I Will Follow

I’m in love with a girl 
who’s in love with the world 
and I can’t help but follow

Break out of Prison

'A human being is a part of the whole,
called by us Universe,
a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings
as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison,
restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Our task must be to free from this prison by
widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty.'

 -Albert Einstein

Muere Lentamente by Martha Medeiros

Muere lentamente
quien se transforma en esclavo del hábito,
repitiendo todos los días los mismos trayectos,
quien no cambia de marca.
No arriesga vestir un color nuevo y no le habla a quien no conoce.

Muere lentamente
quien hace de la televisión su gurú.

Muere lentamente
quien evita una pasión,
quien prefiere el negro sobre blanco
y los puntos sobre las “íes” a un remolino de emociones,
justamente las que rescatan el brillo de los ojos,
sonrisas de los bostezos,
corazones a los tropiezos y sentimientos.



Muere lentamente
quien no voltea la mesa cuando está infeliz en el trabajo,
quien no arriesga lo cierto por lo incierto para ir detrás de un sueño,
quien no se permite por lo menos una vez en la vida,
huir de los consejos sensatos.

Muere lentamente
quien no viaja,
quien no lee,
quien no oye música,
quien no encuentra gracia en si mismo.

Muere lentamente
quien destruye su amor propio,
quien no se deja ayudar.

Muere lentamente,
quien pasa los días quejándose de su mala suerte
o de la lluvia incesante.

Muere lentamente,
quien abandona un proyecto antes de iniciarlo,
no preguntando de un asunto que desconoce
o no respondiendo cuando le indagan sobre algo que sabe.

Evitemos la muerte en suaves cuotas,
recordando siempre que estar vivo exige un esfuerzo mucho mayor
que el simple hecho de respirar.
Solamente la ardiente paciencia hará que conquistemos
una espléndida felicidad.

Kilian Martin: Searching Sirocco

The Best Season of Your Life

Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.

The Meaning of Life (ongoing)

"If you learn to use a perfect afternoon
in a perfectly useless manner,
you have learned the meaning of life."

 ―Lin Yutang

Too Lazy to be Ambitious

Too lazy to be ambitious,
I let the world take care of itself.
Ten days' worth of rice in my bag;
a bundle of twigs by the fireplace.
Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment?
Listening to the night rain on my roof,
I sit comfortably,
with both legs stretched out.

 ~ Ryokan Taigu

Sedona View

The skinny trails always fill me up

Swimming with Sea Turtle in Malaysia

10 meters down swimming with my yoga breath instructor (Saya yoga nafas pengajar).
Sea turtles can hold their breath for several hours, depending upon the level of activity.
 A resting or sleeping turtle can remain underwater for 4-7 hours.
In Perhentian Island, Malaysia.  

Create your own Reality

Everything changes when you start to emit your own frequency rather than absorbing the frequencies around you, when you start imprinting your intent on the universe rather than receiving an imprint from existence.

photo by Juliahee

The Oregon Coast

The Oregon Coast - A Winter Odyssey from Uncage the Soul Productions on Vimeo.

Take an awe-inspiring winter odyssey along all 363 miles of Oregon’s public coast where waves thunder onto the shore, crabbing is at its peak, and a rainbow welcomes the calm after the storm.

Stages by Hermann Hesse

As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever.
Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.
In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.
Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.

The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
If we accept a home of our own making,
Familiar habit makes for indolence.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking
Or else remain the slave of permanence.
Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.
So be it, heart: bid farewell without end.

"Stages" by Hermann Hesse

Plan de Vida

The Whole World is YOU

The whole world is you, yet you keep thinking there is something else.
~ Hsueh Feng ~ — at Rocky Mountain National Park.
photo by Julia

Two Ways to Live

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.~Albert Einstein~
On the trail to Long's Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park
photo by Keith

Living Poetry

Let yourself become living poetry.~Rumi~
photo by Keith at Ankgor Wat, Cambodia

A Good Life......

A good life.....
is when you assume nothing,
do more, need less,
smile often,
dream big,
laugh a lot,
and realize how blessed you really are. — with Keith Stretchko at Ollys in Kampot, Cambodia. photo by Juliahee

Así que hoy nos reímos

Sabemos que un día vendrá, pero nunca sabemos lo que es; Así que hoy nos reímos. — with Julia Hee Stretchko in Tucson, AZ.  photo by Keith

The TimeBeing

For the time being, the entire earth and the boundless sky. 
photo by Julia at Miller Peak, Arizona

Curiosity and Restlessness

"If an urge to explore rises in us innately, perhaps its foundation lies within our genome. In fact there is a mutation that pops up frequently in such discussions: a variant of a gene called DRD4, which helps control dopamine, a chemical brain messenger important in learning and reward. Researchers have repeatedly tied the variant, known as DRD4-7R and carried by roughly 20 percent of all humans, to curiosity and restlessness. Dozens of human studies have found that 7R makes people more likely to take risks; explore new places, ideas, foods, relationships, drugs, or sexual opportunities; and generally embrace movement, change, and adventure. Studies in animals simulating 7R’s actions suggest it increases their taste for both movement and novelty. (Not incidentally, it is also closely associated with ADHD.)"

Restless Genes – David Dobbs on how we evolved to explore. — with Keith Stretchko at Arches National Park
photo by Julia