Mga bagay na kailangan kong gawin

-Ifollow up ang aking nurse-volunteer application sa isang pampublikong hospital – para magkaroon ng sinasabi nilang “experience”.

-Kunin ang aking IVT ID– nagtext ang kaibigan ko at sabi nya pwede na daw kuhain ang IVT card naming, whew, after 48 years naprocess din!

-Ayusin ang visa application for Canada – baka sakali daw swertihin ako, pucha, bakit ba kasi kailangang mangibangbansa pa ang isang RN na gaya ko para lang kumita ng pera na makakabuhay ng pamilya. Kapag dito kasi, hay, barya lang ang kikitain ko, kumusta naman.

-Look for nursing job abroad to earn more money to help my family – pera pera kasi ang labanan, kaso prerequisite ang lecheng experience na yan, 4 years of studying nursing and still, it wasn’t enough.

-Clear up my mind of negative thoughts – isa akong buhay na negative chakra, pang-asar mang aminin pero sa loob ng katawan ko parang puro Yin ung laman. I find it miraculously that I can function normally in our society at all.

-Change into a better me or into another person (parang pwede eh noh) – every year na pangarap pero parang walang nangyayari, same old brand new me, hahay, buhay,

Mga bagay na gusto kong gawin

-Drink until I got a permanent amnesia to forget all the things that hurt – magbigay nga kayo ng alak na pwedeng laklakin na nagcacause ng permanenteng pagkalimot, baka naman may alam kayo, share nyo naman, I need it very badly, umaatake na naman ang sakit ko, I need to cry my heart out, Nafrufrustrate na ako sa sarili ko at sa buhay ko. hehe

-Be selfish (at times) – unbelievably, I find it hard to say no when someone important to me ask me a favor (money etc), kahit minsan napapagod na ako, ginagawa ko pa din, tapos minsan pag tnatry ko magsay No sa mga favor nila, naguguilty lang ako and it makes me feel bad about myself. Takot akong makasakit ng ibang tao but in the end ako ung nasasaktan at nahihirapan. Saintly? Of course not, I curse, not them but my self, adik talaga ako

-Procrastinate and relax -bohemian style na buhay, isang malaking pangarap, magliw-aliw ng bonggang bongga, haha

-Sleep until I get tired of doing so – isa pang gustong-gusto kong gawin pero hindi ko magawa, gusto kong matulog hanggang sa hindi na ako bumangon..

-Travel (here and abroad) – I want to explore!

-Study arts and fashion/interior designing -gusto kong malinang, este mahasa ang aking creative side, (naks) hahaha

-Enroll in a personality development class – pwede pa ba? May alam ba kayo? Magkano?

-Be able to make a difference and be completely happy – my ultimate dream na parang napakaimposible sa kasalukuyan, (drama mode?hehe)

Do you recognize him??!!

YES, he is HEIJii-san he disguise his self as a father that want to cremate his son, in order to get out from hokkaido without being captured by the oraganization he betrayed before,,,

alas, July was kidnapped by the people who helped Hei-tachi sneak out from hokkaido~~

the same case with yin was happen again with July, he ask help to Suou and hei through his power, even though no one command him too,, Suou said, even if we already became a contractor and doll, there’s still a fragment of our hearts that remains,,,

Qi Foto: omomom.com

Qi ist Energie, ist Lebenskraft, aber auch das „Prinzip, das Gewebe“, das diese Energie verursacht.

Gong heißt Arbeit, Mühe, Übung. Diese Übungen haben eine mehr als 2000 Jahre alte Tradition in China.

Im 13. Jahrhundert hat der Legende nach der Krieger Zhang Sanfeng im Wudang Gebirge in China den Kampf zwischen einer Schlange und einem Raubvogel beobachtet. Er sah, wie die Schlange den Angriffen des Vogels auswich und der Raubvogel darüber ermüdete. Die Philosophie des Tao umschreibt das so: Das Weiche überwindet das Harte. Yin überwindet Yang.

Aus seinen persönlichen Beobachtungen leitete der Mönch Zhang Sanfeng spezielle, allgemeine Methoden ab, die er in verschiedenen Körperbewegungen zum Ausdruck gebracht hat. Die Praxis dieser Abläufe bildeten sich zu einer früher nur geheim überlieferten hochkultivierten Kampfkunst aus.

„Und was sagt das 20. Jahrhundert dazu?“

Nils Bohr: „Das Qi ist das Äquivalent des modernen Quantenfeldes.“

Im Qigong werden Übungen in Ruhe und Übungen in Bewegung praktiziert. Die Übungen beschäftigen sich mit den Prinzipien des „Streckens, des Dehnens, mit Bewegungsabläufen“, mit mentaler Energie-Entfaltung, mit dem „Auspusten des Alten und mit der Aufnahme des Neuen“.

„Nur der Wandel hat Bestand.“ Diese Gewissheit führt zu Reflektionen und zu Erkenntnissen.

