2005..Yin or Yang?

[andybuildz]

With the year 2005 coming to a close I sit in a quite space and think back for a bit...
What was my favorite movie...lol...no really...c'mon, lighten up . Whadya want me to think about...the war in Iraq? OK, that too.

So what WAS one of your favorite movies? Mine was Broken Flowers. Bill Murry was incredable in it. Made to order part for him.
I heard so many people ask what kind of ending was that. To me it was the perfect ending. Realistic!
I also liked "The History of Violence". Completely unrealistic yet so well done that all the violence and surrealism became more of "food for thought" than what you actually witnessed. I thought it was brilliant.
Actually it made me think about the way people see the facades rather than the substance or about how folks take things so literally. For example. I'm starting back with macrobiotics after a 28 year sabatical...I know I know,,,so sue me..lol. Lots gone down in those 28ish years. I may have just needed that lil' space to grow some more character in. Anyway...I'm reading some books I just bought and the one I'm finishing up called, "Food Coverns Your Destiny", Mizuno speaks alot about "income" and I just KNOW so many people think he's speaking from a materialistic point of view. Taking the word income literally rather than seeing it as "what comes in" to your life.
It is true he seems to me to be sort of chauvanistic but we are talking a few hundred centuries ago give or take a decade or three...and who knows what he went through concerning his early childhood or whatever. You know what I mean. Some things need overlooking or looking past to see the trees through the forest.
Same with Macrobiotics. I read some questions in this and other sites concerning "exactly" what one is allowed to eat or should not eat but to me...thats the beauty of Macrobiotics and of life...Its all about being honest with yourself. About recognizing where you are at this moment and where you've been...and presenting that to yourself as a sort of map to help you on the journey of "where you're going".
Anyway...sorry, I get caught up in thought sometimes. I need to sit more and meditate.
So your favorite movie...what was it?
Your favorite book?
I loved Ram Dass's lil' book of quotes. Maybe not my favorite book of 05 but sure is inspiring...and his book about Neem Karoli Baba...the title slips my mind...sorry.
Whats your favorite music of 05?
I had the good fortune to get to see CREAM at Madison Square Garden. Great seats too...I thought the show SUCKED! LOL. Can't believe how much they charged and what people paid to see a geriatric band playing to a yuppie crowd...I know I know...I was there too...tee hee. Hey, at least eric has done a lot of good in his life like getting "The Crossroads" started in Antigua. I know its a great place...I attended that too in May 05. Needed to undo a drinking habit I'd been carrying around with me for far too long. Is drinking Chardonney yin or yang....hmmm.

And who was your favorite president of....ok ok...forget that one.

What wers some of your most inspirational times of 05 and some of your best cross off the personal list and put on your personal list of 05.
and last but certainly not least...any New Years Resolutions?
Mines to bring in the new year with the ten day rice diet and continue on the macro journey.
Be WELL all and have a happy and healthy new year
Namaste'
andy in New York

[Klara]

Welcome back to the mb journey, Andy. I look forward to reading a post of yours in 10 days time and seeing how it will be different - not how the 10 days went, but how you will be writing then.

Enjoy the rice.

Klara

[andybuildz]

Originally Posted by Klara

Welcome back to the mb journey, Andy. I look forward to reading a post of yours in 10 days time and seeing how it will be different - not how the 10 days went, but how you will be writing then.

Enjoy the rice.

Klara

Klara,
My penmanship I'm sure will be just as illedgeable...lol.
As far as cooking rice goes...well, I'm going on my third day and feel like quite the brown rice cook/expert.
Lets see...what will I have for lunch : )
I was hoping to catch a few blurbs here and there as to how and do this right but see little. Hopefully the books I ordered from Amazon will be here today especially "You Are San......
Spose its not all that difficult to figure out. Eat rice and drink bancha after each bowl. I'm adding no gomasio or anything to anything. I'm thinking that defeats the purpose of balancing in a detox.
I'm doing 3/4 cup of uncooked rice (don't worry, I cook it before I eat it).
My first few meals it was too mushy...echhhhh. Trying to get the hang of the new pressure cooker. My last meal...this morning...came out perfect.Just a little better than mushy and not quite as firm as I'd cook it after the ten days. I chew the hell out of each stix full too.
Couldn't figure out wheater or not to add honey to my bancha...too yin?
So I'm doing with out it which turns out...feels and tastes just fine : )

Its an interesting process. I'm observing myself every once in a while...usually when I get hungry.I'm real happy I'm doing this before I get into meals with variety. It kind of reminds me of going to Antiqua when I did rehab at Claptons place this past May, The Crossroads. The roughest seas were before the sunrise and when I think back...they weren't really rough at all...when you learn and walk forward its always a celebration even if it may not feel that way...sooooooo...I'm looking at the rice and tea thing in that regard.

