Éiriú-Eolas - Breathing Program

[Aiming]

One thing that my rolfer told me is that sometimes we have already worked emotionally and intellectually on an issue, but the energy in the body/the fascia distortion remained stuck, and it takes body work like rolfing to fix it. It made sense when he told me, being that we spent our lives so detached from our bodies. Fwiw...

Ah thanks for sharing, Alana, that's interesting. :) It definitely does make sense, however, in my case, I currently think that there's something there I have yet to work through emotionally. But I could be wrong, and only 'time' and peeling of layers will tell.

 

[Ollie]

Once again, it’s a two-week report due to family (parental) matters intruding. The yawns and wet-eyes continue during pipe breathing moving through into PotS. During the latter, on a couple of occasions the yawning has been very wide; the previous Thursday my chest and then my left shoulder began twitching – which I just noticed and allowed to continue - followed by zoning out about mid way through until the end of the music; today it was a matter of micro-zoning out towards the end of PotS.

Outside of the sessions, I’ve been releasing emotions whilst sleeping, in a less than optimal manner! Once again, it’s the continuing problem of other than letting go and experiencing the emotional releases normally. According to Lise Bourdeau, it’s a sign of underlying emotional stress and the emotions involved are: fear of displeasing parental role models, in the form of shame; and fear of not living up to expectations – I need to realize that ‘believed expectations’ are ill-founded. This leads to being hard on the self, needing reassurance that I'm loved regardless of performance. She suggests focusing on strengths, talents and abilities – on my unique personality, and relaxing and accepting self just as I am now. Relaxing is a major challenge just at the moment. There is a lot of work to do.

 

[Marcus-Aurelius]

I have not been able to practice EE for a long time due to various technical issues and what I can describe as a lack of will on my part. During that time, I just felt extremely low in energy, barely having enough to function and my daily work. A couple of breathing and meditation sessions have been sufficient to get me completely energized again!!!

Thank you again Laura and team for this wonderful gift!

Just wanted to post after a very long absence in this thread.

Hi Marcus-Aurelius. Glad to hear that you've rediscovered the energizing and rejuvenating effects of EE. Trying to put some effort to have the discipline to practice the program regularly will pay in spades.

Also what's your diet like? The diet and EE work synergistically. And the optimal diet really makes a HUGE difference in steady energy, clear thinking, emotional stability, and motivation to pursue your goals (not to mention the elimination of food cravings and other unhealthy cravings). Combined with EE, the results are truly amazing for so many of us.

Yeah, am currently working on my diet. I have eliminated sugar and gluten for some time now and I stll have a lot of veggies to eliminate. I mostly eat vegetarian foods with white rice (unable to find brown rice in this part of the world), fishes (mackerel mostly) and at a rate - stll consider too low, chicken, beef, pork. So my next moves am taking now is to increase my meat intake, eliminate palmist oil and frozen food.

 

[Drazen]

Breathing Report. The saliva is no more problem to me, I manage to swallow it easily and continue to breath without interruption. Some yawning occurs in 3 three-stage breathing. Ba-Ha is proceeding very good, after I still feel "vibrations" in palms, lips and yesterday also in my eyes. I zone out sometimes during PotS but mostly in meditation. When not zoning out, meditation is very productive for me in a sense that my thoughts are clear, I'm able to better focus and connect pieces of something that I meditate upon. Often I feel a wave of tingling through my body when I get to a certain understanding.

I was not doing EE regularly last 2 weeks. I skipped 2 times, in both cases it was due to lack of will at that moment and wishing to watch some movie before sleep and other time I was just feeling tired and wishing to go to bed and sleep. I know that will and discipline is important and I need to work on that, not just in this matter but also in every other that is obstacle for progression.

 

[MK Scarlett]

Breathing Report. The saliva is no more problem to me, I manage to swallow it easily and continue to breath without interruption. Some yawning occurs in 3 three-stage breathing. Ba-Ha is proceeding very good, after I still feel "vibrations" in palms, lips and yesterday also in my eyes. I zone out sometimes during PotS but mostly in meditation. When not zoning out, meditation is very productive for me in a sense that my thoughts are clear, I'm able to better focus and connect pieces of something that I meditate upon. Often I feel a wave of tingling through my body when I get to a certain understanding.

