My night with Max

This is Max. Melanie and Daryll took me to see him in Oakland and we all got to see a lecture about this sacred artifact of mysterious origins. Max is an authentic ancient crystal skull, a wonder of the world estimated to be thousands of years old and considered by many, to be one of the rarest artifacts ever found on this planet. Max was discovered in Guatemala and was used by Mayan priests for healing, rituals, and prayers. Nobody knows how it was made because there is no tool marks anywhere on the skull. The crystal is also made up of several pieces fused together, so any vibrational frequency caused by a tool to shape it would cause the crystal to crack or shatter. To read more about the story about Max, please go here.

The caretaker of Max made the point during her lecture that quartz crystal, the kind Max is made of, helps to run clocks, computers and other finely tuned technical machinery. It is a conductor of electricity, amplifying its charges. We know that our bodies hold an electrical charge as well (remember the Matrix, not based on pure fantasy!) so when we hold a quartz crystal like this, our thoughts and energy is amplified. I'm not normally a crystal-holding new agey sort of person, but this makes more scientific sense to me.

The skull, I learned, represents Knowledge, not death, for the skull encases the brain. So if somebody has a crystal skull, they are seeking knowledge and Truth within themselves. Isn't that what most spiritual people pursue anyway?

Melanie was so kind to get the two of us into a private session with the skull to touch it and meditate a little bit with it. The movie "The Red Violin" came to mind when coming into contact with such an ancient object that countless numbers of people have come to touch, expressing their deepest prayers and wishes to it. How many rituals has Max been a part of? How was he made and how long ago? How I wish I could have seen a flashback timeline of his life. That was what was on my mind as I held him in front of me forehead to forehead.

What a really really really awesome experience this was for me. Thank you again, Mellie, for sharing this once in a lifetime event!

Redoing my vision board

I'm going to do another vision board. Why? Because, believe it or not, the largest pictures on the one I have now have manifested already!

• The photo of the beneficiaries of a micro-loan. I gave to Kiva.org a few months ago.
• A HUGE picture of a Buddha head in a garden. I've been reading up on Buddhism online and a very good book called, "Buddhism without Belief". Buddhanet.net is a great web resource.
• Lastly, Oprah! A book I'm reading right now gives detailed instructions on how to study somebody who is extraordinarily successful and how you can take on those traits and make the same sorts of decisions as that person. Part of the exercise is to speed-read biographies about that person, so I have 3 biographies about this powerful and successful woman who I greatly admire.

So what I need to focus deeply on is our finances and success in our careers. Fortunately our family life with our son and our couple time couldn't be better, so the only area in our lives we need to work on is M*O*N*E*Y. Let it floweth into our lives! :)

It WORKS!

WOW! The Slim-Fit tea actually works! I weighed myself yesterday and have lost 4 pounds already. My tummy troubles are indeed disappating. So far I'm very pleased with this product. :)

Slim-Fit Tea

In the previous post I mentioned the grocery store we visited. One of the products I've seen countless times has been slimming tea. That day, I thought I'd give it a try and I bought the box above for only $2.99. Here are the instructions that go with it (found on this website)

Product Description
Eight Leaf Brand Imperial Monarch's Favorite Royal Ginseng Dieters Tea. This Slim-Fit tea has been proven an outstanding natural "helper" to reduce weight, reduce bloating, improve metablism, cleanse digestive system, and remove excessive fat deposits from your body.Ingredients: Malva Verticellata, Chinese Ginseng, and other natural oriental herbs.

BEFORE USING THE TEA, NOTE THE FOLLOWING: Its normal for some individuals to experience extra bowl movements after using the tea. This is believed to relate to the cleansing of the body's system and should disappear gradually. First time users should restrict themselves to one tea-bag per day after dinner. Not more than two tea-bags per day should be consumed. Eight Leaves Brand Slim-Fit Tea should be strictly avoided by pregnant and nursing mothers, children, elderly and sick peoples. To comply with FDA requirements we do not make any claims to the efficiency of this product.

DIRECTIONS: For best result, drink the tea during meal or half an hour after meal. Drink Tea as hot as it can be.Bring fresh water to a boil. Pour 5 oz of hot water over (1) tea bag in a cup. Cover the cup with a lid and allow to steam for approximately 5 minutes. Stir and press the tea bag gently with spoon and stir well to fully release fragrance of herb. Do not add sugar or sweetener.First time user: Use 8 oz of hot water instead of 5 oz for 1 tea bag. Soak the tea bag for 2-3 minutes instead of standard 5 minutes. Use this instruction for your first 10 tea bags.

First off, the paper instructions included with the tea did not include the directions to dilute it with 8 oz of water for 2-3 minutes. I used full strength with 5 oz of water. I sure got the bubble guts within an hour of drinking it after dinner. By morning I was making several trips to the toilet (I know you want to know all this!). I didn't mind though, think of it as internal cleansing. Last night same thing with a repeat of bathroom visits this morning. It said that this should gradually dissapate, so I hope they're right. I will keep you updated if it actually helps me lose weight.

