Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (shə-KEER-ə, Spanish [ʃaˈkiɾa isaˈβel meβaˈɾak riˈpol]), born Feb. 2, 1977) [1] is a Latin/Middle Eastern (Lebanese Colombian) singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer.
Referred to as the "Queen of Latin Music" [b], she has had a significant impact on the musical landscape of Latin America and has been credited with popularizing Hispanophone music globally [14], contributing to increased learning and use of the Spanish language worldwide [15].
She is also credited with opening the doors of the international market for other Latin artists [16, 17]. Her accolades include four Grammy Awards and fifteen Latin Grammy Awards.[18] Shakira made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 14. More
[Backward masking might be real, but there is another phenomenon that
certainly is. Demonstration: Tell people what they are about to hear, and
they'll hear it. Now, tell them it's something else, and they'll hear that, too.
Worship me or my God. Your choice.
Shakira I. Mebarak Ripoll was born in Barranquilla, a city located on the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia [28]. She is the only child of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado. Her parents are of Lebanese and Catalan Colombian descent [29, 30, 31] though she has distant Italian roots through an ancestor with the surname Pisciotti [32].
She was raised a Catholic schoolgirl, attending Latin Catholic schools [33]. Though an only child, she comes from a big Latin family. How? She has eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage [34]. More
How could this psychotic Nazi coach be so mean to little princess Jojo Siwa with the mom looking on in silence? Is this any way to raise a healthy dancer or pop idol? It is the way of Kali, Durga, and ferocity. There has to be a better way to enter the place of the way to discover the Tao of Self-Development.
Punk: clumsy Dancing Shiv' (skanking)
(WQ) The dojo ("the place of the way") is a training center, do or tao being "the way of," and the other portion of the word being the suggested way. Chado is "the Way of Tea" (cha or chai being tea) and taekwondo is "the way of striking with foot and hand," a martial art (method of combat). The Way of the Buddha could be the mantra Buddho, the Ennobling Eightfold Path, rather than the martial arts of Japanese budō (wu-dō) or "Way of War." And Play-Doh (a brand name form of "play dough," the Way of Play") might be a good name for dancing, if dancing weren't taken so very seriously by aspiring dancers. Playdo might be the best name for "the Way of Meditation," chan'do, "the Way of the Way," the Way of Jhana, chan, dhyana, or Zen (which is just the Japanese pronunciation of the Pali word jhanaor "meditative absorption").
Jojo Siwa on TV's Dance Moms
Meditation? Start with the mantra "Buddho"
Buddho by Phra Ajahn Thate Desaransi, American Theravada Buddhist monk Ven. Thanissaro (trans) from accesstoinsight.org edited by Wisdom Quarterly
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The Buddha inspired great confidence
When one goes to study meditation with any group or teacher who is experienced in a particular form of meditation, one should first make one's heart confident that that teacher is fully experienced in that form of meditation.
Confidence (saddha)
Be confident that the form of meditation taught is the right path for sure. At the same time, show respect for the place in which one is to meditate. Only then should one begin practicing.
Dedication
Teachers in the past used to require a dedication ceremony as a means of inspiring confidence before one was to study meditation. They would have one make an offering of five pairs of candles and five pairs of white flowers. This was called the five khandha. Or eight pairs of candles and eight pairs of white flowers, which was called the eight khandha. Or one pair of candles each weighing 15 grams and an equal number of white flowers.
Meditation methods
Then they would teach one their particular form of meditation. This ancient custom has its good points. There are many other ceremonies as well, but I won't go into them. I'll mention only a very simple, easy-to-follow ceremony a little further on.
Dhammakaya technique
Only after one has inspired confidence in one's heart as already mentioned should one go to the teacher experienced in that form of meditation. If a teacher is experienced in repeating samma araham, that teacher will teach one to repeat samma araham, samma araham, samma araham.
