A kind of optical delusion of consciousness.

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Alex Fraser bridge
I just started reading “The places that scare you: A guide to fearlessness in difficult times”, written by Pema Chodron, and found this wonderful quote from Albert Einstein:

A human being is part of the whole called by us “the universe”, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening the circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty,

~ Albert Einstein

And now back to regularly scheduled yoga…

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Meditation

One of the gifts I was given for Christmas this past year was a one month unlimited pass to Semperviva yoga studio. I activated the pass in mid-February, purchased another one on-going when it expired and have been attending yoga class almost daily ever since. It was the kind of gift that kept on giving, and the exact kick-in-the-ass I needed to get back into the regular yoga practice I kept thinking about instead of doing. Semperviva is my yoga studio of choice for the excellent roster of teachers, and their great deal for an unlimited monthly pass ($80!). I was a regular visitor there when I first moved to Vancouver three years ago, but stopped attending after six months mostly due to lack of funds. Now I feel like I can’t afford not to go because I feel so much mentally and physically happier with regular yoga.

As part of my commitment to yoga I have decided to participate in Vancouver’s Yogathon on July 21st, at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium. The yogathon requires participants to do as many sun salutation as possible in the 108 minute timeframe. The event is to raise funds for Camp Moomba, a place for children whose lives have been impacted with HIV/AIDS. I have a personal fundraising page setup and hope to donate $200 to the charity. Please sponsor me if you can.

Van Dusen garden poppies

Van Dusen poppies

I’m hoping summer will be back REALLY soon, because I’m very tired of being cold and wet. I saw a glimmer of warmer weather yesterday evening, just as I was on the return trip from a bike ride around the seawall. I’d like some more of that, please….

The nile queen

The Nile Queen

Links to two items I have really enjoyed:
An interview between the lovely Chris Keeney (CK on Flickr) and pinhole photographer Katie Cooke. I hadn’t encountered her work until now, and am grateful to CK for taking the time to talk to Katie and bring her work to my attention.

A link from Kirsti, to a montage of 500 years of female portraiture on YouTube. It’s wonderful to watch, but it bothers me almost all the featured drawings/paintings are of white European females.

Wrapped in red too

On Friday, one of my photos from this same series was featured on the front page of Utata.org. The text was wonderfully written by Greg Fallis, and couldn’t be more perfect an accompanyment. It was a wonderful treat to end the week with.

The one that got away…

Koi

Today I have uploaded a new print for sale on Etsy. My shop has been sadly neglected over the last month because of my move to a new apartment, and the process of settling in. Gosh, it takes up a lot of time…

Yesterday evening I attended “The One that Got Away”, a play performed in the pool at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. It’s a site specific performance that requires the audience to move around to three different locations as the play progresses, beginning at the spiral staircase that leads down to the pool area, and then the pools themselves. The production makes creative use of the site, and the location definitely adds to the sometimes amusing, sometimes sad story of the play. Water is as significant an entity to the action as the characters themselves. The story centers around Hannah, her grandfather, and the five wives he never loved. It’s a discovery of a family history, and a side of her grandfather Hannah never knew, and how these past events closed both of their hearts from love.

There is so much about this play I found touching and powerful. It was a surprisingly emotional theatre going experience for me last night.

The play has a very short run in Vancouver, with the last performance on Saturday June 2nd. Tickets are $28 / $24 students and seniors, and can be purchased by calling the JCC at 604.257.5111.

Flight

Flight

Yesterday morning I wandered into the printer/photocopier room at work, only to be startled by two pigeons flying out the window. Someone had left it open over the weekend, and as these birds have a tendency to do around our building, they took it as an invitation to come on in. It was quite a surprise. What really had me laughing, was turning around after closing the window and finding a pile of twigs and feathers in the corner by the photocopier. I’d mistakenly assumed they’d only just come in, when really they’d been moving in all weekend.

Cultivating virtue

Beautiful buddha1000 paper cranes

VIRTUE will be genuine when one cultivates oneself.
VIRTUE will thrive when one cultivates oneself with her family.
VIRTUE will grow rich when one cultivates oneself with his village.
VIRTUE will abound when one cultivates oneself with her nation.
VIRTUE will flourish universally when one cultivates oneself with all people under Heaven.
Chapter 54, Tao Te Ching

My friend Amy sent me this quote as a follow up to a discussion we had shortly before I left Portland. We are thinking of doing a project together, that is if we can each make the time, and figure out how to do it…