animalstalkinginallcaps:

EVER SINCE I STARTED TAKING HERBIVORE STUDIES COURSES AT THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY IT’S BECOME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO ENJOY A WIDE RANGE OF WHAT I ALWAYS ASSUMED WERE NORMAL AND BENIGN ACTIVITIES. I’VE BEEN MADE TO REALIZE THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO OPPRESS AND MARGINALIZE ALL BUT A SELECT FEW CREATURES, AND EVEN MY ATTEMPTS TO OFFER POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS TO SOME OF THE MORE SPECULATIVE THEORIES ARE SIMPLY PERPETUATIONS OF THE DOMINANT HEIRARCHY.
I NEVER REALIZED HOW MUCH I NEED TO CHECK MY PREDATOR PRIVILEGE.

animalstalkinginallcaps:

EVER SINCE I STARTED TAKING HERBIVORE STUDIES COURSES AT THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY IT’S BECOME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO ENJOY A WIDE RANGE OF WHAT I ALWAYS ASSUMED WERE NORMAL AND BENIGN ACTIVITIES. I’VE BEEN MADE TO REALIZE THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO OPPRESS AND MARGINALIZE ALL BUT A SELECT FEW CREATURES, AND EVEN MY ATTEMPTS TO OFFER POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS TO SOME OF THE MORE SPECULATIVE THEORIES ARE SIMPLY PERPETUATIONS OF THE DOMINANT HEIRARCHY.

I NEVER REALIZED HOW MUCH I NEED TO CHECK MY PREDATOR PRIVILEGE.

one can dream.

one can dream.

I posted the below comment on my fbook which spurred a very interesting debate with a friend of mine from high school who i haven’t seen in more than ten years.  To be honest, I am in such a liberal bubble, i didn’t know I had fbook friends that feel the way Candice does below - however, I was very happy to have the conversation and thought I’d share…
proud of obama and colorado’s governor, but north carolina, i have been singing the praises of your beautiful beaches and mountains, funky town of carboro, and incredible school of yoga in asheville, but now you are making me look like an ass. haven’t we learned that separate is not equal?
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  • JodiCathyJake and 8 others like this.
    • Candice  NC is in the Bible Belt…I don’t know why everyone is so surprised..
      Yesterday at 6:10am via mobile · Like
    • Missy They were obviously sick on that day of history class.
      Yesterday at 6:52am via mobile · Unlike ·  1
    • ToriI don’t think it’s about surprise or the bible belt. That’s no excuse. It’s dismay that any part of this country would take such a disappointing step backwards. It’s a very sad day for human rights.
      Yesterday at 7:19am via mobile · Like
    • Caitlin i agree, Tori…i wouldn’t be drawn to social work if i didn’t hold hope in my heart that all bigots, whether in the bible belt or my neighbors in the mountains, will find a way to “evolve” and shed their hatred.
    • Caitlin but Candice - i also understand that the bible belt is acting in accordance to their history of bigotry.
    • Candice  A step backwards? Because people went out and voted for what they believed? That’s the democratic process…or so I thought..
      Yesterday at 7:39am via mobile · Like
    • Tori How is it democratic to deny someone equal rights? “Denying someone the right to marry because it’s against your religion is like being mad at someone for eating a donut when you’re on a diet”
      23 hours ago via mobile · Like ·  2
    • Candice  I mean voting in general. That’s the democratic process. And that’s not a very good analogy..its not the same thing at all
      23 hours ago via mobile · Like
    • Tori
      Yeah I understand your point and I don’t think you can separate the human rights issue from the voting issue. Cool, people went out and voted on something based on their beliefs. Those beliefs shouldn’t have any sway in a human rights issueSee More
      23 hours ago via mobile · Like
    • Candice But Jesus clearly stated in Romans that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. I don’t understand. Either you want Jesus a part of this or not…you can’t use religion or Jesus only when its convenient. And what else do you consider when you vote? What you believe in..whether its religiously based or not…
      22 hours ago via mobile · Like
    • Tori
      Yeah and they bible also told you not to eat shellfish but you don’t see people following that “rule”. I don’t want jesus a part of it at all. but I also don’t want people picking and choosing the parts of the bible they want to use in their argument for denying people their inherent rights. I don’t use religion or jesus in my decisions. but using him to deny people marriage is completely opposite of what he wanted. Jesus was all about embracing everyone, regardless of what “sin” someone thought they committed. I weigh the cost of my opinions versus the benefit of them. I vote in ways that don’t deny people their rights. I vote for the good of everyone, not just for how I can benefit the most. 