„Zu welchen?“

„Auf Unwesentliches verzichten ist wesentlich.“

Diese Gesichtspunkte und weitere Facetten des Qigong werden in zahlreichen Systemen kombiniert und sind Bestandteil der TCM.

„Ist Qigong also weitaus mehr als Wellness und  Gesundheitsgymnastik?“

„Ja. Im Qigong harmonisieren die taoistische Yin-Yang-Lehre, die buddhistische Meditationsgrundlage und die konfuzianische Philosophie. Die Energieimpulse fließen im Einklang mit den Sphären der Schöpfung.“

Hier geht es zu Blätter aufgelesen Nr. 040.

Winter is at the door.  In some places it has already come.  So it is time to begin considering what a winter hokku should be.

Remember the Yin and Yang of the seasons, the interplay of the two universal forces.  Yang is the active force — light, warmth, movement; Yin is the passive force — darkness, cold, stillness.  In the wheel of the year, spring is diminishing Yin and growing Yang.  Yang grows in spring until it manifests as summer, in which Yang reaches its maximum and Yin its minimum.  And as you will remember, when one of these elements reaches its maximum, it begins to change into its opposite.  So as we pass the very height of summer, Yin begins to grow again, as Yang begins to decline.  Autumn is growing Yin and declining Yang, and at last we again reach winter, which brings us Yin at its deepest, and Yang at its weakest.

Added to that, as writers of hokku we must remember that these two forces — Yin and Yang — also manifest in the changes of day and night.  Morning — like spring — is growing Yang and diminishing Yin.  Midday, like summer, brings Yang to its maximum, and then it begins to decline into the growing Yin of afternoon.  This continues through evening until we reach the depths of night, in which Yin is at its maximum, Yang at its minimum.

Did you ever wonder why it is — traditionally — that some people in some places and circumstances may see ghosts at night?  It is because night is the most Yin time, and ghosts are considered part of the Yin world.

We see that Yang and Yin apply to everything in similar ways.  In human life, birth and childhood are growing Yang; as young adults, humans reach their most Yang period,  and then the decline of growing Yin begins — people start to age and begin — like Nature — to wither.  We can compare that time to late summer and autumn in the year, to afternoon and evening in the day.  And finally comes maximum Yin, which is the deepest part of night in the daily cycle — the ending of life in the human cycle — and in the seasons it is winter with its cold and stillness, when the energy of plants has returned to root and buried seed, until the growing Yang of spring brings the energies of life forth again.

Snows are already falling in the high country.  Frost has come to many regions.  The energies of Nature are retreating — Yin is growing, Yang declining.

Some might think that because Yin is the predominant element of winter, that everything in winter hokku should be cold, still, and silent.  That is a mistake.  Keep in mind that Yin and Yang never separate, even when one is at its extreme.  So even in the Yin cold and stillness of winter we will often see Yang manifesting in some way, and it is this interplay of the elements — the predominant against the weaker — that gives us hokku.

An excellent example is this very powerful verse by Gyōdai:

Akatsuki ya   kujira no hoeru   shimo no umi.
Dawn     ya whale  ’s  roaring  frost ’s sea.

Dawn;
Whales roaring
In the frosty sea.

That is a rather literal version — but effective.  In English, however, whales do not “roar,” so we would say

Dawn;
Whales spouting
In the frosty sea.

Anyone who thinks that hokku are always about the very small and the very close up will see from Gyōdai’s hokku that that is not always so.  But let’s take a closer look at the verse and see how it manifests not only winter, but the interplay of Yin and Yang.

Predominant, of course, is the force of the season — Yin.  We find that in the words the frosty sea.

The hokku takes place at dawn, when growing Yang first becomes visible.  And of course the blowing and spouting of the whales, with its force and great noise, is also Yang.  But the overall feeling of the verse is very, very cold.  So we see a great and powerful Yang force — the whales — but in spite of their size and power, they are just a tiny element amid the immensity of the Yin of winter.

Structurally, it is a standard hokku, meaning it has a setting, a subject, and an action.  We could diagram it like this:

Dawn;  (setting)
Whales (subject)
Spouting in the frosty sea (action)

You will notice, of course, that really there are two elements that make up the overall setting of the verse — dawn and the frosty sea.  Such a secondary setting incorporated as part of the action is very common in hokku.

Notice the selfless of the verse.  There is no human anywhere in sight.  All we see is the profound power of Nature — its immense cold, and the Yang of the whale who manages to live in such cold amid the frosty waves.

That last characteristic is something to remember, because things that live in extreme environments tend to manifest just the opposite.  That is why here, amid the great cold of the frosty sea — we find the powerful Yang energy of the whale.  It must be strong enough to resist the opposite element to flourish in it.

That, of course, explains why traditionally, if one was looking for the most powerful ginseng roots to use as medicine, one searched for them in the frozen mountains of North Korea.  Growing in such a Yin environment gives the root great Yang energy.  It is the same principle in Gyōdai’s hokku.