Waii Jao (Chinese New Year)

I love living in the Bay Area, particularly Alameda, where a short car trip away (about 3 miles) you'll find yourself in downtown Chinatown Oakland. Every Sunday Golf goes to his flea market and I'll walk with Aidan in his stroller around Chinatown, a few blocks away. I let him play in the local park where there's a pretend Chinese junk ship for kids. I love having him interact with all the kids and I've even thrown around the idea of having him attend preschool in Chinatown so he'll begin learning Chinese in addition to his Thai and English.

Across the street from the park is a Chinese grocery store where we go often for food. The owners were having a Lion Dance ceremony done with a long string of firecrackers held up on steel rods outside the entrance, a lion dancer, and the big drums and cymbols. We made our purchase just in time and crossed the street to the park again so the firecrackers wouldn't be too noisy for Aidan's tender ears. What a thrill! I love it so much that I live in a part of the country (and city) that such a spectacle can be seen. All around the Chinatown area as we were walking we could see red paper reminents of the firecrackers from many ceremonies that had taken place over the week. I could hear another bunch of firecrackers being lit off a few blocks away and driving on our way home we saw another storefront going through with the ceremony.

Earlier this week Golf paid respect to his ancestors. Mother, Father, Sister and Brother. We laid out a table of food and lit the candles and incense. This is a twice yearly event, plus we do it on the death anniversary of each family member. Golf's heritage is both Thai and Chinese, so we participate in both cultural rituals. Below are a couple pictures from last week's offering. Notice how my baby has grown into a little boy!!!

My First Float

Back in March last year, I wrote about my long time desire to float in an isolation tank. In December, for my birthday, I made it known that I wanted to have this experience and there was a float center and spa nearby AND you could buy gift certificates online! ;) My dear friend Caroline took me up on my request and yesterday I finally went in, after a month of forgetting to schedule an appointment, and had my first one hour isolation tank experience!

The photo is what the tank I used actually looks like - it is from the Float Center in nearby Oakland (How spoiled am I to live a mere three miles from this place!). It is about 8 feet long and wide enough that you can stretch your arms out but not fully. When relaxed, you don't bump the sides.

So upon arriving, I was greeted by the co-owner. I arrived a little early so I could look at the artwork (it has an art gallery in the lobby) and she talked with me awhile and then gave me the orientation on how to use the tank while her current clients were finishing up.

First I showered and shampooed my hair - it's very reassuring that you must be head to toe fresh and clean before entering these tanks. Then you wrap your towel and not three feet away is the tank. Before entering, I put in earplugs provided.

The water is about 10 inches deep and has 1000 lbs of Epsom salts dissolved in it. You float like cork bobbing on the water and you cannot sink if you tried. 10 inches of water is still deep enough that you don't touch the bottom of the tank. The water is the same temperature as your body and the air inside is also the same - you feel very little. Once the hatch is closed there is no noise and it is painted black all on the inside, so it is completely dark.

I lay back and look around - sometimes its difficult to tell if my eyes are opened or closed. My breathing was the only sound I heard and because it was all encompassing, I was able to focus on it far easier and repeat my mantras and begin meditation.

It was easy to relax into the water, but now and then I had to focus on my neck because of the natural tendency to flex the neck when floating on your back in regular water. I had to put my hands behind my head to allow for full relaxation at one point, but most the time my arms were relaxed up around my head - more comfortable than down at my sides.

I noticed my breath slowing significantly and my heartbeat still felt the same and at one point my pulsing blood pressure pulsing made me feel like my body was dissipating with every beat. It was weird and very nice, like I was suddenly made out of sand and with every pulse, the outer layers of body were dispersed into the water. I would say that was my experience of leaving the body. Allison, the co-owner with whom I spoke, said it was common to have an out of body experience, or just have the sensation of not feeling your body any longer. My experience did not last long, but I did have it, and it was cool.

Toward the latter part of the hour, I felt very very relaxed. I could feel salt crystals forming on my stomach and arms that were exposed to the air. Allison knocked softly on the pod when the hour was up and I left and showered and shampooed again. Once finished, I sat in the lobby and had a hot tea that she prepared and we talked some more.

I felt uplifted and energetic the rest of the day, but by night, I was exceptionally sleepy. I went to bed early last night and I still feel great today.

A float session is something I would love to be able to do twice a year. I absolutely love it, but it is expensive, so it's got to be for special occasions. If you live near a place that has isolation tanks, give it a try! I am happy to say that I've got one more on my list of things I HAVE TO DO in my lifetime checked off and that makes me feel almost as good as the float itsself. :)