a tough life, can manifest happiness in their lives (if even for a second). In America, I have been exposed to many people who make over 100k a year and somehow “it’s not enough.” Think about that- some people are making less than 1k a year and still live a happy life while others are making 100k and are miserable.

Maybe being happy is cool and with so much access in today’s world (the internet) people of all classes are feeling happier. That is a post for another day.

-BL

Lucid Practice is a “journaling blog.” Many people say journaling is a great way to capture emotions, feelings and the day to day blessings of this life. I journaled all of last year but in a personal journal. I want to get something online so that I will always have a feed to look back on. I also want to create an open book of my life. I am excited to embark on this journey to take my consciousness deeper. I want to describe and journal everything from my practice aka my daily thoughts, activities, books/websites read, to some of my opinions on faith, power, fame, and life. It hopefully will be a long fun road and it hopefully will lead to more awareness. Cultivating awareness of the true meanings of happiness in my life is a constant beautiful practice.

Why Lucid Practice?

I think consciousness is the most important (or one of the most important) facets a man or woman can have. If you are conscious you are aware of your health, posture, breathe, meditations, relations, sleep cycles, positive energy, negative energy and diet among many other things.

Practice is life. Everything in life is practice. Life in a way is a consistent practice to stay happy.

Buddhists say life is suffering but if you practice cultivating consciousness life should be beautiful.

These are some of my initial feelings….I will get deeper into my thoughts as life moves forward….

1Love.

-BL