Simple Nature Meditation

I'm fortunate enough to be able to say that I live within a 20 minute walk from a small forest. It isn't a lot, but it has always worked for me. Scientists have shown time and again through physical and psychological research that being around trees promotes well-being, a higher sense of purpose, increases hormone level flow from a brain, promotes deeper oxygenation of tissue, and leads to a more bioavailable concentration of Serotonin and dopamine, pain and pleasure receptor neurotransmitters. It doesn't take much, and the power of nature can be exuberance, even in the smallest of quantities.

To do this meditation, you're obviously going to need some sort of nature. If there is no Forest within an accessible distance from your house, whatever topiary and foliage that lies in your neighborhood will do just as well. For this exercise, find yourself in a comfortable place, and a comfortable position, preferably sitting down or entry stance. Acknowledge of the wind in the air, as it fills you with life. Acknowledge the fact that you were breathing in, followed by breathing out, giving life to the plants nearby in the form of carbon dioxide. Realize that the plant you were looking at has its own innate personality, and that as you are undergoing respiration, so is it.

Next, it is most important to Center yourself and to find a calm within your Center. As a breathing, recognize a calm within your Center. As a breathing, recognize the fact that for a predetermined amount of time, your worries and deadlines and due dates will dissipate. As you breathe out, let go of the tension that this causes for you. Repeat for three or four breaths on this notion. And then, remembering that it is important to touch something beautiful at least three times a day, reach out and caress the nearest plants or foliage. As you make your mark of Love on it, let this plants become your focus. Thank it for all of the wonderful things it provides you with, and concentrate your love into that plan. Breathing in, give gratitude to the plant, and breathing out, let the plant reflect this gratitude onto you. You are part of one ecosystem, one planet. If possible, repeat this process for two more plants.

After you have caressed the plant and it's siblings, and received and gave love to and from the plants, take a deep breath in and blow it out slowly. On the next in breath, recognize that you were present in the Here and Now. Breathing out, let gratitude for being in the act of one mess with nature resonate within you. For another couple of minutes, breathe In and out, either with open eyes to take in the world around you, or with closed eyes and focusing on one particular object of nature. Do not hold attachment to these things, but do feel inspired by their beauty and let this beauty put you at ease. Now that you have completed this part of the meditation, go on a very slow and deliberate walk. This should take about 5 minutes. Walk around the nature that you have just occupied yourself in, breathing in that you have just occupied yourself in, breathing in deliberately and breathing out slowly. As you breathe in, realize that you are one with the Earth and Sky. Breathing out, smile to the Earth and Sky. Complete Water to last before stopping to thank the plants for what they've taught you on your way back to society. Repeat this meditation as often as possible, as the more you are cognizant of nature, the more you will begin to let go of your problems and trials.

 I am very grateful for the plethora of wildlife by my house. Not everybody is that lucky though. This exercise can be done in the living room with a single flower if need be. I hope this meditation helps in the pursuit of happiness in the clearing of conscience.

Homemade Scoby!

to make kombucha, you need a scoby. SCOBY is an acronym that stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. To make the probiotic drinkvof kombucha, you need one of these. This recipe will show you how to make one if you don't already have one.

7 cups of water

1/2 cup sugar, preferably granulated

5 bags black tea, or 1 tablespoon loose tea

1 ucup nflavored, unpasteurized store-bought kombucha

1) bring 2 cups water to a boil with sugar. boil for 5 minutes.

2) Remove from heat, and steep the tea for 5 minutes. then, strain into an airtight container.

3) Add the store remaining weter to cool the mixture to room temperature. when it has cooled, add the store bought kombucha. if there are any small blobs in it (baby scoby's), make sure to add them, too.

4) Cover your mixture with a cloth or paper towel and rubber band it shut. Store your mixture in a dark and cool place for 1 to 4 weeks until a thin layer forms on the top of the liquid. This film will be your new baby scoby!

