Tag: Spiritual

Fun, Health., Life, Music, vegan, veganism

Davis Farmer’s Market.

TSV

Every Saturday all year-round, Davis, California has it’s own Farmer’s Market from 8am to 1pm. It’s also open on Wednesdays evenings from Spring to Fall. Wednesdays is my favorite day to go because it’s right after work and they have live bands and bounce castles for kids. It brings the community together. Friends can enjoy the music while drinking some beer or can grab a bite to eat from one of the food stands. College students practice yoga and tightrope walking (where they tie a string from one tree to another and try to walk across it. It’s pretty interesting). Families lay out their picnics in the grass while they watch their children run around. There’s a spot where children can get their faces painted or they can get a balloon animal from the Dilly Dally the Clown. There’s even a carousel at the site and two parks where children can play.

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My girls walking through the Farmer’s Market.

There’s a variety of stands. There’s coffee, pastries, clothing, artwork & pottery, fruits & vegetables, and so much more that you can choose from. I used to love getting my Pachamama coffee, but lately I’ve been try to save money (ugh) so I make my coffee at home instead (but is not the same!). I do buy organic strawberries and oranges almost every time I’m there. They’re so flavorful! When I buy strawberries from the grocery store, the berries have very little flavor and almost taste watery. It’s weird. These, however, omg. ❤ ❤ ❤ Strawberries for life.

It’s pretty much perfect here. The only problem is that we’re VEGAN so there isn’t as much to choose from as far as hot food goes. On the positive side, there’s a kettle corn stand, a HUMMUS stand, and some pastries to choose from. From the food stands, the Hotdogger sells vegan hot dogs and there’s another stand where I’ve gotten cooked cauliflower with potatoes on Naan that was phenom-nom-nomenal. I wish I knew the name of the stand. Next time I’m there, I’ll try to take note.

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Cherry Turnover

During our latest trip to the Farmer’s Market, we grabbed a few cherry turnovers that were, yes, vegan! The first time I discovered these, I couldn’t believe it. The pastry puff itself was everything that you could expect it to be. It was not the dry kind of flaky that results in a million crumbs, but instead was the sweet, soft kind of flaky. The kind where every bite melts in your mouth. The cherry filling was sweet but tangy. It had the ruby colored cherries that were slightly sour but balanced out the rest of the treat. Just take my advice, if you’re ever at this Farmer’s Market, try it for yourself. You won’t regret it.

If you find yourself far away from this location, check out your local Market. Try it at least once and let me know what you think. If you already visit your local place, what is it like? Leave some comments below with your experiences. I’d love to hear them!

Live. Love. Laugh.

…and Go Vegan. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

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Fun, General., Health., Life, Uncategorized, Zen.

Lucid Dreaming.

TSV

If I don’t add another blog now, I never will.

I mean, maybe that’s not true, but it’s time for me to do this.

Lucid Dreaming. I’m really interested in training my mind to do this. The beauty of Lucid Dreaming is that you can go anywhere. You can do anything. You have the ability to travel, to meet people, to find guidance all within your sleeping mind. I want to experience this. I’ve had very vivid dreams in the past and in those few, rare dreams, I knew that I was dreaming. I don’t know how I knew, but what an incredible feeling it was. I couldn’t even begin to explain how it felt.  It was so real.

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For a long time now, I’ve been struggling to remember my dreams. Remembering your dream when you wake up is one of the first steps to lucid dreaming. It’s so hard for me. I’ve installed an app on my iPhone called Pillow. I’m using it to track my sleep cycles. It also has a built in alarm that wakes you up gradually. I think there’s even a feature to write notes about your dreams. I haven’t used it yet, but I plan to if I can.

I’ve also had a book on lucid dreaming for a while now. It’s called A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming by Dylan Tuccillo, Jared Zeizel, and Thomas Peisel. I’ve only just begun reading it. I’ve read a chapter every night for the last five nights. I’m trying so hard to train myself. It’s difficult because of how emotionally drained I’ve been. Just finished the holidays. I’m working full-time and recently had my reserve weekend. I’m in crunch-mode for school. And I still find time to hang out with my favorite people. But I’m truly exhausted.

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“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” Edgar Allan Poe

According to this article (and where I found the awesome feature image for my blog),  lucid dreaming can help improve memory, can help us understand ourselves, and the coolest thing is that we’re free to do whatever we wish. Meet with old friends and family. Go where ever we want. Be whatever we want to be. I find all of this so fascinating.

How do we know the life we live right now is not a dream? How do we know that reality as we know it is not connected with the dream world? I want to find out.