I was not doing EE regularly last 2 weeks. I skipped 2 times, in both cases it was due to lack of will at that moment and wishing to watch some movie before sleep and other time I was just feeling tired and wishing to go to bed and sleep. I know that will and discipline is important and I need to work on that, not just in this matter but also in every other that is obstacle for progression.

My first one complete session was on last Tuesday and I made the second one on yesterday, after have read to "practice it" on Monday and Thursday by understanding for why it means to do it together around the world:

You can do the programme at any time that suits you, by doing it on the same day, it means that all day long, someone somewhere in the world is doing EE.

I started my first complet session on yesterday, so I noticed for the Monday and Thursday then go on on tomorrow! :)
I am pretty new on the forum and find this is a big help to understand how we can work together. Not only by connecting the dotes on the facts, but also by connecting more/different "dots"... I mean, can we see this like a network? A network of energy?

That's a good way to explain it, Scarlett, that we are connecting energetically - even from thousand miles apart - when we all do the program on the specific days.

And exactly as you, "[...] Ba-Ha is proceeding very good, after I still feel "vibrations" in palms, lips and yesterday also in my eyes. I zone out sometimes during PotS but mostly in meditation. When not zoning out, meditation is very productive for me in a sense that my thoughts are clear [...]". And also in my neck, arms, shoulders and legs. I couldn't feel anymore my toes. I did it on 16:00 UTC and was pretty "zen" during the evening. By raising me this morning, I was very sad and I cried slowly thinking to my Dad who left 18 months ago. And I do not understand why specifically because, the work I made on me and my feelings about death and life from this moment (18 months ago, "helped" later by a brain-tumor my son got), helped me so much to not feel specifically sad/crying/worry about death of the beloved ones. And because of what happening this morning, I thought it could be possible that I did NOT worked enough to stand me out of sadness/tears/fears and bad feelings. And while I believed to have won on myself, it looks have been a big mistake!

By the way, after that and by seeing the beautiful sun, it gave me enough energy to feel better and spend a good day. I am reading The Secret History of the World, and today was special about how I read and how I understand what I am reading. Nothing really big, but enough substantial to be notified. Could be session of yesterday already helped?

I did not read all the the content here and I know I have to, so please excuse me if this kind of report was already made...

 

[SeekinTruth]

I have not been able to practice EE for a long time due to various technical issues and what I can describe as a lack of will on my part. During that time, I just felt extremely low in energy, barely having enough to function and my daily work. A couple of breathing and meditation sessions have been sufficient to get me completely energized again!!!

Thank you again Laura and team for this wonderful gift!

Just wanted to post after a very long absence in this thread.

Hi Marcus-Aurelius. Glad to hear that you've rediscovered the energizing and rejuvenating effects of EE. Trying to put some effort to have the discipline to practice the program regularly will pay in spades.

Also what's your diet like? The diet and EE work synergistically. And the optimal diet really makes a HUGE difference in steady energy, clear thinking, emotional stability, and motivation to pursue your goals (not to mention the elimination of food cravings and other unhealthy cravings). Combined with EE, the results are truly amazing for so many of us.

Yeah, am currently working on my diet. I have eliminated sugar and gluten for some time now and I stll have a lot of veggies to eliminate. I mostly eat vegetarian foods with white rice (unable to find brown rice in this part of the world), fishes (mackerel mostly) and at a rate - stll consider too low, chicken, beef, pork. So my next moves am taking now is to increase my meat intake, eliminate palmist oil and frozen food.

Well, you made some very good changes already. However, rice has gluten as well. You should pretty much eliminate all grains first, and also all dairy/casein (except butter/ghee if you tolerate them). Of course continue to avoid all sugars as much as possible, especially any added table sugar/sucrose and avoid all processed foods that usually have lots of sugars/high fructose corn syrup and very unhealthy fats (hydrogenated veg oils/trans fats).

You can eventually reduce your overall carbs carefully and slowly until you switch to keto metabolism (burning fat as opposed to sugar as primary energy) while eating at least 60 to 70% of calories from animal fat. But you should read the Life Without Bread thread in its entirety and as many of the books recommended in that thread as possible before starting on the diet experiment. The most important books are probably "Primal Body, Primal Mind," "Life Without Bread," "The Vegetarian Myth," and "The Art and Science of Low Carb Living." Good luck with the dietary changes. :)

 

[SeekinTruth]

Breathing Report. The saliva is no more problem to me, I manage to swallow it easily and continue to breath without interruption. Some yawning occurs in 3 three-stage breathing. Ba-Ha is proceeding very good, after I still feel "vibrations" in palms, lips and yesterday also in my eyes. I zone out sometimes during PotS but mostly in meditation. When not zoning out, meditation is very productive for me in a sense that my thoughts are clear, I'm able to better focus and connect pieces of something that I meditate upon. Often I feel a wave of tingling through my body when I get to a certain understanding.

