Defining Myself to Myself

"The hand is the cutting edge of the mind."
-  Jacob Bronowski

"The mind has exactly the same power as the hands: not merely to grasp the world, but to change it."
-  Colin Wilson 

"By rubbing up against the world, I define myself to myself."
-  Deane Juhan

"The upper limb is the lightning rod to the soul."
-  Robert Markison

"A callused palm and dirty fingernails precede a Green Thumb."
-  Mike Garofalo

“We leave traces of ourselves wherever we go, on whatever we touch.”
-  Lewis Thomas 

Hands On 
Fingers, Hands, Touching, Feeling, Somatics
Quotations, Bibliography, Links, Reflections

March Gardening

March Gardening Chores in Red Bluff

Browsing and ordering from seed and garden catalogs. 
Planting potted trees and shrubs.  
Placing cold sensitive potted plants in protected areas or indoors.
Pruning and mulching dormant trees and vines. 
Repairing and sharpening tools.
Fertilizing with 16-16-16 or manure. 
Planting seeds in containers in the greenhouse. 
Planting some vegetable starts in the ground.
Watering as needed.
Removing deadwood from trees and shrubs. 
Moving bulbs. 
Raking up fallen twigs and branches.
Weeding around the base of small trees and shrubs.
Mowing and weeding as needed.
Cleaning and repairing drip irrigation lines. 
Making up To Do lists. 
Spring Cleaning inside the house. 
Spraying dormant trees and shrubs. 
Painting fences and art objects as needed. 
Bringing spring flowers indoors to enjoy. 
Developing Spring Resolutions for personal improvements. 
Fixing up lawn mowers and other power tools for outdoor work.   

Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California, USA

USDA Zone 9

March: Quotes, Poems, Sayings, Lore

A Fist in Your Face

"Most primate hands are long of palm and finger, short of thumb, and suited for climbing. Human hands have short palms, short fingers and long thumbs, which are not. These proportions do, though, make it possible to grip things in two ways that other apes’ hands cannot manage well. One is by using what is known as a precision grip, in which an object is held between the pads of the finger tips (especially the first and second fingers) and the pad of the thumb. The other is by means of a power grip, in which all the fingers and the thumb are wrapped around what is being grasped. These two grips are crucial to Homo sapiens’s characteristic tool-crafting skills, and it has thus long been thought that the widespread use of tools by humanity’s ancestors was the driving force behind the modern hand’s proportions.  In a study just published in the Journal of Experimental Biology (12/2012) by Michael Morgan and David Carrier of the University of Utah has shown that the exact geometry of the hand is probably the result of its destructive rather than its constructive power.  Most natural weapons are obvious: teeth, claws, antlers, horns. But the hand becomes a weapon only when it turns into a fist.  “There may, however, be only one set of skeletal proportions that allows the hand to function both as a mechanism for precise manipulation and as a club for striking,” the researchers write. “Ultimately, the evolutionary significance of the human hand may lie in its remarkable ability to serve two seemingly incompatible, but intrinsically human, functions."
-  Making a Fist of It
 
Even better than a fist alone is a fist holding a cane staff weapon.  

Photo of Mike starting on a long hike
Patrick's Point State Park, Northern California Coastline
June 2011

Hands On 
Fingers, Hands, Touching, Feeling, Somatics
Quotations, Bibliography, Links, Reflections

 

Thumbing Through Some Old Photographs

Granddaughter and Grandfather 2011
Northern California Coastline

My Backyard View
Red Bluff, California

The Spring is Flowing

"The pressure of the hands causes the springs of life to flow."-  Tokujiro Namikoshi  

Fingers and Hands: Quotations, Bibliography, Facts, Reflections

Exploring the Body

"The human body is not an instrument to be used, but a realm of one's being to be experienced, explored, enriched and, thereby, educated." -  Thomas Hanna

Fingers and Hands: Quotations, Bibliography, Facts, Reflections

Spider Web Speaks

"Take a deep breath of all the stories that live here. A re-ligious act, to be true to the origin of the word “re-ligios”- to re-tie, re-link - is to find ways to re-connect, re-turn, re-imagine.”