As I continue my journey, and if I see any progress, I’ll be certain to write about it. I’m excited to see where this goes. Stayed tuned till next time.

Health., Life, Uncategorized, Zen.

Peace of Mind?

TSV

Candle lit. Incense burning. Calm mind.

This is where I find peace.

I am at peace.

My consciousness goes into a completely different state when I do this. I feel more awake. My mind is open. My body is relaxed. I usually have a difficult time with meditating like this. I’m always so tense. So busy. So clouded.

My spiritual energy was almost non-existent, but I feel it coming back. Slowly, but I am getting there. I’m becoming more in-tune with myself and with things around me again. What is this sensation? Do you know that feeling you get when you wake up naturally from a nap that you’ve taken in the middle of the day? Your entire body is tingling, but you feel wide awake. Refreshed. Happy. I don’t know a better way to describe this. I wish I could explain to you what I feel. I wish you could feel what I feel.

Aloha Bay – Healing Chakra Energy Candle

Try. Try to feel this way. Find a quite space of your own where you won’t be disturbed. Set up some candles. Burn any incense of your choice. I prefer Triloka Royal Sandalwood cones or the Sandalwood herbal sticks. These are just my choices. Find what works best for you.

I prefer to lay down when I meditate, but you can choose to sit. I use my room as my sanctuary. I set everything up, lay on my bed, and close my eyes as I relax my body and mind. It’s can be really simple, but you have to let yourself go.

It felt awkward for me when I first began doing this. But accept it. By doing so, you will feel a weight lift from your chest that you didn’t know was there. Release the negativity. Why have you been holding onto it? Try. Let go. See what happens.

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My Sanctuary
General., Health., Life, Uncategorized, Zen.

Look within.

TSV

“There is no fire like greed,
No crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation,
No sickness like hunger of heart,
And no joy like the joy of freedom.

Health, contentment and trust
Are your greatest possessions,
And freedom your greatest joy.

Look within.
Be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
Know the sweet joy of living in the way.”

Teachings of the Buddha Edited by Jack Kornfield page 85. I bought this book in Biloxi, Mississippi, two years ago from a book store called Books-A-Million. I’ve used this book for general guidance ever since. From time to time, I randomly select a quote for guidance or to help clear my mind. Tonight, I picked up this book and fell upon this particular quote.

What do you feel when you read this? Line by line. That there is no fire like greed. No crime like hatred. No sorrow like separation. No sickness like hunger of heart. Does it speak to you as it does to me?

It reminds me to let go. To let go of all negative things. To free myself, and my mind, of all attachments. To enjoy life. With the way I’ve been feeling lately, this is exactly what I was looking for. A sign to let go.

Ironically, I also read my Tarot cards tonight and saw much of what has been on my mind. I saw the same “sign” in my cards as this quote showed me. Not that I truly believe that I can see my future in cards, but it’s comfortable to pretend that fate may play a role. Besides, it’s easier to read some cards than to ask for help from someone who is only half there.

Whether or not Tarot cards mean anything, mine have seemed to align with everything that has been bothering me lately. My past: unbalanced. Taking on too much. My present: Paralyzed with indecision. My future: Fear of letting go and to move on.

  • My past: I’ve always felt has been unbalanced. Since I was a teenager, I’ve consumed myself with work and school. As I got older and had children, I spent all of my time with them and also with work and school. I often take on more than I should, but somehow, I always manage to make things work.
  • My present: Completely indecisive. What should I do? What do I want to do? What is the right choice? I keep looking for signs rather than taking action. Rather than making decisions. It’s time to move on and figure that bit out. I need to create goals for myself and find ways to achieve them.
  • My future: Fear of letting go and moving on. Ha. True to the core. With more ways than one. But that’s it. That’s what I need to do – Move on. Continue forward with my head held high.

I would continue to tell you that none of this matters and that this is all a load of bull, that “signs” are just for silly, superstitious people. But hey, if a placebo helps, does it matter if it’s a placebo? That’s a serious question. What do you think? If I can gain something from this and find my motivation, does it make it alright to believe?

Just moments ago, I stumbled across this website while doing some research:

https://www.trustedtarot.com/

Of course I did it and it blew me a way with the accuracy. I’m sure you can shrug it off as a “those readings can match anyone at anytime” kind of thing. Sure. But I look for guidance everywhere. From life lessons. Tarot readings. Quotes. It helps me when I feel so lost.

I think everyone can use a good quote once in a while to remind them to let go of the things that don’t matter. To free yourself from negative energies. The Tarot reading just emphasized that truth for me. Try it yourself. What do you think?