10 days Vipassna Meditation in North Fork, California

After I started to heal myself from an ovarian cancer in 1993 macrobiotic way I felt that there was more than food that can be used to heal holistically. I felt that I really needed to change my life to heal. The changing food itself was a challenge for me in the beginning so I did not know how to change my life more, but it was much more needed to change my actual life. It was so much important to me to be able to learn to have more harmony within myself. One day I noticed that I was so attracted to meditation whenever I heard word of meditation. I tried many different meditation classes and learn the tequnics, but nothing really connected me. It took a while for me to find it, but about 15 years ago I found 10days Vipssana meditation. When I contacted California Vipassana Center they told me that I must be silent for all 10days, no phone, no internet, no eye contact with anybody and get up at 4am and start meditate from 4:30am till 9pm except breakfast, lunch and tea time (no dinner!). Can you believe it, I still wanted to go and experience it.  I was ready to go, but I had a serious car accident and injured my legs so I could not sit for three years. I practiced whatever the meditation I knew how to do it until I was able to go.

I was at 10 day meditation course of Vipassana just before Thanksgiving week. This was my 5^th 10 day meditation course in the past 10 years. Contrary to my expectations, this time was the most challenge, because my meditation delved deeper into levels I did not wish to deal with, and I had to experience agitated meditation before getting the benefit. I am happy that I stayed and completed once again.

Vipassana friends who shared the ride from LA to North Fork

Vipassana means to see things as they really are and practice not to react. Total process of learning the art of living and the art of happiness. There are several Vipassana meditation practices and centers. The Vipassana meditation that I have been practicing is done according to the teachings of Mr. S.N. Goenka and is at 300 different locations around the world,  and they are functioning 100% by donation. Their commitment is so firm that even somebody wants to donate money, they would not accept any money if the donor does not complete all 10 days. When I heard about it I could not believe it, but I knew this is the meditation I have been wanting for a long time to practice after I tried many different types of meditation.

I have been offering Meditation and Macrobiotic Lunch gathering for everyone who has not try meditation and Vipassana meditator on meet up 

and if you are Vipassana Meditator you can go http://www.meetup.com/Westside-Vipassana-Meditators/

Anybody truly wants to get calming quiet mind with peaceful life let’s practice meditation.

Love, Sanae

Healing Your Soul of Heart with Bach Flower Remedy

Healing Your Soul of Heart with Bach Flower Remedy  Workshop at Seed Kitchen

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One of my important healing practices has been healing for my mind - heart, soul and spirit. Practicing macrobiotics has been a phenomena experience, but the same time I need more than focusing much to what I eat and how I eat and physical matters. I was first introduced to Rescue Remedies of Dr. Bach’s Bach Flower Remedies in 1993 after I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer from an acupuncture doctor. I did not know anything about Dr. Bach or Flower Remedies at that time. When the acupuncture doctor recommended for me to take Rescue Remedies every day whenever I felt stressed, I did not know that I was under the strenuous effects of stress at that time, but now I think back and realize that the anxiety and stress of finding out that I had ovarian cancer was perhaps more deadly than the disease.  I started to seek a path of self-healing in a holistic way. A few days after I started to take Rescue Remedies I noticed that I was able to drive more calmly even in the heaviest of traffic. I came home from my work feeling more peaceful and was able to sleep better. 

I thought to myself, could this little bottle of drops be helping? I wanted to know what was inside the bottle, so I went back to the natural food store where I bought Rescue Remedies.  I bought my first Bach Flower Remedies book “Bach Flower Essences for the Family.” It was so fascinating for me to find out for the first time how flowers’ healing powers help our emotions and mental issues. I could not stop reading it and I felt like trying all the remedies!  I made the decision to study Bach Flower Remedies some day when I recover from ovarian cancer in 1999. In 2001 I became a practitioner.

It has been one of my goals to teach Bach Flower Remedy and I was able to teach at Macrobiotics French Meadow Camp this summer. I added the remedy as a part of cooking class remedy class and I called Bach Flower Remedy as

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Remedy Making class at Macrobiotics French Meadow Camp

Last week, I introduced Healing Your  Soul of Heart with Bach Flower Remedy Workshop at Seed Kitchen for Japanese people. I feel it is very challenging for us to connect our soul of hearts and recognized emotional issues especially for Japanese people. It has been my goal to teach for Japanese people to heal their soul of heart so this workshop was very important project. I am happy that we had 9 people come and some people opened up and shared their challenges and made efforts to connect to their emotional department.

