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I love to use a stability ball with my personal training clients and in my strength training classes. Stability balls, also called fitness balls, BalanceBalls or Swiss balls, add that extra balance challenge, involving your core muscles in every move. They add fun and variety, they’re affordable and easy to move around, and their uses [...]

You are immersed in a truly amazing and fascinating universe. With just the slightest spark of interest, you can begin to travel a path of discovery that will lead to beautiful places you cannot now imagine.

Baby, it's cold outside, though admittedly "cold" along the Western coastline (the mountains are another story) lacks some of the fearsome implications that beleaguer the East — namely blizzards and icicles and snowplows. But still. It’s cold. And if it’s cold for you, it’s even colder for your garden plants, left to battle the elements outdoors. But surprisingly, winter is exactly the time when you should be preparing seedlings for the spring thaw — and a custom-built cold frame will help you in this endeavor. Probably the very simplest thing to use as your frame is an old wooden window frame — especially if you still have the glass that fits it. If not, look for an equivalently sized sheet of plexiglass, or even plastic sheeting. Don’t have a window frame? Try an old tractor tire, a few two-by-fours, sunken cinderblocks, wooden fruit crates, or wax produce boxes. We’ve also heard tell of using a wire basket or milk crate wrapped in clear plastic and simply turned upside down. The basic idea is to have a solid enclosure covered with a clear, reflective surface. Ideally it should be built on a slight incline to allow for better drainage, with either a southern or western exposure. Dig a shallow trench along the perimeter of the frame to anchor it — this will also help trap the heat. Rig your clear cover so that it can be raised on sunny days to prevent overheating, and lowered for nighttime/inclement weather. Keep an old quilt or space blanket on hand to throw over the frame on especially cold nights to keep the frost at bay. Cold frames are good for lengthening the growing season of already-planted veggies (especially roots, lettuces, and leafy crucifers), warming the soil for early seed planting, and for providing seedlings started indoors with a protected environment for outdoor acclimation. Depending on the size and stability of your cold frame, you can choose to keep it as a permanent structure, or shift it around the garden to wherever it is needed the most. Either way, you’ll appreciate having some of the guesswork taken out of your spring planting, and your garden will appreciate the year-round attention. Image courtesy of Linda N.   

We asked today’s most celebrated spiritual leaders what they resolve to do in 2009, and oddly enough, losing those stubborn last 10 lbs. never came up. Instead they provided some inspiring ways to shift our thoughts and reshape our world.

For most of his life, Prince Albert II has been dubbed a playboy. Now, it looks like he’ll be known as an eco-crusader. The 50-year-old ruler of Monaco, whose parents were Prince Rainier III and the ever elegant Grace Kelly, kicked off a month-long expedition on Monday to view the impact that global warming has had on the [...]

Crafters, artists, and designers with an eco-conscience can do well economically too by putting their skills to work this year. Here are three enviro-oriented design contests that can put some money in your pocket — or your derriere in a very sleek chair: DWR Champagne Chair Contest. You have just a couple days left to turn the champagne, cork, and cage from your New Year celebrations into a teeny chair. If you win, you’ll get — you guessed it — a chair, specifically a $1,330 eco-friendly Morgans Chair in polished aluminum. Entries are due Jan. 9, so start designing now! Fur-Free Fashion Competition. Show off your ethical style by designing a fur-free garment to “help promote the ethical and environmental benefits of foregoing fur fashion.” The first place winner will get fame and fortune — more specifically, $750, an ad in E Magazine, and a profile on the fffashion website. The three judges are all eco-conscious women, so think green while creating your design, which are due April 1. Artevist T-shirt design contest. This Threadless-like website’s looking for new designs with a progressive, activist bent. Submit your best eco-activism inspired design to win $700, plus 7% royalty on all T-shirts sold with your design! The current open contest ends January 31, so don’t procrastinate! If designing and crafting aren’t your fortes, you can still visit Artevist to check out and vote on design submissions. User votes help determine what T-shirt designs get printed, so play T-shirt curator and size up which T-shirt’s the most eco-activist of them all.

Religion begins with death.    During my four years of study in the religion department at Rutgers during the mid-‘90s, this sentiment was repeated over and again, regardless of the country, race, or god being presented. The religious question — there are many, I suppose, but the major one, as in where do we go when we die — is framed around the fact of death. From that starting point, humans have devised as many scenarios as possible, to alleviate some of the pressures of transience, to make us feel important in an, at times, unforgiving world. That question, for quite some time in many cultures, was framed as a continuity, the way that dead fruits become fertilizer and spread seed for the next generation of plants. Perhaps human beings, these thinkers thought, do the same thing. Indeed, if we think of the religious figures of the past who have come to influence us today, this is indeed very plausible. Words outlive flesh.    While reading the philosopher John Berger’s most recent book, Hold Everything Dear, the question of death is prominent in this fine collection of essays. In one: “Thus living and dead were interdependent. Always. Only a uniquely modern form of egoism has broken this interdependence. With disastrous results for the living, who now think of the dead as the eliminated.” I’ve long contemplated this issue, and it seems to me that judging by our actions, it is not death that frightens us — it is life. It is life and, more precisely, the quest for everlasting youth that drives us to slice open our skin and stick plastic pieces next to organs and tissue that have no use for plastic; that lets us believe that injecting a toxic substance discovered in mishandled meats creases out the wrinkles in our brow; that comforts us by stating that an omnipotent figure has chosen the few hundred or thousand or twelve-by-twelve thousands of us to live in everlasting bliss while the rest reside in the flames of perpetual waiting.     As Guy Garcia wrote in his most recent book, The Decline of Men, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that of all breasts reduction surgeries in 2006, 70% were on boys aged thirteen to nineteen. This is not a fear of death; it is the fear of the living, that the creator we believe created did not create well enough, and so we must take things into our own hands. It is a feeling that we are not the carbon copy of the Photoshopped figures we see in advertisements, and must be, or we are failing something. Or something is failing us.    I agree with part of that sentiment, leaving out the creator part. We do indeed create our reality. Not that I’m one to hold up a microscope to society and refer to millennia-old books for verification; that would simply be silly. But there is something to be learned from history, and I take this idea from the cultures of Mexico, Morocco (as well as many African countries), Jamaica, and beyond: death is a celebration. While standing at my grandfather’s funeral two years ago, I noticed that while there was certainly a sadness about the loss of that man, what was really affecting the crowd was that everyone present would one day be on the other side of that coffin. Someone else’s death is a reminder that this is the true path of humanity: it is a rite of passage to an unnamable, unexplored terrain. I do not take refuge in the churchly liturgy presented at that and other funerals; instead, I heed Seneca’s words: “Unlike life, death cannot be taken away from man, and therefore we may consider it as the gift of God.”    Celebrating death is a skeleton key to unlocking the ritual of life. When you live each moment fully, there is no need for concern of an ending. We are present, in the moment, existing to our potential at all times. Death has no place in that moment, even if it surrounds us. It’s a part of life, not separate from it.    This is hard to find, though, for someone like my grandmother, who after her husband’s death went to live in a retirement home, where the staff told her children not to visit anymore because it caused them too much trouble to “calm her down” after they left. You can learn a lot about a culture by observing how it treat its dead; you can learn even more by noticing how it treat its aging. My grandmother will live out her final years surrounded by people she has just met, and who care about her as much as her money allows them to. This is not living.     Death is not an option for any of us. How we live is. By turning a blind eye to death, by doing everything possible to deny it — anti-aging creams anyone? — and refusing to recognize it as a part of and not separate from existence, we do ourselves and our world a great disservice. By celebrating the dead, the aging (once known as the wise), we celebrate life, and begin to comprehend what the passage of time really means.