Winter hokku, then, will manifest the season in an interplay of forces.  In some we may see almost only Yin, for example in Chiyo-ni’s verse:

No ni yama ni   ugoku mono nashi   yuki no asa
Field at  mountain at   moving thing is-not  snow ’s morning

In fields and mountains
Nothing moves;
The snowy morning.

That is a very Yin verse.  We see the fields and hills covered in snow, and amid all that chilly, white immensity, not one thing is moving.  That is the stillness of winter.  We see what a contrast that is with the spouting, plunging whales and blowing, frosty waves of Gyōdai’s verse.  But notice that even in the Yin silence and stillness of Chiyo-ni’s hokku, there is the Yang element of light and morning.  In such things we see the interplay of Yin and Yang, with their respective strengths varying from verse to verse.

It is important to recall that it is Yin that brings out the meaning of Yang, and Yang that brings out the meaning of Yin.  That is easy to see.  When do we most appreciate the soft warmth of a thick blanket?  In the Yin of winter.  And when do we most appreciate the heat and bright crackle of a wood fire?  Again, in the cold of winter.

Modern people are often very insulated from the seasons, in great contrast to our ancestors.  Remember the Little House on the Prairie books of our childhood?  They show us what it is like to live closer to Nature and in greater awareness of it.  Winter has great significance when we live close to it.  If you have never read that series, I suggest you do so, because if you are living removed from Nature, it will help to remind you what a life close to the seasons is like.  We cannot write hokku if we do not experience the seasons and their changes.

It is precisely for this reason that R. H. Blyth suggested that if one wanted to write this kind of verse, one should live in a house with a roof that leaks — or at least one with a roof that has the potential of leaking.  That is really a kind of Jungian statement.  Blyth meant that we must live in circumstances in which we cannot avoid the effects of the changing seasons leaking into our lives and our consciousness.  Without that — shut away in perfectly insulated, temperature-controlled environments — how can we experience Nature and the changes of the seasons enough to write about them in a manner that really expresses them?

Let’s look again at Gyōdai’s verse:

Dawn;
Whales spouting
In the frosty sea.

That is the Moby-Dick of hokku.  It is just as dark and powerful in its own way as the novel of Herman Melville — said to be the greatest American novel.  Did you know that Melville actually went to sea for long periods of time in the 19th century, and experienced the kind of environment about which he wrote?  Can you imagine Moby-Dick having been written by someone who lived all his life in a comfy apartment in the midst of a large city?  Of course not.  How then can we expect to write effective hokku — verses that manifest the character of the season — if we are not even exposed to the seasons and their transformations?

I am not, of course, telling everyone who lives in a city apartment to sign up on a ship or to take a trek to the Arctic.  But it is very important for anyone who wants to write hokku to become familiar with its primary subject matter — Nature and the seasons.  Do that in whatever way you can, whether it is visiting parks in the city or making periodic trips to the countryside to renew and refresh your sensibilities.

Winter is a very good time for hokku because it is a season of extremes, and thus the season can potentially have a very strong effect on us.  The result can be as good as the “whale” hokku of Gyōdai, or as good as the “snowy stillness” hokku of Chiyo-ni — if we learn to step aside and let Nature express itself — let Nature speak — through our verses.

David

OMG!!! Yin’s still alive!! 0.o she’s in some cube, one thing for sure, inside that cube she still can used her ‘medium’ power~~

Yin’s medium power, killed the mother of the man who have crushed on Suou,, (i forgot his name,, XD )

Before know Yin’s still alive, Hei was Fighting with some guy that can transmute iron, rock, etc to be his body shield and armors,,, Hei could only flee, cause he’s already lost his power as a contractor,, -_-

because Hei know there was Yin on his target, he quit from his current organization, and follow his only instinct,, (maybe XP )

the scene where Hei cooking was nostalgic~~ n__n

I just read Jake’s post about humans fearing the dark and the unknown. I agree to this argument only to a certain extent, but I don’t believe that we are spoiled by light. I think light and darkness are complements to each other. For example, lets relate to an event that will happen in the next 2 or so days. The Leonid Meteor Shower of 2009 will peak on November 17th at around 1:00 AM. So many people around (half) the world are waiting to see this natural phenomenon occur. Yet, in order to see it, we have to embrace the darkness. As we look up to the mostly empty sky, filled with tiny specks of light here and there, we await that wishful slither of light. I recount some of my past summers when I went on night hikes during meteor shower days. We were not allowed to bring flashlights or any sources of light. The reason is light ruins our night vision, inhibiting us from seeing the meteor in the sky. But once that meteor crosses the sky, the entire crowd is captured in awe, exclaiming with a respectful “Ohhh!”

My point is that we need both darkness and light. Neither spoils us because both are essential for each other. I cannot help but bring back the Yin and Yang example again. Both light and dark, good and evil, balance each other out and create harmony. We need the darkness of the night sky in order to see that anticipated meteor. We must embrace to darkness to appreciate the light.