Its also intersting at night when I'd just love a handful of Cheese-Its or Tomatoe and sprouts on some toasted 12 grain.....mmmmmmm. I get the shakes cause I won't do that..lol. Its like trying to quit drinking....really!!

I did the no drinking thing pretty easily all things considered. USed all I learned in the past from my meditation to my writings (therepy for me) to all my past 54 yrs of experiances...and put them into action...finally...hey, ya gotta restart somewhere. Actually I think we're always restarting cause just when you think you have it right : )
Be well
Namaste'
rice boy aka Avi Dass

[Klara]

So Andy,

Did you get through 10 days?

How did it feel?

And now?

Klara

[andybuildz]

Originally Posted by Klara

So Andy,

Did you get through 10 days?

How did it feel?

And now?

Klara

So Klara,
Felt so good as I was doing it that I extended the 10 days into 14.
I can sincerely say in fact that I did feel subtle chages take place inside me.
Let me Klarafy lol. I'm aware...how many people become influenced by the need to have something work to the point they fool themselves into believing. Like forming a placebo in their minds. For me, I try and keep it as real as possible. Honesty is the root to inner freedom, not self brainwashing.

I also see in others a sort of rough house effect one can cause themselves.
Too ridgid. Unaware of the subtilties that lie beneath your ego. Ego, not in the negative sense but rather in the realistic sense. Our facades if you will.

I used my fortnight as gently yet typically as possible. As if I were in a two week meditation within my daily routine...or even a mind expanding sort of psychotropic trip. Thats exactly how I tried experiancing it.

First few daze...were composed of getting my regimine together. Getting used to it. Cooking my rice the way that fit me. Tried collecting a routine that fit my daily life in a comfortable way. That took me about three days till I felt like I was on my way comfortably. I think it was closing in on a week when I started experiancing a calm that was most different than my usual which pretty much only comes after I sit (my meditation practice) at night in my med room.
I was getting that all day. I really could tell with all sincerity. Wasn't like a wham bam feeling...like dropping a fistful of acid...lol. It was subtle but definatly there.
OK so now I'm over a week and really digging this whole thing...just over a week I'm feeling "lighter"...inside and out. Like a load was removed. It really wassss interesting. I'm like a dozen days into this now and I deciede to weigh myself because I can see in the mirror within this short time I'm loosing a lot of weight. I dropped fifteen pounds!!! And let me tell you..I was far from starving myself. Three nice sized bowls of br rice a day and three cups of bancha. One cup of dry rice cooked w/2 1/4 cups of spring water.
On the 14th morning I treated myself with some gomazio on the rice...lol. That night...I added some steamed collards and carrots.
Fifteenth day I had peraled Barley w/ shitake shroomers for breakfast. And the rest of last week I did br and veggies and a lil' seaweed. Friday I had Bita come over and give me a cooking class and man can she cook!!! Fantastic way to end that week.
And now?
I'm fully involved again and very happy about it. No desire for any foods that have eyes although never say never about fish but who knows? Hey, I even stopped to buy a big fruit custard pie for my wife Katrina and daughter Jolie to celebrate and no.....I had absolutly no desire to have any.

I've bought some great blue/green antique canning jars offa ebay and they're all loaded with different grains, seeds and nuts displayed on my kitchen counter and let me tell you...."Thats" what I love looking at. It has a warmth about it vs your traditional foods. Something so much more intimate about it. Something that feels like its simply, "just the right thing to do".

I've read and reread a lot of books on MB and I do have to say in all sincerity the biggest, most positive, and influencial book has
been, "You All Are Sanpaku".
The most difficult part I'm finding is understanding the Yin/Yang practice. It can really be confusing if your get serious about it and I don't see how you can't, being that its the backbone if you will of macrobiotic living. Yin/Yang sort of reminds me of paintings by "Estcher" (sp?). Look at it one way and analyze it long enough...it comes out the other way...lol. I need to get a better handle on it but like everything...it'll come in time.

I can go on and on about the subject but sometimes......
Have a great day
Namaste'
andy aka avi dass