When I was in my twenties, I worried obsessively about my weight. It didn't stop regular visits to the bakery, however, and I often joked wryly that I was "a fat anorexic." Just to give you a sense of my craziness, the "fat" was about 10 pounds, but on a 5'4" frame, that's a lot. Flash forward to now and weight has become almost a non-issue for me. Once in a while someone eager to learn my "secret" has asked me how that happened, and I honestly believed my body had somehow readjusted somewhere along the line. I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted as long as it wasn't constant and I continued to exercise even moderately. So I was surprised this holiday season when after a few days that included delicious dishes like eggplant parmesan, pie with whipped cream, pasta, eggnog, chestnuts and a few more fabulous goodies, my weight had suddenly leapfrogged up the scale to a number I hadn't seen in years. It was a very tangible reminder that it is my choices that determine not just my body weight, but so much about my life. The magical balance scale that keeps my weight (and my life) where I want it to be is between my ears. I'm freely extrapolating this timely reminder and applying it to all my New Years' resolutions. I'm adding to that a determination to be specific. Saying "I want to get into shape" is a message that the subconscious has no idea how to support. But if I say, "I resolve to go to the gym at least three times a week for at least an hour, and to get my heart rate up for at least half of that time," my subconscious knows just how to help me achieve my goal (and remind me when I'm slacking off!). As I write this, I can already sense myself backing off some of my goals. Do you ever do that? Kind of back away from them so you don't feel so committed? Yikes. Anyway, here goes. Maybe putting them into writing will make them easier. 1. I'm going to get stronger and healthier by going to the gym a total of three hours every week. (I know, sounds puny, huh? That little bit is what three one-hour or four 45-minute sessions add up to). 2. I'm going to write at least one major story a month. (Again, negligible. Someone in my writing group is doing eight a month!) 3. I'm going to buy Quicken or QuickBooks by January 15 and finally get my budget onto the computer. 4. I'm going to take at least one trip outside the United States. If #4 seems a wee bit like self-indulgence in resolution's clothing, let me add my conviction that travel is the best way to help create peace on our planet, and to get a fresh perspective on just about anything you can think of. This is the first year I've ever included something so totally enjoyable among my resolutions, and I like it! It actually seems more balanced than just committing to things that take work. I encourage you to write your resolutions down somewhere. Put them in the comments section below if you really want to give them some power. I just read mine over and they actually seem more doable already!   May your 2009 be filled with peace, health, prosperity and whatever you resolve. Photo by Darrell Taylor

I’ve lived in New York my entire life yet I’ve never been in Times Square when the ball dropped. I’ve walked by the tourist zone shortly after the clock stuck 12 — wading through piles of confetti and trash — and partied a few blocks away, but I’ve always avoided the eye of the storm [...]

As quickly as the old times flow away from you, new times flow toward you. Each new moment brings even more possibilities than the moment that has just passed.

But before you pull out your crumpled copy of last year’s resolutions consider greening your resolutions. The beauty of living a greener life is that you’ll not only be contributing to a healthier world, you and your family will be healthier too.

I have been accused of putting the mental in environmental. I truly believe the most successful spaces always get the details right: proper use of varied lighting, complexity of texture, subtle art, and the many other nuances that transform a space to make it exceptional. Taking it one step further (hence the mental reference), [...]

I often wonder if my husband's preparing himself to live off the grid. At one time or another, Chip has taught himself to make beer, root beer, sausage, kombucha (a vile, in my opinion, fermented tea that's supposed to have all sorts of health benefits), pasta and ice cream. Usually his experiments result in a messy kitchen and an end result that ranges from passably edible to truly delicious. But his latest homemade craze is something I can really get behind: cheese. I think it was his friend Henry who turned him on to the idea. Henry, who lives in Maine and once bought half a hog from a local farmer, mentioned breezily in an email one day that he had to go wax his Colby cheese. Like me, I don't think Chip realized that cheesemaking was something you could do in your own kitchen. To me, cheesemaking conjures up images of a pastoral dairy farm with a kitchen that's all gleaming white tile and stainless steel counters. But, it turns out, all you need is a handful of special ingredients like rennet and citric acid, all of which you can get in a kit from New England Cheesemaking Supply Company. We sent away for the mozzarella making kit and, when it arrived, set aside a Sunday afternoon to try it out. We'd bought milk from a local dairy at Whole Foods, since the quality of the milk is the single most important factor in ensuring your cheese's success, according to the handbook that came with our kit. Making the mozzarella was shockingly simple. It basically involved heating the milk with a solution of dissolved citric acid, then adding the rennet, and letting the mixture sit for a few minutes. The rennet caused the milk solids to coagulate into a custardlike mass, which we then broke up with a knife and slowly stirred as the curds separated from the watery whey. Next was the fun part: the curds got heated in the microwave a few times, in between which we folded and pulled the mass like it was taffy or bread dough. When it smooth and springy, we formed the cheese into balls and dropped them into ice water to quickly cool them. That was it. It all took about half an hour. Later we tried out our handiwork on pizza, making the dough from a recipe that used the leftover whey for the liquid in the pizza dough.  I couldn't taste a difference in the dough, but the cheese topping our pizza was another story. Creamy and delicate, with a slightly sweet flavor that reminded me of something I couldn't put my finger on, the cheese was really incredible. And not just because we made it from scratch. Next up, we'll be trying cheddar, marscapone and maybe some sort of goat cheese, especially if we can find some really fresh local milk. While I'll probably never become a cheesemaker of the caliber of artisanal heroes like Cowgirl Creamery or The Mozzarella Company, knowing how to make cheese gives me new appreciation of where my food is coming from and what goes into its creation. As for Chip, it's just one more helpful talent he'll be able to use if we do indeed go off the grid. Image courtesy Ross Berteig.

