Category Archives: Philosophy

Things I Have Learned from Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Chi

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Things I Have Learned from Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Chi

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. “Eckhart Tolle

There are many studies about how Yoga, QI Gong (a form of Tai Chi) and Tai Chi can improve your health. People have been doing it for thousands of years so it must have some benefits. I’ve been doing it regularly in quarantine and have not had any of my usual health problems so there might be something to it. Here is what I have learned so far.

Look at everything-not just one thing.
Did you ever notice how people can look at the same thing and see something totally different? Learning to see something from all sides, without judgement, to see beyond our own assumptions is something to strive for – especially the way the world is now.

Change hands-change responsibilities.
You can’t change your circumstances but you can change how you look at them.

Is a balance posture strength or submission?
We look for balance to live a life of quality. A balance posture requires steady feet, a steady mind and a sense of weight control. It isn’t one thing. It takes both strength and letting go to balance in the posture and in life.

Your speed does not matter. How far forward you can go does not matter. Forward is Forward. Your speed at doing anything is personal. Sometimes a slower pace will get you further. There’s always a pace you’d rather be experiencing, but it might not be what’s really happening right now.

You are not going to master every movement in one day, master what you can in a day and just keep doing it. Persistence is the only guarantee to master anything. Feeling defeated is also part of mastery.

Focus on the movement not the results. Whether good or bad the focus is always on the action itself. As humans we are not always satisfied with our present circumstances. We believe that only through results can we secure a pathway for a better future. Things in life may not actually turn out the way you want to. Be happy that you are working to achieve your goal.

Breathe in and out and be available to what unfolds.
We don’t always have to have a plan.

Move slowly with intention.
It is true that ”slow and steady” wins the race. You won’t miss out on anything by doing it mindfully.

We do the same thing day after day. Each day is a different day and each side is a different side. There is always more to be found by exploring the same thing over and over.

Where can we let go? Sometimes you have to let go because things are too heavy to carry with you. It can take just as much strength to let go as to hold on.

When two or more gather together, the practice is more powerful.This comes from the Bible. “When two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” We find it in Mathew 18:20 .The idea that is commonly promoted is that if there are two or more people gathered together who agree on something, and they ask God for it in prayer, then he will answer their request. Sounds like a plan. We can use all the help we can get these days. We are better, together.

Stay safe,

JAZ

Chinese Proverbs

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Chinese Proverbs

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Lao Tzu

Chinese Proverbs are sayings which originate from famous Chinese philosophers and writers. Confucius and Lao Tzu are the most famous. there are hundreds of popular proverbs which usually give the reader an inspirational or motivational thought. They address all aspects of traditional Chinese society but are very applicable today. Here are some of my favorites.

“Dig the well before you are thirsty.”

“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.”

“Your teacher can open the door but you must enter by yourself.”

 “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”

The swiftest horse can’t overtake a word once spoken*

“We count our miseries carefully, and accept our blessings without much thought.”

“If you plan for one year, plant rice. If you plan for ten years, plant trees. If you plan for 100 years, educate mankind.”

 “A single conversation with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.”

“The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.” Xun Kuang

“A bird does not sing because he has the answer to something, he sings because he has a song.”

“Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it.”

“The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.”

“An invisible silk thread connects those who are destined to meet.”

Stay safe,

JAZ

Gratitude In The Time Of Corona

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Gratitude In The Time Of Corona

“Enough” is a feast.” Buddhist proverb

Some days are great. Things go as planned and you bounce from meeting to appointment to lunch and you feel wonderful inside.

Then there are the other days. Like being in the house for four and a half months quarantined with no end in sight – wondering  if things will ever get back to the way they were in the old world. There are days when you do not feel motivated at all.

I’ve done gratitude lists before.  Writing five things I am grateful for in quarantine became rote because I did the same thing every day. I realized that if I wrote one thing a day and really thought about it, it worked better. Here are some of the things I have written down. Maybe they will resonate with you during these times.

The easiest thing to be grateful for is having a roof over my head. I live in an area with a lot of homeless people. I fear it will become worse from this virus.  I choose not to take this for granted.

 I am grateful for easy access to good drinking water. We can’t really drink from the faucet like in Iceland or New Zealand, but we do have tap water that we can boil in our homes. One eighth of the world’s population do not have access to safe drinking water.

 I recently read that the  ancient Greek philosophers  started their day outside in Nature to feel calm and grateful.  I try to spend at least a few minutes having coffee outside looking at the beach. Being in “prison” for four months with people not wearing masks here, has made my relationship with the beach complicated. But every morning, when I sit and look out at the ocean, I am so grateful that I get to see this and smell the ocean air to start my day.