(Samma = "right," araham = arahant = "enlightened one," so roughly this could mean "right enlightenment.")
Then the teacher will have one visualize a bright, clear jewel two inches above the navel and tell one to focus the mind there as one continues the repetition, without letting the mind slip away from the jewel. In other words, one takes the jewel as the focal point of the mind.
Rising and falling
If one goes to a teacher experienced in meditating on the rising and falling of the abdomen, that teacher will have one meditate on rising and falling and focus the mind on the different motions of the body.
For instance, when one raises a foot, one thinks "raising." When one places a foot, one thinks "placing," and so on. Or else the teacher will have one focus continually on being preoccupied with the phenomenon of arising and passing away in every motion or position of the body.
Psychic powers
If one goes to a teacher experienced in psychic powers, that teacher will have one repeat na ma ba dha, na ma ba dha and focus the mind on a single object until it takes one to see heavens and hells, deities and brahmas of all sorts, to the point where one gets carried away with those visions.
Breath meditation
If one goes to a teacher experienced in breath meditation, that teacher will have one focus on one's in-and-out breath (ana-pana-sati) and have one keep the mind firmly preoccupied with nothing but the in-and-out breath.
Mantra reptition
If one goes to a teacher experienced in meditating on the mantra buddho, that teacher will have one repeat buddho, buddho, buddho and have one keep the mind firmly on that meditation word until one is fully skilled at it.
Then that teacher will have one contemplate buddho and what it is that is saying buddho. Once one sees that they are two separate things, focus on what's saying buddho. As for the word buddho, it will disappear, leaving only what it is that was saying buddho.
One then focuses on what it is that was saying buddho as the object of meditation.
What is the true cause?
People of our time — people of any time, for that matter — regardless of how educated or capable they may be and especially those of us who are Buddhists: Buddhism teaches causes and effects that are entirely true, but why is it that we have to fall for the claims and advertisements we hear everywhere? It must be because people at present are impatient and want to see results before they have completed the causes, in line with the fact that we are supposed to be in an atomic age.
(I don't want to criticize any of us as tending to believe in things the truth of which we have not tested because, after all, we all want to know and see the truth.)
Buddhism teaches us to penetrate into the heart and mind, which are mental phenomena. As for the material body, it is a physical phenomenon. Physical phenomena are under the control of mental phenomena.
Training the mind
When we begin to practice meditation and train the mind to be quiet and untroubled, I can't see that we are creating any problems at that moment for anyone at all. If we keep practicing until we are skilled, then we will be calm and at peace.
If more and more people practice this way, there will be peace and happiness all over the world. As for the body, we can train it to be peaceful only as long as the mind is in full control.
The minute mindfulness lapses, the body will return to its old habits. So let's try training the mind by repeating buddho.
Preliminary Steps to Practicing Meditation
Before practicing meditation on the mantra word buddho, start with the preliminary steps. In other words, inspire confidence in the mind, as already mentioned, then bow three times, saying: More
Jojo Siwa, Mother Siwa, and Nazi Coach (Dance Moms), Ajahn Thate translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (accesstoinsight.com); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Today (July 28, 2024) Simone Biles showed the world what she is capable of at the Paris Olympics.
Simone Biles just did a new routine. No one has ever seen anything like it
(Gymnastics Rewind) June 16, 2024: UNITED STATES. Simone Biles sells merch: 🇺🇸 Simone Biles Flag: https://amzn.to/3wzCiUR 🤸 Air Tumbling Mat: https://amzn.to/4axBptH 📚 Simone Biles: Inspirational Biographies: https://amzn.to/3wVihrE 🥋 Gymnastics Leotard: https://amzn.to/4bNaJ9j 🎒 Simone Biles Grip Bag: https://amzn.to/4bQX01r.
