Whew! This month-long course has been a loooong time coming – because when I moved to Portugal from Florida about 18-months ago, I never thought it was going to take me this long to pick up where I left off in the states! So much bureaucratic red tape and just the stuff it takes to get settled!
I know what it’s like to feel anxious – back in the day, I lived with anxiety for decades. Crippling anxiety actually, and it was particularly overwhelming in social settings, where I would perceive everyone around me as superior, telling myself that I was unworthy to be there and out of place.
I often get letters from folks sharing their experiences and asking questions. This correspondence can offer spectacular insights and musings that answer questions that many others have on their mind. So I’m sharing this one with you today…
Call me backward, but my true introduction to the term “deepfake porn” came in January with the unsettling news of Taylor Swift becoming a victim of it. She emerged as the focus of what’s called, “image-based abuse” in January, where sexually explicit content is created using AI to realistically superimpose people’s faces onto bodies not their own. I was curious about it and with easy browsing, it didn’t take me long to find the repulsive internet images.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately in the wake of the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. I often say I’m not afraid to die. Yes, I do love living – but I’m also fine with dying when the time comes.
It used to be an easy shorthand to describe somebody at the top of their game as the “guru” of fill in the blank… the tech guru, the marketing guru, the fitness guru, etc. In Western vernacular, “guru,” came to mean someone who possesses deep wisdom, experience, and insights, and is often sought after for guidance or advice.
I was on time but without a moment to spare, so I sneaked into the back of the crowded yoga session right before the teacher, who was new to me, locked the doors. I plopped down on a cushion, closed my eyes and began taking long deep breaths like the rest of the class. Long, deep belly breaths. But not for long.
Take a pill and feel better! As Westerners that’s what we’ve been conditioned to do. No muss, no fuss! Just take the pill and be done with it! Of course, as we know for these “mood managing”medications, the trade-off is side effects. The side effect reported to me most frequently is the narrowing of the whole emotional spectrum.
Demons – or spirit entities are a very real thing in the beliefs of indigenous cultures. And one of the beliefs is that whenever a person is in a state of altered consciousness, a portal can open for these malicious entities to “possess” a person – and maybe hang around long after. Having said that, we know that when a person takes psychedelics they are entering an altered state of consciousness.
Hold your applause, but tomorrow, December 24th, is my birthday. I’m in good company with Santa and baby Jesus!
If someone asked me how old I feel I am, I’d say about 450 years. All the shit I’ve been through to get where I am today, I’ve moved mountains through centuries. You could say I’m a young 450-year-old. I stay in shape 😉