Look back at 2008 and find your most memorable good memory. Spending some time recognizing good memories can help make you aware of what you want to draw to you in the future. As I filter back through my memories of 2008, the memory that percolates to the surface and stays there is [...]

Now you can do what you've never been able to do before. Now you can follow through on the things you've been unable or unwilling to do in the past.

One of the biggest complaints about Nintendo's Wii Fit system is that it does not provide suggestions for series or sets of poses or workouts in a routine.

A recent study says yes. Yoga can improve your sex life by working on on two levels: mental and physical. Yoga counteracts stress, fatigue, and poor self-image, all of which...

"How you begin something is of great significance," writes New York yoga teacher Dharma Mittra in an email newsletter to his students. "Begin 2009 committed to the attainment of Self-Knowledge." In a list of recommendations for 2009, Dharma suggests students meditate for 15 minutes every morning, drink lots of green juices, and read Swami Sivananda's Self-Knowledge. (For a PDF of the text click here.) Read Dharma's full list of recommendations by visiting his website, http://www.dharmayogacenter.com. Do you have any yogic resolutions for 2009?

The Nintendo Wii Fit unlocks the last four yoga poses in the fourth and fifth hours of gameplay. These yoga poses do not rely on the Balance Board or the Wii Remote.

Erica Rodefer is Associate Online Editor for YogaJournal.com. When she's not writing and blogging for YJ, she loves knitting, sewing, hiking, and, of course, practicing and teaching yoga. Since she was first introduced to yoga in a college course, she's been motivated to spread the joy—especially to stressed-out teenagers. (Check out Erica's blog about her adventures in teaching, Teacher Tells All.) She lives in Oakland, California with her husband and a little, white kitty that rarely lets her sleep past 6 a.m.

The trickiest part about warrior III is the position of the hips. They both should be pointing straight down toward the floor, but often the hip on the side with...

Yoga has really increased in popularity in the last couple of years. Widely held as a great form of exercise for both your body and your mind, people have been adopting this ancient form of meditation all over the world. As far as equipment is concerned there is very little required to get started.

Yoga for a beginner is best practiced under the supervision of an experienced teacher. It is important to maintain proper body alignment. A good teacher will make corrections so you dont injure yourself and can also offer modifications if you have any physical restrictions.

Here the situation: the kids are out of school, everyone's been running around like crazy shopping and going to parties, and you're all cooped up indoors due to the weather....

Clarification, modifications and safety concerns about seven of the yoga asanas presented by the Wii Fit video game.

Optimize Your HealthIn order to optimize your health, begin noticing the frequency of any thoughts that support the idea of sickness as something to be expected and eliminate them from your mind.Dr Wayne Dyer

Our "Sit-a-Long with Jundo" daily Zazen netcast is MOVING TO BELIEFNET.COM, the large and widely respected spiritual community on the web. STARTING FROM TODAY, please sit with us at the following link:http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/What does the move mean? Well, nothing really!All will be the same format, same Zazen, same Universe, same Timeless Wisdom and Compassion, same Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path, same Shakyamuni "The Boss Man" Buddha, same Master Dogen & All the Ancestors ... (same ol' silly Jundo) ... same "Just Sitting" Shikantaza ...... only the address is changing!Truly, All is Constantly Changing ... and this is a very good change! The move will allow access to better resources for the netcast, plus aid greatly in carrying out our original purpose .... namely, to provide Zazen sittings, instruction, Retreats, discussion, interaction with a teacher, and all other activities of a Zen Buddhist sangha ... all fully online for Zen practitioners who cannot easily commute to a Zen Center due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or childcare and family needs.So, I hope that you will join us for Zazen as always ... just there instead of here. After all, as I asked on our very first "Sit-a-Long with Jundo", way back when ...Where are you at the instant all thoughts of "here" and "there" are dropped from mind?Gassho and Much Gratitude to All!