Simone Biles shows greatness and grit on floor, vault in qualification | Paris Olympics
(NBC Sports) July 28, 2024: Simone Biles pushed through calf pain [brought about by an injury from over-exerting herself during the warmup] during the qualification round in Paris, helping lead the U.S. team to the top of the leaderboard after subdivision two. #NBCSports #Olympics #Paris2024. Live Olympic coverage on NBCOlympics.com: nbcolympics.com/schedule
Watch the Paris Olympics on Peacock: smart.link/fs2ge7i8m3qlv.
McKayla who? Whatever happened to?
(Grunge) June 16, 2024: Here's the tragedy of McKayla Maroney (one of the great Olympians of the past who used to compete against superstar Simone Biles) explained. Gymnast McKayla Maroney helped the U.S. win multiple medals in the Olympics, but behind the glory lurked some devastating circumstances and official sexual abuse. Here's a look into the sometimes tragic world of the former Olympic champion. #Gymnast #Tragedy #Explained. Read full article: bit.ly/45rzANU
All the injuries | 0:00
Sexual abuse | 1:48
Nude photos | 3:32
Her father's death | 4:48
Retirement | 5:58
Does the world remember sassy, snotty McKayla Maroney?
I. Rony, Bela, Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Editors, Wisdom Quarterly
This'll be hot, you Dancing like a Dharma Unicorn. Wait, WTF?
(Andrew Rousso) A Buddhist TikTok, who ever heard of such a thing?
If the gov't tries to take away my TikTok, I will...
Our Snapchat posts kept disappearing, even after we rewrote and reposted them. It seems they weren't hanging around long enough for more than one person to read them. But never mind. We're finally ready to roll out our new TikTok account of viral video releases, dance moves, a compilation of quick Dharma factoids, and lucid quotes summarizing the path to enlightenment.
Oops. Wait. This just in. The government is shutting down the app because it's afraid the Chinese are beating us at our own game. We're supposed to rule the internet technologically -- and the world militarily -- through the CIA/Pentagon/Industry (multinational corporations) called "the military-industrial complex." There's no way we can allow China, as it advances and grows in power even as it begins to dwindle in population, to get a leg up. Like Russia, both must be brought to, how would former Secretary of State Hillary put it? Brought to heel, like a beggar, slave, or lapdog.
Mirror mirror on the way, who's...
New House bill would require TikTok to divest from its parent company There are growing calls that the US has to shut down popular site (170 million posting and billions watching) because, it says, it fears the personal information TikTok picks up from its users could fall into the wrong hands, the Chinese government.
Chinese government] or face being shut down in the US...TikTok urges its users to call Congress, stop 'TikTok shutdown' | The Hill... TikTok is messaging users urging them to call Congress and oppose a bill that could lead to a U.S. ban of the app, a spokesperson confirmed.
What did the ancients know that we have forgotten? They, too, had bodies like this, only they used them. They moved them. They kept them moving, particularly in patterned, synchronized ways with others.
and someone saw me and joined in.
Social dancing, or even isolated moving around, seems to get the mind going rather than stagnating, ruminating, and falling into an abysmal emotional state. Release. Move. Reach catharsis. And most of all, have fun.
This just in: scientific discovery made by eggheads in a lab wearing white coats and very stiffly avoiding physical contact: New study says dancing is the best exercise to combat depression.*
It's not just for the kids, Agnes! - Oh, you're right, Herbert. I feel better already! Ha ha ha!
Wait, White Man only now figuring out it's joyful to move to drumbeat and feel elation?
.
Kathleen and Bree use yoga, dance, breath, sound
At Yogini Bree's Process Class, we always have a component of freeform dancing, just jumping around with some Huhs!. Guess she was onto something even without a science degree and university lab.
Even Johann Hari saw that there was something wrong in the way our civilization -- motivated by capitalist Big Pharma corporations to keep us sick and dependent on symptom alleviation -- was approaching the darkest emotionally fraught mental illness from which we suffer.
Why You're Depressed: How...
The corporations were never going to solve, never going to let a "cure" get out their and ruin their business plans.
