my guess is we're losing the Battle of Brain Fitness with Islamists

{ old draft never posted, from 04/13/2017 }

I understand Afghans and Arabs love their poets, and see we have very few these days. I wonder what their poets arcs are about?

I wonder what favorite Arab story arcs are like, are they the same as ours might be?

Not only do the Afghans and Arabs have their poets, they also have the discipline of full attention of their Minds 5 times a day. Prayer, yes, but brain science says that generates Huge stimulation, growth and renewal, and so I submit we are losing that war.

Take the video scene of a youthful, confident Imam singing prayers in a crowded subway car, and everyone joyfully chanting back, . . . and worry about how unready we are to defend ourselves.

We need to be exercising our Prayer Mind daily in our most vigorous ways. The war of Maximum Brain Fitness of daily full body & mind prayer is an excellent challenge for the West.

Not to mention the Poetry! I personally want to hear to poetry of our American men, our engineers and carpenters -- No offense ladies, but i need to be championing our men now.

Our dear Namo Buddaya friend who diligently recites those fantastic stanzas morning and night for the last 5 years or so -- man, his Mind is in such Fit, Calm cheerful Readiness.

Dzaya Dzaya, SuDzaya! Victory Victory Excellent Victory!

What Mind muscles are exercised, huzzah, so grateful to witness.

Underscored here -- From OHSU Brain Center newsletter:

Dr. Sara Lazar of Harvard has been studying the impact of yoga and meditation on the brain for over 20 years. Her research showed that after eight weeks of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program, participants had an increase in brain volume or cortical thickening in four areas of the brain that are associated with such functions as emotional regulation, perspective-taking, and learning. Importantly, the amygdala, associated with fear and stress, also shrunk in those who meditated.

Just as physical exercise has a plethora of health benefits, so does mental exercise in the form of meditation.

The four and the Ten 02112020 notes

Our body mind understands spiritual time in units of 4.

the mojave spirit quest is 4 days, whether it takes less or more, it takes 4 days.

Goenka's Bootcamp has 3 days pranayama and only until the 4th day does Vipassana begin.

it is time for another 40 day journey,  i need to say so to lou.

and i fantasize about including anyone else in it at church, like a regular prayer time

Email to friends, too big to text,Covid-19 Spring 2020 Emma Curtis Hopkins

Email to my wine&whine chocalatier friends, during our isolation from COVID-19,  Spring 2020.
We've been texting and phone chatting and "planets"-walking (far apart but together, i am mercury, because I wanted to be close to the sun, C1 is Saturn because she wants to be surrounded by rings, C2 is Earth and Venus depending on the moment.)
this was too long to text, even for me, hahah.

Reading my dear guide, Emma Curtis Hopkins, who was a 19th century Christian mystic, shared same teachers as Mary Baker Eddy, who founded Christian Science, but Emma did not follow that line, went her own way as a healer. Emma's early work included being one of the founders of the High Watch Sanitarium (?) that developed early treatment approaches that grew to be some of the roots of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Randomly opened it this morning, and thought I'd share:

"Between om and presence is the little syllable ni. Between om and potence is the little syllable ni, -- abbreviation for two Latin words. Ni stands for nigellum. Nigellum means nothing. Ni stands for nihil. Nihil means nothing. So, between Om, the Mind, and its rightful possessions of power, place, and Science, or Wisdom, is the claim of darkness, or nigellum, which is negation, standing as if it were something, while it is nothing.

Thus, between your mind and the attainment of its supreme bliss is the everlasting "ni," or the very bold assumption of nothing that it is something. By dropping the claims of misery, you step through the valley of the shadow of the apparent reality of misery, into the reality of blessedness divine."

nineteenth century language, but I catch that There is truly NOTHING between God's totality and the Power, omnipotence.
nothing Between God's presence and ourselves, omnipresence
nothing between God's knowing and our reality, omniscience.

"ni, standing as if it were something, while it is nothing"

very cool, i find it cleansing for my spirit.

every blessing on you and yours,
c4