Beyond the Blog entries you find here, you can find articles related to food yoga,health and philosophy on my website www.doronhanoch.com under the Articles link. Feel free to check it out and sign up to my newsletter.
Love, Doron
Friday, April 2, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
My life since 2009 in brief
It has been long, way too long since I took the pen to write down my happenings. Maybe it was happening too fast, maybe it was the sense of domestication that left me no adventure to write even thou my life was surely full of news and local adventures.
Last I wrote about my personal life it was about my early experiences living in Palo Alto and teaching Ashtanga Mysore style yoga. The 3 months planned for me, turned into six. Summer here was fantastic. I spend much time reading out in my garden, teaching and practicing yoga. I was cooking a lot, but had little social encounters. It was like living in a cave within the great forest of modern life.
Since March my biggest encounter was with Kate that shared with me a great deal of time, love and philosophical discussions. I balanced our great talks with some Harry potter reading (got through the fourth book). Beyond my close family of Gil Debbie and Maya, she has been ears and eyes to the simple living of my soul.
Summer ended with leading a retreat to Esalen and then a trip to Israel. The Esalen retreat is a lot of work, but grants me satisfaction and learning beyond measure. My time in Israel as usual has a sense of nostalgic love, like reconnecting with an ex girlfriend for a period even though we know it will not last. When connecting with friends in Israel. It feels like we have just met a few days ago. Indeed much changes, but the core care and spirit of joyful connection never fades away.
As I returned to Palo Alto, opportunities opened up, and I took on some teaching adventures. I found myself skipping from studio to studio, teaching yoga. Accepting that I now live in CA, I have surrendered to buying a car. Mazda 3 hatchback fit my profile, dark grey or silver of course. I found a splendid dark grey with pumpkin orange leather seats to match. I smile every time I enter the car.
My passion for dance has continued and apart from Dancing 5 rhythms in Mountain View every Monday, I have given birth to Zen Dance; a beautiful space for self-exploration of body and beyond, of movement leading into the stillness of mind in meditation.
My initial sense of joy and gratitude towards all that came my way was tainted with some loneliness. Before long, Lauren came into my life. After one month of finding out that she surely is not for me, tables have turned and in no time she was staying with me regularly. So much so that for Christmas I flew down to meet part of her family and since then she has moved in. My urge to walk away and find my quiet solitude space for my continued self-development has overcome with a self of commitment to another being. Not only has Lauren moved in, and I was not about to let her find a place a month later, but I have discovered a partner, someone that is willing to join my journey and live life as oddly as it may get in the venture to find truth. I am full of gratitude for Lauren’s transformation and willingness to join in. I find that not only do we dive deeper into a commitment to live a life of complete meaning and truth, but we have also found endless laugh out loud moments. It is the life of a happy baby with a developed conscience we have taken on.
January 2010 has arrived, and with it another retreat to Esalen. No doubt I have found my calling. My life as a teacher has never been more rewarding. It has demanded of me to set an example even more so than ever before. The more I live the life I teach, the better my life becomes and the better my teachings are.
I am grateful for all those that walk with me this walk of life. Some of you I see regularly and talk to often, and some I carry in my heart and thought. I do value this connection that exists between us, even if it is unspoken of.
As 2010 arrives I can fully repeat what I say every year, this is the best year of my life!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sleep Hygiene or tips for a good night sleep:
A good night sleep is the secret to a happy productive next day. It is the time our body takes to restore and rejuvenate. Our night depends on the day we had, and the next day depends on how well our previous night was.
Sleep well, wake up smiling. Have a blissful life!
Here are some tips:
- · Go to sleep when you feel sleepy
- · If you do not fall asleep within 30 min, get up, do something that will induce sleep and then return to bed.
- · Create a routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time
- · Go to bed before 10:30 p.m. According to Ayurveda after 10pm we begin a new cycle of energy. This is an energetic cycle, where we sometimes feel that we get a second wind.
- · Exercising is healthy, and useful for a good night sleep, but timing is key. Finish your exercise at least 4 hours before bedtime. Mornings and early afternoons are best.
- · Make your bedroom a sanctuary. Keep it clean and inviting. Soft light, quiet and relaxing.
