Recommended Documentary of the Month
Surya and I just watched the Aug 9, 2022 Frontline special ‘Afghanistan Undercover’, a PBS documentary directed by the amazing Iranian journalist Ramita Navai. After the U.S exited the country one year ago, the Taliban in Afghanistan have pulled the human rights rug right out from underneath women in that society. It reveals just how devastating and exploitive fundamentalist religion can be and, when mixed with male domination, leaves women vulnerable to neglect and abuse.
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Caring for an Aging Loved One
Following my last entry in which I shared some reflections of my time with my 88 year old mother who suffers from dementiaI was pleased to hear back from some of you who shared your experiences attending to an aged parent. There are just so many trials and tribulations in witnessing the deterioration of the body-mind of someone we cherish.
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The Brain, Dementia and Yoga
I recall Iyengar once said, “the brain is the most difficult organ to adjust”. I am staying with my 88 year old mother who suffers from Alzheimer’s and dementia and this is apparent. After 45 years of yoga, my mother Susan’s body is healthy and stable but she cannot remember a thing
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Happy Interdependence Day
July 4th in the U.S.A is about baseball and Bruce Springsteen, the red glare of fireworks in the night time sky, and frankfurters on the grill (Beyond Meat, of course). On this “independence” day we realize that in truth, citizens of the globe are not separate but interwoven, not isolated …
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At Great Odds
What is your tolerance for the dumbfounding and the unpredictable? I hope it is not too low, for the world today is full of wind storms, fluctuating markets, hackers and trolls. Someone recently said that on the time line of maturation, humanity is still in its adolescence.With brains not fully developed, people are erratic and do things without thinking at all.
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The Right to Live. The Right to Die.
The discord around Roe v. Wade in America begs the real question when does life really begin? And the corollary question, raised in the debate around euthanasia, when and how should life end? And what choice does a citizen of the republic have to determine his or her own destiny?
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Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice In light of recent news surrounding the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, we have pulled together a list of ways you can contribute to change the course for women’s rights and raise your voice to amplify the need for medical and human rights for women in …
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10 Acts of Love for Our Mother Figures
It’s the little things that count. Show your love and appreciation for the women that make everything possible. 1. A handwritten letter. Show your appreciation for all that your mother figure(s) have done for you. Let them know how they have improved your life, how they have changed your views, or how …
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Don’t Hold Your Breath
You don’t have to do yoga to know that you should not “hold your breath”. Yet in order to make it through a topsy turvy time it is common for people to do just this. When we say “holding your breath” we do not simply mean not inhaling. Of course, people rarely “hold their breath” for without breath there is no life and by way of a long held breath, you might end up passed out on the carpet! It is more common for people to constrict their blood vessels, clench their nerves or tighten their sphincters in order to get by.
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My Grandmother’s Hands
This collection of writing, guided reflections and historical perspective on race in America is a must read. It is a must read because it helps clarify the real fear that white people carry toward people of color. Resmaa Menakem’s primary point revolves around what he identifies as “white body supremacy”. …
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