There's a cure for diabetes, too, but one never hears about it. It's nutritional, getting enough natural chromium GTF (not fake picolinate) grown on nutritional yeast. Yeast overgrowth a problem?
There are cures for candida and other gut issues. Reforming the diet to leave out all the depression-inducing (after a little false pick-me-up from) processed sugars and starches like white flour and all gluten.
Are We Addicted to Feeling Bad?
These things are available from criticalhealthnews.com, which came up with a product it calls "Sweet Ease" particularly for diabetics and prediabetics.
But who the Hades would want that if allopathic sorcery medicine promises us that we can just pop overpriced synthetic chemical in pill form to overwork our livers instead?
What does the latest scientific study reveal and say about exercise?
New study says dancing is best exercise to combat depression
What can dancing possibly offer a human?
(The Independent) A new study indicates that dancing is one of the best forms of treatment for depression.
Australian researchers have published a study that shows that the best form of exercise to treat depression is dancing, beating out several exercises including yoga, walking, jogging, tai chi, and strength training among others.
The meta study aimed to identify what kind of exercise would be best for treating major depressive disorder, either in tandem with another treatment or compared to the [commonplace and failed] prescription of psychotherapy and antidepressants.
Through 218 different studies with 14,170 participants, the researchers found that moderate reductions were made across the board with exercise, more so than simply prescribing participants with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). More
Psychedelics psilocybin (magic mushrooms), DMT, ketamine (Special K) also help (MAPS).
My book club likes it. Lunar New Year Love Story has 4.6 out of 5 stars with 63 ratings. And it's an editors' pick for Best Young Adult. Graphic novel superstars author Gene Luen Yang and illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, and falling in love.
She was destined for heartbreak. Then fate handed her love.
Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed: No one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love.
But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion-dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever? Lunar New Year Love Story
Meriam Bouarrouj, Michelle Acevedo, Raul A. Reyes, Nicole Acevedo, NBC News; Crystal Quintero, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
(NBC News) Legendary Broadway performer Chita Rivera, star of “West Side Story,” “Chicago,” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman” has died, according to her representative Merle Frimark.
She was 91.
In a career defined both by longevity and excellence, she created and performed iconic roles on stage — thrilling audiences, wowing critics, and inspiring generations of Latino performers.
In a statement to NBC News, Rivera's daughter, Lisa Mordente, said her mother died today (1/30/24) in New York "after a brief illness."
“She was one of the few performers who put their stamp on Broadway in virtually every decade,” said performance historian Brian Herrera of Princeton University. “She was a treasure of the American theater.”More
Chita Rivera, legendary Broadway singer and actor, dies at 91
(CBS News) Jan. 30, 2024: Broadway icon Chita Rivera has died at age 91, her daughter said in a statement provided to CBS News. Rivera, best known for her role as "Anita" [later made even more famous by Rita Moreno] in the original 1957 Broadway cast of West Side Story, received a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre in 2018. CBS News' Mo Rocca recalls Rivera's legacy.
It's free to audition. It's an open call, which means everyone is welcome to apply. Come show AGT what you've got! Click a city (like Los Angeles for Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020) to sign up to audition. If you already have registered, click the sign in option and select a city on your Performer Profile page!
Not all of America has talent: most outrageous and spectacular FAILS
If you are part of a group, only one member should register for the group. Or click the Audition Online option to submit an online audition. If you had an account with AGT prior to Season 15, those credentials have expired. Please create a new account...More
Navajo tribe member from Arizona, Ben Hale demonstrates North American tribal dances within their cultural context, music, and brilliant regalia. Dancing and storytelling are an integral part of Native American life as a means of expression and perception of self. Hale’s parents taught him the importance of culture and traditions through customs passed down through the generations [over 10,000 years of inhabiting what came to be the USA]. He is dedicated to dispelling misinformation and misconceptions many people hold toward American Indians.More + MAP
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