      I’m going to step out of this conversation at this point because I’ve made my opinion pretty clear and I respect that you disagree. I just hope conversation and understanding can grow from this issue instead of causing pain and damage to people in our country, especially youth. I worry about the impact this will have on youth who are confused or “different” from the people making these legislative decisions.
      22 hours ago · Like ·  4
    • Maria Tori, I never met you but I know Caitlin…just want to say I love what you wrote and I’m glad there’s people like you in this world.
      20 hours ago · Like ·  1
    • Caitlin
      Candice - i appreciate your willingness to speak your mind as I do Tori because dialogue with respect is the key to democracy. I cannot comment on the argument regarding Jesus, as that is not something that I feel educated enough in to enter in a debate with that respect in mind. However, I do have a number of Christian friends who have explained to me their commitment to God and Jesus’ teachings and support of same-sex marriage, and maybe some of them will chime in here. That being said, I also know many non-Christians who decide to get married so I do not believe that marriage is just about what the bible says and if it is, in honor of the supposed separation of church and state, I don’t believe this is something that the government should decide. As a woman who has dated women and as I dear friend of men and women who are in long-term, deeply committed relationships with their partners of the same gender, the pain of what was witnessed in North Carolina is the hatred against people who are only asking for equal rights. In my opinion, if some churches do not want to honor the commitment between two men or two women, then that’s for them to decide, not the government.
      20 hours ago · Like ·  3
    • Candice I appreciate and respect everyones opinion and comments.
      19 hours ago via mobile · Unlike ·  2
    • Brandon
      Hi to all. I’m going to put in my two cents. I have been on both sides of this issue at different points in my development so maybe I can add a unique viewpoint to the discussion. I think there are a couple of issues that always get brought up with this argument. I think it has to do with how different people interpret morality. Christians, to generalize, rely primarily on the Bible as their guiding moral principles. Additionally, some see the Bible as infallible while others believe there is truth in some parts of the Bible but that other parts may be inaccurate (due to human error in transcription, changes in semantic meanings of words over time/linguistic evolution, translating error, contextual influences such as the male-dominated culture that was dominated during “BIble Times”). The latter group of Christians tend to be more ambivalent about homosexuality. The former group maintains that all of the Bible is truthful and strive to not pick and choose what to believe. For the sake of the argument let’s pretend that we all believe that the Bible is 100 percent correct. I believe Candice was referencing Romans 1:26-27: “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” This verse is noteworthy because it is the only time that the Bible mentions women related to the subject of homosexuality. Often this verse is interpreted as evidence that the Bible is stating that homosexuality is wrong; however it could be interpreted in several different ways. This verse could be interpreted to say that those who are heterosexual (their nature) lusting after someone of the same sex is unnatural and wrong but that does not mean that a person who is homosexual wanting to engage sexually with another person of the same sex is wrong; that is the person’s natural inclination. Or the reason God was displeased in this context was related to the lustful nature of the desire. The fact that we can logically argue several different interpretations of this verse is enough to demonstrate that it is impossible to be sure of the one, “true” meaning of this passage. In the Old Testament, the subject of homosexuality is defined under the Laws of Moses and is still somewhat unclear. What’s salient about these verses is that the Laws of Moses includes a lot of rules and requirements that most Christians do not follow. This does not make these Christians hypocritical. The Bible says that God made a covenant with his people and that after Jesus made the final sacrifice on the cross the Laws of Moses no longer applied. This is common knowledge among educated Christians yet verses from the Laws of Moses are used by both sides to argue their respective points. If Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God and that he sacrificed himself on the cross then that means that any requirements of the Laws of Moses no longer apply including any guidelines about homosexuality. 
      The point of my wordiness is that even if you believe that the Bible is one hundred percent accurate there is no where in the Bible that explicitly states that homosexuality is wrong. You can still be a Biblically correct Christians and support LGBT rights. Also, I would like to say that some of the issues that receive considerable attention, especially among North Carolina Christians (my home state), such as Hell and homosexuality are mentioned only briefly in the Bible. Hell is only mentioned a few times vaguely in the entire Bible. Similarly, there are only a few verses related to the topic of homosexuality. What is highlighted much more are the concepts of self-reflection, acceptance, love, understanding, empathy, and humility. 