- · Use your bed for sleeping only. Read, work, watch TV and fold laundry elsewhere. This way your body will recognize that being in bed means sleep. Sex is the only exception.
- · Avoid Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol 5 hours before bedtime.
- · Drink during the day, so you do need to drink much at night, and do not need to get up for the toilet in your sleep time.
- · Take a hot bath an hour before bed. The drop in body temperature is what makes you feel sleepy.
- · Develop bedtime routines. Listen to quiet music, sit silently, read something calming, or massage your body with oil.
- · Eat dinner at least 2-3 hours before bed. If you are hungry later, have a light snack, unsweetened cereal with a bit of organic milk, or a bit of warm milk with a touch of honey.
- · Do not turn on lights during the night, even if you have to go to the bathroom. Light exposure during the night impairs melatonin production, which is crucial for good night sleep.
- · See the sun as soon as it’s up, to set your biological clock.
- · Take Melatonin for a few weeks, and then let it go. (2-3mg 30-45 min before bedtime
- · Magnesium (500mg 30-45 min before bedtime)
Sleep well, wake up smiling. Have a blissful life!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Organic
Eating Organic for a better you and a better world
Eating organic simply means eating the way nature intended food to be. It is the way the world ate for centuries. The more recent style of production is referred to as "conventional," though organic production has been the convention for a much greater period of time. There was never a need to label food as organic until we stated producing toxic food.
It would make more sense to label food as toxic, including a list of pesticides and other chemicals used to grow the food, rather than need to label normal food as "organic."
When buying organic you make sure that your food does not have enormous amounts of pesticides, has no hormones or antibiotics and is respectful for the earth and environment.
Organic is better for you because you receive:
• Better tasting food. Better nourishment for the soil, goes into the plant and ends on our plate, revealing better flavor.
• Much higher nutrition levels (up to 19 times than non-organic).
• Healthier food. Save yourself from all the possible sicknesses and problems that chemicals, hormones and antibiotics might cause. A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that pesticides might cause an extra 4 million cancer cases among Americans. In addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage and genetic mutations. The EPA considers 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides carcinogenic.
• Look for the “9”. The product number on the sticker on the produce has to begin with a 9 if it is organic.
Organic farms are better for the planet:
• Non-organic food farms suffer from the worst soil erosion in history.
• Protect water quality. Ground water is contaminated with pesticides (some cancer causing) in 38 states, the main source of drinking water for more than half of the country’s population.
• Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of the country’s totally energy supply. Organic farming is still based on hard human work, from weeding to green manure and cover crops, instead of synthetic fertilizers.
• Most organic farms today are still small and family owned.
• Support a healthy economy. Even though organic might seem more expensive, in reality, it costs more to produce non-organic food (when you include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and cleanup, and environmental damage including estimated $74 billion annually in federal subsidies).
• Some food is GMO (Genetically modified), i.e. a lab-invented food. Most common GMO food is soy, corn and canola. This food has fewer nutrients, less flavor and is heavily sprayed. A food that is only good to the pocket of its inventors. Buying organic ensures you dot not get GMO food. Anecdote: I went to a big chain supermarket to buy tomatoes. They did not have organic, so I asked the kind employee if he knows how good these tomatoes are. Many times a farm is in process of becoming organic, or does not spray, but is too small to pay for the organic certification. He highly recommended the tomatoes. He said they are great and can last for at least 2 weeks. Hmmm, I thought, how can that be? Ah, he said. They are made with pig genes in them so they can withstand heavy spraying and will not perish easily. So for all of you that eat Kosher or Halal, watch out! You might be a eating a sinful tomato!
For more information visit:
www.ccof.org
www.organic.org
http://www.organicconsumers.org/
Eating organic simply means eating the way nature intended food to be. It is the way the world ate for centuries. The more recent style of production is referred to as "conventional," though organic production has been the convention for a much greater period of time. There was never a need to label food as organic until we stated producing toxic food.
It would make more sense to label food as toxic, including a list of pesticides and other chemicals used to grow the food, rather than need to label normal food as "organic."