On April 21st, 2008 my partner gave birth to our son. As you might imagine, the experience was profound in many ways - some expected ways, and some not. Prior to the big day, we felt that we had prepared as much as one can prepare for such an experience: we took childbirth prep classes, we read book after book about the possibility of this or that happening, we watched movies on birth, and we educated ourselves in whatever other ways we could. One of the movies that we watched was the newly released 'The Business of Being Born'. In it, the trend of commercializing the birth process is looked at closely and critically. If you do ever intend to have a child, I highly recommend watching this film. In addition to this movie's supportive information, our plans from the beginning of pregnancy were to have a natural, unmedicated birth experience. In our efforts to have a natural childbirth, we selected a hospital setting that supported the model of midwifery - a hospital that recognizes the value of having a highly educated attendant, and if all things run smoothly, also recognizes that a 'medical doctor' is not necessary to the birth experience itself. It seemed immediately as if all of our best intentions were met with resistance and fear, both of which were apparently being disguised as 'safety and care'. Who would argue with 'safety and care'? We did, and we're so very glad we did. Let me explain further. We arrived at Labor and Delivery and were admitted to our room. Part of what makes a childbirth 'natural' is that there are minimal interventions; that is, the birth process is honored as a sacred and natural process, and that unless there are unexpected complications, it is allowed to proceed on its own schedule, to its own natural rhythm. Our initial examination was anything but natural. We expected the nurse to give my partner an examination that determined how dilated her cervix was, as the contractions were coming quite rapidly. Instead what happened was the nurse reached so far into my partner that the baby's bag of waters ruptured. Whether or not rupturing the bag of waters was intended by the 'caregiver' is truly beside the point - this act was executed with little communication, and poorly done to say the least.Yes, the bag of waters does need to rupture eventually, but nature knows this and it happens in its own time. This first experience was in some ways the 'signal marker' of things to come, a signal that speaks to the mind's desire to 'control' experiences it fears. At nearly every turn in our process of birth, we felt as if we were fending off the fear of the hospital staff.     One would think that they were the ones who knew how things went, that they would know how to remain patient and calm based on their extensive experience with birth. They were not experienced in the natural process of birth, but instead they were experienced and educated in the 'systems' of surgery, fear, control, and intervention.Is there a time to intervene? Of course there is: when the mother or child's well-being is truly in danger. Our staff seemed to think that pregnancy and birth were inherently dangerous - they are not; they are natural.Labor progressed somewhat slowly for my partner, and as this hospital was also a 'birthing center', we requested that she be able to soak in a birthing tub to help her relax. After repeated requests for 'the tub', three hours later it was brought. It was no more than the size of a garbage can and we didn't end up using it - but what took three hours? An hour maybe. We weren't asking them to build a swimming pool. Early on in our visit to Labor and Delivery we were asked to sign a release form. Normal, right? But on the form it said 'vaginal birth, possible cesarian'. What? We've nearly just arrived and they were already 'making space' for a cesarian - 'just in case' they said. We refused to sign the release and had them rewrite it to say 'vaginal birth' only. Truly, it felt like once we held our ground in this way, the staff backed off quite a bit. But who knows to call off the hounds in this way - we did, because we did our homework ahead of time.Once we truly established our firm commitment to letting nature takes it course, the staff changed completely; they relaxed a bit, but more importantly they gave us the space we needed to give birth. Why would the staff not give someone the space to give birth in the first place? Good question. Perhaps for efficiency's sake, or for economic reasons. Again, I highly recommend the 'The Business of Being Born' as a starting place to begin educating yourself about birth in hospitals, but to also learn about what is viewed as 'health' in the westernized world. What is health? Health is our natural state. Yes, imbalances do occur, but our body's wisdom acts naturally to bring us back into balance. This view of health is not widely recognized in western culture, as in western culture there is a model of pathology, one of 'treating disease' rather than promoting and supporting each being's natural health. Ask yourself: do you believe that you have all of the necessary tools to live a fully realized and healthy life? Or, do you think that somewhere there are people called 'experts' that are necessary to your happiness? Yes, people who are skilled in certain things are needed when complications arise - but not unless they do actually arise. If complications do not arise, then why intervene? Women - do you believe that you can have a natural, unmedicated childbirth? Or has western culture convinced women that the pain of labor is 'too much' for them to handle, or that their bodies can't do it for some reason? Women - ask yourself honestly, 'Can I give birth?'. And if for some reason you doubt that you can, ask yourself where you think that doubt came from. In conclusion: Overall our birth experience was incredible and joyous, and truly every staff member was kind and loving beyond belief (it was the automated system that seemed unkind). We thank gratefully our doctor and nurses, and all of the after-care staff for supporting us to have the birth that we wanted. We have a beautiful, healthy son. In some ways the discussion I've proposed is one of 'ends and means'. Most people might say that as long as the baby is born, who really cares how it happens. But the process does matter: a baby that goes through the vaginal canal is 'squeezed' (literally and figuratively) into this world - it is a right of passage; the mother's body during natural childbirth is lucid, responsive, awake - and this is what facilitates the post-birth bonding that seems to be 'mysteriously' disappearing in the western world. Perhaps nothing is more controversial nor more natural than birth; all the more reason to look deeply within yourself to discover the real truth. Please watch 'The Business of Being Born'. I welcome your comments on this topic. Thank you.

Managing the service department of an Atlanta, Georgia, car dealership is a stressful job, according to Debbie Peek.Handling customer demands and keeping up with paperwork would leave anyone frazzled, but Peek, 56, has found a way to cope with the stress. For the past seven months, she's been meditating daily."What I have found for me is it helps me find the quiet time in the hustle-bustle of the day," Peek said. "I am able to focus."Researchers like Dr. Charles Raison, a psychiatrist at the Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta, are convinced that meditation serves an important purpose."All the studies aren't perfect, but there is more and more data suggesting that meditation is useful for reducing stress responses," said Raison, who is also CNNhealth's mental health expert doctor. (More) Source: CNN.com

In this Season of Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all Mankind ...... endless violence in the 'Holy Land' ...Press on arrow for 'play'NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE TO SEE THE SCREEN OR START BUTTON,PLEASE UPDATE FLASH. SEE HERE

This article is about a recent occurrence in my life and culture that bewilders me. For a couple of years now my partner and I have been leaving birdseed in a flower box outside of our apartment's backside windows. From time to time we have had anywhere from a few visiting birds to what I would consider as many as 10+ resident ones. Mostly doves and smaller chickadee type birds, but recently we have had the occasional pigeon. Well, last night I received a phone call from my landlord saying that he had received a complaint from the neighbor, and that our beloved birds have been leaving droppings on the neighbor's deck; I can understand (sort of) the neighbor's concern. After telling me of the neighbor's complaint, and then asking me if I in fact was feeding the birds out of the window box, there was then a long pause on the other end of the phone... I said 'yes, and is there anything else?' The landlord then went on to say that 'feeding wild birds is illegal' and he made it seem as if this was a clear matter of fact that I should know fully about, and that my feeding the birds could only be occurring 'under cover', as if such a thing were something someone should be hiding. What? So, my partner and I decided to do some research on our own to see what foolishness our society was up to now. We did discover that feeding wild birds in public areas in San Francisco is technically against the law, but from what we found there was no compelling statements about the illegality of feeding birds in one's own back yard. The landlord intends to come over today with the 'proof' of his statements. Truly, for me the issue at hand is indeed both the birds, but is also not. All of nature is on trial, and the disconnection that westerners feel with regards to it is blatantly evident and out of balance. Regardless of the droppings on the deck (perhaps one could be grateful to have a deck that might have the occasional droppings?), what has our culture come to that feeding birds is even potentially considered illegal? In any setting? And, whose time is so very wrought with confusion that this sort of 'stand' seems like a good use of one's life and time? Yes, I am sad for the suffering that our neighbor's ignorance has brought them, and that this issue seems important enough to them to say something - but much of the world is at war, and bird poop is the call to action?For me feeding the birds and other simple pleasures are the things that make life truly worth living. These things are even more central to cultivating freedom than all of the various mindfulness practices I've learned, than my life's closest friends, and even more central to life than my home. For without nature and its care and nourishment, these other various things cease to exist - nature is essence, it is essential; and this is exactly what our culture seems to be blind to. I can live without practices, friends, even a home - albeit a sad life indeed, but the one thing that I cannot live without is life - nature herself. This seems so very obvious to me; am I the one confused? In San Francisco, the 'champion' of mindfulness in the United States, I find this most disturbing. It's not as if there were five hundred birds clawing at the neighbors window. Perhaps he or she might even consider the birds a welcome guest, seeing the benefits of their occasional company largely outweighing any cleaning inconvenience that may arise?I welcome your comments on this post, as I am at a bit of a loss with our culture (What defines our culture, what characteristics does it have?) - will it take away even the most basic of our innate qualities and caring? In the past I've chosen to be less of an activist and more of a teacher/practitioner, but what now to do? What would you do?