I am grateful that everyone I know is healthy. They have either recovered from the virus or not gotten it.  While I do my part to stop the spread  of coronavirus by staying home, others are going to work, risking putting themselves and those they love in danger of exposure. My gratitude toward these front-line professionals not only is well-deserved, but it also helps relieve stress which suppresses our immune systems.

I am grateful for the time to read good books. i wasn’t allowed to watch TV as a kid and getting lost in a book was a familiar feeling. Now with so many options for entertainment, focusing on a book is harder.  But now I read every day and when a book grabs me in, I remember the feeling I had as a child. 

I am also grateful for access to the internet during this time.  Can you imagine going through this without the internet? We are able to order food, medicine, clothes and any random thing we can think of – mostly with free shipping. We can take classes with our favorite teachers, talk to friends, family, doctors  and work on ZOOM.  We have access to a crazy number of TV shows and movies from all over the world. We get theatre productions and we can still look up every thing that comes into our head. There is instagram and facebook to stay connected with the world. 

I am grateful for Banksy my dog. He is my constant companion through this time and is endlessly entertaining. He keeps me sane during this time of social distancing. 

I am grateful for small kindnesses. A person who actually puts on their mask when they walk by me, a pretzel delivery from my daughter, a funny youtube video sent from a friend or the perfect eggplant parmesan prepared by the BF all help me get through this.

I am grateful for my friends and family. We are all in this together and when we are reunited it will be even more special.

I am grateful to be spending this time with the  BF.  Day 145 is definitely different then Day 1 in quarantine. It is our first year of living together.  What we were able to tolerate easily before is a bit different now. Trapped in close quarters, tense moments are inevitable. But we get through it with communication, laughter and hugs and we are really lucky to have found each other.

Stay Safe,

JAz

Things That I Learned From A Four Year Old In NYC

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  Things That I Learned From A Four Year Old in NYC.

“If you are ever in doubt, just remember that unlike adults, children want to be happy.  They still have the ability to take the greatest pleasure in the simplest thing.” Amor Towles

 She is not four. She is four and eight  months. Clarification is always  important.

When your pee is yellow, you are not drinking enough water.

 Slime falling all over your body can be considered a good thing. (Sloomoo Institute)

A newspaper is something Grandpa has.

Bows can be as much fun the presents. Objects like bows and wrapping paper can stimulate your imagination. What can I do with this? How else can I use it? Meaningless items become valuable tools for thought processes. 

Sometimes, it can be dark and interesting and not always dark and scary.

When you feel shy, you just need a friend to come with you and then it is fine.(FAO Schwartz)

A round building is even more fun than what is inside. (Guggenheim Museum)

 If you walk up to a monster who is moving his arms, he might just be saying hello.

Being able to buy all the candy you want in a candy store is more fun than eating it. Retail therapy can be soothing to the soul. (Dylan’s Candy Store)

A square wheel can work on a tricycle if you change the ground it rides on. A new idea can change the way you think. (Museum of Mathematics)

A  lollipop to one person is just as good as caviar to another on New Years Eve. (Nomad Hotel)

Fly safe,

JAZ

 Ten Annoying Things That He’s Learned About Me In The First Month Of Living Together

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 Ten Annoying Things That He’s Learned About Me In The First Month Of Living Together

“Before you live with a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet service to see who they really are.” Will Ferrell

 Apparently my quirks aren’t so cute anymore.  But nothing is a dealbreaker yet. We  are figuring out how to exist together in a way that’s both scary and comforting, hilarious and serious, calming and nerve racking, and utterly unique in every way. Here are ten things he has learned about me so far. 

I use the Find My Phone App on a regular basis.

I meditate to strange music.

I like to soak the blender in the sink for many hours after making a smoothie. 

I drink instant coffee even though he makes delicious coffee every morning. 

I am a worse driver than he originally thought.

I spend the last fifteen minutes before leaving the house frantically rushing back and forth. 

Sweatpants and a sweatshirt without makeup is really my home uniform. My favorite sweat shirt is the red one  even though i have many sweatshirts.

I anthropormorphize  a lot with my dog (look it up if you don’t know what it means as I had to).

I believe it is his job to take out the garbage. 

I often say weird things like babe did you see my keys? did you see my wallet? 

