Brotherhood

This morning, sitting by the warm fire and enjoying the cool Pacific breeze, I looked at the promotional poster for a special event next week. Jeffery Armstrong, a dear friend and fellow traveler on the path of wholeness, has just written a book called The Spiritual Teaching of the Avatar. The launch is only one week away, and I am so excited for him.

What came to mind as I looked at the poster was the word "brotherhood", which has been an important theme running throughout my life. I was the oldest child and only male in my family, and although growing up with two sisters allowed me to learn plenty about the feminine side of life, I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother. Then, during my time as a monk, I began to experience the importance of having close male friends. I relished it, and for the past forty years I have known the joy of having authentic and intimate (in-to-me-see) relationships with men. Presently, I have eight (Jeffery makes nine) very important males who are a part of my fellowship. Each one holds a special place in my life and all of them are yogis!

My brotherhood includes: Lee, an Assistant VP of Real Estate Development; Sid, an award winning television director; , Fred, a dentist; , Allan a therapist, Jack, a businessman, Maurice, a government employee, Stephen, a theater design consultant; , and Mel, a business consultant. Some of them are quiet and understated, others are gregarious, but all of them possess the highest degree of emotional availability. We share the sorrows, joys, concerns and bliss of life, and each of us possess qualities that balance and compliment each other. And we all love life to the fullest, which means humor is always high on our priority list.

Now let me tell you a little bit about Jeffery. The very first time I met him I knew I was meeting an old friend, someone who I soon learned had been traveling the same path as I, and for just as long. Only three years my elder, we have some remarkable similarities.

We met last September upon the urging of Gabrielle, a lovely woman who studies and practices Chinese medicine. She escorted me to his weekly class, and as I walked up to the doorway of his home, we both immediately recognized each other. A heart-felt hug was the precursor to a wonderful Wednesday evening, and even though i have met and studied with many amazing yogis and spiritual teachers over the past forty years, his class on the Baghavad Gita was by far the most spectacular I had ever experienced. He shared wisdom with humility and humor (a combination I think is essential in any teacher), and I was impressed by the fact that he was living his life in accordance with the very same principles that have defined mine.

It turns out that we both have spent the last four decades dedicated to the study of Vedic knowledge. An ancient set of scriptures, the Vedas offer a road map of how to live in complete harmony with our body and mind, our dear mother earth, and all sentient beings. Not only did we have this in common, but we were also both altar boys, joined ROTC during college, directed an international spiritual organization, had taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in the Holy Order of Sanyas, and ultimately decided to leave our vows in order to pursue our life’s calling. For both of us that meant dedicating our life to service, which is called seva in Sanskrit. Every one in my brotherhood lives in accordance with this principle, and we believe that a healthier planet with joyful inhabitants is a win-win for everyone.

So, right here in Vancouver, I have found a yogi brother who has spent the last forty years studying, practicing and teaching yoga. He is also a poet of extraordinary talent, and I feel fortunate to know Jeffery. A good friend is one who inspires you to be a more loving individual and a more productive member of society, all the members of my brotherhood do that for me. ALthough Jeffery is the newest member of a group of conscious and loving men, all of whom are both insightful and inspirational, it gives my heart such delight to know we are now together once again. Our connection also has allowed us to hang out with other powerful men:

Jeffrey and me with Deepak Chopra

I am blessed to know these men, and I am thankful for the strength and balance they add to my life.

Postscript: On Monday June 29th Jeffery Armstrong's The Spiritual Teaching of the Avatar will be presented to the world. I predict that the book will offer important lessons for everyone who wants to be a part of the healing process for our planet. Check him out!

http://www.jeffreyarmstrong.com/

Celebrating Our Anniversary (a letter to Radha)

Dear Radha,

I’m so thrilled that on June 18th we will be married for thirty-four years. For over three decades you have been putting up with my craziness, and I love you so much more than the first day we met, more than the day we got married barefooted and cross-legged in front of more than one hundred twenty smiling faces, and even more than when we celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary with a candle light Indian meal around our pool in Florida.

traditional Canadian wedding cake, 1977
(dried fruit and cream cheese)

I love you more because you have helped me to know myself better, and it was this that spoke to me when we first met. I was a struggling Swami trying to find out who I was and where I was going in my life. I read our vows the other day, to love and serve humanity, and I was pleasantly surprised to realize how we have kept true to them after all these years. How fortunate we are to have realized so young that our happiness and success would hinge on serving and loving others.

