Tag Archives: Dr. Seuss

TRUTH is the WORD

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Inspired by Yoga Sutra 1.48: ritambhara tatra prajna

Dr. Seuss teaches truth
From his Fountain of Youth
Where wisdom is truthful
And truthful is couth.

“Today you are You,
That is truer than true.
There is no one alive
Who is Youer than You.”

Patanjali teaches truthta
In his book full of sutra
Chapter one: forty-eight
ritambhara tatra prajna

We take out the trash
That we’ve stitched and we’ve stashed
That covers our wisdom
And nishes our nash.

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Exhale low belly

To move toward that state
Stretch your arms out straight
Inhale, touch thumbs overhead
Exhale, flap to sides straight

Flap like a bird
Truth is the word
Each breath in think truth
Each breath out think word

3 minutes to flap
Let falsities unwrap
Take a full breath inside
Exhale yip or a yap.

Close your eyes to see
{Between eyebrows is key}
What truth is now revealed
That can set you free…

Sweeping Breath-Seuss Style (Siva Sutra 1.2 jnānam bandhaḥ)

sweep-the-spine

sweep-the-spineBondage and ignorance and limitation!
Oh my!
We contract like a sneeze~
You want to know why?
These are the roots of our issues,
You see~
Unworthiness, insecurity, feeling un-free.

These deep darkened roots,
known as Anava Mala,
cloak our awareness
like pollen all upon ‘ya.

This pollen of unworthiness
Helps us forget~
How miraculous we are~
We recoil ~we regret.

We regret and we doubt.
We feel separate and small.
Our pimples and frizzes
Keep us enthralled.

How, do we, how do we
How DO we re-remember?
Our goodness, our freedom
From here to September?

Good question, my dear!
So at your request~
I’ll teach you the tools
To elevate your quest!

Your breath is the broom
that sweeps away pollen,
Shines light on the ignorance
Which is hidden and smallen.

Sit tall, close your eyes,
Tune into your spine.
Inhale your breath
Down the left side line

Sweep your breath out~
On the same side,
From bottom to top~
Deep inside.

Sweep your breath in,
Down the right side this time.
Get real close and real low~
To release dust and grime.

Sweep your breath out~
From bottom to top.
Keep sweeping your spine~
No reason to stop!

No reason to stop~
Till you feel lighter and free!
Relieved of unworthy
Pollen and debris.

The pollen of ignorance~
And debris of limitation~
Can be swept to the surface
For expansive illumination.

Each time we remember,
We grow and expand~
We become more real!
And that is quite grand!.

Seuss Sutra 1-1: Big Picture Play of Consciousness

Cat-In-The-Hat

Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun
But you have to know how.

The enlightened sage, Dr. Seuss, in the revered text The Cat and The Hat, teaches us how to tune into our Highest Self, listen to our small, limited, fears and even invite them out to play with each other. My intention and desire is for us to value and understand this text in the highest spiritual sense. May this process lead us to a higher capacity for insight, for revelation, for learning at a deeper level, so clarity about our Self become possible.

Cat in the Hat begins on a cold and wet day at the house of two sad children stuck inside with nothing to do, until the Cat in a Hat shows up, transforming the dull day into an adventure. As he steps in on the mat, we can relate the action metaphorically to Yoga Sutra 1.1. Now, the teachings of yoga. As he begins to express his philosophy to the children, their pet fish begins to express his hesitation and fears. The Cat reassures him with a simple “Now! Now!” That answer is an important teaching in the whole text, because it teaches us to let go of our old social order, and enter the present, which is new. “Now” in Sanskrit is “atha”, signaling the value of what you are about to dive into. “Atha” is also the first spoken word of Yoga Sutra 1.1, its entirety being~

1.1 Ātha Yogānuśāsanam The teachings of yoga, have been presented. You don’t need to wait until the sun comes out, an authority figure is watching, or your fear is gone. All that it (Yoga) requires of you is a YES. In essence, then, The Cat in the Hat, just like Patanjali ,is telling his students to get ready to receive the knowledge on the subject of “yoga”.

The fish in the tiny bowl represents our limited, concealed self, and our karma mala. He is fear, limiting our ability to act. The cat is a wise trickster. He questions authority, encourages enthusiasm, seeks new experiences, while destroying our old way of thinking. He is our Big-Picture Play of Consciousness. He is our Highest Self.  Your higher self is consciousness. Your higher self is the real you. Your higher self is the more complete you.

Shiva Sutra 1-1 Chaitanyam ātmā. Consciousness is the self.