When buying organic you make sure that your food does not have enormous amounts of pesticides, has no hormones or antibiotics and is respectful for the earth and environment.
Organic is better for you because you receive:
• Better tasting food. Better nourishment for the soil, goes into the plant and ends on our plate, revealing better flavor.
• Much higher nutrition levels (up to 19 times than non-organic).
• Healthier food. Save yourself from all the possible sicknesses and problems that chemicals, hormones and antibiotics might cause. A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that pesticides might cause an extra 4 million cancer cases among Americans. In addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage and genetic mutations. The EPA considers 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides carcinogenic.
• Look for the “9”. The product number on the sticker on the produce has to begin with a 9 if it is organic.
Organic farms are better for the planet:
• Non-organic food farms suffer from the worst soil erosion in history.
• Protect water quality. Ground water is contaminated with pesticides (some cancer causing) in 38 states, the main source of drinking water for more than half of the country’s population.
• Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of the country’s totally energy supply. Organic farming is still based on hard human work, from weeding to green manure and cover crops, instead of synthetic fertilizers.
• Most organic farms today are still small and family owned.
• Support a healthy economy. Even though organic might seem more expensive, in reality, it costs more to produce non-organic food (when you include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and cleanup, and environmental damage including estimated $74 billion annually in federal subsidies).
• Some food is GMO (Genetically modified), i.e. a lab-invented food. Most common GMO food is soy, corn and canola. This food has fewer nutrients, less flavor and is heavily sprayed. A food that is only good to the pocket of its inventors. Buying organic ensures you dot not get GMO food. Anecdote: I went to a big chain supermarket to buy tomatoes. They did not have organic, so I asked the kind employee if he knows how good these tomatoes are. Many times a farm is in process of becoming organic, or does not spray, but is too small to pay for the organic certification. He highly recommended the tomatoes. He said they are great and can last for at least 2 weeks. Hmmm, I thought, how can that be? Ah, he said. They are made with pig genes in them so they can withstand heavy spraying and will not perish easily. So for all of you that eat Kosher or Halal, watch out! You might be a eating a sinful tomato!
For more information visit:
www.ccof.org
www.organic.org
http://www.organicconsumers.org/
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Backbends – Open Heart
No better time than Thanks Giving to practice back bends. The practice of back bending is very powerful and can lead to more than a beautiful arc in the spine.
When back bends are practiced appropriately we begin our movement with the breath. As we inhale we find greater length in the spine and as we exhale we dive deeper into the pose, beginning the opening with the chest and upper body. This is why so often they are referred to as heart openers. As we go deeper into the pose, we keep the sensation of lengthening and expanding while inhaling and softening and deepening while exhaling. This allows the chest to expand fully and not collapse into the lower back, thus creating more space around the heart and lungs, allowing circulation to flow more freely in that area.
Backbends open the Anahata (heart) chakra, allowing us to experience openness with emotions and relationships. With an open heart, a sense of a wide and vast chest and great lungs we can live life fuller, with less fear and more love and compassion.
Back bends are stimulating and mostly invigorating. They help build energy and strength, especially in the wrists, arms, legs, buttocks and spine while stretching the chest, shoulders, abdomen, hips, and thighs. They relieve stress and fatigue, stimulate the abdominal organs and awaken the Kundalini, increasing the flow of our life force. The nervous system is stimulated, creating heat and increasing metabolism. It helps open the lymph nodes by stretching areas where they are located (chest, armpits and groins).
There are three types of backbends:
•Traction –When the Asana moves with gravity. Muscles in the front of the body keep the body from falling. (Ustrasana or drop backs))
•Leverage – using active strength of arm, legs or a prop (wall) to leverage the asana and stretch the front of the body. (Dhanurasana)
•Contraction – Back muscles (spinal erector muscles) contract to overcome gravity. (Salabasana)
It is helpful to learn to practice these with a good teacher. As to learn how to warm up correctly and what needs to be stretched before we practice different backbends. Some preparation may include shoulder openers, hip openers or even stretching of the quads. Practicing softer backbends, before the deeper ones, a balance of work on those that require wrist strength (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and those that help build it without straining. (Dhanurasana).
