To Dye or not to Dye – Buddha’s Lesson on Hair Dye.

The second Yama is translated as Truthfulness, and it encourages us to look deeply inward to see if we are being truthful with ourselves before anything else.

This practice can change your life and the lives of those around you. We need this practice now more than ever. I hope this video encourages you to practice Ahimsa towards yourself and others.

It’s a simple question: how do I want to dispose of my body when I die?

A simple question with no easy answer.

I had the great privilege of studying with Sensei Wataru Ohashi (the founder of the Ohashiatsu Institute and Method of Shiatsu) from 1997 – 2005, and he was one of the most influential people in my life, and one of my greatest mentors.

A LESSON ON GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT!

Swami Rama once said that the body will only open up as much as the mind will open up.

Interesting thought.

Yes, our attachment, even to our thoughts, can translate into rigidity in the body. There’s even some data to suggest that one of the things that prevents people from losing excess weight is because they are holding onto difficult emotions, painful memories, rigid ideas, old, even ancestral thought patterns.

There is a practice in the yoga tradition of waking up each morning and asking ourselves,

“What can I die to today?”

So what does that mean?

It means, what can I release, what can I detach from, what can I let go of in my life, whether that be particular thoughts, certain behaviors, physical possessions, expectations in relationships, expectations in any area of our lives, specific plans, 5 year plans, 10 year plans, grudges, sorrow, pity, anger, sadness, happiness, etc.

Most of my life I have waited much too long to make the necessary changes that would have made my life better in a timely fashion.

Too long I’ve not heeded the following piece of wisdom from the Taoist philosophers.

There is a Chinese proverb – “Fish cannot see water, human beings cannot see Chi.”

I love burritos. Everything you want in the meal in one complete package.

And it just wouldn’t be the same if you left out the Guacamole, or the Salsa, or the Black Beans, or the Carnitas, or the fresh Lettuce and diced Veggies, or the Mozzarella Cheese. If you left out any one ingredient, it just wouldn’t be the same.

And if I understand the Buddha correctly, this is a perfect analogy for our lives.

We all want it.

We all run towards it.

We all run away from it.

We all need it to flourish.

What is it?

Connection.

At the beginning of 2016 one of my mentors encouraged me to choose one word for the year, one word to guide me along the path, one word as a beacon to light the way.

True to form, I struggled with overcomplicating the task at hand and with my ever-present nemesis, indecision.

So, of course, I ended up with TWO words for the year: Simplicity and Action.

People ask me if Spirituality needs to be so serious. Are you kidding me? The Buddha was known for his joy, his laughter, his smile, and his big Buddha belly (which in the culture at the time was a symbol of abundance on all levels and especially generosity of Spirit!!!).

In Sanskrit, the term LILA, or LEELA, describes the entire Universe as a Cosmic playground.

And as Shakespeare famously said, “All the world ‘s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

People ask me if Spirituality needs to be so serious. Are you kidding me? The Buddha was known for his joy, his laughter, his smile, and his big Buddha belly (which in the culture at the time was a symbol of abundance on all levels and especially generosity of Spirit!!!).

In Sanskrit, the term LILA, or LEELA, describes the entire Universe as a Cosmic playground.

And as Shakespeare famously said, “All the world ‘s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

The Mind… The Mind… The beautiful, terrifying Mind…

You know that experience when the mind is racing, out of control, dragging you along like a dog on a leash?

That’s your “Monkey Mind”. Yes, your Monkey Mind. And we all have it.

It’s the reptilian part of the brain, and it’s hard-wired for survival. It’s looking for the worst case scenario around every corner. And it’s FULL OF FEAR!!!!!

Welcome to PollyLiontis.com – Jumpstart Your Buddha!

I want to know what makes your heart sing, what gets you laughing, what fills you with a sense of contentment, and what unleashes that smile from ear to ear!

I can’t wait to hear from you and I’ll be sharing what makes my heart sing, too!