For my home I delight in the hidden and concealed; The place where I live is cut off from the noise and the dust. The grasses I trample become my three paths; The clouds I behold, make up myNeighbors on four sides all around. In helping me sing, for music, there are the birds; I’d ask about the Dharma, But to talk with there’s no one at all. Today I’m like the stinking cedar; Several years are just like one spring. Han-shan

Welcome to our Saturday "Live from Treeleaf" Zazen,We start with 3 floor prostrations (or deep Gassho), then chant the Heart Sutra in ENGLISH, then sit about 40 minutes of Zazen, then 10 minutes of Kinhin, closing with the chant of the "Verse of Atonement" and "Four Vows".Please join in, one and all.Gassho, JundoPress on arrow for 'play'NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE TO SEE THE SCREEN OR START BUTTON,PLEASE UPDATE FLASH. SEE HERE .__________________INO = CHANT LEADER ONLYEVERYONE = ALL JOIN INAFTER 3x STANDING BOWS by EVERYONE:INO ONLY =The Heart of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra*(Maka Hannya Haramita Shin Gyo in English)EVERYONE =A/vo/lo/ki/tes/va/ra/ Bo/dhi/satt/va/, A/wa/kened/ One/ of/ Com/pas/sion/,In/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/, the/Deep/ Prac/tice/ of/ Per/fect/ Wis/dom/*Per/ceived/ the/ emp/ti/ness/ of /all /five /con/di/tions/,And/ was/ free/ of/ suf/fer/ing/.O/ Sha/ri/pu/tra/, form/ is/ no/ o/ther/ than/ emp/ti/ness/,Emp/ti/ness/ no/ o/ther/ than/ form/;Form/ is/ pre/cise/ly/ emp/ti/ness/, emp/ti/ness/ pre/cise/ly/ form/.Sen/sa/tions/, per/cep/tions/, for/ma/tions/ and/ con/scious/ness/ are/ al/so/ like/ this/.O/ Sha/ri/pu/tra/, all/ things/ are/ ex/pres/sions/ of/ emp/ti/ness/,Not/ born/, not/ des/troyed/, not/ stained/, not/ pure/;Nei/ther/ wax/ing/ nor/ wan/ing/.Thus/ emp/ti/ness/ is/ not/ form/; not/ sen/sa/tion/ nor/ per/cep/tion/,not/ for/ma/tion/ nor/ con/scious/ness/.No/ eye/, ear/, nose/, tongue/, bo/dy/, mind/;No/ sight/, sound/, smell/, taste/, touch/, nor/ ob/ject/ of/ mind/;No/ realm/ of/ sight/, no/ realm/ of/ con/scious/ness/;No/ ig/no/rance/, no/ end/ to/ ig/no/rance/;No/ old/ age/ and/ death/,No/ ces/sa/tion/ of/ old/ age/ and/ death/;No/ suf/fer/ing/, nor/ cause/ or/ end/ to/ suf/fer/ing/;No/ path/, no/ wis/dom/ and/ no/ gain/.No/ gain/ – thus/ Bod/dhi/satt/vas/ live/ this/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/*With/ no/ hin/drance/ of/ mind/ –No/ hin/drance/ there/fore/ no/ fear/.Far/ be/yond/ all/ de/lu/sion/, Nir/va/na/ is/ al/rea/dy/ here/.All/ past/, pre/sent/ and/ fu/ture/ Budd/has/Live/ this/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/*And/ re/al/ize/ su/preme/ and/ com/plete/ en/light/en/ment/.There/fore/ know/ that/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/Is/ the/ sac/red/ man/tra/, the/ lu/min/ous/ man/tra/,the/ sup/reme/ man/tra/, the/ in/com/pa/ra/ble/ man/tra/by/ which/ all/ suf/fe/ring/ is/ clear/.This/ is/ no/ o/ther/ than/ Truth/.There/fore/ set/ forth/ the/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/ man/tra/.Set/ forth/ this/ man/tra/ and/ pro/claim/:*(1x)Gate! Gate! (Already Gone, Gone)Paragate! (Already Gone Beyond)Parasamgate! (Already Fully Beyond)Bodhi! Svaha! * (Awakening, Rejoice)BE SEATED AS INSTRUCTED BY JUNDO________________________________________________________________ VERSE OF ATONEMENT: All harmful acts, words and thoughts, ever committed by me since of old, On account of beginningless greed, anger and ignorance, Born of my body, mouth and mind, Now I atone for them all FOUR VOWS:To save all sentient beings, though beings numberlessTo transform all delusions, though delusions inexhaustibleTo perceive Reality, though Reality is boundlessTo attain the Enlightened Way, a Way non-attainable