When doing traction backbends it is important to keep the hips forward as much as possible. When coming out of traction poses the head is last one to come up.
Just as important is what follows the back bends. Better not to rush into forward bends, but practice some twists and hip openers first. Starting with gentle ones before going deeper into a full Paschimotanasana.
Many more details can be written about alignment and sequencing of backbends. I look to emphasize the heart opening of back bends here, the great possibility they offer to be able to receive fully and give fully.
Namaste and Happy Giving.
When back bends are practiced appropriately we begin our movement with the breath. As we inhale we find greater length in the spine and as we exhale we dive deeper into the pose, beginning the opening with the chest and upper body. This is why so often they are referred to as heart openers. As we go deeper into the pose, we keep the sensation of lengthening and expanding while inhaling and softening and deepening while exhaling. This allows the chest to expand fully and not collapse into the lower back, thus creating more space around the heart and lungs, allowing circulation to flow more freely in that area.
Backbends open the Anahata (heart) chakra, allowing us to experience openness with emotions and relationships. With an open heart, a sense of a wide and vast chest and great lungs we can live life fuller, with less fear and more love and compassion.
Back bends are stimulating and mostly invigorating. They help build energy and strength, especially in the wrists, arms, legs, buttocks and spine while stretching the chest, shoulders, abdomen, hips, and thighs. They relieve stress and fatigue, stimulate the abdominal organs and awaken the Kundalini, increasing the flow of our life force. The nervous system is stimulated, creating heat and increasing metabolism. It helps open the lymph nodes by stretching areas where they are located (chest, armpits and groins).
There are three types of backbends:
•Traction –When the Asana moves with gravity. Muscles in the front of the body keep the body from falling. (Ustrasana or drop backs))
•Leverage – using active strength of arm, legs or a prop (wall) to leverage the asana and stretch the front of the body. (Dhanurasana)
•Contraction – Back muscles (spinal erector muscles) contract to overcome gravity. (Salabasana)
It is helpful to learn to practice these with a good teacher. As to learn how to warm up correctly and what needs to be stretched before we practice different backbends. Some preparation may include shoulder openers, hip openers or even stretching of the quads. Practicing softer backbends, before the deeper ones, a balance of work on those that require wrist strength (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and those that help build it without straining. (Dhanurasana).
When doing traction backbends it is important to keep the hips forward as much as possible. When coming out of traction poses the head is last one to come up.
Just as important is what follows the back bends. Better not to rush into forward bends, but practice some twists and hip openers first. Starting with gentle ones before going deeper into a full Paschimotanasana.
Many more details can be written about alignment and sequencing of backbends. I look to emphasize the heart opening of back bends here, the great possibility they offer to be able to receive fully and give fully.
Namaste and Happy Giving.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Is yoga about the perfect pose?
Just in case you thought that you need to look like the Yoga Journal cover, watch this video of a behind the scenes Yoga Journal Photo shoot.
http://www.yogajournal.com/video/11
It is important to remember that yoga, as we know it today, with such emphasis on Asana, on poses, is relatively a new phenomenon.
Yoga Asana as it has been practiced for thousands of years is mostly about taking a seat in lotus position to meditate. In the early 1900s more elaborate poses have developed, and thanks to Krishnamacharya, many of these poses have started to become more popular, through him, and then some of his students like BKS Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois and his son Desikachar.
Even these poses from India have gone through further transformation, as teachers in the west brought in their skills, from dance, gymnastics, martial arts or other personal preferences.
All this is wonderful as nothing is static, surely not yoga. The teachings are alive and keep transforming. However, looking at the original goal of yoga, of union of mind body and soul, or finding freedom, developing ease in posture, and ceasing the fluctuations of the mind, it is important that we observe what and how we practice.
I love doing fancy poses, inversions are empowering and arm balances are just great fun. Asana, and creative poses are fun and healthy as long as we take them for what they are.
Yoga is not a fashion show. We do not need to look like a cover model of Yoga Journal, nor do the models themselves look like that in everyday life.
The beauty of yoga Journal and the way it presents poses and yoga is a great inspiration. A way to see how a “perfect” pose would look like. Then, it is important for us to take that and find how it can be perfect for OUR body. For our body in that specific time and place, as every day we might be different.
