New vegan restaurant in town

Interior back seating

Almost all raw vegan cookie

California Wrap

Spicy Walnut Pate

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Choices Cafe  in the Brickell Area of Miami is now occupying the same space as the previous tenant of vegetarian and vegan fare, Om Garden  (more info see www.vegguide.org).  The food is good and priced right..definitely a must try.

Kind to the Earth :makeup tip

So..  I decided to ditch my store bought makeup remover.  There had to be something else  more inexpensive and better for my skin..  I found it in my kitchen.  I got my cotton square and poured my Olive oil on it and it worked fabulously.  Then I washed my face as usual,  and viola  clean face...no extra money..and it doesn't take much on the cotton square to remove mascara and makeup from both eyes.  Try it and tell me how it worked for you.

Vipassana Experience Part 6

In this video, I talk about the Vipassana "Voodoo" as I like to call it. Something interesting happened to me while I was there. I definitely noticed it. The energy...the nature really effected me.

Vipassana Experience Part 5

In this video, I explain, the time up to when I leave. It was a Mr. Toad's wild ride of sorts.

Vipassana Experience Part 4

Vipassana is seeing reality as it really is. During my experience I had heart palpitations that really shook me and took me by storm. I was unable to gain an equanimous mind during my course meditation because of this. Now I understand why visualizing doesn't work during Vipassana. Visualizing while meditating is relaxing, Vipassana is not about relaxing at all.

Vipassana Experience Part 3

Days 1-3. One of the things that I started to hear a lot after day three is that things can change fast and that accepting them.. not craving what you had in the past or want in the future is key to your success.

Vipassana Part 2

Here is my video for part 2 of what happened at the Vipassana course I went to in July.

My Vipassana Experience - initial feelings

This is a video I made after coming back from my Vipassana experience in July 2011.  It is was not what I expected to be feeling  and I learned early on in the course that changes can happen very quickly there.  My experiences  were all over the place  from realizations, to sleep deprivation, to extreme heart palpitations (which I read that a girl died at Vipassana because of heart problems.)  In the end,  I see a few subtle changes.  It was a difficult experience and one that I would not endure again because of my circumstances.  One thing is for sure, I have begun to walk down the path of enlightenment and it may take some more lifetimes to come closer to the true peace it provides. There are several stories to be told from my experience.  I will start by linking the post to my video  which is extreme and about the heart palpitations and how they made me feel or rather how I reacted to having them.

My dream: dolphin

July 4th, I woke up and I remembered part of a dream I had.  I was walking and I saw this opening in a building and there was a big pool, only the pool  was a huge rectangle yet looked more like a pond because the sides were green with algae and it was brown and black at the bottom,  it was really deep.  I walked closer and I saw something in the water, at first I thought it was a shark.  The next thing I know I am in the water, not in a swimsuit in my clothes  holding on to the edge.  (Just a note:  in regular life I don't like to go into the water  let alone into deep waters)  The something in the water started coming toward me.  The water isn't actually clear  so I don't see what it is until it gets real close.  I am not scared.  It surfaces  right next to my face. It is a dolphin.  I ask the dolphin, " May I touch you?"  I touch the dolphin and he/she turns around quickly and shows me his/her back.  I ask, " You want me to ride you?"  I get on the dolphin's back  and he/she takes off real fast.  I remember smiling.  I decided to look up the symbols on dream dictionary.

Dolphins

To see a dolphin in your dream, symbolizes spiritual guidance, intellect, mental attributes and emotional trust. The dream is usually an inspirational one, encouraging you to utilize your mind to its capacity and move upward in life. Alternatively, it suggests that a line of communication has been established between the conscious and unconscious aspects of yourself. Dolphins represent your willingness and ability to explore and navigate through your emotions.

To dream that you are riding a dolphin, represents your optimism and social altruism.

Link to Dream Moods Dictionary

Pool

To see a pool of water in your dream, indicates that you need to acknowledge and understand your feelings. It is time to dive in and deal with those emotions. Alternatively, a pool indicates your desire to be cleansed. You need to wash away the past.

Link to Dream Moods Dictionary

Today is my last day home before I go to my Vipassana course.

Vipassana Boot Camp or Ticket to Liberation: England Experience

Reading the details in this blog  has hopefully prepared me for the "unexpected"  that is really expected in this journey.  Here is the link.