     Taking tea, and being with tea and people, has been a practice in the culture of humanity for much of recorded history.  My personal love of tea has been a great way to transition from the often introspective practices of seated meditation and yoga asana to a more social mindful life.  However, not until more recently has the art of tea revealed itself as a true method and expression of residing in sustained satsang, or community of truth - with other people, but also with nature, art, and beauty of all kinds.Why is this?  In any experience there is an opportunity for appreciation.  I've heard it said, "Where the subject meets the object, be the most mindful."  For myself, this is exactly what the act of taking tea offers; it offers the opportunity to awaken not only to the experience of enjoyment, but to also awaken to the experience of the experience itself.  When an experience is subtle like taking tea can be, then it teases the taster to raise their level of not only knowing, but also asks of them to look at how they come to know what they do in fact know; and how do they know what they know?  How do you know what you know about all of your experiences?  What is the measure that you actually do know what you know?  In the subtle, we are all faced with the opportunity to mature our humility, our relationship to uncertainty, our love of mystery, and the joy of discovery.      My own 'tea practice' began as a very informal daily ritual of drinking tea.  Part of me intuitively knew that tea meant more to me than taste, warmth, and routine, but I was also more than happy to engage with tea in this way.  Only until recently has my relationship with tea taken a turn towards more directed practice - my first 'steps' towards directed practice were to begin relating to tea in a refined tasters way, similar to how one may approach wine, cheese, and the like.     Tea as meditation has recently unfolded for me as I've begun to study chado or chanyou, the art of making tea from Japan's, or Zen Buddhism's, perspective.  There are four major schools of this Japanese tea ceremony - I am studying omotesenke, which I've heard roughly translates as 'front of the house'; from what I've gathered, the other schools refer to other parts of the house as well.  The practice is detailed, beautiful, and specific, yet freeing in the way of the Tibetan saying, "Outer discipline, inner spaciousness."  I've just begun this practice, but I've already begun to have 'rumblings' of its far reaching applications, both inwardly and outwardly.I've also begun to engage in the practice of Gongfu Cha, or the Chinese art of making tea.  This ceremony is more about the art of tasting and socialization than the beauty and refinement of the Japanese ceremony.  Chinese tea is also very much grounded in 'origin', the natural setting and cultivation of the tea bush itself.  This fact is very much reflected in the way Gongfu Tea is offered and conducted.      Of course anything can be a part of your personal practice, and truly all that it takes to make this so is to focus long enough to deepen.  Long ago I attend a gathering on Sufism, or mystical Islam.  At this time in my 'practice life' I was doing a lot of sampling of various paths of practice.  I arrived at the gathering quite early and there was one other person there, an old man of about seventy.  I told him of my 'sampling method' and he said, "If you want to dig a well to get water you don't dig several two-foot deep holes, but rather you need to dig one really deep one."  I took this to heart and I left before the gathering even began, as I had decided that yoga and seated meditation had already become my focus.     Focusing is so very important, but it does not imply 'closing off' to new experiences in any way.  This in itself is a practice, as often when we find what works for us, our mind makes a leap that we are unconscious of - 'if this works, then everything else must not work'.  To find what works for us - in that it helps us live in ease and freedom - is a gift of unmeasurable beauty; and I look forward to how taking tea can support and serve my established practices of yoga and meditation in a way that allows me to reside in a life consciously lived.  Live well.

Everyone seeks peace and harmony, because this is what we lack in our lives. From time to time we all experience agitation, irritation, dishar­mony. And when we suffer from these miseries, we don't keep them to ourselves; we often distribute them to others as well. Unhappiness permeates the atmosphere around someone who is miserable, and those who come in contact with such a person also become affected. Certainly this is not a skillful way to live. We ought to live at peace with ourselves, and at peace with others. After all, human beings are social beings, having to live in society and deal with each other. But how are we to live peacefully? How are we to remain harmonious within, and maintain peace and harmony around us, so that others can also live peacefully and harmoniously? In order to be relieved of our misery, we have to know the basic reason for it, the cause of the suffering. If we investigate the problem, it becomes clear that whenever we start generating any negativity or impurity in the mind, we are bound to become unhappy. A negativity in the mind, a mental defilement or impurity, cannot coexist with peace and harmony. (More) Source: MediaForFreedom.com

Did you ever think that there could be a 'right way' to receive a massage? Well, as the client, there are some things that will make your massage experience the best possible. Read on...

NOW YOU CAN GET SICK FROM *THIRD-HAND* SMOKE Third-hand smoke refers to the invisible particles and gases that cling to a smoker’s clothing, hair, and furniture after the smoke itself is gone. Doctors from MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston describe the chemicals in a new study published in this month’s issue of “Pediatrics”, and they say [...]

Traumatic experiences such as war, assault, abuse or devastating loss, can cause post-traumatic stress.  Post-traumatic stress affects those who are unable to relegate their traumatic experiences to the past.  Trauma survivors often become acutely aware of humans' inability to control their circumstances.

Massage for your friends and family can be learned from the comfort of your home. Begin by learning some basic techniques and tips on how to give a great relaxing massage and your well on your way!

Studies show that massage is one of the most affordable, non-addictive methods of dealing with stress. But most folks aren't comfortable with getting a massage in the nude. So what's the best solution to provide folks with the benefits of massage, AND provide a top quality service at a reasonable price? Keep reading...

Is there anything better than a hot stone massage oil with aromatherapy oil? Yes, that would be a massage with a blend of essential oils. Aromatherapy oils add more than a pleasant scent to hot stone massages, such as those featured on a hot stone DVD. They provide several benefits, such as the reduction of stress and improved mental focus.

There are many longstanding mental, physical, and emotional benefits to massage therapy. The power of touch in our lives seems rooted in our nature, as individuals and as social beings. Massage, as well as a healthy diet and exercise, should be a regular activity.

Spending time behind a desk and repeatedly using the same muscles takes a physical toll. Sore, tight muscles can result from such repetitive tasks, or from anxiety, stress, and depression. Massage therapists have long treated their patients with an arsenal of techniques designed to relieve the burdens of tired, stiff muscles.

I don’t know about you but for me the Christmas season can be somewhat stressful–what wit all the shopping, traveling, expectations and sometimes even difficult relatives. Well, you do have a choice in how to react to the stress and negativity. Read on for some specific tips on internally de-stressing while dealing with [...]

Have you seen the movie Supersize Me? It is the breakthrough, innovative documentary about a man (Morgan Spurlock) who goes on a 30 day McDonald’s-only diet to see what the effects would be. Well even those who haven’t seen the movie probably know that he faced dire health issues by the end of [...]

Copyright ã Tony Burfield. Jan 2009. The year 2008 saw the publication of a number of papers on the analysis & therapeutic properties of Frankincense gum, extracts & distillates, and it is only in recent years perhaps, that we are...

According to a new study, two servings of fish a week, reduces kidney damage risk, often associated with diabetes. All the participants involved in the study were diabetic. Among them, those who dined on fish less than once a week were 400 percent more prone to have traces of albumin in their urine, than diabetics who [...]

Menthol Crystals are incredibly pretty.  They are one of those special ingredients that I almost feel bad about using.  It seems like a shame to muddle up the natural beauty that they possess.  However, the incredible potency of Menthol Crystals makes them undoubtedly useful in cooling formulations such as muscle and chest rubs.  These delicate little crystals are as powerful as they are beautiful, and pack a serious punch of minty freshness.  You'll notice the potency right away when handling them in person.  Even after they are double or even triple bagged, Menthol Crystals can often be detected from a distance by someone with a sensitive nose. Menthol Crystals will dissolve in Oil with the help of gentle heating.  They are also soluble in alcohol, making them excellent for use in perfumery and home fragrance.  Whatever application you choose to use Menthol Crystals in, make sure to respect their potency.  Menthol Crystals can be used at a rate of between 5 and 20 percent, but I highly recommend experimenting in small batches to determine the ratio that is right for your application.  Because Menthol Crystals are so strong, it can be hard to have an objective nose during formulation.  By experimenting with different ratios you can sniff the final products later, with a less sensitized sniffer.  Menthol Crystals are available at FromNatureWithLove.com in both Conventional and USDA Certified Organic varieties.  You are likely to receive your Menthol Crystals in a plastic bag or container, but I recommend transferring them to a tightly sealed glass container as soon as possible.  This will not only help to preserve the potency of your crystals, it will help to seal in their powerful aroma. 