5) Your mixture can be used to start your first kombucha batch or as a cleaning agent, as it will be very strong and vinegar-like. Your SCOBY will take uniform texture and color after the first few batches of kombucha, where it will start to reproduce and give way to nee scoby's.

And there you have it folks! Your very own scoby for kombucha. You can find my kombucha recipe here.

Homemade Kombucha

Kombucha is a healthy and functional beverage that is full of probiotics, which can help improve joint mobility and mood. It is made using a scoby, which is a parafilm that contains lots of healthy bacteria and yeast. Using this scoby, you will be able to brew your own kombucha at home.

It is not terribly difficult or time-consuming to do this, as long as you have to write materials. So without further Ado, let's get started!

either eight tea bags or 2 tablespoons of tea. you can do black tea, green tea, or a mixture of the two.

3 quarts of water

1 cup of sugar, preferably cane

2 cups of starter liquid from your last batch or a store-bought kombucha

one medium sized scoby

 I prefer Temple of Heaven Gunpowder Green Tea and/or Deep Assam or Darjeeling tea. sometimes, for a little boost of antioxidants, I'll throw in a teaspoon or two of matcha powder.

Not everybody is going to have a scoby when they start this process. Here is another post I've done on how to make one at home from store-bought kombucha.

1) put one quart of water in a pot. Add half of the sugar and bring to a rolling boil.

2) after 2 minutes of boiling, remove the water from the Heat. Stir in the rest of the sugar and the tea, and allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes.

3) using a fine-mesh strainer, strain into an airtight container. add the rest of the water to cool down the mixture to about body temperature.

4) using vinegar to wash your hands to prevent contamination, take the scoby out of its original container and place it in your mixture. At the start of a liquid from your last batch or home batch at this point as well.

5) cover the container with tightly woven cloth or napkins, and make it airtight using rubber bands.

6) store the container in a dark and cool environment for 7 to 10 days. This will allow anaerobic respiration to occur, which will cause the tea to ferment.

7) after this amount of time, remove the scoby, place it and its own container, and place your home brew kombucha into airtight bottles for refrigeration.

At this point in time, you can add other materials to the jars for a second fermentation and flavoring, leaving these containers in it dark and cold environment for 3 or 4 days. This Toby can be reused, and you can either let it grow in a dark full environment or keep it alive for up to a month in a refrigerator. I personally like to add a tablespoon of ginger to my patch for additional flavoring, but some people use fruit or fruit juice, flavored tea, herbs, or spices. It all depends on what you're into.

Congratulations, you have now brewed your own kombucha at home! Now rinse and repeat for healthy probiotics.

A Dive into Philadelphia

The third time I went to Philadelphia, I went to visit my friend Tommy, who is a graphic design artist in front end developer for a large corporation just outside city limits. He’d recently sold his car for the sake of a train and subway pass, as gas could cost up to $80 a month and car insurance and payments could cost at least a hundred per month. Hopping into taking the train for $30 per month with unlimited usage could save him about $2,000 per year or more on commuting expenses. Plus, he was vegan, and walking to work sometimes, so he is in great shape. With his business portfolio he established himself in the world as a prominent front end developer, and he started thinking about eventually getting additional schooling paid for and to one day work from home. Who says you can't get paid to get creative?

In general, Center Philly traffic absolutely sucks. Even getting to his small studio apartment was a nightmare, and when I finally found a secure valet parking, the $40 for an overnight pass completely drained whatever resources I had left. however, I knew that my car was safe, and that I could just hoof it around the city with my friend.

