Lucid Practice

7/19 Art: The Making of a Steinway Grand Piano

Growing Spinach

One of our first garden learning experiences was growing spinach. We planted organic spinach seedlings in early May. Nick Mancini’s patented “seaweed and compost in the bottom of each hole” method was employed and we were excited for the growing experience. Growth was slow and steady. One week went by and we fed our spinach […]

7/19 Quote: St. Augustine

“The world is a book and those who do not travel only read a page.” ~St. Augustine

Wright Thompson: Unity With the Universe

Wright Thompson could potentially be the best sports journalist and writer in the US right now. He delivered this epic portrayal of Michael Jordan at age 50. We featured his last major piece about racism and soccer on Lucid Practice. He has done magical work again. His latest article on Montana, Tom and Gerri Morgan, […]

Kindness is Contagious

The Future by Al Gore

I just finished reading Al Gore’s book The Future. The book was based on 6 themes or what he refers to as “drivers” of the future: economic globalization, the digital revolution, climate change, dwindling natural resources, shifts in the global balance of power and advances in the life sciences. I do not care about Al […]

7/18 Destination: Savannah, Georgia, USA

7/18 Art: Macro Time-Lapse of a Flower

Relax that Ego

One of my favorite activities in the world is a post-work yoga practice. Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful 55 minutes of Vinyasa yoga with my roommate, who decided to attend a class with me for the first time. Normally, as I lay down for Shavasana, a subdued elation comes […]

Practice Life Patiently, and All Is Coming

With smart phones in our hands and our laptops in close range, every answer to every question is right at our fingertips. We consume great amounts of food, but participation in growing is not something we have time for. We want prolific stock returns, yet we are unwilling to do even basic accounting. In today’s […]

7/18 Quote: Steve Jobs

“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?” ~Steve Jobs to Jon Scully in 1983 when he convinced Jon to leave Pepsi and join Apple

What is Ahimsa?

What is Ahimsa? How Can One Practice Ahimsa? This post is all about answering the question, “What is Ahimsa?” In a previous post, we explained that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras specified 8 limbs of yoga with the first limb being the yamas. Within the yamas, there are 5 different principles. The principle we will focus on […]

5 Reasons Why Peru Is a Country With Much to Love

1)     LIMA When traveling to Peru you’ll most likely fly into Lima, a city rich with Pre-Columbian ruins and enchanting Spanish Colonial architecture. 2)    CUSCO Tucked away within the striking Andes mountains range lies Cusco, the breathtaking Andean City, and the former capital of the Inca Empire. The city is peppered with luscious greenery, expansive […]

How to Recognize Your Happiness

“I believe that happiness is not taught, it is recognized.” – Dr. Robert Holden We all have the innate ability to experience joy – it is our divine nature. For some, happiness is buried deeper than others. Some of us were born with our happiness buried in light sand – easy to find and keep. […]

7/17 Destination: Sigiriya (Lion’s Rock), Central Province, Sri Lanka

7/17 Art: Dale Chihuly

Summer Sun, Dale Chihuly, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2010

Thoughts From Within

7/17 Quote: Ekhart Tolle

“Death is not the opposite of life. Life has no opposite. The opposite of death is birth. Life is eternal. Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to ‘die before you die’ and find that there is no death. Awareness is the power that is concealed […]

MYSOREPEDIA.COM

Claudia’s guide to Mysore – Check it out — here. “Ever since my first trip to Mysore to study at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute back in 2008 I wanted to have a comprehensive list of information, as in: when to go, how to prepare, what to pack, places to stay, where to eat, etc. I […]

Emotionally Durable Design

This isn’t a debate on global warming, instead it is a discussion about creating products that lead to more conscious, connected consumers. “During the past 60 years, humans have stripped the world of a quarter of its topsoil and a third of its forest cover. In total, one third of the planet’s resources have been […]

Philanthropy 101

A free online course that started Monday will offer students the chance to learn about giving from Warren Buffett and help decide how to spend more than $100,000 of his sister’s money. More than 4,000 people have already signed up for the course that will also feature philanthropic advice from baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. […]

7/16 Destination: Niagra Falls, New York, USA

Poetry Corner

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps […]

7/16 Quote: Tolstoy

“Kindness enriches our life; with kindness mysterious things become clear, difficult things become easy & dull things become cheerful.” ~Tolstoy

10 Ways to Feel Alive Naturally

10 Ways to Feel Alive Naturally: Here are ten ways to feel alive naturally — I’ve included these amazing practices into my life in recent years. The results have been life changing! Following these tips can help you feel more aware, more present, more connected, and help you feel alive naturally. Let us know what you […]

Why Do We Insist on Drinking Cold Water in the West?

If you’ve ever spent time living in China or traveling in China, you’ve noticed drastic differences from living in the West. One of the most fascinating differences that I noticed is that the Chinese prefer to drink their water when it is at room temperature, warm, or hot. The reasons for this probably stem from […]

The Benefits to Breathing…A Quick Exercise

Cameron Alborzian: Yoga – Liberation From the Body

I first discovered yoga over 25 years ago. My discovery was like that of many others in the West who find their way into this world, in that it was defined by my pursuit of the physical postures. I was working out in a gym and wanted to distract myself with a new form of […]

A Serious Man

What could make a professional basketball player return a six-figure sum to his team in midseason? Ask former University of Pennsylvania star Ibby Jaaber. A story of devout faith. Check it out — here.

Hello Compost

A city like New York, with a population of over 8 million, generates a gargantuan amount of landfill waste. Of that throwaway mess, about 35% is organic matter. And while the city plans to roll out a new composting program this fall–albeit, a voluntary one–New York’s recycling and composting rates have long trailed behind smaller […]

7/15 Destination: Palawan Island, Philippines

7/15 Art: Alex Grey

Avalokitesvara, Alex Grey, 1982-1983

Superhuman John Chang

7/14 Quote: Ronald Reagan

“In our obsessions with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quietly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world.” ~Ronald […]

Quinoa should be taking over the world. This is why it isn’t.

“In the Andean highlands of Bolivia and Peru, the broom-like, purple-flowered goosefoot plant is spreading over the barren hillsides–further and further every spring. When it’s dried, threshed, and processed through special machines, the plant yields a golden stream of seeds called quinoa, a protein-rich foodstuff that’s been a staple of poor communities here for millennia. […]

Make Time to Do Nothing

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner finds time every day to do nothing. And as one of the most powerful executives in the tech world, it’s certainly not because he isn’t busy: Weiner says that leaving gaps in his schedule is the “single most important productivity tool” he uses. “As the company grows larger… you will require more […]

Can Yoga Sharpen Your Brain?

Just 20 minutes of yoga could help your brain function better, according to a small new study. Researchers found that people did better — both speed-wise and accuracy-wise — on brain functioning tests after just 20 minutes of Hatha yoga, compared with aerobic exercise. “It appears that following yoga practice, the participants were better able […]

Food Waste – A Story of Excess

7/12 Destination: Guilin, China

7/12 Art: Mural Art by Broken Crow

Broken Crow Stencil Mural – 1 Day Time lapse – Lion Man