Practice with acceptance, with inspiration to keep learning and developing, and with gratitude to wherever you are right now. That is the only place you can truly be.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Fresh and Healthy: How to choose the freshest fruit and veggies?
- Buy Local. The food did not need to be transported and so there is a better chance it was picked ripe, that it has less waxing and coatings, and less energy was wasted in bringing it to you. Check the sticker on the fruit to see where it's from.
- Buy organic, get it the real way, the way nature planned it. The sticker on the fruits and vegetables will have a number. If it starts with a 9, you’re good to go. 9 means organic.
- Buy in season. Some of the health boosters now in season are blueberries, cherries, garlic, asparagus and watermelon.
- Go to farmers market to get the produce directly from the source. To find out where there is a farmers market near you check Local Harvest.
- Check if it is ripe. Fruit that has been ripen on the tree tastes better and has more nutrients.
- Tap on your watermelon with your hand, a deep hollow sound gives an indication of ripeness and sweetness.
- Take a look: greens should look vibrant and alive, if they have started to yellow or wilt, move on.
- For other veggies, see that they are firm but not too hard, you want them to appear vibrant and appetizing. No signs of discoloration or mold.
- With Garlic you can check the bottom to see if it looks clean or if some black mold has started to grow, Onions should have no smell.
Bottom Line: if it looks great, looks fresh and appetizing and is organic you’re good. (Some non-organic produce looks good because of chemicals or genetically modified genes, but tastes like nothing and has little nutrients). Coming soon, an article about organic. Keep it real!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Have a good nothing!
“Have a good nothing” Debbie wished Gil, and I wished him the same. “Have a good nothing” he replied.
“Now that my diet is so much better and that I exercise more, sleep is my next issue. I tend to wake up at night and just go into thoughts, planning or thinking of clients and their needs.” Gil was telling me.
Meditation was the first option I offered. Meditation is simply training the mind. Sitting still, doing nothing, allowing the awareness to drop to the belly as we follow the breath, in and out, in and out…
Like our legs; when we go to sleep we want them to be still and rest, no need for them to move. The same goes for our eyes or ears, but what about the mind? Why is it so hard to just switch off the mind? A good night sleep is a night of rest, a night where all functions of the body except for the autonomous (like the heart or breath) are resting. That includes our digestion system and our mind.
Gil seemed to be ok with the idea of meditating and was willing to give it a try. “It will be hard to fit it in my schedule” was his first reply. Since his mind is a very strong one, and since he has the capability of taking decisions and following them through, he decided to convince his mind that there is no need for it to do anything during the night. It can all wait for the next day. Simply do nothing. Indeed, doing nothing is the hardest thing for most people in the west. Yet doing nothing is really the ultimate rest.
“ This is your vacation time”, Gil told his mind before he went to bed, “ A time to have a good nothing”.
Another option I offered a friend was to breath slowly and deeply, fully bringing the awareness to the breath. If needed, counting the breath, the slow rhythm and the calming effect of the breath work to allow surrender.
Last night, as Debbie woke up at 3:00am and was about to use the restroom as she normally does, she was more aware of her pattern, and realized she did not really need to go, and staying in bed was already better, as she did not fully awake from getting up and using the toilet. She lay in bed and as thoughts were coming in, she told her mind sharply “Don’t think!” She had the habit of planning her day at that time, but by the time morning rolled in she was too tired to start the day.
This time she managed to go back to sleep and wake up much happier. Sleeping, like Savasana in Yoga is a place to have a good nothing. A place to surrender and just allow deep relaxation.
So from now on, I wish you all “ have a good nothing!
“Now that my diet is so much better and that I exercise more, sleep is my next issue. I tend to wake up at night and just go into thoughts, planning or thinking of clients and their needs.” Gil was telling me.
Meditation was the first option I offered. Meditation is simply training the mind. Sitting still, doing nothing, allowing the awareness to drop to the belly as we follow the breath, in and out, in and out…
Like our legs; when we go to sleep we want them to be still and rest, no need for them to move. The same goes for our eyes or ears, but what about the mind? Why is it so hard to just switch off the mind? A good night sleep is a night of rest, a night where all functions of the body except for the autonomous (like the heart or breath) are resting. That includes our digestion system and our mind.