P.S. Everyone should come watch the Leonid Meteor Shower at school at 9:00 PM on Tuesday.

There are some hokku difficult for young people to understand — difficult not because of complexity, but because one must go through certain experiences to fully appreciate them.  One of the most obvious of these is Buson’s verse:

Chichi haha no    koto nomi omou    aki no kure
Dad      Mom  ’s    matter only think   autumn ’s evening

Thinking only
About my mom and dad;
The autumn evening.

At first this seems a rather bland hokku, but a great deal depends upon the reader knowing how hokku work.

We know that a hokku is an expression of a season, in this case the season of autumn.  Autumn is the time of aging and withering and eventually dying.  That is the key to understanding this verse.

When Buson says that he is thinking only of his parents, he means it in the sense that they keep coming into his thoughts for some reason — that even when he tries to think of other things, the faces of his parents keep returning.

Why is that?  It is because in the autumn, one realizes both what one is losing and what one has lost.  Autumn is the time of growing yin, the time of things — of life — returning to the root.  It is the time of withering plants and falling leaves and the diminishing of warmth and light and the increasing of cold.  All of these things combine to bring Buson’s mother and father constantly to mind.

He does not tell us if they are aged — in which case one has the sorrow and concern of seeing their lives fading — or if they have passed away, in which case one has the grief that never really goes away, the bittersweet memories easily evoked by the season of autumn.

One can see that the last line,

The autumn evening

is very important.

So there is a world of feeling in this verse.  It is at the same time very personal and very universal.  Buson thinks of his parents, but when we read it, it becomes a hokku about our own parents, whether we are near to losing them or have lost them.

Dante says in the Divine Comedy that there is

Nessun maggior dolore che ricordarsi del tempo felice nella miseria….

That there is

“No greater sorrow than to recall a happy time in misery.”

Time is the thief that steals all things — our childhood, our youth,  and leaves us

Thinking only
About my mom and dad;
The autumn evening.

David

Questo è il punto: si parla di religione come costrizione e limite. Io parlo di religione come di arricchimento e cultura. In terza elementare una maestrina carina e giovane, ci fece studiare tutte le religioni. è stato bellissimo, mi sono innamorato di quest’affascinante aspetto delle società d’ogni tempo e luogo, sapevo che avrebbero segnato la mia vita. Dall’anno successivo non sono riuscito a seguire quella materia, perché ci mandavano sempre invasati estremisti cattolici. Ma quell’anno mi ha segnato. Non sono cattolico, ma rispetto le mie radici. Non sono cattolico ma sono grato al cattolicesimo perché vivo in questo mondo. Non sono cattolico ma sono cosciente che questa religione ha creato la società in cui vivo sotto il 90% dei suoi aspetti. Non sono cattolico ma serenamente prendo atto del fatto che la società si sia secolarizzata e che il punto di partenza non deve divenire punto d’arrivo, la religione di duemila anni fa non può governare lo stato di oggi.

Non sono musulmano, ma mi sono laureato con una tesi sull’Islam, ma rispetto le radici di chi è nato musulmano, ma sono grato all’Islam perché ha creato una cultura differente, io prendo atto del fatto che l’Islam non possa governare uno stato, ma io non sono nessuno e purtroppo non molti statisti orientali la pensano come me.

Perché difendere una religione che non sia la religione cristiana è un segno d’apertura, mentre difendere la religione di Cristo è un segno di arretratezza mentale e stupidità?

Perché se parla il Papa si grida allo scandalo e all’ingerenza della Chiesa, mentre se parla un pirla qualunque bisogna ascoltare e rispettare e riflettere su ciò che dice?

Perché la religione è bistrattata nonostante sia nostra, cioè degli uomini che ne hanno avuto e ne avranno sempre bisogno?

Non toccate quel crocifisso, mettetegli accanto un corano, la menorah (il candelabro ebraico), il T’ai Chi T’u che rappresenta lo Yin e lo Yang (ovvero i due opposti nel ciclo del Tao), metteteci un buddha e il pentacolo pagano che rappresenta i 5 elementi (acqua, aria, fuoco, terra e spirito). Ma sopratutto spiegateci e spiegatevi cosa significano davvero. Perché levare un crocifisso è fascista, retrogrado e stupido, ma forse lo è altrettanto lasciarlo li da solo.

New image in the animal love photography contest

…
yin yang? photography picture

Okay, “Yin & Yang” steht ursprünglich dafür, dass sowohl das Weibliche als auch das Männliche in allem irgendwie enthalten ist. Ich habe mir erlaubt, es getrennt darzustellen. Nämlich mit diesen beiden:

Mama & Sohn =

Khaing Hnin Hnin & Shanti (vormals Wonneproppen) ==

“Weibliches & Männliches”

… ist also definitiv enthalten. Insofern ist es doch okay, oder? ;o)

© skriptum

King of Wands: a minor arcana example of power in the balance of opposites – wands are inward journey, spirit, intuition…yin. The king is leadership, male…yang. This card reminds us to lead wisely and follow only good role models

Have you ever wondered why certain rooms in your home feel more comfortable than others?  Or why rearranging a room makes it not only look, but feel differently?   Perhaps without realizing it, you’re experiencing the principles of  Feng Shui.  Feng Shui is the ancient practice of arranging the physical environment to harmonize  energy.  When your environment is balanced and harmonious, it has a positive affect on your life.