Considering the Philadelphia is an up-and-coming town with a lot of Millennials moving in, there are a lot of vegan-friendly options and nearly every restaurant, and the prices aren't actually too ridiculous. For example, a pint of ice cream cost me about $8, but in Iceland it probably would have cost me $12 or $13. I was able to get a vegan shaved ice for $8 at The Founder’s Fountain (link), and old timey ice cream parlor that has been in Philadelphia since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Dinner that night was at Tattooed Mom, a small restaurant and late night bar that had both omnivore friendly and vegan-friendly options. I got a Chubby Cheesesteak, made with Veganaise, chicken flavored seitan, tater tots, onions, mushrooms, and peppers. It was served and a toasted tortilla wrap and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten at a restaurant. We then went for vegan drinks at Charlie was a sinner, a vegan company that also owns HipCityVeg, which was my Santa Fe Southwest vegan "egg" the next morning. In addition, both bars I visited had happy hour price drinks, so I got loaded up on IPA and Porter for $3 a pop. Not bad Philadelphia, not bad. A happy plant-based dieter I was that day.

Just as exciting as the food were the people. There were so many beautiful people walking around, but there was also unfortunately a large demographic of homeless and mentally ill that were despondently wandering the streets. Men and women alike of all cultural and racial backgrounds were sitting on the street, both able-bodied and sitting on walkers, begging for change. Considering as to how I had to borrow money just to make this trip and the next happen, as my paycheck had not come through yet, I felt conceited and awful that I could not spare even a penny, as I was desperately broke myself.

What was the most exciting was all of the history that I got to experience with my friend Tommy and his girlfriend Miranda. We walked around downtown, seeing Penn's Landing where William Penn landed during the revolution, we got to stand in front of the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and we got to take pictures in front of the Liberty Bell. We got to see the historic district at all of the gothic churches and Barbershop style stores that still stood tall and proud. Indeed, everything was within walking distance and very humbling.

After meeting up with my friend and meeting his vegan girlfriend, we walked around and saw and did as much as we possibly could. Philadelphia has no shortage of museums and restaurants to visit. And, you can spend countless hours just walking around and ogling everything. This included a jazz rrio that became a quartet when a street Busker came by with his saxophone, a random guy playing congas for change on the corner near the old parliament, and some guy yodeling outside of the restaurant we ate at. Traffic continued to suck throughout my experience, and truly is the only thing that I did not like about visiting Philadelphia. 

Although it did not have enough time or money to spare, I went to the Eastern State Penitentiary to snap a few pictures. This is the prison where Al Capone was held at four the last couple of Decades of his life. When I get time and money to spend, I will definitely come back to visit this hallowed ground.

So without further ado, when you get the chance to do so, go on out and visit Philadelphia. You especially must come if you are fresh out of college and looking for a job, as the economy for Millennials is starting to flourish in this city.

Connecting Deeply

It is impossible for any one individual to be totally aware of themselves and their surroundings and the interplay between the two at a constant and unchanging rate. We would simply lose our sanity. However, we do need to remember to step back once in a while and enjoy the sites right in front of us.

Connecting deeply to the world and everything and everyone around me was something that I struggled with for a long time. It was a concept that did not quite understand until halfway through college. Here are a few instances in which and attention can get the better of us.

Often times, we have our traditional, menial drive down the interstate to our nine-to-five job. We are at peace in that moment in time; no matter how long it lasts. During that nine-to-five job, there are some things that are similar from day-to-day, and some things that are different. Interaction with coworkers changes daily, and the things that you see on the way there also change daily. Do you slow down on the interstate to notice when a new tree has fallen over? Or that an unfamiliar car has a license plate from another state? Have you ever stopped to keep tally of how many different vehicle types you see, where they came from, he was driving them? Have you ever stopped and pondered the reality that the driver behind a vehicle might be facing at this given point in time?

You see, no one of us is like any other. We are all unique and special snowflakes, even if you find yourself in a room full of blank stares and people who all share common interest. There will still be something that differentiates them. If you take the time to learn about all those individuals, you will start to connect deeply with them, and with individuality itself. It is infrequent that you stop to realize the impact your life has on others and vice versa.