Gil seemed to be ok with the idea of meditating and was willing to give it a try. “It will be hard to fit it in my schedule” was his first reply. Since his mind is a very strong one, and since he has the capability of taking decisions and following them through, he decided to convince his mind that there is no need for it to do anything during the night. It can all wait for the next day. Simply do nothing. Indeed, doing nothing is the hardest thing for most people in the west. Yet doing nothing is really the ultimate rest.
“ This is your vacation time”, Gil told his mind before he went to bed, “ A time to have a good nothing”.
Another option I offered a friend was to breath slowly and deeply, fully bringing the awareness to the breath. If needed, counting the breath, the slow rhythm and the calming effect of the breath work to allow surrender.
Last night, as Debbie woke up at 3:00am and was about to use the restroom as she normally does, she was more aware of her pattern, and realized she did not really need to go, and staying in bed was already better, as she did not fully awake from getting up and using the toilet. She lay in bed and as thoughts were coming in, she told her mind sharply “Don’t think!” She had the habit of planning her day at that time, but by the time morning rolled in she was too tired to start the day.
This time she managed to go back to sleep and wake up much happier. Sleeping, like Savasana in Yoga is a place to have a good nothing. A place to surrender and just allow deep relaxation.
So from now on, I wish you all “ have a good nothing!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Being Ethical
After a nice dinner of falafel with tahini, and a huge salad the conversation drifted to economy and the stock market. I shifted to reading my book about Mao. When I hear discussions about corporations, the stock market or global economies, I seem to get personally offended as the protector of the poor. I learned it is best for me to shy away. Yet when the talk drifted to ethics, I could not resist and returned to the table with an excuse of getting a cherry.
What makes a stockbroker ethical? How are work ethics kept by a professor that has received tenure? What about the guest at the hotel that does not pay bills, should he use unlimited water? He did pay a high price for the room…
Gil described the laws that are there to keep the brokers ethical, and said that the main thing is to always put the clients’ interests first. This is when I could not help myself and jumped in “so if my client’s interest is to make money, I can invest his money anywhere as long as I make money for him, even if I know that I’m investing in companies that are destroying the planet?”
“What is ethics?” Brian kept asking. “It is not something we can talk about. We cannot judge ethics by the action. People tried to define this for centuries and it is very hard to put in words.” “It is the intention that counts “Sonya added. “But how can we know what the true intention of the person is? “ Asked Brian.
Indeed the intention is crucial and that is why we have courts, to know the facts and as much as possible motives and thoughts beyond the actions.
Again an example of people acting in a way that seems unethical was brought up. Seems like each person around the table had an example that bothered them. Maybe this is why this keeps coming up around the world. Reading about Mao surely makes me wonder. How can someone so unethical manage to become such a figure in controlling so many others?
Self-responsibility I said. I believe that we all know what the right thing to do at every moment is. If we look inside we know what would be best for the person involved, for society, for the planet…it is not a calculated knowledge, rather more of an instinct. First, knowing that what I think, speak or do will not harm anyone or anything, and then seeing the best interest of the other.
This summery of mine was mostly accepted yet it received some criticism that it cannot be implemented.
How does one become self-responsible? What is the motivation behind being self-responsible? Why not take care only of myself?
When thinking of how I came to act the way I act I realized that it was through education and life experience (and inherent nature?). I feel calm and true to myself so long as I know I have truly done my best with out being selfish.
Some education was from school and parents, but what always stuck with me was the saying, “Do unto others as you would want done to you.” So if I am teaching a Yoga class and I have done my duties of teaching and adjusting, but have a few extra moments to help one more student, knowing that they would like to receive the extra help (even if they do not expect it), I will take the extra effort and be of service beyond what is required. Sometimes just lending an ear, or noticing who might appreciate a hand, and being there quietly, as service, as a friend.