I know you will remember the eight foot pillar standing in the gardens at Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh, India. In front of the Himalayan backdrop,we stood appreciating that they had our vows etched in stone for all to read: Serve, love, meditate and realize (our true loving nature).

And sweetie, looking back I realize that through all the difficult and challenging times those vows kept us on course. I’m so thankful to all our teachers, but especially Swami Satchidananda and Ron Kurtz. And let’s not forget our crazy meditation teacher in India. All three were major influences on us and had a huge impact on our understanding of Yoga, meditation, and body-centered psychotherapy.

Serve. Love. Meditate. Realize.

Swami Satchidananda initiated us both into the importance of calming the mind, connecting to our center, and serving humanity as a path to wholeness. Ron taught me Hakomi Therapy (a Hopi word meaning how do you stand in the many realms). It was his influence that permitted us to see how the body and mind can be used to process emotional trauma while learning how to be comfortable within ourselves.

Hakomi training, 1981

The crazy Swami taught us how to meditate.

in Montreal with the crazy Swami, 1984

After spending three months, over sixteen years, living in our tiny apartment in the Himalayas we learned how to connect and live our life from the purest place beyond the mind.

We're returning this October!

These three teachers enabled us to bridged the gap between the emotional processing of psychotherapy with the powerful spiritual teaching found in yoga and meditation. They taught us to integrate the most functional aspects of east and west.

There were other teachers as well, but it was these three that enabled us to integrate and live the holistically focused life that defines who we are. Spending time with them taught us many powerful tools that have enabled us to deal with all those challenging situations in our life with integrity, honesty and compassion.

As our anniversary grows near I celebrate the fullness of life with you. I could never imagine doing it without you.

- Gary

Heather's Kale Dressing

I love Sunday mornings. All the Saturday night party people are still asleep, the streets are quiet, and it's a lazy, slow start to our Spa Day. Gary came up with the name when we decided to start scheduling time for us, a day set aside where we can flow with whatever opportunities, relaxations, and excitements present themselves – spontaneous meditations, bike rides, walks along the beach, lattes and croissants at the new French bakery on Broadway.

When we're in Vancouver, our Spa Day usually includes a trip to the Kitslano Green Market. Musicians and face painters create the perfect atmosphere, and we love to see local vendors selling their organic produce, flowers and plants, pies, bread and eggs.

a typical joyful Sunday morning at the farmer's market

I love the accordion, talk about coordination...

Our favorite is the buckwheat crepe gypsy wagon!!!

This week I bought a bag of greens called "Farmers' Blend". They are so tender in the early spring and include a mixture of various kales, chard, mizuna, and flowering brassica tips – not to mention whatever else "jumps into our picking baskets!"

A recipe for "Heather's Kale Dressing" is included on the label, which I've made many times and always gets rave reviews. It's easily modified to suit individual taste and adapts effortlessly to any meal. Try it and let me know what you think.

Heather's Kale Dressing

1 part soy sauce/tamari
5 parts vegetable oil (I use canola)
several gloves of crushed garlic
chopped chives and/or ginger
add some toasted sesame oil
sesame, cumin, and/or poppy seeds

1) Heat the canola oil and throw in the garlic/ginger with the seeds.
2) Before they turn brown, remove from heat.
3) Add tamari, sesame oil and chives.

The recipe on the label doesn't call for any heating, so you decide. In either case, it keeps well in the fridge for several weeks.

Bon appetit!