Fly safe,

JAZ

Throw A Shoe At It And Other Things That I Learned From Being A Grown Up

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Throw A Shoe At it And Other Things That I learned From Being  A Grownup

The place is changed now, and many familiar faces are gone, but the greatest change is myself. I was a child then, I had no idea what the world would be like. I wished to trust myself on the waters and the sea.” Beatrix Potter

The day after my husband left, the smoke alarm on a high ceiling went off for no reason. I didn’t know what to do. I called him in tears. He said “It’s very technical.  Throw a shoe at it and call the repairman in the morning.”  I took off my shoe and threw it and the noise stopped  (albeit after a few throws). I realized then, that most people never actually feel like they  know what they are doing. We are all just winging it. Here are few other things I have learned about being a grown up.

Anyone can be an asshole; it’s much harder to be kind and understanding.

No one cares if you are popular.

Everything can be viewed as a learning experience.

Your childhood punishments become your hobbies. – not leaving your room, not leaving the house and missing a birthday party.

Never be afraid to ask for help.

Green vegetables are good for everyone and not just a way to get dessert. i even put a bad tasting powder one in a smoothie.

Worrying doesn’t work.

Everything is expensive.

Kids rarely make it to the bathroom when they say they are going to throw up.

Gratitude is the key to  happiness. My mother would always tell me to never feel sorry for her even though she had a tough life because she had the capacity for happiness and most people don’t. She understood that happiness came in moments.   I didn’t realize that was what gratitude meant until I was much older.

Maturity is not measured by how clean your house is, by the books you read or the movies you enjoy. It is not defined by your relationship status or how much money you make; it’s defined by how well you handle all the shit life has to throw at you. Everything else is just a cheap veneer.

Fly safe,
JAZ

Time

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Time

 “Sure, everything is ending,” Jules said, “but not yet.”Jennifer Egan

Every day, most of us are passing time. We often pass time without thinking too deeply about how. When today is gone, it’s gone forever. Time runs through the roughest day. It runs through the best day too. While time is passing—what we choose to do, how we choose to be and who we choose to be with is up to us. We measure time in years, minutes, hours, decades and memories. Here are some of my  ways of measuring time.

 3 weeks until my next dental appointment.

6 months since I’ve eaten dairy or gluten.

14 years since my husband left me.

 2 minutes until I hear the words Mueller report.

5 weeks until I will be in Iceland.

3 and a half years since my dog Basquiat died.

1 week since i moved in with the  BF.

5 months until we leave for Uruguay.

2 years since my daughter got married in South Africa.

4 days since I’ve done qi gong.

15 hours and 20 minutes  until I can drink coffee again.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Do Vegans Have Less Friends?

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Do Vegans Have Less Friends?

“I don’t like vegans, either. Bunch of whiny zealots. A cow or a pig wouldn’t give a damn if a person died… animals tear apart other animals while they’re still alive, but we aren’t so cruel, so vegans should learn to shut up. Vegans use palm oil and never think about the forests and endangered species at risk from that… and they all exploit the world in other ways, buying their computers and their sweatshop clothes and their Starbucks coffees.” Rebecca McNutt.

I returned from my last trip with a stomach bacteria. I did not get the bacteria there but have probably had it for a while. The cure is an antibiotic that will kill everything good and bad in your body and a weird strict diet that will not feed the bacteria for at least six months.  The bacteria caused several food allergies as well. The easiest way for me to eat these days is to be a Megan.- a meat-eating vegan. (albeit not in the same restaurant) 

It turns out that the  people who live a plant-based life style understand weird diets. I notice that many  people eat alone in vegan restaurants. I am not talking about the  hipster or Hollywood vegans that eat at the trendy vegan restaurants or have their vegan chefs prepare something.  I’m talking about small local restaurants. 

Most social gatherings revolve around food and the isolation of having a strict diet when your friends do not, can make it easier to eat alone. Dietary restrictions are annoying in social situations. I hate the constant deliberating and discussion  that i have to do with waiters in restaurants. I’m not normally that person. 

All vegans are not just focused on not eating dead animals. Some of them probably have eating issues or do it for health reasons. I sit alone in the restaurant and watch the other diners. I play my airport game of trying to figure out who everyone is.  Classic vegans.

 I look  at a man focused on his non dairy fettuccine alfredo and think that he is definitely a Bikram yoga instructor slash dog walker. The two woman who gush over their buffalo tofu sliders are life coach feminists with instagram accounts dedicated to their different  acai bowls. The woman  sitting over there in the corner is probably a two years sober tarot card reader who runs 12 step meetings.  The anorexic reiki healer cutting her food in many small pieces is pushing it around her plate while she talks to her friend, the mantra chanting, meditation specialist. The man next to her heads the community  vegetable garden and makes his own candles. 