In the winter season, we are allowed to say,

“Ts' its' tsi' nako,
Thought-Woman, the Spider
named things and as she named them they appeared.
She is sitting in her room thinking of a story now
I'm telling you the story she is thinking.”
-  Keresan Pueblo introduction

The Hands of the Spider Woman by Lauren Rain

Strings on Your Fingers by Mike Garofalo

Spider Grandmother weaves the Grand Cosmic Web and then spins off the planets and stars in the Navaho myths.  Zuni myths say the Spider Grandmother gave the art of string figures into the hands of the children.  Spider Grandmother is a powerful earth spirit being, the primary Creatrix of the cosmos and mind, a source of boundless imagination and the creation of the new.  An archaic Goddess of Weaving is essential to a pleasant life for all our people. 

Many Stars, Son-thlani, or Spider Grandmother’s Web is one of my favorite Navaho string figures to make.  I usually do the Spider Web (Jayne SF51) string figure first, for ritual purposes, to remind myself of my debt to all the people who have helped me learn to make string figures, everyone past and present are here symbolized as the Cosmic Web of Spider Grandmother.  

The image above is of the string figure called The Apache Door (Jayne SF12) known to many string players.  A different Navaho string figure, with a criss-crossing web pattern, is called Many Stars (Jayne SF51).    

Hands, Fingers, Feeling, Touching by Mike Garofalo

Sacred Circle Garden

The four-quartered Circle of Magick is a central element in most Western magickal rituals. It is called the "portal between the worlds," a means of connecting with the Deities, Spirits, and Elemental Powers of a realm beyond the material universe. It is envisioned as a vortex with which we focus on our own innate psychic powers, called forth by ritual actions from the subliminal depths of the mind and soul. It is a "sacred space," a sanctuary for communion with the old ones, the deities of our faith.
Many levels of symbolism are intrinsic to the Magick Circle. Among these metaphors are metaphysical and mystical concepts that describe the greater reality within which our lives are experienced. The four "corners" of the Circle of Magick correspond with the compass directions and their associated Elements (Earth, Air, Fire or Water). A fifth Element, Spirit, is often associated with the center of the Circle or with the Circle as a whole."
- Bran the Blessed, Circle Symbolism



Karen stands near in the center of the Valley Spirit Sacred Circle. Behind Karen is the yellow post which marks the Eastern direction, and the Element of Air, Mind, Consciousness, or Intellect; and the Eastern Quadrant is planted with five olive trees, the sacred plant of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. Further behind Karen, 26 feet from the center, are some of the seventeen posts marking the boundary of the outer fifth circle. This photo was taken on February 4, 2007.

Sacred Circles
Bibliography, Resources, Links, Quotations, Notes
Researched by Mike Garofalo


One Old Druid's Final Journey

Magic Pearl Qigong with Ball

Martial Arts, physical culture, and Qigong enthusiasts can benefit from using a medicine ball when doing exercises.  There are many routines developed by Taijiquan and Qigong masters using a medicine ball.   Qigong Ball exercisers can get into a calm mode, mellow their mood, and go with the Flow. 

Medicine Ball Training and Exercises: Bibliography, Links, Resources .  Prepared by Mike Garofalo.  A general introduction to the use of medicine balls in exercise programs. 

I developed my own medicine ball routine called: Magic Pearl Qigong. 

Magic Pearl Qigong, Part I, Movements 1-8 .   Instructions, Bibliography, Links, Handouts, Resources, Mythological Associations, Lore.  Prepared by Mike Garofalo. 

The Magic Pearl Qigong can be a very vigorous physical culture routine if you increase the weight of the ball, lower the stances, and increase the number of repetitions of each movement.  Serious Qigong Ball enthusiasts use a very light wooden ball, move slowly, stay relaxed, sink, play.  