I was not doing EE regularly last 2 weeks. I skipped 2 times, in both cases it was due to lack of will at that moment and wishing to watch some movie before sleep and other time I was just feeling tired and wishing to go to bed and sleep. I know that will and discipline is important and I need to work on that, not just in this matter but also in every other that is obstacle for progression.

My first one complete session was on last Tuesday and I made the second one on yesterday, after have read to "practice it" on Monday and Thursday by understanding for why it means to do it together around the world:

You can do the programme at any time that suits you, by doing it on the same day, it means that all day long, someone somewhere in the world is doing EE.

I started my first complet session on yesterday, so I noticed for the Monday and Thursday then go on on tomorrow! :)
I am pretty new on the forum and find this is a big help to understand how we can work together. Not only by connecting the dotes on the facts, but also by connecting more/different "dots"... I mean, can we see this like a network? A network of energy?

That's a good way to explain it, Scarlett, that we are connecting energetically - even from thousand miles apart - when we all do the program on the specific days.

And exactly as you, "[...] Ba-Ha is proceeding very good, after I still feel "vibrations" in palms, lips and yesterday also in my eyes. I zone out sometimes during PotS but mostly in meditation. When not zoning out, meditation is very productive for me in a sense that my thoughts are clear [...]". And also in my neck, arms, shoulders and legs. I couldn't feel anymore my toes. I did it on 16:00 UTC and was pretty "zen" during the evening. By raising me this morning, I was very sad and I cried slowly thinking to my Dad who left 18 months ago. And I do not understand why specifically because, the work I made on me and my feelings about death and life from this moment (18 months ago, "helped" later by a brain-tumor my son got), helped me so much to not feel specifically sad/crying/worry about death of the beloved ones. And because of what happening this morning, I thought it could be possible that I did NOT worked enough to stand me out of sadness/tears/fears and bad feelings. And while I believed to have won on myself, it looks have been a big mistake!

By the way, after that and by seeing the beautiful sun, it gave me enough energy to feel better and spend a good day. I am reading The Secret History of the World, and today was special about how I read and how I understand what I am reading. Nothing really big, but enough substantial to be notified. Could be session of yesterday already helped?

I did not read all the the content here and I know I have to, so please excuse me if this kind of report was already made...

Hi, drazen and Scarlett. Glad to hear that you're getting benefits from EE. Just wanted to encourage you and say to do your best to do the full program twice a week, Monday and Thursday, if possible; and as much as you can the rest of the week but skipping the Beatha/round breathing/bioenergetic breathing part. If you aren't able to do so regularly, don't beat yourself up and just try your best to stick to that schedule as much as possible. Also, you can do pipe breathing whenever you feel stressed out.

Also, Scarlett, I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your father and your son's brain tumor. Best wishes for your son's health. And it is normal to grieve a loved one's death -- 18 months is not unusual -- and there will be periods of more intense grief and periods of less intense grief. I also lost my father in early May 2011 and am still dealing with bouts of grief. You just have to feel and process it as it comes up. Best regards.

 

[Gwenllian]

One thing that my rolfer told me is that sometimes we have already worked emotionally and intellectually on an issue, but the energy in the body/the fascia distortion remained stuck, and it takes body work like rolfing to fix it. It made sense when he told me, being that we spent our lives so detached from our bodies. Fwiw...

Yes! For ages I have felt my face was distorted. I could not relax my facial muscles. Then the distortion disappeared, but then I started clenching my jaws. This briefly disappeared when I began EE, then it came back and it is gone again.
EE rocks, but the body, too. :D

I sometimes wonder what I must look like to others, my kids in particular. I am sure they have witnessed my distorted face quite a bit. :(

 

[MK Scarlett]

Breathing Report. The saliva is no more problem to me, I manage to swallow it easily and continue to breath without interruption. Some yawning occurs in 3 three-stage breathing. Ba-Ha is proceeding very good, after I still feel "vibrations" in palms, lips and yesterday also in my eyes. I zone out sometimes during PotS but mostly in meditation. When not zoning out, meditation is very productive for me in a sense that my thoughts are clear, I'm able to better focus and connect pieces of something that I meditate upon. Often I feel a wave of tingling through my body when I get to a certain understanding.