Good  Feng Shui mitigates problems and increases opportunities in your life, often creating circumstances that help you out of a negative situation.  

Correct Feng Shui can increase prosperity and allow harmonious relationships.  Conversely, incorrect Feng Shui can bring discord in relationships, as well as money problems, accidents, and chronic disease.   The widespread practice of Feng Shui in Asia is a powerful testament to its potency.  In Hong Kong, few businesses or residents risk having incorrect Feng Shui. 

A Long and Rich History

Although thought by many to be a New Age phenomenon, the art and science of Feng Shui has been around for centuries.  About 6000 years ago, the  Chinese began using principles of geomancy, or what is now called Feng Shui.  Observing the Big Dipper and the rotation of the planets, they applied their observations to the placement of ancestral grave sites.  Correct grave placement was thought to bring prosperity for the deceased’s descendants.  Soon, Chinese Emperors used Feng Shui to find the most suitable place to build a fortress.  

Today, Feng Shui is associated with anything from cosmetics to car design to fountains and mirrors.  It’s no wonder people see it as a New Age gimmick.

It’s all about Energy

Most of us have heard of qi (chi).  It’s a term simply described as energy, but it’s actually more profound.  Qi is the underlying essence of all things.   Qi has direct impact on your health, wealth, and relationships.   The goal of Feng Shui is to enhance beneficial qi in your space while keeping out detrimental qi.  At the most basic level, Qi is classified as having either Yin or Yang qualities.  Yin qi is feminine and quiet.  Yang qi is the opposite of Yin.  It’s masculine and  active.  Qi is further characterized as being a combination of five elemental energies -earth, metal, water, wood, and fire.  Balancing elements in your environment ensures a harmonious environment.  A harmonious environment helps you to relax opening the door to better health and greater ease in all areas of your life.

A traditional  Feng Shui practitioner works to balance energy in a space, similar to how an acupuncturist balances qi in your body.  The correct application of the principles of Feng Shui allows qi in your environment to nourish you.  This is the essence of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui is a Lifetime Study

The study of  Feng Shui is a lifetime study and there are hundreds of different systems of Feng Shui. The traditional approaches to Feng Shui use a compass to take directional readings of  your home and analyze the impact of geographical features such as street traffic, neighboring houses, and landscaping.  Time-Space Feng Shui measures how energy reacts in a space in a given time by using mathematical and logical system to interpret the energy patterns.  It’s through the correct analysis of outside forms and qi flow patterns in a space that energy can be balanced.

A Time-Space  Feng Shui consultant takes compass readings to measure the facing direction of your home and  prepares an energy chart of your house.  The chart shows the type of energy in the structure and which areas are out of balance.   These areas can be analyzed thoroughly and specifically addressed to improve health, career goals, relationships.   The recommendations may include opening  windows in certain locations (when weather permits), adding an elemental cure, and rearranging furniture.

Feng Shui can improve your satisfaction with your life but of course, it’s not a magical cure.  Every object and form both inside and outside of your home influences you.   Applying the traditional principles of Feng Shui can ensure an optimum environment which will support your health, wealth, relationships and over all well-being. 

Pessoal, essa é simples, mas para esses dias de calor vem suuuper a calhar! E é Yin!!!

Ingredientes:

1 pé de Alface (eu prefiro lisa ou mimosa) lavado e rasgado em tiras

20 tomates do tipo Grape (pode ser tomate cereja ou tomate pera também)

1 prato de sobremesa de palmito pupunha cru desfiado

200 gr de gorgonzola picado

limão e sal a gosto

Modo de preparar:

Misture tudo em uma saladeira e divirta-se!

Having spent enough time talking about why hokku is not the same as haiku (and why haiku is not hokku), let’s move back to the real subject — old hokku.

Buson wrote this autumn hokku:

White dew –
A drop on each thorn
Of the bramble.

It is very simple.  There are only two elements — the dew and the bramble, but notice how they are presented.  A single drop hangs from each of the thorns on a branch of the bramble.  We see its cold transparence in the light of morning — the yin softness of water, the yang hardness of the bramble thorns.  One element is very transitory — soon gone when the sun rises higher — the other more permanent, but still as transient on its own time scale.

It is a good idea to have something that moves or changes in hokku.  Generally we see things that do so obviously — a branch moving in the wind, a fish swimming through the water.  But in this hokku the movement is only implied, and very subtle — the temporary nature of the dew, the knowledge not only that at any moment one of those drops could fall from a thorn, but that the dew itself will likely only last the morning.