      As a final note, nearly everyone accepts that equal and fair treatment for all people is morally correct. A heterosexual is able to marry a person who they are naturally attracted to yet a homosexual is not. Gay marriage restrictions have no moral basis logically or Biblically.
      17 hours ago via mobile · Like ·  4

highlights of my day yesterday:

  • walking meditation with my client - silently going around the city block, noticing how each footstep felt, connecting with our breath and supporting each other in the moment.
  • realizing through conversation with my supervisor that by calling somatic wellness interventions “hippy dippy” i am selling it short, confirming a stereotype and not pointing out all the science that backs up this amazing work with trauma survivors.
  • sneaking the monster on to the bed and falling asleep for 20 mins with my arms around him while i think of how lucky i am he’s still in my life after 11 years of being my constant companion.
  • making slow cooked black beans, putting it over spaghetti as my folks taught me, and piling on fresh pico de gallo, avocados, and chalula.
  • ending the night with my home practice of yoga while my beau played the guitar.

this papa took video of his daughter every week from birth until 12 years old and spliced it together for just over 2 mins of seeing the amazing evolution from baby to pre-teen.  gave me chills.

cooked this up last night, and it was delicious.

(from smitten kitchen)

Curried Lentils With Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard
Adapted from The New York Times 11/14/07

Yields 8 to 10 side-dish servings; 6 main-course servings.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala (didn’t use so added extra curry powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, then minced
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth as needed (i used 5 cups)
2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 pound Swiss chard, center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup finely chopped tamari almonds, for garnish (optional), available in health food stores
(i added a spoonful on plain greek yogurt for garnish)

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2. Stir in 4 cups broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. (If lentils seem dry, add up to 1 cup stock, as needed.) Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes total.

3. Just before serving, stir in cilantro, lime zest and juice. Spoon into a large, shallow serving dish. Garnish with almonds if desired and scallions.

a dear friend introduced me to this band when i was in seattle and now i can’t stop listening - especially to this song.  i interpret a new meaning each time i let it go through me.  hope you enjoy too.

head and heart “rivers and roads”

an excerpt from “yoga threads” in the latest Yoga International:

The words jagatyam jagat use a simple Sanskrit verb of movement in a particular form, which infuses the verb with desire - the desire to move.  All creation is moving; the apparently static oak swirls with atoms; metals creep; the universe expands continuously. And all this movement is infused by the desire of creation itself to create.

Krishna speaks of this desire in the Bhagavad Gita (3.36) when Arjuna asks him, “What compels us to continually fail to live in the moment?” Krishna replies, “It is desire as fire is veiled by smoke or a mirror by dust, as a fetus is covered by a placenta, so is this world of activities covered by desire.”

Do not covet or yearn to keep what is not yours.  Let it go, be free. Enjoy.

dance, when you’re broken open.

dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off.

dance in the middle of fighting.

dance in your blood.

dance, when you’re perfectly free.

struck, the dancer hears a tambourine inside her,

like a wave that crests into foam at the very top, begin,

maybe you don’t hear that tambourine,

or the tree leaves clapping time. 

close the ears on your head,

that listen mostly to lies and cynical jokes.

there are other things to see, and hear.

music. dance.

a brilliant city inside your soul!

-rumi