In addition, upper body strength and athletic fitness is also be improved by practicing longer Taijiquan Forms using weapons like the saber, sword, cane, and staff. 

 

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 30

Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 30

"He who would assist a lord of men in harmony with the Tao will not assert his mastery in the kingdom by force of arms.
Such a course is sure to meet with its proper return.
Wherever a host is stationed, briars and thorns spring up.
In the sequence of great armies there are sure to be bad years.
A skilful commander strikes a decisive blow, and stops.
He does not dare by continuing his operations to assert and complete his mastery.
He will strike the blow, but will be on his guard against being vain or boastful or arrogant in consequence of it.
He strikes it as a matter of necessity; he strikes it, but not from a wish for mastery.
When things have attained their strong maturity they become old.
This may be said to be not in accordance with the Tao.
What is not in accordance with the Tao soon comes to an end."
-   Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 30   


"He who with Reason assists the master of mankind will not with arms strengthen the empire.
His methods invite requital. 
Where armies are quartered briars and thorns grow.
Great wars unfailingly are followed by famines.
A good man acts resolutely and then stops.
He ventures not to take by force. 
Be resolute but not boastful; resolute but not haughty; resolute but not arrogant; resolute because you cannot avoid it; resolute but not violent.
Things thrive and then grow old.
This is called un-Reason.
Un-Reason soon ceases."
-   Translated by Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 30   

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: Introduction, Bibliography, Commentary, Chapter Index  

Chapter 30 of the Dao De Jing by Laozi: Text and Commentaries  

Index of English Language Translators of the Tao Te Ching 

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices  

Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching

 

Circa Now

Circa Now, Sort of Like Now, Relatively Present, Past Present
Right Now then Gone:  8:49 am, PST, Thursday, February 21, 2013

Where: Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, California

Outside temperature: 40 degrees F
blue skies, little wind
Inside temperature: 63 degrees F

I'm on house watch duty for two houses until Sunday night
Friends and family are traveling and partying
Two dogs, four cats, three sheep, one donkey to feed and care for
Staying home nearly all the time until Sunday night

Preparing food and taking medicines
Household chores

I'm resting my body this morning.
I am tired.  Enjoying resting, relaxing, and recuperating.   
Some fatigue and DOMS from mucho exercise this week.  

Ten hours ago revised some posts in Cloud Hands Blog, and then weeded irrelevant and useless posts from the CHB.  Then, revised, updated, and weeded webpages at the Valley Spirit Yoga website.

Reading Lately:  "Brother Iron Sister Steel" by Dave Draper; "A Guide to Rational Living" by Albert Ellis and Robert A. Harper; "The Hand" by Frank Wilson; "Spanish for Reading" by Fabiola Franco; the many remarks and investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein; the "Voyager Tarot" by James Wanless. 
 
Upcoming fun gardening projects: rake south half of back yard, cleanup fallen tree and branches from south side yard and mow the area, major project in the Sacred Circle, and drip line expansions, testing, completely weed the Sunny Garden plot and roto-till with the Mantis tiller, etc..

My T'ai Chi Ch'uan studies and practices have been focused on the two Eight Immortals Tai Chi Cane Routines created by Master Jesse Tsao of San Diego.  I can practice Part I quite well now on my own.   

Time to stand and deliver!

Cheers to All

Valley Spirit Yoga Posures List

I continue to work a little each week on my new Valley Spirit Yoga Postures List.  The last release, Version 12, 25 pages, was completed on January 4, 2013.  It online version is in the PDF file format, read only, 182KB.  I hope to have the next release, Version 13,  ready for distribution on March 1, 2013. 