I was not doing EE regularly last 2 weeks. I skipped 2 times, in both cases it was due to lack of will at that moment and wishing to watch some movie before sleep and other time I was just feeling tired and wishing to go to bed and sleep. I know that will and discipline is important and I need to work on that, not just in this matter but also in every other that is obstacle for progression.

My first one complete session was on last Tuesday and I made the second one on yesterday, after have read to "practice it" on Monday and Thursday by understanding for why it means to do it together around the world:

You can do the programme at any time that suits you, by doing it on the same day, it means that all day long, someone somewhere in the world is doing EE.

I started my first complet session on yesterday, so I noticed for the Monday and Thursday then go on on tomorrow! :)
I am pretty new on the forum and find this is a big help to understand how we can work together. Not only by connecting the dotes on the facts, but also by connecting more/different "dots"... I mean, can we see this like a network? A network of energy?

That's a good way to explain it, Scarlett, that we are connecting energetically - even from thousand miles apart - when we all do the program on the specific days.

And exactly as you, "[...] Ba-Ha is proceeding very good, after I still feel "vibrations" in palms, lips and yesterday also in my eyes. I zone out sometimes during PotS but mostly in meditation. When not zoning out, meditation is very productive for me in a sense that my thoughts are clear [...]". And also in my neck, arms, shoulders and legs. I couldn't feel anymore my toes. I did it on 16:00 UTC and was pretty "zen" during the evening. By raising me this morning, I was very sad and I cried slowly thinking to my Dad who left 18 months ago. And I do not understand why specifically because, the work I made on me and my feelings about death and life from this moment (18 months ago, "helped" later by a brain-tumor my son got), helped me so much to not feel specifically sad/crying/worry about death of the beloved ones. And because of what happening this morning, I thought it could be possible that I did NOT worked enough to stand me out of sadness/tears/fears and bad feelings. And while I believed to have won on myself, it looks have been a big mistake!

By the way, after that and by seeing the beautiful sun, it gave me enough energy to feel better and spend a good day. I am reading The Secret History of the World, and today was special about how I read and how I understand what I am reading. Nothing really big, but enough substantial to be notified. Could be session of yesterday already helped?

I did not read all the the content here and I know I have to, so please excuse me if this kind of report was already made...

Hi, drazen and Scarlett. Glad to hear that you're getting benefits from EE. Just wanted to encourage you and say to do your best to do the full program twice a week, Monday and Thursday, if possible; and as much as you can the rest of the week but skipping the Beatha/round breathing/bioenergetic breathing part. If you aren't able to do so regularly, don't beat yourself up and just try your best to stick to that schedule as much as possible. Also, you can do pipe breathing whenever you feel stressed out.

Also, Scarlett, I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your father and your son's brain tumor. Best wishes for your son's health. And it is normal to grieve a loved one's death -- 18 months is not unusual -- and there will be periods of more intense grief and periods of less intense grief. I also lost my father in early May 2011 and am still dealing with bouts of grief. You just have to feel and process it as it comes up. Best regards.

Thank you so much SeekinTruth for helping to understand on Monday and Thursday: complete session, and the same session without Ba-Ha each others days as possible. I had missed this precision... And your support means too. :)

[...] The most important books are probably "Primal Body, Primal Mind," "Life Without Bread," "The Vegetarian Myth," and "The Art and Science of Low Carb Living." [...]

I noticed books you gave for reading about food and I thank you so much to edit them here, (I am sure they are on the list in Books subject), but being pretty newbie here, and because the English is not my mother tongue, does anyone know about French books which would talked of the same subject? It looks very important and in the same time, read them in English with all the specific medical words would be too hard for me at this point.

