Just Christmas: Kalyana Helps Nuns in Nepal

Kalyana is pleased to be part of  'Just Christmas' this year!  Remember when Christmas was about thoughtful giving?  Just Christmas offers the opportunity to give gifts  that help make the world a better place.  Just Christmas is Edmonton's largest Alternative Global Market Place  for quality arts, handmade crafts and other goods. When you purchase  a gift from the non-profit and charitable organizations in this market,  the money you spend goes towards the building of healthy communities around the world.  Located at: Alberta Avenue Community Hall 9210-118 Avenue Friday November 23,  5:30pm - 9:00pm Saturday November 24, 9:30am - 4:00pm Proceeds from Kalyana's sales at Just Christmas will support Tibetan Buddhist Nuns at  Keydong Thuk-che Choling Nunnery in Kathmandu, Nepal.  The living situation is in Nepal is very difficult. Power is only available 8-10 hours per day.  No power also means no water because the pumps to fill the water storage tanks are electric.  There is no such thing as turning on a tap in Nepal and expecting water to flow.  Hot water is never available due to the lack of power for heating.  Cold water is only available if you have the ability to store water. To address the water & power shortages the nunnery has purchased a generator with the support of donors but do not have enough to supply the whole nunnery.  Also, even though they have a generator, due to ongoing fuel shortages they can only buy 1 litre of fuel per day and the generator burns 5 litres per hour.  So it is guaranteed that each night the nuns end up studying by flashlight for many hours and may not have the water to brush their teeth or wash up before going to bed.  They do have 5 rooftop water storage tanks but without the fuel to run the generator there is no way to fill them if they run dry during a power rationing time. The cost of most goods has doubled since last year as fuel costs have nearly tripled in the last 2 years.  Nepal has no internal resources for power and gas and must rely on either India or China to supply both.  Because of the unstable government, Nepal is falling behind on paying for their supplies so neither India nor China will provide a predictable supply of gas.  As a result, fuel is being rationed and prices have dramatically increased.  Because there is no fuel to run generators, many basic services - banking, tailoring, phones, etc - also are unpredictable.  Those services that do run charge a premium price because of the price of fuel needed to keep the power supply going. The Nepalese people are suffering so much right now.  General strikes over the price of fuel, the government, lack of services, and more happen regularly.  As long as the government instability continues there is no end in sight to these issues.  Tourism is down significantly and this was the primary source of income for Nepal. Your support can make a visible difference in the quality of life of these wonderful nuns. You may also consider the opportunity to sponsor one of the nuns at Keydong Thuk-che Choling Nunnery! Sponsorship forms will be available at Just Christmas. Free parking Admission by donation Food and entertainment For more information visit: justchristmas.org Elke Kriegel, KALYANA kalyana.imports@gmail.com (780)761-2220 Eastern Treasures, beautifully created, fairly traded.... Bringing a little bit of Asia to your home! Contact me to enquire about  unique home party opportunities.

Sattvic Movie Saturday: Midnight's Children

Well, it's been a while since I posted a movie for Sattvic Movie Saturday, hasn't it!

This weekend, rather than post one for you to watch at home, I encourage you to head out to your local theatre and see Midnight's Children.

Its a beautiful collaboration between author Salman Rushdie and Indo-Canadian film director, Deepa Mehta!

Special thanks to Hilary from Mongrel Media for the guest passes to the promotional screening last night!  It was wonderful!

 Click here to watch the official trailer on YouTube.

Shuddosi Buddhosi

Saraswati, Image Source: Scriptures.ru

Since Shimshai sang this lullaby of Yogini Queen Madalasa on Sunday night, it has been going around and around in my head... 

Now that we're in the last third of this year's Navaratri celebration and honoring Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and purity, it seems especially fitting.

Click here to listen on YouTube.

I'm finding alot of variations on this upadesha (instruction), but I've put together text, transliteration, and translation to the best of my ability below.

To see where I got the Devanagari from, click here.  Please note, I corrected the transliteration, and merged the translation with Shimshai's English version... whew!! 

If you find another version of the Devanagari, or have Shimshai's transliteration (which doesn't seem to match this), please let me know.  You know what a yoga geek I am... I'm dying to work out a Shruti Box version!  Jai Ma!

शुद्धोसि बुद्धोसि निरँजनोऽसि
सँसारमाया परिवर्जितोऽसि
सँसारस्वप्नँ त्यज मोहनिद्राँ
मँदालसोल्लपमुवाच पुत्रम्।

Shuddhosi buddhosi niranjanosi
samsara maya parivarjitosi
samsara svapnam tyaja moha nidram
mandalasollapamuvacha putram

"Madalasa says to her crying son:

You are forever pure.  You are forever true.
And the dream of this world can never touch you.
So give up your attachment, and give up your confusion.
And fly to that space that's beyond all illusion."

My Favorite Fashion Blogs

Image Source: Anika Designs, Edmonton

Lakshmi is the goddess of beauty and abundance. 

As a tribute to her this Navaratri, I'd like to salute some of my favorite fashion bloggers.

You may be wondering... what does this have to do with yoga? 

Well, not much from the point of view that says not to be attached to material appearances... 

But from another vantage point, why not acknowledge and appreciate the grace with which these earthly goddesses share, inspire, empower and uplift. 

I am in awe of their generosity, humor, whimsy, cleverness, elegance, dedication, openness and individuality. 

As John Fluevog puts it, "Style is Grace".

Jai Ma!!!

Thanks and beautiful blessings to:

• Audi at Fashion for Nerds who proves a woman can be smart and sexy.
• Cute and talented sisters, Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess along with all their super adorable friends.
• Amber at Butane Anvil and Sheila at Ephemera whose layering combinations make me spin with joy and Fluevog collections make me green with envy.
• Tracy from Chubble Bubble and Domino Dollhouse who blows my mind with her cool retro-rockabilly designs and bold presence. 
• And all of the people at Advanced Style and Humans of New York who prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there is no one definition of beauty.

The Devi Mahatmya



Image Source: Wikipedia

Every Navaratri I read the Devi Mahatmya, the story of the Divine Mother's battles with the forces of evil! 

In it, she helps destroy Madhu and Kaitabha who come out of the dirt in Vishnu's ears while he is in Yoga Nidra.

Then she defeats Mahishasura the Buffalo-Demon.

Later, she vanquishes the dreaded Raktabija who can replicate himself from drops of his blood.

Finally she slaughters Sumbha and Nisumbha who rudely pull her by the hair and try to force her into marriage.

Although it sounds gruesome, I remind myself that these "demons" represent negative thoughts.  And the goddess, our own inner light.