C T

West End is still ok - lots of choices.. Wait until one gets to Chelsea, Kensington, Mayfair or Knightsbridge. Then it gets stifling, right?

I wouldn't know how to grade them really, nor is it my place to judge who is true and who is not. My opinion is based off the queues that wait patiently for healing at some of these places. The longer the queue, the better the result. They are quite pragmatic over there. Do all the 'patients' get what they expect? I think affinity between seeker and healer plays a big part in the process.

Nothing spoils the appetite more than stuffy atmospheres in poshy upmarket restaurants.

I have reservations that spiritual healing and enlightenment are necessarily conjoined. I know loads of spiritual healers in Asia who couldn't care less about enlightenment, and humility is not exactly on their 'to do list' either

Have you never seen English folks eating with their fingers? Common sight in BBQ restaurants, rib shacks, and even McDonalds.

Apologies.. it was off-topic. Couldn't resist the comparison though. Personally I'd use a twig to eat if thats what the situation demands. Flexibility and functionality is my credo.

Spoons? Forks? Chopsticks?? How about no plates and simply using the fingers?? A great experience, and super satisfying!!

If you're interested to learn more about this practice, do a search on 'Feast of a Variety' Abhidharma.ru

In some Asian households, in making beef broth it is quite the norm to add crushed ginger root, white peppercorns, (real) cinnamon sticks and star anise into the mix. My personal preference is close to whats illustrated in this clip (method begins at 1.05)

SELF-ARISING / SELF-ORIGINATED AWARENESS The best seeing is the way of "non-seeing", the essence of mind, self-luminous; The best prize is what cannot be seeked - the priceless treasure of the self-radiant mind. The most nourishing food is "non-eating" the transcendent food of samadhi. The most thirst-quenching drink is "non-drinking" the nectar of heartfelt compassion. Oh, this self-realizing awareness is beyond words and description! The mind is not the world of children, nor is it that of logicians. Attaining the truth of "non-attainment," you receive the highest initiation. Perceiving the void of high and low, you reach the sublime stage. Approaching the truth of "non-movement," you follow the supreme path. Knowing the end of birth and death, the ultimate purpose is fulfilled. Seeing the emptiness of reason, supreme logic is perfected. When you know that great and small are groundless, you have entered the highest gateway. Comprehending beyond good and evil opens the way to perfect skill. Experiencing the dissolution of duality, you embrace the highest view. Observing the truth of "nonobservation" opens the way to meditating. Comprehending beyond "should" and "should not" opens the way to perfect action. When you realize the truth of "non-effort," you are approaching the highest fruition. Ignorant are those who lack this truth: Arrogant teachers, inflated by learning, Scholars bewitched by mere words, And yogis seduced by prejudice. For though they yearn for freedom, they find only enslavement. ~ Milarepa ~

For really flavoursome omelettes try 3 eggs + 1 extra yolk Use farm eggs from the markets, if you can. Farm eggs is are more nutritious, not to mention the taste. In Asia its common to have rice noodles with curry or soup (like Vietnamese pho) for breakfast. Really tasty. Or dim sum... most dim-sums (like Chinese tapas) come in dainty quantities, and the sheer variety is excitingly mouth-watering! Its one of my fav oriental breakfast, especially the steamed spare-ribs, glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, and congee with salted lean pork.

What has a direct bearing on awareness are habitual tendencies. Habits that create the illusion of permanence are responsible for creating illusory obstacles that divide awareness into its samsaric opposite (avidya/not seeing things directly so as to recognise essence, which in Buddhism its believed to be the non-dual, primordial, perfected, self-so union of emptiness and compassion), thereby creating incessant loops of 'wrong views'. A continuous misapprehension of reality occurs as both a cause & result. Buddhist practice is the path that puts emphasis on the rooting out of these binding habits by cultivating 'Right View', and also the other seven pillars that make up the Eightfold Path. All other Yanas, right up to Dzogchen and Mahamudra, are basically nothing more than expedient means to refine this View.