[...] Good luck with the dietary changes. :)

I am working on this dietery changes, no more bread, no more milk, except butter, forget gluten, etc. At least I use to cook almost everything myself, so, I know what I use as ingredients knowing I only use organic food. what I found here and there (Sott, Forum...). The most big work will be to eat meat again, I stopped 5 years ago and feel so well from this time... I already re-introduced fat of duck and goose to cook my vegetables for exemple. I do not know rigght now to eat meat again, the reason why I stopped to eat some is as following:
I wasn't looking for to follow a doctor or a diet, it is only because I was more and more dripped and I asked myself a question: If I had to kill myself this animal, I couldn't. So I wouldn't eat it. Then, I took the decision to not eat some meat anymore until be able to kill them myself to eat them thanking the animal for food. How could I work with that? It looks be a big barrier for me...

 

[anart]

I am working on this dietery changes, no more bread, no more milk, except butter, forget gluten, etc. At least I use to cook almost everything myself, so, I know what I use as ingredients knowing I only use organic food. what I found here and there (Sott, Forum...). The most big work will be to eat meat again, I stopped 5 years ago and feel so well from this time... I already re-introduced fat of duck and goose to cook my vegetables for exemple. I do not know rigght now to eat meat again, the reason why I stopped to eat some is as following:
I wasn't looking for to follow a doctor or a diet, it is only because I was more and more dripped and I asked myself a question: If I had to kill myself this animal, I couldn't. So I wouldn't eat it. Then, I took the decision to not eat some meat anymore until be able to kill them myself to eat them thanking the animal for food. How could I work with that? It looks be a big barrier for me...

Scarlett, please read the book the Vegetarian Myth, as well as the last several C's sessions. I was a vegetarian for 24 years - I now know, without question, that eating meat is absolutely essential to the health of the body and the mind. It will take another year, at least, to repair the damage I did to my body with decades of vegetarianism, but the improvement thus far is remarkable. It's like I've literally turned back the clock. The barrier for you is only as big as your belief in lies makes it. Please do the reading so you understand the basic facts - it will help you.

 

[MK Scarlett]

Scarlett, please read the book the Vegetarian Myth, as well as the last several C's sessions. I was a vegetarian for 24 years - I now know, without question, that eating meat is absolutely essential to the health of the body and the mind. It will take another year, at least, to repair the damage I did to my body with decades of vegetarianism, but the improvement thus far is remarkable. It's like I've literally turned back the clock. The barrier for you is only as big as your belief in lies makes it. Please do the reading so you understand the basic facts - it will help you.

Thank you anart for your testimony and I understand how much this is important to us; As said here:

[...] The most important books are probably "Primal Body, Primal Mind," "Life Without Bread," "The Vegetarian Myth," and "The Art and Science of Low Carb Living." [...]

I noticed books you gave for reading about food and I thank you so much to edit them here, (I am sure they are on the list in Books subject), but being pretty newbie here, and because the English is not my mother tongue, does anyone know about French books which would talked of the same subject? It looks very important and in the same time, read them in English with all the specific medical words would be too hard for me at this point.
[/quote]

The Vegetarian Myth does not seem exist in French, so my question was, does exist one? Or another one which could be an equivalent? For this specifically, but also for the others, proposed by SeekinTruth above. I love read, it is not a problem for me, but I cannot read a book if I cannot find it in French, because my English is not enough fluent to understand exactly the meaning on each part of text. I am reading The Secret History of the World, because it is in French. ;D
I had started to read The Wave through the Website until text was not translated anymore. So I used a Web translator, but after 2 days, I said stop, it was not possible, a lot of things and meanings seemed escaping from me. So I bought the I, II, III, in French and we are waiting for the IV. So as you can see, I cannot have access at the same literature than yours which are in English. I saw a lot of books I would love to read, but I cannot because my English is not enough good for this. Then, about books I have two solutions, waiting for a translation which maybe will not come, or try to read with a lot of complexity and requiring a lot of time.

Be sure anart I would LOVE to read it as soon as possible and if nothing comes during the end of this year, I think I shall have to put myself in it, and I have so many things to be read and to understand that I would like to push away this term in a little later, when my English will have become more consequent.

I know C's said "learn is fun", and I agree with that, but I need other informations at this time (Mouravieff, Castaneda), and I've got them in French. I wish someone here will can help on this French version for "The Vegetarian Myth". Thank you for yours anart, it is much appreciated.