Sanae Suzuki at Healing Your Soul of Heart with Bach Flower Remedy Workshop

Students asking questions at Healing Your Soul of Heart with Bach Flower Remedy

 

Making and tasting remedy

Bach Flower Remedy with Rescue Remedy and Mixing Bottle

Macrobiotic Summer Traveling

It's been a long, active summer here at Studio Mugen. We traveled to many places including the East Coast for the Kushi Institute Macrobiotic Summer Camp which was a full of new friends, delicious food and beautiful weather!

I also attended the French Meadows Summer Camp where I taught three classes: Eat Healthy, Live Happy, Make New Moon Wishes (including what and how to eat at new moon time), Beautify Yourself Inside for Your body and Soul and a cooking class to learn how to recognize your skin color condition to beautify yourself with remedy drinks.    

Eric had the chance to travel to the Big Island for work and I joined him.

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I became very careful and making a plan a head of time before I do anything after I had to had a serious car accident in 2001. It is good to make plans, but I feel that I lost adventure of doing spontaneous. This summer I had a sudden invitation to go to Big Island of Hawaii and my first answer was “No” because I did not make a plan to go and there is nobody to take care of office and nobody to take care of our dogs and cats family at home since my regular pet sitters were not available.

I have had PTSD from the serious car accident in 2001 - I was scared to do many things and sometimes not even able to go out side house. I come a long way to heal myself since the car accident after I healed myself from the cancer that I had in 1993. Because of PTSD and my physical limitation I still do not drive a car so some people have asked me how I live in Los Angeles without car, but my life is very active and I have learned to live more sustainable life for my true health and happiness without driving. Of curse sometimes I know that I need to challenge for me to do something different and move forward. I felt that this sudden invitation to go Hawaii was one of my challenges to try out.

Once a I diced to take this invitation I moved quickly and looked for a new pet sitter so  I found new pet sitter. My friends and neighbors also offered to take turn to take care of my dogs & cats family and water my vegetables garden etc. I was concerned to take a flight my own since I had a horrible experience and missed flight because I could not walk fast enough to get to a connection gate, but everything went smooth this time and I made to Kona, Hawaii. Eric came to pick me up with a beautiful lei and took me to beach right a way. The warm Hawaiian wind helped to relax me right a way. I felt so grateful that I took this spontaneous opportunity.

 

In the morning I took shower outside with blue sky with my favorite Hawaiian flower of white plumeria and ate delicious Hawaiian breakfast (vegetables white miso soup, oatmeal with  papaya and white plumeria )with a guest of electric green color, Gekko. Then went to farmers market and found Hawaiian Kabocha and Daikon radishes… got taking a photo with beautiful flowers. In the afternoon we played Ping-Pong at beach and I surprised Eric because I beat him and we laughed so hard when every time when I got a point. Since the car accident I lost mobility of my legs and have chronic nerve pain always I have not been able to play sport much.

 

He said after 23 years he did not know that I could play Ping pong I am a full of surprised to him so what else I am hiding from him. It made me so happy to see that he was laughing and happy to do something with me. Before I injured my legs we did so many things together, water ski, scuba diving, ski and traveling many different places. I hope that we play sports and start to traveling again.

Eric was working a lot as his client’s private chef so I decided to take Hawaiian culture classes everyday while he was working: Ti leaf lei making, shell craft, Hula dance, and of course ukulele - I met Aunt Dizzy who was 84 years olds and teaching how to play Hawaiian ukulele.

 

I enjoyed so much learning Hawaiian history this time more than ever and I felt that I was Hawaiian girl previous lifetime. Now I am very happy to be return to home in Santa Monica and how much I appreciate what this short trip gave me for. My life with Eric, dogs and cats family and friends and neighbors who love and support us so much. Also Seed Kitchen’s staff work very hard to keep our business strong, even when we are traveling.

With gratitude and love, 

Sanae