The best way to die is to live well

       Taking pictures of the beautiful sunsets. Lots of yoga, African drumming in the park, phone in the hot tub, meditation, new ideas for the meditation room, gardening, Buddhist lectures on YouTube and buddhist geeks, scaring myself with impossible goals.
        Did yoga for a couple hours last night. This body has become exceptionally flexible and far less rigid. Did a yoga pose that I had never done before and as I relaxed into it realized how much fear is stored in that part of the body. The relaxation brought out the fear which with a deep breath and exhale diminished allowing for more depth into the pose . The asanas feel so good now.  I will do more this evening after digesting. Made Asparagus soup; the new no-no is canola oil. This presents a challenge since I have been using PAM to saute with. Olive oil is better but it burns at a lower temperature and requires watching.
        Meditation. - It has become a pleasure to observe the emotions. Where do the various emotions express themselves in the body? So when one of the afflictive emotions emerge, instead of fighting I am observing. The wonderful thing about impermanence is that everything changes.  Close observation is the key for me. Where is it located? Does the emotion talk or have pictures with it?  Listening to the voice for pitch and volume looking at the picture for clarity and intensity observing where the body responds and how much . They all constitute part of the experience. And is there a lot of them.
       Went hiking this afternoon, and while hiking listened to an African drummer in the Ramada.  Joined him for a jam session for an hour or so until I  got too cold. Nice guy named Quesey (KC) who taught me a few simple rhythms and we jammed on the two drums that he had there. Great fun. Seems there is a class 10:30 every Saturday at 16th and Jefferson in the park.
      Worked out in the yard to clear the dead wood and prepare for the growth of spring. Cutting the suckers now will let the stuff I want to grow have a good chance. Also got rid of a couple dead plants. The yard looks park-like again.
         Sat in the hot tub. Forgot the phone was in the towel and retrieved it after only a few seconds under water. It is now drying in a bowl of rice. May or may not work.  Lots of phone numbers to replace either way.
          Listened to Ajahn Brahm on YouTube. He is an Englishman who spent his life in a monastery in Thailand and now has his own center in Western Australia. Great speaker and fascinating talks. Between his talks and the talks on Buddhist Geeks, a website devoted to  Buddhist podcasts, I am delighted with how much has become available .
           One of the things about my meditation room is that it is particularly easy to walk into the meditation area without realizing that the space is different and the energy of the space is different. A room divider seems like the obvious solution. Since none of the ones that I have seen fit the bill I am going to make one. The current plan is to make a turnstile like affair with the center made of turned redwood and the arms of mahogany. Wood that I picked up from what others have thrown away. My own version of recycling.
          Wonderful day.