Buson sometimes tended to spoil his hokku by making them too artificial, too contrived from literary sources, or too obviously intended to impress.  He was both a painter and a writer, and his writing is often influenced by his painting.  But in this hokku it is the simplicity and faithfulness to Nature that saves him.

David

In honor of Halloween, I wanted to share a drawing Kaya’s player did of the Rising Legion part as Disney characters.

by dreaminlotte

Featuring:

Jonan of Thaydin as Frollo, from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Alter Kesavia as Phoebus, from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Xiao Yin as Kocoum from “Pocahontas”
Xiao Fuu as Esmerelda from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Kaya as Pocahontas from “Pocahontas”
Jirair Kesavia as Giselle from “Enchanted”
Asher Cherianchit as Ariel from “The Little Mermaid”

Happy belated Halloween!

Since I was down with a cold for the last four days (including today), I decided to search the Internet on the kinds of foods I should eat or avoid in order to get better. Here’s some info I found which may be useful to anyone interested in what we can eat to balance the cold and hot energy effects of foods in our bodies.

An excerpt from benefits-of-honey.com:

“The heatiness (yang) and cooling (yin) effect of foods refer to their capacity to generate sensations – either hot or cold energy in our body… For example, tea is a cooling food; this means that it generates cold energy in our body… Hence, if you eat predominantly yin foods, your body will be capable of producing only cold energy, in contrast, eating predominantly yang foods produces hot energy. If a person suffers from cold rheumatism, eating foods with a warm or hot energy would be helpful. If a person’s acne condition deteriorates due to consumption of fried foods, it is beneficial to eat cooling foods to counter heatiness and relieve the symptoms…”

Effects of Yin & Yang Foods

Excessive heaty (yang) foods cause:
> Fever
> Constipation
> Sore throat
> Nose bleed
> Pimple outbreak
> Rashes
> Ulcers
> Indigestion

Excessive cooling (yin) foods cause:
> Weakness
> Lethargy
> Frailness
> Restlessness

General Characteristics of Yin & Yang Foods

Heaty/yang foods:
• grow under the hot sun
• are sweet
• are fatty
• are rich in sodium
• are hard, dry or spicy

Cold/yin foods:
• grow in little sunshine
• are salty
• are lean
• are rich in potassium
• are soft and wet

Types of Yin & Yang Foods

Heaty (yang) foods are warming, stimulating and energetic:
> Herbs & Spices : Cinnamon bark, cinnamon twig, cloves, nutmeg, leaf mustard, sweet basil, chives, rosemary, spearmint, tobacco, ginger, garlic, pepper.
> Fruits : Coconuts, guavas, longans, raspberries, jackfruits, durians, apricots, blackberries, blackcurrants, mangoes, peaches, cherries, mandarin oranges, grapes, grapefruit peel, dates.
> Vegetables : Red and green peppers, coriander (Chinese parsley), green onions, shallots, spring onions, leeks.
> Seeds & Nuts : Apricot seeds, chestnuts, walnuts, dillseeds, oats, wheatgerm.
> Meats & Seafood : Chicken, eel, mutton, ham, shrimp.
> Others : Brown sugar, vinegar, soybean oil, cheese (strongly yang), egg yolk, coffee, chocolate, prawn crackers, cookies.

Cooling (yin) foods are calming and nourishing:
> Herbs & Spices : Marjoram herb, peppermint, turmeric.
> Fruits : Bananas, grapefruit, persimmons, starfruit, watermelons, pears, strawberries, tangerines, pineapples, pumpkins.
> Vegetables : Bamboo shoots, sugar cane, bitter gourd, lettuces, seaweed, lotus roots, cucumbers, radishes, broccoli, cauliflowers, zuccini, tomatoes, carrots, celery, eggplant (brinjal), potatos,  spinach, watercress.
> Seeds & Nuts : Barley, corn, water chestnuts.
> Meats & Seafood : Clams, crabs, oysters, pork.
> Others : Salt, bean curd, egg white, tea, yogurt, alcohol (strongly yin).

Neutral (balanced yin and yang) foods:
> Herbs & Spices : Sage herb, rosemary, thyme.
> Fruits : Papayas, pumpkins, dates, apricots, figs, olives, raspberries, raisins, plums, apples.
> Vegetables :  Beetroots, carrots, celery, string beans, radish leaves, brussels sprouts, snow peas, taro (yam), sweet potatoes, potatoes.
> Seeds & Nuts : Corn, kidney beans, yellow soybeans, red beans, lotus fruit and seeds, sunflower seeds, brown rice, sweet rice.
> Meats & Seafood :  Beef, pork, turkey, duck, carp fish, cuttlefish, oysters, abalones.
> Others : Honey, black fungus, white fungus, milk.

The methods used to prepare foods also affect the heatiness and coolness of the foods. For example, beef is considered as neutral, but if you have it deep fried or grilled, it would be considered as heaty. Methods that make food heaty may include deep frying, grilling or baking, whereas methods that do not make food heaty may include boiling, steaming or stewing. (This is what I think, haven’t found any evidence on whether it’s true.)

