Open Up Muthaf**8er!

It had been a long time.  My daily chant had been "I'm cool.  It's cool.  I'm alright! I can handle it."
I was in love but it she didn't love me the same way.  I moved on.  I dated.  We hung out.  We spent time together watching movies, talking about everything in life except us as a couple.  She asked me advice sometimes on her current relationship. The Bastard that never seemed to do anything but stymie my efforts for her hand.  I would let her know I would try to give her the best unbiased advice but could not promise that it would always be.  She'd smile.  Tell me that I was a good friend.  

It's Dark! 

Months would go by with the same pattern.  Soon I didn't even chant my mantra.  I didn't need to. Then one day all my feelings came out.  The real truth came out.  I was alone when I faced the truth.  I was still madly, passionately in love with her.  I could go back to hiding it but even though I knew it would change nothing I let her know what I felt.  She was shocked, astonished.  I think it was a boost to her ego too.  After all A Raj once built the Taj Mahal to a Beloved Wife to rest eternally in.  I had created my own monument to her that she could see, hear, touch.  I was shocked. Her Boyfriend was shocked and weary of me and my feelings for his Woman.

So much for the friend thing. 

Those pesky feelings come out.  When I am on the mat or in meditation I like to imagine our feelings burning off like a flashback.  In the 70's people who used certain drugs would still worry about flashbacks long after they had cease to use the drugs.  The drugs would get stored in your system. You fat cells for instance, then when they get burned off you'd be high or seeing dragons or some shit.  

That scared that heck out of me!  I could imagine being 40 and having a flashback from a drug I took when I was 20.  So I never indulged.  Scared straight fo'eva!

Yoga peels back the layers.

I imagine we are like onions or apples.  All these lies, delusions and such are the coating. All this scar tissue from or war of living.  It almost makes me get off the mat.  I don't want to close my eyes and go into my head.  It's dark! 

It's scary in there.  I know there are monsters in there and I'm in the dark alone.  Yoga is the union of your mind, body and spirit.  I believe that God is the light that is there for me in those dark and scary places.  I believe that I AM not alone but when one gets on the mat and goes into their meditation seriously you gotta know that you are signing on for an adventure.  You gotta be willing to go where ever the ride takes you.  That's scary.  It's also the only way we heal, we get rid of the festering, infected sores that cover our psyches.  It's the only way we get to be healed and whole.

It ain't easy.  Take a deep breath. Awww go ahead a take a few deep breaths. Do it! It will be worth it.

Om Shanti Baby!

Jaycee

Let Go and Let God! Mista Jaycee returns!

Hey Soulstarrs,

I'm finally getting up off my ass and getting back on my mission. When I started this blog it was built on the premise of a Regular Dude, A Black Dude, A Fat dude does yoga.  I practice yoga.  I am all the above.  Black, Fat and Regular.  I meditate. I pray.  I do not turn on Sitar music, I have a copy of the Gita but I'm more likely to get my spiritual wisdom from the Holy Bible or the Noble Quran than the Gita.

I eat meat although I am eating less and less.  I am no stranger to a piece or pound of bacon but I digress and you get the point. This blogs mission statement is the same.

I've recently began meditating and practicing asanas daily. It has been a while. I feel good. I've been through some personal adversities. The recent passing of my Mother has triggered a gut check. I've had to test some things. I've had to let some things and some people go.

That's the lesson.  Let go! Let God! Psalms 46:13

BE Still. Know God! That's another interpretation of this word. Letting go is hard because you have to admit that someone or something is no longer good for you.  You've changed and they or it no longer serves to your benefit.  It is now a danger to you.

Take what is good and let go what no longer serves you.  That is the lesson. Go in Peace!

OM Shanti Baby!

Jaycee

Hey Hey Soulstarrs,

Om Kriya Babaji Namah Aum! 

What the hell does that mean Jaycee?

Om (Verb) Supreme Reflection of God (the Divine) 

Kriya (Noun) Our great work (Yoga and living) 

Babaji (Pronoun) Divine Father 

Namah (Our community and those in contact with us) 

Aum (Lesser aspect or reflection of God the Divine) that's all Humans

Today's topic is......

Wait a cotton pickin minute Jaycee, what the heck you been?

Ok, i'll answer this.  I was on an extreme sabbatical (writers block/depression/delusional bs) which required that I go into intense study of the internal arts. ( I was sitting on the couch, drinking copious amounts of highly poisonous liquids like soda water, liquor and something blue that's used to clean metal.) Yes, in other words I have no excuse for being away for so long.

Sorry y'all.

Today's topic is Repentance.

Pastor Jeff Johnson of the Eastern Star Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana defined Repentance as changing your mind.  To turn back or turn away from the direction your in.  