The devotional side of tantra is where some practitioners get stuck, but that is usually due to misunderstanding.

In Vajrayana/Mahayana traditions, and even in Theravadin traditions i believe, practitioners are encouraged to keep in mind the saying "Good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end." 'Good in the end' is achieved by the dedication of merit to all sentient beings in the 6 realms. This seals the practice, so that the bodhicitta generated is 'transferred' to beings as blessings. Its also a wonderful way to retain awareness of continuity (emphasised in Tantra) and interdependence (emphasised in Sutra). For Example:

Do you practice 'sealing' the practice at the end, by dedicating merit?

In the tradition that I follow there is no indication that mantras are used for dispelling stale winds (or chi in your understanding). As for the spaciousness arising, its most palpable immediately upon ending a chant which, for me, is usually around 15 minutes. I never chant without short breaks in between. It is during these intermittent breaks that one will likely obtain the enhanced experience of the mind settling into its own nature, and once this settling is observed, the advice given is to rest in that space as long as its present. The moment it is noticed that the mind starts moving again, resume chanting after uttering the "Aaahh". This is the approach most comfortable for me, with good results as well.

I like to add a tablespoon of beef fat (aka tallow) to pan-fry red-meats, ie. after dusting them lightly with some flour or corn starch prior to adding said meats into the slow cooker. Slow cooking is great for stews. Get one going at night before bed, and by lunch time a hearty, earthy, nutritious powerhouse of steaming goodness will be readied.

http://www.fodian.net/world/cundi.html

It is advisable to intersperse a session with chanting, followed by resting in the spaciousness of silence for a few minutes to allow vibrational energy penetrate the subtle body, moving to mandala visualisation before resuming the chant again. Just before moving into the space of silence, and also before starting to chant, quietly let out an 'Aaahh'. This dispels any residual stale winds that might have accumulated during the practice. It is also worth remembering to seal every session with a dedication of merit. This is so important.

In the practice of Dzogchen a seasoned practitioner will eventually see that the cage is self-made, and will vanish in the presence of Right View. There is no cage. But yeah, at the very basic level, if a beginner wants to consider emotional burdens as some sort of trap, they may take the relative view and practice as if befriending troubled emotions that surface. After a period, it becomes unnecessary to continue with such an approach. One will, with diligent practice, learn to use the energy of the seemingly negative energies behind the emotions to cut through the illusionary obstacles/mental fabrications/dualistic views while also maintaining a state of equipoise, unperturbed and undistracted by arisings of body, speech and mind. This would be the aim anyhow. This practice is both the path of application, and simultaneously also the fruit (of result), and can be continuously applied, or refined, till the end of life. Sorry.. I know this is not really the place to talk about Dzogchen - Im merely putting this out there for contrast, in case it may be relevant on some level.

Organic-based detox regimes usually include aloe vera, nettle, dandelion roots, Indian bitter melon, and pure cider vinegar in various formulas. Juicing greens and herbs are great too. Go for manual juicers. Electric juicers have the propensity to 'kill' the delicate enzymes. Have been told juicing fresh wheatgrass is fantastic for detox, though no personal experience with this yet. I consume hefty amounts of herbs, and have a preference for lemongrass, cilantro/coriander, basil, sage, and also like to add bay leaves to stews and soups. Spices like cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, star anise, black pepper, and mustard seeds are great as fortifiers. One of the most effective means to detox is to drink 2 glasses of warm/hot water with slices of lime or lemon and a spoon of manuka honey first thing in the morning. Some of my friends who are detox diehards add a crushed clove of garlic to this morning drink, but i don't. I love to juice watermelons.. blend the reds, whites and seeds all into a nice smoothie. Perfect for the relieve of constipation, with the added bonus of being known as nature's viagra. If available, the yellow-fleshed variety is supposedly 5x more powerful than its red cousin.