Now I’m a little confused because one website may have a food type in the “yang” list but another website may have it in the “yin” list or the neutral list, or a food type may appear in both the “yin” and neutral lists. So if you see a food type that is misplaced in any of the 3 lists above, feel free to comment and let me know!~ ^.^

Also, the characteristics of yin & yang food types are general characteristics and may not apply to every food type in the lists. For example, the list of “yang” food characteristics include sweet foods, and “yin” food characteristics include salty foods, however, cheese is a strongly “yang” food although it is salty.

It’s going to be difficult trying to remember which food is “yin” and which is “yang”, but I guess the best is to remember what foods are neutral, for a healthy balanced diet!

Cheers,
Nat ^.^

Information sources:
http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/heaty.html
http://www.prntrkmt.org/gender/yin.html
http://www.prntrkmt.org/gender/yang.html
http://www.prntrkmt.org/gender/neutral.html

Adoro beringela e carne moíde e muzzarella então montei essa mussaka yin e ficou ótima!

Ingredientes:

3 beringelas médias fatiadas

500 gr de carne moída magra

1 lata de molho de tomate

300 gr de muzzarella ralada

pimenta síria e sal a gosto

Modo de preparar:

Cozinhe a carne moída no molho de tomate.

Em um refratário grande coloque um pouco de molho no fundo.

Forre com fatias de beringela salpicadas de sal, coloque 1/3 do molho, polvilhe com pimenta síria e espalhe  1/3 da muzzarella. Repita a operação mais duas vezes.

Leve ao forno quente até gratinar, cozinhar a beringela e secar quase todo o líquido.

Dica da Patty: se quiser diminuir o tempo de forno, grelhe as fatias de beringela antes de montar o prato, pois soltarão menos líquido

Filé de frango (aquele do peito mesmo) é muito sem graça. Grelhadinho, ele tem uma cara de dieta que dá até tristeza em quem senta à mesa para comer. Fiquei pensando em acompanhamentos que fujam um pouco do legumes /salada/verdurinha cozida. E ontem encontrei uma que atendeu lindamente minhas necessidades gastronômicas. Fiz um creme de espinafre. Na verdade a idéia surgiu de um creme de espinafre que preparei para meu filho( tipo sopinha) e que com um toque especial ficou delicioso!

Creme de espinafre

Espinafre congelado(pode ser o fresco mas dá muito trabalho..preguicinha!!)

Cebola

um fio de azeite

sal

pimenta

Requeijão ou catupiry

Modo  de fazer

Descongele o espinafre antecipadamente e retire a água em excesso. Em uma panela refogue a cebola com um fio de azeite.Coloque o espinafre.Tempere com o sal e a pimentinha e acrescente o requeijão a gosto(Para deixar o creme com mais ou menos gosto de espinafre).

Sirva como complemento para o Filé de frango , carnes ou o que desejar.

Bom apetite!

Here are four different variations on a tatoo I,m working on for my wife.

Aí vai mais uma:

Panqueca de Abóbora Cabotian

1 ovo

1 colher de sopa cheia de abóbora cozida

Um pouquinho de leite

Parmesão ralado (a gosto)

Sal a gosto

Bater no liquidificador

Fazer as panquecas da forma tradicional e abusar da idéia para os recheio de proteínas.

Sou apaixonada por escondidinho..de batata, mandioca, mandioquinha…humm! Mas estes ingredientes junto das proteínas não fazem mais parte do meu cardápio. Por  isso resolvi adaptar e fiz o escondidinho com abóbora. Para o recheio, o que eu tinha na geladeira era um frango para desfiar e foi o que usei. Dando um toque especial de sabor coloquei caturipy (de verdade). Ficou um espetáculo!!

Escondidinho de frango com abóbora

 500 g de abóbora cortada em cubos

1 peito de frango

catupiry ( o quanto desejar)

 mussarela( o quanto desejar)

 cebola, alho, cheiro verde, tomate, sal, pimenta do reino, ajinomoto

 Cozinhe o frango em água com sal e pimenta do reino, reserve. Nesta mesma água cozinhe os cubos de abóbora.Quando a abóbora estiver cozida escorra a água e volte a abóbora para o fogo cozinhando até que vire um purê. Acerte o sala e a pimenta do reino e reserve. Desfie o peito de frango e prepare em uma panela  com um fio de azeite um refogado com cebola, alho, tomate, sal, pimenta do reino e  Ajinomoto. Misture o frango desfiado, acerte os temperos e no final,antes de apagar o fogo, acrescente o cheiro verde.