The children were still able to recognize, the fish’s concern. Fear is natural; it’s an adaptive instinct. Don’t try to squelch it down or ignore it. Without fear, we wouldn’t have courage. Without courage we wouldn’t be brave. The Cat in the Hat was able to listen to the fish, listen to his fears, and playfully act upon them.
“Have no fear!” said the cat
“I will not let you fall
I will hold you up high…”

Introducing three Tricks to greet your Higher Consciousness (HC)…ie Cat in the Hat  and Small Fish (SF)  i.e Karma Mala, Fear.

1.Listen

Close your eyes. Breathe in through your heart and out through your third eye. Continue to follow your breath. Listen to your heart. Sometimes HC sounds like the whisper of a wise old man. Sometimes HC sounds like a voice you recognize that is playful, friendly, and compassionate.
The voice of your SF is usually scared or angry. It’s probably much louder.

2. Look

Invite C to sit with you and have a conversation. Ask questions. When the answers sound wiser or more knowledgeable than usual, you’re probably talking to your C. Just keep talking to this manifestation of your higher self until it feels like you’re talking to someone else and the answers you’re getting don’t seem like they’re coming from your own head. What does C look like? Invite F to the table as well. What do you see?

3. Feel

The cat in the hat starts at your spine and goes up to the crown of your head and beyond! Feel your cat getting taller with each breath.

Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!

Root your left sitting bone to your left heel and your right sitting bone to your right heel. Thing 1 begins in the lowest part of your left belly. Thing two resides in the lowest part of your right belly. Lift Thing one and Thing Two, both lowest bellies, up like a kite. Most everything conspires to drop low abs. The trick is to keep lifting thing one and thing two) The game is don’t spill energy, must be a conscious effort to Feel!

A Thing is defined as some entity, object, or creature that is not or cannot be specifically designated or precisely described: anything that is or may become an object of thought: things of the spirit.
things, matters; affairs: a fact, circumstance, or state of affairs so the trick is to LIFT Your Things! Lift your entity, being, matter, act, deed, event, material object, body, being, assembly, council, suit, matter, suit, plea, concern while keeping your sitting bones rooted to your heels. Try this in different shapes~standing, forward folds, backbends, twists, supine..Notice the difference.

Reponses received from kids~
“Thing 1 and Thing 2 teach me I can do it!” Ella, age 7
“My little baby tiny weeny self is in my head. My Huge, humungous ,, big giant Self is in my heart and body.” Claire, age 9
“My High Cat knows I can do big things” Madeline, age 5
“My Highest Self stands up for the world. My small Fish gets angry at myself and others.” Lauren, age 6
“My High Self is beautiful and colorful.” Emily, age 6
“My Highest Self tells me my gift is seeing the future in my sleep.” Hunter, age 7
“My Fear is in my foot. My Highest Self is upside down now. It’s telling me to pay attention.” Dodge, age 9
“Higher Self is standing up for myself. My Little Self is always looking around at others.” Amelia, age 8
“My Fear is sliding down a pole. I see that picture (of the pole) any time I get scared.” Sarah, age 9
Once you’ve tuned in to your C, you’ll be able to get some key information about why you’re here and where you should go, and who you should go with. Your C is watching over you and helping to steer you in the highest direction. This playful practice is for each one of us to embody the deep empowerment, the authenticity, and the fullness of who we are.
Please share how it goes. Now~ You’ve got to have fun, but you have to know HOW!

A Poem of Wacky, Wonderful Noises While Clawing The Mat, CAT!

sounds

soundsIn celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday we learned how to work our feet and our hands.  Just as Suess’ Mr. Brown Can Moo!, Mrs. Cat can MEOW!   In “Mrs. Cat Can Meow! Can You?”  A Poem of Wacky, Wonderful Noises – While Clawing the Mat we allowed our inner animal out on the mat while paying close attention to our hands and feet. Are they wacky?  Are they flat?  Are they clawing the mat?  When practicing this wacky flow while making Suesserrific noises you too will learn the importance of clawing the mat.  In playing “Stop Foot, Go” (a zany spin on the all time favorite game, Musical Chairs) and studying the 4 corners of our feet we checked on our left foot and our right foot making sure they were fuzzy fur feet.  While “Roaring”, “split – splatting” and “meowing” along with Mrs. Cat we learned that when our four paws are aligned we feel more steady, more grounded, and in balance with the universe.

Zip the Lip…Potato Chip!

OompaLoompa

Often people tend to pull us into their drama. Our awareness can get overwhelmed. What if we allow them time for self-correction? What if we don’t always comment about what we are critical of? What if we focus in a positive way and offer love with enthusiasm?

I invite you to practice the zip mantra (influenced by the brilliant Paul Muller-Ortega ) on your mat space as well as in your life space. Do tell us how it goes!