In a survey performed by the U.S. government, more than 23,000 adults were surveyed to ascertain what their use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is, including nonconventional medicine named...

We probably won't play it much around here, where we live it every day, but I happened across a computer game called Lavender's Botanicals. Expand your all-natural personal care business while helping your community in Lavender’s Botanicals! Travel the world...

The wealth of beautiful photos that reach our Flickr Photo Pool never ceases to amaze me.  This week, I decided to showcase some of the gorgeous bath and body items that are featured there.  Of course, this is only a small sampling of the many amazing photos that you can find on Flickr.  Check out the Natural Beauty Workshop's Flickr Photo Pool to enjoy more amazing photos from our readers. This Chocolate Marshmallow Body Scrub from of Sweet Body44 looks incredible! Sacred Herbals showed us this beautifully packaged Dream Bath Bomb. Elizabeth, of A Breath of French Air shared her gorgeous Pearberry Body Butter. Nicole Thomas of Nicki Leigh Bath & Body shared a great photo of her Lime Cooler Roll-On Perfume. This Signature Blend Bath Salt from Napa Farmhouse 1885 looks positively ethereal. Becky from Purple Sparkle Crafts showed us these mouth watering Orange Bath Melts. This photo of gorgeously packaged Jasmine Lotion came from Lindsay of Body Language Soaps. If you have photos of your creations that you would like to share, please join The Natural Beauty Workshop's Flickr Photo Pool.  We would love to see your work!

According to a new study, a diet rich in whole grains significantly reduces risk of heart diseases, in contrast to a diet rich in egg and high-fat dairy consumption which could double the risk of a heart failure. The results of the study, published in the November 2008 edition of the Journal of American Dietetic Association, [...]

As a follow-up to my previous popular post about Why all natural health care practitioners should have a blog, I thought I would put forward a list of the benefits I have noticed so far in having my blog about Chinese medicine.  I want to create this list because I feel that there could be [...]

Sorry to get this podcast out so late, folks.  There’s been a heat wave in Oregon, and I’ve just been worthless for work.  Things are still moving and changing here at Deepesthealth and you can keep looking forward to more great content.  :) This week’s podcast is a fairly quick one where I talk more about [...]

I am in a state of heightened awareness as I sit down to write this post. My breathing is deep and slow, without my direction.  My posture is erect as possible but without strain.  My vision is open and yet acute.  I feel the air coming in to the edges of my nostrils.  I feel it [...]

Feng Shui believes that something new can come into our lives only when we create the space for it. Similarly, when we re-energise our living space we can usher in new energy, in turn, abundance, prosperity and peace to last through the year. Clutter is stuck energy affecting both our minds and our bodies.

The feng shui updates on "the good, the bad, and the ugly" energies for 2009 are here for you. The Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) starts on January 26,...

posted by RIDINGER1 Happy New Year! I'm sure you've all been very busy strategizing your game plans for those New Year's Resolutions (as have I). Whether it's excercising more, spending more time with your family,or trying to live more fashion "centsibly"; now is the perfect opportunity to start fresh and make it happen! One way to bring balance to your life is to ensure your surroundings are in order. The act of organizing to achieve balance dates back to ancient times. Take the Chinese practice of Feng Shui for example. Feng shui is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to utilize the Laws of both heaven (astronomy) and earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive "Qi" (energy flow). Modern interpretations of the ancient practice, claim that feng shui is the practice of arranging objects (such as furniture) to help people achieve their goals. I think the Chinese are definetely onto something with Feng Shui. For me, organization is very important as well. If my environment is in order, everything else will fall into place. For someone who lives and breathes fashion, having an organized, harmonious closet is a must! Check out some of my closet organization tips here.Closet organization should ultimately solve that neverending problem of "lost" items in your closet, and it will also help you preserve the clothing you spend your hard-earned dollars on.Clothing* Begin by separating your items into seasons. Next, separate your season piles into items (i.e. pants, skirts, tops, accessories). Finally, separate your item piles into colors.* I like to hang what's in season in the closet for easy access. Anything out-of-season should be boxed away in storage. I shop at stores like Target for easy-stacking canvas storage boxes with windows and garment bags for hanging storage. Note: Always make sure your garments are clean before storing them away! You wouldn't want those pesky moths going to town on your precious clothing.Rubbermaid Configurations Low-Profile Box $13.49Whitney Design Dress protector $11.99*Hangers are also an important element for the preservation of clothing. Use shaped, wooden hangers for your jackets and coats to maintain the shape of their shoulder lines. Use heavy plastic hangers for your shirts and suit hangers for your pants and skirts. Use soft, padded hangers for your delicate silk blouses and dresses.* Jersey knit dresses, long, delicate dresses, vintage pieces, and anything with heavy beadwork should be folded and boxed to retain their shape and to protect them from dust. Recycle your leftover christmas boxes or boxes from stores and label them on the outer corner of the box. Stack them on your closet shelf, or in mildew-resistant storage boxes if they're out of season.* Always fold and stack your sweaters in wire baskets on your closet shelf. Tissue weight knits that are easily damaged should be stored in individual sweater bags.* An easy way to organize your hosiery and intimates is to purchase some inexpensive drawer dividers. Sheer hosiery can be protected by grouping into freezer-sized Ziploc bags. Bras, and silky delicates should be stored in a seperate lined drawer. Accessories*Organize your shoes one of two ways (depending on the amount of closet space you have available.) If you'd like to keep the floor clear, store your heavy rotation shoes in a canvas shoe file. All other shoes can be stored in clear plastic stacking boxes for easy viewing. Tall boots should be grouped together with plastic boot-shaping inserts to help retain their shape. Otherwise, invest in a quality, cedar shoe rack to display your prized collection. *Handbags should be stored in their original dust bags or in a clear handbag file for protection.Whitmor handbag file $8.49 at Target.com *Scarves, shawls, soft cold-weather hats, and gloves should have their own plastic storage box as well.I prefer storing things this way because everything stays stain-free, dust-free, scratch-free and within easy reach--no worries! I'd love to hear your organization tips too!Love,Loren