Coloque em um refratário (de vidro de preferência para valorizar o visual das camadas pó prato) o  frango desfiado. Em seguida coloque generosas colheradas de caturiry(sem medo de ser feliz!) e por cima o purê de abóbora. Leve ao fogo para secar um pouco a água(a abóbora solta bastante água). Quando estiver no ponto acrescente queijo ralado grosso(Pode ser mussarela ou parmesão ou os 2 ..eu prefiro o parmesão) e volte ao forno para gratinar. Quando estiver douradinho retire do forno, tire sua água de coco do freezer ..

…e se jogue!!!

Serve 4 pessoas normais ou 3 glutonas como eu!

Dica de Mari : pode substituir por carne seca desfiado ou qquer outra boa proteína que te faça feliz!

Dica de Marcia: Use a abóbora Cabotian que solta menos água.

Ontem preparei uma receita TOP segundo meu filho.

Aí vai:

Abobrinha ao forno

Ingredientes:

2 abobrinhas firmes! Rs… Cortadas em fatias longitudinais de ½ cm de espessura.

1 vidro de molho de tomate

½ ricota pequena esfarelada

1 cebola picada

4 ovos batidos

Muzarella ralada para cobrir (o quanto baste para vocês! Rs…)

Sal e ervas a gosto (eu usei um tempero pronto que se chama Green Salt e tem no Pão de Açúcar)

Modo de preparo:

Em um refratário (o meu é redondo e baixo, tipo para quiche, um pouco maior que um prato raso), coloque umas 5 CS de molho e espalhe. É pra não grudar nada embaixo.

Coloque uma camada de fatias de abobrinha, metade da ricota, metade da cebola, temperos, metade do molho que sobrou e repita as camadas.

Despeje os ovos batidos sobre as camadas e cubra com a muzzarella.

Leve ao forno quente.

Pode retirar quando a abobrinha estiver cozida mas ainda firme. (Meu filho não quis esperar muito e achei que ficou bem legal a abobrinha “al dente”.

Bon Apètit!

Como sem medo de ser feliz!

Bjs,

The Chinese concept of Yin and Yang is probably most closely associated in America with black-light posters, martial arts studios, and Asian takeout menus. Commonly misunderstood as representing some sort of intermingling between good and evil, Yin and yang actually represent equal opposites. Yin is empty, dark, feminine and receptive, among other qualities. Yang is full, bright, masculine and active.

It would be fairly safe to say that ours is a very “Yang” culture. And, in my opinion, most of us could use a little more Yin.

Just as we all need to inhale as well as to exhale, and rest as much as exercise, our minds and our personal energy levels ebb and flow. As the most well-known portion of Ecclesiastes states, “There is a time to every purpose under heaven.” Unfortunately, we tend not to accept or understand the ebbing, “Yin” portions our lives as much as we do the flowing, “Yang” portions.

In business, in love, in the stock market, all too often a natural pause for breath is seen as the first sign of rigor mortis. But Yin and Yang relates not only to the external world, but to the internal one – the soul, mind or life-force (choose whichever term you prefer) inside each of us.

From personal experience, I know that periods of Yin and Yang can be quite pronounced. When I’m “feeling Yang,” ideas, projects and vigor flow freely. When I’m “feeling Yin,” the reverse is true: I need to recharge, to absorb the work of others, to read and gather inspiration. I used to fight this process – to try to force ideas from a brain begging for rest, and – conversely – to demand tranquility from a subconscious bursting with creativity. It did not work very well. I have learned – somewhat grudgingly, I admit – to listen to my personal ebb and flow, and attempt to direct myself accordingly.

I hypothesize that, while everybody has these natural, cyclical, internal rhythms (I suspect that “biorhythms” are an attempt to mathematically illustrate exactly this phenomenon, although I am highly skeptical of their accuracy), just as with any other attribute, they express themselves across a spectrum, from gentle to severe.

I suspect that it is in people with overly harsh cycles that we see the painful mood swings of bipolar disorder or “manic depression.” What is “mania,” if not an overabundance of Yang, and what is “depression” if not excessive Yin? It is no secret that many great artists were “bipolar,” and while “mania” suggests a sort of raving lunacy, I believe it is more accurately characterized as an uncontrollably Yang state, with the attendant benefits of creativity and inspiration. Likewise, “depression” is less about feeling sad and more about a sense of internal void or emptiness – the Yin, slowly returning to the fullness of Yang.

If therapists focused less on trying to keep bipolar patients on an even keel, and more on helping them understand the natural ebb and flow of their own energy, I wonder what the results would be.

If a person could learn to focus the boundless zeal of a Yang “manic” period into productive rather than destructive pursuits, and the Yin of “depression” into activities that allow the mind and body to replenish their stores of energy, rather than drifting into lethargy and despair, I suspect the results would be beneficial in the extreme.

The concept of “Tao” – the “Way,” or the flow of the Universe – gets a lot of play in book titles and pop culture. There is a companion concept – “Method” – which is the process of aligning one’s actions to the Tao. But each of us has our own flow, our own Way, and if we respect it, pay attention to it, and direct ourselves intelligently according to it, we will be in better shape to respond to all of what life offers us – Yin and Yang.