 

[anart]

I understand the frustration with finding these books in French and that it is a major challenge to try to read them in English. I'm not certain which of these (if any) are available in French, but I'll look into it - and perhaps others have more information. Just take things a step at a time and keep reading what you have access to read in French. To sum up the diet situation, however, high quality animal fat is vital to good health - the human body was designed for it and, as the C's recently said,

"When humankind "fell" into gross matter, a way was needed to return. This way simply is a manifestation of the natural laws. Consciousness must "eat" also. This is a natural function of the life giving nature of the environment in balance. The Earth is the Great Mother who gives her body, literally, in the form of creatures with a certain level of consciousness for the sustenance of her children of the cosmos. This is the original meaning of those sayings."

To deny the natural balance of this miraculous system is, to my understanding, to deny life itself. The food we eat is fuel, pure and simple and in order to do what we came here to do, we must utilize these bodies to do so, and to utilize them in the way they were designed requires optimal fuel. We have a lot ahead of us, so it's vital to be vital! :)

 

[MK Scarlett]

I understand the frustration with finding these books in French and that it is a major challenge to try to read them in English. I'm not certain which of these (if any) are available in French, but I'll look into it - and perhaps others have more information. Just take things a step at a time and keep reading what you have access to read in French.

Yes, this is what I had in mind, read at first what I already got in French, and I will see later about what cannot be find translated.

"When humankind "fell" into gross matter, a way was needed to return. This way simply is a manifestation of the natural laws. Consciousness must "eat" also. This is a natural function of the life giving nature of the environment in balance. The Earth is the Great Mother who gives her body, literally, in the form of creatures with a certain level of consciousness for the sustenance of her children of the cosmos. This is the original meaning of those sayings."

To deny the natural balance of this miraculous system is, to my understanding, to deny life itself. The food we eat is fuel, pure and simple and in order to do what we came here to do, we must utilize these bodies to do so, and to utilize them in the way they were designed requires optimal fuel. We have a lot ahead of us, so it's vital to be vital! :)

Also strange it can be, THIS is the way I always believed in, and I cannot explain why this reason (to not be able to kill the animal myself denied me the right to eat meat) came to me. It could be interesting for myself to understand the process and maybe have an answer. I think I just need to read more about this book and in French if possible. I need "Knowledge" to be sure my first instinct (accept the fact to eat meat because it is a part of our life here and now) is as it has to be: The good one. ;)

Your words are helpful! Thank you

 

[SeekinTruth]

Scarlett, I don't know if this will help, but not being able to the kill animals you will eat seems to be connected to the misconception about killing animals being "wrong." But this IS definitely a misconception. Objectively we -- all life on this planet -- must eat other life to live. Just because we can't perceive that plant life also does not like being eaten, it does not mean that this is not so.

Objectively, there's no difference what life we take to eat as far as the loss of life goes. And as the book "The Vegetarian Myth" explains, agriculture is actually destroying all life on earth -- down to the microbes in the soil. It kills vastly more animal life than hunting ever could. It is, in fact, total ecocide.

And the fact is, as mentioned by anart, we humans are designed to eat animals. Period. Our digestive system and our brains only work properly if we eat animals. In our evolution, we gave up a big part of the digestive system to gain our large brains, and this was only possible by hunting and eating animals.

And the fact remains that not eating animals is NOT going to allow optimal health and IS believing lies to try to avoid the simple truth that we must eat life to live by trying to approach eating as only eating plant life that can't struggle against being eaten in a conspicuous way, but poisons us instead to protect the survival of plant species.

I hope this helps your point of view about taking and eating life forms.

 

[Gonzo]

Hi Scarlett,

I too had the same thinking before, that I didn't want to eat something I wasn't willing or able to kill with my own hands. I guess I felt guilty that I was allowing others to do the dirty work for me. Prior to becoming vegetarian, I had already moved to only eating meat that didn't look like the animal it came from, making frequent use of boneless or breaded meats.

I eventually came across a book, The Secret Life of Plants that mentioned several experiments that showed plants could feel pain and were able to communicate with each other. I realized everything had life in it and if I was to survive, it was impossible for me to go through life without killing.

I also noticed how I originally didn't mind killing bugs that were biting me and that I probably killed hundreds of thousands of insects and plants just by walking on the grass or in the forest. I resolved to try to live my life in an optimum way, taking what I needed and nothing more. I started paying more attention to all life so that I could minimize my effect on other life forms.

Now, when I eat, I say grace, thanking both creation and whatever life forms I'm eating, for the gift of sustenance.

I now know that to not eat in an optimal way is a sin against creation, against the gift of my own life. At least that's how I look at it now, for what it's worth.

Gonzo