posted by poolparty The Year of Yin Earth Ox 己丑 begins January 26th. The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. The forthcoming year is formally called Ji Chou. In the 'Stem-Branch' system, the years are counted in 60-year character cycles. The 12 Earthly Branches associate an animal (Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Sheep, Rooster, Pig) with each year, while the Ten Heavenly Stems combine the 5 elements (Metal, Wood, Earth, Fire, Water) with either yin or yang. The yin and yang strands of the five elements represent respectively the two complementary passive and active sides of our nature. The Year of the Yin Earth Ox (Year 4706 in the Chinese calendar and roughly 2009 in the Gregorian calendar) should be much better than 2008 according to Feng Shui experts. The Year of the Earth Rat (2008), was marked by the instability of soil over water. The Year of the Earth Ox combines like elements which portend peace, harmony and recovery. It is a time for healing and reconstruction of the previous damage done to human relationships, ecology and economy. [Feng Shui Forecasts] Examples of people born to 'yin Earth' include US President-Elect Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud. Look up your birth designation in Chinese Astrology through this handy Sexagenary (60-Year) Cycle [here]. Lotus Dance

Feng shui design also aims at avoiding exactly the opposite of the power areas, which are known as the house problem areas. If these spots are not carefully avoided they could seriously affect your health, finances and personal relationships.

The ancient Chinese art of placement, feng shui, has numerous applications for making our offices more conducive to creative thinking and maximizing energy. Best of all, simple changes can get the new year off to a prosperous start.

I like the definition of holidays as "holy days." I know there is room for interpretation as to what can be defined as holy, what holy means and how one...

We found this in the news this week: Prince’s plans for Feng Shui Chinatown 10:48 | 01.08.08 By David Doyle Prince Charles has proposed using Feng Shui to make London’s Chinatown more... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

When you light candles this holiday season, take a moment to feel the energy you are bringing into the space. Connect to the meaning of light and meditate on how...

Here is a very interesting article from Shanghaidaily.com about doors and windows… Doors of yore, windows on China MANY people believe that qi or cosmic energy enters our houses through doors... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti

Food of the Week: Broccoli

Is it necessary to have a balance of saturated and unsaturated fats as opposed to all unsaturated?

SPA WEEK :: BEST MONTH EVER What: $50 full service spa treatments in the Mid-West, East Coast, and Canada! When: October 13th-19th!  Appointments fill up quick.  You can book now! How: Visit www.spaweek.org to see a full list of participants and the treatments they are offering.  Pick your favorite (or favorites plural!) and call the spa directly to [...]

The fall of snow can be hypnotic in its rhythm and flow - it’s movement something out of a dream you can’t forget… After alternately pouring and drizzling for days, the water falling at a sharp angle and sometimes blowing in horizontal sheets, it’s finally let up. Outside, everything has grown suddenly quiet and there’s [...]

I will be spending most of the day steaming, freezing and food processing fruit and vegetables from my Dad's garden. Not only will they be handy to grab out of the freezer for dinner dishes and sauces this winter, a lot of the vegetables will be used for Wyatt's baby food.Wyatt won't be ready to eat baby food for a few more months, but when he is, it will be nice to know exactly were his food came from and that it is free from pesticides and additives. I don't feed the kids anything I would not eat myself ( such as pre canned baby food) It really is not that hard to make your own food from local sources, all it takes is a little planning ahead.Getting StartedBuy your food from local farms, grow your own, or buy organic.If you are processing large amounts of food and want it pureed to freeze for later (to add to sauces and for baby food), you may want to use a food processor. However, you really don't NEED all the fancy equipment especially in the beginning when baby is only eating one teaspoon of food at a time - all these foods can be mashed by hand with a fork- baby food only needs to be pureed for about 6 months- you can get inventive without all the machinery:) The food processor is handy if you are busy and want to plan ahead, it is all a matter of personal preference. SteamingIf you are going to be steaming lots of vegetables in one day, make sure you change the water or the bitterness from the water will leach into the next batch of veggies you are cooking.Steam food such a broccoli and squash for about 5 to 7 minutes before freezing or pureeing.RoastingButternut Squash can be cut in half and roasted in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400 for about 45 minutes. When they are done roasting you can either puree them for baby or put a little butter and cinnamon on them and eat them yourself - Yummm!I like to puree foods such as avocado and banana right on the spot- these fruits are so soft it can be done by hand with a fork on a cutting board -these are great first food by the way:).Fruit can be frozen or pureed fresh.Tips: Feeding babies first foodsKnow the foods that are common allergens! Good First Foods From http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/allergy.htm Many commercial baby foods as well as foods targeted to babies and toddlers contain allergenic ingredients! If your baby has a food allergy or your family has a serious history of food allergies - read the labels when purchasing commercial baby food! A few examples: Cheerios (wheat, soy protein) Instant Infant Cereals (soy) Stage "2", "3" and Toddler Meals (wheat, soy, casein (milk protein), albumin (egg) Gerber "Puffs" (wheat, soy) Babies don't need anything added to breast milk or formula before 4-6 months so don't believe anyone who tells you to add rice cereal to milk to "hold them over".Below is an excerpt from the article In the Kitchen With Baby by Cythia Lair "Have you checked out the taste and texture of commercial baby cereal? Pour some commercial rice cereal in a bowl. It has no smell. The taste is the very definition of bland. The cereal is made from refined rice that has been processed and precooked. Refined grains have nothing to offer but carbohydrates. Whole grains, on the other hand, contain not only carbohydrates but also protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, essential minerals, and life. The germ is still intact. If you put a whole grain in water, it sprouts. If you put commercial baby cereal in water, it makes paste. Why train your baby to want this? By pre-toasting organic whole grains, grinding them in a small electric grinder, and cooking the grains with water, you can create a fresh, delicious, nutrient-dense cereal with taste, texture, and aroma. Commercial baby food is convenient, it’s true. But the price for this convenience is high. Besides paying companies to blenderize food and put it in jars, you also pay them to dilute the food with water and sometimes to add starchy fillers such as tapioca, rice flour, and modified cornstarch. Even the companies producing organic baby food sometimes use fillers. Such additives lower production costs and help mask off-flavors"Here is Cythia's recipe for homemade whole grain baby cerealWhen your baby does show signs he/she is ready for solid foods, introduce one food at a time for 3 or 4 straight days- that way if your baby does have food sensitivities they will be easy to spot.If your baby does not act ready to eat solids stop for a few weeks and then try again later if the baby seems ready- no rush. Use local and organic foods- or grow your own (of course without pesticides)Begin with a small amount of food (only about a teaspoon) once a day- when you are introducing first foods you can mix