This list is in alphabetical order with entries under both the English name or phrase for the yoga posture (asana) and the Sanskrit name or phrase for the posture (asana, exercise, form, shi). This detailed list includes coded references to descriptions in six yoga textbooks for every named posture.  The list also includes some of the Chi Kung postures that I teach in many of my yoga classes.  Coding for each entry by the kind of yoga posture, e.g., balancing, standing, supine, lunge, backbend, etc.  Coded also for the fitness difficulty of the posture relative to restorative, beginning, intermediate and advanced students.  The list includes a bibliography and notes.

Where Do You Want To Go?

"One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.  "Which road do I take?" she asked.
His response was a question: "Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know," Alice answered.
"Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
-  Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Thinking, Sensing, Acting, Emoting

Albert Ellis (19135-2007) was one of the ten most influential psychologists of the twentieth century.

Albert Ellis and Robert A Harper tell us:

"We should strive conscientiously to:
1.  Increase our objectivity and eliminate confusing facts and inferences
2.  Break any habit with which we habitually put ourselves at risk
3.  Get rid of agendas that conflict with our higher priorities
4.  Replace self-defeating demands and damnation with realistic preferences and appraisals
5.  Accept ourselves and others as the fallible human beings we actually are."
-  Albert Ellis and Robert Harper, A Guide to Rational Living, p. 58

Lifestyle Advice From Wise Persons


"As a human, four basic processes aid your survival and happiness: (1) You perceive or sense - see, taste, smell, feel, hear.  (2) You feel or emote - love, hate, fear, feel joyful or sad.  (3) You move or act - walk, eat, swim, climb, and play.  (4) You reason or think - remember, imagine, hyopthesize, conclude and solve problems."

These four processes typically interrelate and integrate at the same time.  Sometimes, one process can become dominant.  Unhealthy positive and negative thoughts can produce unhealthy emotional and behavioral problems for persons.   

Some related advice for rational living is found in the Enchiridon, written in the 1st century CE, by Epictetus when he said "People are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them."  Shakespeare says, in Hamlet, "There's nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."  The theory of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) by Ellis and Harper goes far beyond these old sayings to develop a systematic guide for sensible people. 

I have benefitted from frequently reading the many books by Dr. Ellis and his REBT colleagues, and trying to practice his advice in my life for many years.  I have never participated in individual or group REBT therapy, but I am confident it might help people with serious neurosis and dysfunctional lifestyles. 

A Guide to Rational Living  By Albert Ellis and Robert A. Harper.  3rd Edition, 1975.

Days of Kale, Spinach, and Chard

February: Quotes, Poems, Sayings

"The word February is believed to have derived from the name 'Februa' taken from the Roman 'Festival of Purification'.  The root 'februo' meaning to 'I purify by sacrifice'.  As part of the seasonal calendar February is the time of the 'Ice Moon' according to Pagan beliefs, and the period described as the 'Moon of the Dark Red Calf' by Black Elk.  February has also been known as 'Sprout-kale' by the Anglo-Saxons in relation to the time the kale and cabbage was edible."
-  Mystical WWW

"Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do - or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so." 
-  Stanley Crawford

February Garden Activities and Chores in Red Bluff
USDA Zone 9

Browsing and ordering from seed and garden catalogs. 
Pruning leafless trees and shrubs. 
Weeding and tending the winter vegetable garden. 
Relax and read books from the library. 
The soil is usually too wet and cold for much digging.
Keeping cold sensitive potted plants in protected areas or indoors.
Make sure that the cuttings in protected areas do not dry out.
Repair fences. 
Put straw mulch over fertilized vegetable garden areas not planted. 
Distribute fertilizer and minerals. 
Prune and mulch dormant perennials.
Remove dead trees, shrubs, branches, and twigs. 
Enjoy the bulbs and rosemary in bloom. 
Repair and sharpen tools. 
Construct gardening boxes and flats. 
Keep hardwood cuttings moist.
Promptly planting bare root trees and watering them. 
Write a poem.   Keep a gardening journal. 
Fertilize with 20-9-9 or 15-15-15. 
Trees without leaves need little or no watering.
Take a walk in your garden.
Sit and observe.  
Mowing and weeding
Spraying dormant trees