Clearly these  people  have no idea how much I am missing cheese, coffee, sushi, fish,  bread and good dessert.  I make fun of vegans because I will never be cool enough to give up the occasional hot dog, hamburger and dairy products. I will never stretch regularly or be a healthy vessel of joy and peace. I make fun of them because I am not disciplined or good enough to be one of them.

Then, I look at myself in my flannel shirt and baggy jeans. I am drinking the now trendy celery juice  (yes i know you are supposed to drink it when you wake you up to cleanse your system but i just can’t)) and eating kale, brown rice and tempeh.  I see a man looking at me. He is  thinking that I just biked over here from a winter solstice ceremony and have a formally abused dog named Chakra. I am probably on my way to my alternative medicine doctor for acupuncture.

Fly safe,,

JAZ 

Ikagai – The Thing That Makes You Get Out Of Bed In The Morning

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”If you cannot fly then run, if you cannot run then walk, if you cannot walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King

I learned about ikagai in Okinawa. Okinawa has the largest population of centagenarians in  the world.  They say it is because of  the diet (seaweed and spam) and ikagai. The literal translation of ikagai is “a reason to get out of bed in the morning.” It is a lifestyle which balances the practical with the spiritual. It is easy to think about it when you are on the beautiful island of Okinawa.

The four elements  of Ikagai are what you’re passionate about, where your skills lie, how you can earn a living and what the world needs. It is the place where all those elements intersect. Discovering your own ikigai is said to bring fulfillment, happiness and a long life.

Finding your  purpose in life can resemble a winding quest, filled with many twists and wrong turns. When I learned about Ikagai, I wanted to dive right in and leap into action. But figuring out your ikagai doesnt happen that quickly. It involves self exploration and deep reflection. Your purpose unfolds and evolves over time.

Ikagai  in some ways, is like a compass. Aligning your actions with the “thing that makes you get out of bed  in the morning”  helps you navigate life’s ups-and-downs. As your career evolves and you’re presented with more opportunities, you can rely on your ikigai to steer you in the right direction.

Remember to evaluate your sense of happiness and purpose at every step along the way. By seeking growth that fits your sense of purpose, you pursue health, happiness and a long life as well.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Pretending To Be Evelyn

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Pretending To Be Evelyn

Some people go to priests, others to poetry, I to my friends.” Virginia Woolf

I’m at a point in my life where I am trying to work on myself  – to not  keep making the same mistakes, to be kinder, more confident, fearless, and to work out my tangled relationships.  I have observed some of my behaviors that have persisted for long periods of time. I  believe that“ is just the way I am.”

This is where my friend Evelyn comes in. Pretending to be Evelyn in certain situations helps me to behave with a new perspective.  I am not trying to copy Evelyn.  it  is more about  stepping outside my current self image. What does she do that is different from me? How can I learn to do this?

We start modeling our behavior based on what we see from others when we are very young. It’s a fundamental way our brains work and how they learn to adapt to our environment and social circle.  I know there are certain habits I’ve developed from my parents and certain phrases I have picked up from my friends.

Evelyn is great in social situations and parties. She introduces herself and is interested in meeting everyone. I prefer to sit in a corner with the one person that I know.

The boyfriend wanted to bring me to a party at his ex-wife’s house.  I was nervous and felt that everyone there would be judging me.  My sit in the corner routine was not going to work since it turned out that he was cooking. It was either going to be pretend to be sick or pretend to be Evelyn.  As a grownup now, I went with the second choice.  I introduced myself to anyone who walked by me which is so not my thing but it worked. I had people to talk to while he barbecued and his ex wife thought that I was “lovely”.

Being Evelyn is now my go to party persona. It makes it much easier to go into social situations when I don’t know people. Being Evelyn is an effective way of seeing myself in a new light.

I’m a grudge holder. It is hard for me to let go of anger. Evelyn who has been through illness and loss is the opposite.  “Let it go”, is her motto. There is nothing worse than trying to explain to her why I am mad at someone. She hates conflict. Her response is, “It is always best to be easy-going and do what is right in life. Life is hard enough so you don’t need to make it any harder.” I am a work in progress.

Friends are supposed to build you up and make you a better person. They are the people who help you push your boundaries and grow and you are supposed to do the same for them. Evelyn is that kind of friend.  At this point in my life, I am trying to only have friends like this. I am grateful for all of them.

Fly safe,

JAZ