Education includes also self-education, sitting in meditation and asking tough questions, such as “who am I?” or “why do I do what I do?” Education served as a means to introduce the importance of caring, the significance of nature and humans. Life experience, one of my biggest teachers, included travel, meeting people from other cultures, befriending “enemies” and the choice of friends I made. Seeing the humanness in everyone, understanding the vulnerability of others and knowing where true happiness comes from help carry out a life of awareness.
Gil was happy with the solution of education yet insisted that all other measures of law and enforcement are to still be around till most humans can really act that way. At least it serves as prevention for bad ethics.
So I urge each and every one of us to be SELF RESPONSIBLE, not to look at what others do or don’t, not to search for blame or excuses, not to compare, but to do our best to be the best we can for one another. This will ultimately be very self-rewarding.
As Socrates said: “The truly wise man will know what is right, do what is good and therefore be happy” (Sahakian, William S. & Sahakian, Mabel Lewis. Ideas of the Great Philosophers. pp 32-33)
Please leave your comments below, share your ideas for how we can become Self Responsible and how can we pass this on to others without force? Why do you care?
What makes a stockbroker ethical? How are work ethics kept by a professor that has received tenure? What about the guest at the hotel that does not pay bills, should he use unlimited water? He did pay a high price for the room…
Gil described the laws that are there to keep the brokers ethical, and said that the main thing is to always put the clients’ interests first. This is when I could not help myself and jumped in “so if my client’s interest is to make money, I can invest his money anywhere as long as I make money for him, even if I know that I’m investing in companies that are destroying the planet?”
“What is ethics?” Brian kept asking. “It is not something we can talk about. We cannot judge ethics by the action. People tried to define this for centuries and it is very hard to put in words.” “It is the intention that counts “Sonya added. “But how can we know what the true intention of the person is? “ Asked Brian.
Indeed the intention is crucial and that is why we have courts, to know the facts and as much as possible motives and thoughts beyond the actions.
Again an example of people acting in a way that seems unethical was brought up. Seems like each person around the table had an example that bothered them. Maybe this is why this keeps coming up around the world. Reading about Mao surely makes me wonder. How can someone so unethical manage to become such a figure in controlling so many others?
Self-responsibility I said. I believe that we all know what the right thing to do at every moment is. If we look inside we know what would be best for the person involved, for society, for the planet…it is not a calculated knowledge, rather more of an instinct. First, knowing that what I think, speak or do will not harm anyone or anything, and then seeing the best interest of the other.
This summery of mine was mostly accepted yet it received some criticism that it cannot be implemented.
How does one become self-responsible? What is the motivation behind being self-responsible? Why not take care only of myself?
When thinking of how I came to act the way I act I realized that it was through education and life experience (and inherent nature?). I feel calm and true to myself so long as I know I have truly done my best with out being selfish.
Some education was from school and parents, but what always stuck with me was the saying, “Do unto others as you would want done to you.” So if I am teaching a Yoga class and I have done my duties of teaching and adjusting, but have a few extra moments to help one more student, knowing that they would like to receive the extra help (even if they do not expect it), I will take the extra effort and be of service beyond what is required. Sometimes just lending an ear, or noticing who might appreciate a hand, and being there quietly, as service, as a friend.
Education includes also self-education, sitting in meditation and asking tough questions, such as “who am I?” or “why do I do what I do?” Education served as a means to introduce the importance of caring, the significance of nature and humans. Life experience, one of my biggest teachers, included travel, meeting people from other cultures, befriending “enemies” and the choice of friends I made. Seeing the humanness in everyone, understanding the vulnerability of others and knowing where true happiness comes from help carry out a life of awareness.
Gil was happy with the solution of education yet insisted that all other measures of law and enforcement are to still be around till most humans can really act that way. At least it serves as prevention for bad ethics.
So I urge each and every one of us to be SELF RESPONSIBLE, not to look at what others do or don’t, not to search for blame or excuses, not to compare, but to do our best to be the best we can for one another. This will ultimately be very self-rewarding.
As Socrates said: “The truly wise man will know what is right, do what is good and therefore be happy” (Sahakian, William S. & Sahakian, Mabel Lewis. Ideas of the Great Philosophers. pp 32-33)
Please leave your comments below, share your ideas for how we can become Self Responsible and how can we pass this on to others without force? Why do you care?
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