To connect deeply to the world, we must understand more of it. There is so much that we do not know about what lies beneath our oceans, and more so over, there are things that we cannot fathom about our neighbors. The kind of literature that was produced 20 years ago, completely different from the way it is now. Connecting deeply to these concepts can be achieved simply by taking 5 or 10 minutes out of one's day to dedicate it to either another person or another concept. There are plenty of applications out there that will pop up a daily reminder. Whether it is a new Bible verse, a different element on the periodic table, or another tip regarding healthcare, there are plenty of things out there to be learned on a daily basis.

Often times, we stare intently headlong into the distance, not paying attention to what happens along the way. When initiating ones day, how often do they ponder how many coffee beans make up their cup of coffee, how those beans were roasted, and who grew them and where? How often the amount of cheese on their keychain, while still knowing that they have keys on the keychain to begin with? And how often do we stare at our keyboard and ponder the amount of keys on a keyboard? There are so many things that we miss simply because we tune out to them. This can be interpersonal or intrapersonal.

Meditation and yoga are ways to connect deeply with oneself, which in turn, can improve their outlook on the rest of the world. Someone who is a cheap centerpiece or is working on it is more likely to engage in altruistic acts concerning the world around them. We must not be afraid of what we do not understand, and this understanding comes first from within.

These are just a few concepts that I share, only a few drops of water in an endless sea of possibility. It will be some time before we understand all that there is to be understood, but it all starts with the desire to do so.

Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond

Alongside discovering the world of Islam for the first time, I decided to embrace other Eastern religions for the very first time. I originally discovered the religion when I was 13, discovering the music of George Harrison as it was influenced by the Hindu world and the sitar playing taught by Ravi Shankar. He eventually retreated to Sri Lanka where he spent much of his time playing sitar and learning classical Indian music. Needless to say, I was hooked on the concept of Hinduism then and there, and the peace that is stood for, but I still ate red meat at that point in time. I Revisited the religion years later, alongside Buddhism, when I was about 20.

I started my journey in these worlds by visiting a Buddhist house in Harrisburg, meditating and chanting sutras underneath the statue of Siddhartha Gautama. We were taught by an ordained Monk, and it was all inspiring 2 listen to her lessons. A couple weeks later, a Buddhist group opened up in my Unitarian Universalist Church, and I soon found myself going and meditating every Sunday.

After that, I found myself going to a Hindu church for the first time. It was a Christian Church that was converted into a Hari Krishna Meetup Group, and one that had at least 50 devotees then that every Sunday from 2 until 6. There were a lot of traditions and Rites of Passage that were performed by everybody at the service, and a lot of Hindi scripture is being chanted and recited buy kids of all ages. Most of them came from Pakistan and Northern India, with a few exceptions, including one European American who went to the group. It was very interesting to see everything that went on there, and we even got some free food out of the deal there was traditional home-cooked Indian food

Although going to a Hindu Church in Harrisburg a couple of times was very exciting, I know I still needed something more to supplement me spiritually. A Buddhist Meetup Group started at my church one day, being a new installation of a Sangha (community) they had already been established. I started going on and off for a couple of months, which turned into a couple of years, and I learned a lot in the process as well. It is important, regardless of religious affiliation, so always have time and a method for which to clear your head.

Having grown up in a Catholic and Lutheran household, I never really realized until later in life how important it was to acknowledge and participate in faith ceremonies of other religions. There really is no way to learn that this problem it's then to experience it first-hand. Anthony list to say, I felt very welcome and very at home in all of the effort mention settings. This is more proof that it is important to experience other religious backgrounds firsthand to find truth for yourself. After all, and Unitarian universalism, that is the biggest principle that we preach, is the responsible and free search for truth and meeting.

So that being said, if you really want to experience a different world view, and dispelling myths from the media and learning the information for yourself, go check out a service rub a different religion. I even went so far as to visit a synagogue, a Quaker Meeting House, and a Presbyterian Church, just to see how they stacked up against. And I have come to conclude, that in spite of everything, we are more alike than we are unalike.