Anger has always been my fuel.  It's helped me push through in my life so far but it comes with a cost, a real high cost.  It's eroded and destroyed relationships, it can destroy your physical, mental and spiritual health and this has happened to me.

So now I am adding Repentance to my daily mediation and prayers not just from a Christian perspective but from a Yogi perspective.

Ahisma: The first Yama of the eight fold path means Non violence or to do no harm.  It means that I am obligated to learn to let go and accept things as they are. It means that I have to find new tools to deal and overcome difficulties.

It means I have to turn back.  Repent!  It means I have to turn away from.  Repent!  It means that I've changed my mind.

So what's holding you up? What's causing blocking your blessings? What's keeping your from the next level?

You can always change your mind. You can always turn back.

Om Shanti Baby! 

Jaycee

Om Shanti Baby!
Jaycee

Is Yoga Dangerous?

Om Kriya Babaji Namah Aum! 

Hey Soulstarrs!

Is yoga dangerous?  Well are you doing your Asanas near open flame? Perhaps, the Yogi in front of you had a breakfast burrito before class?

Yoga is about balance. That said. No, yoga is not dangerous if you are following the eight fold path. Right Thought, Right Action, Right Intention yada yada.  Each Asana has contraindications to each pose.

I do not do plough pose in order to protect my neck and back.  I do dolphin pose instead.  Now, I like to watch Plough pose being done cause it looks cool but I ain't gonna do it! Dig?

Honor the body is the main rule of yoga.  What is your body telling you? That should determine if yoga is dangerous or not.

Om Shanti Baby!

BE Prayerful! BE Mindful! BE Careful!
Jaycee

Pin the Tail on the Funky! What's defeating you and your Practice?

To Capture a Booty You Must Attack from the Back! 

Om Kriya Babaji Namah Aum!

Hey Soul-Starrs!

I know you are wondering what does Montana Deleon and Dr. Funkenstein have to do with Yoga?  Everything! The genius of Funkadelic was they used the Old Black Preaching Style of wrapping up vital lessons in codes. The Star Chile character was what Black People once were and his mission was to educate and restore us to that legacy. "We have come to RECLAIM the pyramids!" His Arch Nemesis was SirNoseDevoidofFunk. He was a corporate, bland, faceless shuck and jive, soulless Brotha determined never to dance and implement his philosophy across the Funky Universe.

The Albums told a story.  By the time "Gloryhellastupid" came out, Sir Nose had won! He turned Star Chile into a Mule by pinning the tail on the Funky.  How did he do it?  He attacked from the back! Over the course of each album, Sir Nose wore the Star Child and the rest of the Funk Mob down little by little.  He used distraction.  For every victory the Funk Mob achieved, he slowly eroded the Funk Mob's supporters, with cheap highs, quick fixes and thrills.  Most of all the Funk Mob became to big to move quickly and adapt to the forces they batled against.  Sir Nose, understanding this simply performed a Rear manueveur and pinned the tail on the Funky! Making Starchile look foolish, he took away his power and was able to conquer the Funky Universe.

What Mista Jaycee?  In plain terms, he let Star Child tire himself out. The Funk Mob had been so busy fighting against distractions that they didn't realize that they themselves were distracted and fooled.

Sir Nose Pinned the Tail on the Funky To turn Star Chile into a Mule

So what's tripping you up? What's keeping you from progressing on the Eight Fold Path? What's hindering your growth or stunting your practice?  Have you stopped practicing completely? Is that Yoga mat gathering dust?  Do you practice your asanas everyday? Why not? 

If your mat is in the corner dusty then you probally feel you're Too busy at work or just too tired? Maybe you're getting impatient or even lazy. Hey, it happens and that's part of the journey too.

Maybe your Yoga buddies aren't going to class anymore and it feels lonely in class by yourself?  See, Sir Nose is wearing you down.  Ask yourself, Where are you practicing? Who's around you when you pull out your mat?  Does everyone in your household understand your practice or do they just make fun or criticize it? It's up to you to find a place to practice and not listen to the negative talk.  They don't know the benefits that come from a fruitful yoga practice but YOU DO so why are you allowing the "Ignant"  to determine what happenes to you?

One of my yoga instructors George Dudley advised us that when we are meditating, for instance, and we are concentrating on our mantras, all manner of random negative thoughts will pop in your head. It is YOUR CHOICE weather or not you grab ahold of them and take them into your spirit. 

You are in control of your practice and you are in control of what you take into your spirit as well.  And with that you can avoid being defeated by negative talk and other people's agendas. Dig? 

Om Shanti Baby!

BE Prayerful! BE Mindful! BE Careful!

Jaycee