The older I get the more I feel the need to be philosophical about life. I read this book a while ago called Dharma Punx, I know I've spoken of it on here before. If you haven't read it you really should.

It's an autobiography of a man named Noah Levine (the son of the esteemed Stephen Levine).

The book was lent to me by a fellow yogini who also comes from a punk rock background. She read it in her down time during an immersion with Sienna Sherman. (an amazing yogini who I hope to one day study under - even for a weekend). The funny thing about the book is that while my friend sat reading it in the lobby of the hotel she was staying at, a man behind the desk saw it and stopped her. "I just finished Dharma Punx." he told her. "It was amazing." He wanted her to come and find him when she was done so they could discuss it.

When I read it I remember tearing through it in about a day and then realized the end was near so I slowed down in order to savor it.

I felt as if Noah Levine had sat down with pen and paper and thought, "There is this chick in Ohio that needs to read this."

I still feel that way.

I found a copy of it after returning my friends and now it sits on my bedside table. Once a week I open it and read a random chapter. His voice still calms me. His words still coax me into wanting to better myself. His life made me change mine into the woman I'm still turning into.

Now, as many of you know I'm addicted to Twitter. It's a sad addiction, but I've had worse ones in my time - so I won't complain. I mean, I recently had a conversation about information and what is too much (that's the short version - for a longer one read here) and Twitter can very easily force you into some weird void filled with others opinions so much so you're so inundated with random facts you can't hear your own voice for the thousands on there just giving shout outs.
But still, it's how I start my day. Some read the paper, others watch local/national news, I turn on my iPhone and tap my trusty TwitBird app and get to getting on Twitter.

Twitter is like the biggest word Flea Market you'll ever find - and just like an oversized Flea Market, you need to be patient because the gem you're looking for may be 242 tweets deep.

I found this tweet that read "Officially writing the entry about my visit to the Dharma Punx chapter this Sunday. It won't be as long as usual, though: didn't take notes." (@churchgoingblog) - this intrigued me. To me I hear Dharma Punx and I think of Noah and his book - what does he mean "chapter"? (and to be honest - Church Going Blog?? My whole 'Anti-Conformed Religion' self gets in a tizzy just reading those words - I know. WAY to battle ignorance... not proud of the reaction - but I'm happy because I kept going)

I find this blog: Church Going by a man who simply goes by "CJ"- I mean, the tweet said he'd have his post up on Sunday, I found it Monday - tell me about these Punx!

I like his blog. He's stats himself as an atheist - so what's all this "church" talk? He decided to find out what all the hubbub was about - you know, all these people saying "My Gods better than your God!" [OK, so that's MY opinion on conformed religion - for his just check out the blog. He has a FAQs section about why he's doing what he'd doing]

What I learn is that in Santa Cruz - where Noah Levine was partially raised - there is a group of old punk rockers who started a chapter of Dharma Punx who meditate weekly. I love this! This is awesome to me!!

Meditation is such a wonderful thing. I get so far inside my own head that the only thing that can clear it out is me listening to me. When I don't meditate it's bad - and I get crazy and I can't sleep. I lose weight, I get mad ALL THE TIME and I hate myself - thus I make really crappy choices and usually degraded myself and convince myself that I'm only worth what little I can think of and assume I deserve to be unhappy.

Screwed up isn't it?

Our world is screwed up anymore. The economy is in the toilet. We have overly rich crazy people starting to political parties because they don't feel there is proper representation for them (??). Earthquakes are the new "hot topic" on every news station you can touch (suddenly plane crashes are SO '09). Our President (who has only been in office for a year and a half) is expected to clean up 8 years of crap in two days and since he hasn't, people are wagging their fingers and calling him the anti-christ. There are riots in Greece. Fake car bombs in NYC. Volcanic ash in Europe.
Political figures are dying in plane crashes, falling over from heart attacks, quitting, getting reinstated.
Sports figures are attempting to rape anything that walks by... (Suddenly Tiger Woods doesn't seem that bad)
Men are trapped and dying in mines.
The Japanese are randomly slaughtering dolphins for sport.
School systems are failing.
The unemployment rate is climbing.
The foreclosure rate is climbing.
Suicide rate is climbing.

And what am I obsessing about? Me. Lame.


As I said in the very beginning of this post, I've been feeling very philosophical lately so here you go:

Life is like a batting cage. There you are covered in pads and helmets that don't quite fit you and this thing (life) is shooting balls at your face.

You have a few choices: -> Get hit.  -> Duck.  -> Swing.

You've gotta figure out what works for you, because no matter how bad you have it, someone else has it worse. Ask questions. Figure out who the right you is, and once a day just sit down for ten minutes - close your eyes and watch your breath.

Every time one of those balls comes at you - notice it, think of your breath and just let it go. And don't ever think that the things that have happened to you aren't important... you never know. There may be some chick in Ohio who needs to hear your voice.

My rest is up. Time to get swinging!
~Saprema