Click to enlarge. The concept of Yogaglo is to film classes and make them available online to extend the reach of yoga beyond the studio -- a new frontier in yoga instruction.
- BLOG: Yogaglo.com
- PARTNER: L.A. Yoga Magazine
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Dukkha: Michael Jackson Dies
Michael Jackson seen in file pictures from top left, 1971, 1977, 1979, and bottom left, 1983, 1987, and 1990. Jackson died today, June 25, 2009 (AP). 235 photos.
Michael Jackson, "King of Pop," dies Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest today. Officials confirm that Michael Jackson collapsed, went into a coma, and never came back as he was worked on in an L.A. hospital today.Dukkha ("suffering, sadness") definition:
"Now this is the Noble Truth of dukkha: Birth, aging, death; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; connection to the unloved; separation from the loved; not getting what one wants. In short, the Five Aggregates are dukkha" (SN 56.11).
Ven. Sariputra explains
"Now what, friends, is the Noble Truth of dukkha? Birth, aging, death; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair; connection with the unwanted; separation from the loved; not getting what one wants. In short, the Five Aggregates are dukkha....
"And what is aging? Whatever wearing away, decrepitude, brokenness, graying, wrinkling, loss of life-force, weakening of the faculties of the various beings in this or that plane of existence is called aging.
"And what is death? Whatever ceasing, passing away, breaking up, disappearance, dying, completion of lifespan, break up of the Five Aggregates, casting off of body (form), interruption of the life faculty is called death" (MN 141).
Fanatic Jake Byrd reacting to jury decision in Jackson's last trial (Jimmy Kimmel)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Think like a millionaire
How to think like a millionaireVision and passion are just a few of the traits shared by the world's wealthiest. Do what you love?
Financial lessons from celebrities
Find recession-proof investments
Monday, June 22, 2009
Burma gets weapons from North Korea
SEOUL, South Korea – A North Korean-flagged ship under close watch in Asian waters is believed to be heading toward Myanmar (Burma) carrying small arms cargo banned under a new U.N. resolution, a South Korean intelligence official said.Still, analysts say a high seas interception — something North Korea has said it would consider an act of war — is unlikely. The Kang Nam, accused of engaging in illicit trade in the past, is the first vessel monitored under the new U.N. sanctions designed to punish the North for its defiant nuclear test last month. The U.S. military began tracking the ship after it left a North Korean port last week on suspicion it was carrying illicit weapons.
The South Korean broadcaster YTN said today that the ship was traveling in waters 200 nautical miles (230 miles) southeast of Shanghai at a speed of about 10 knots, or 10 nautical miles (11.5 miles), per hour. YTN did not say where the information came from. U.S. and Japanese military officials said they could not provide details about the whereabouts of the Kang Nam or a U.S. destroyer shadowing the vessel. More>>
PHOTOS: 1. South Korean protesters hold a rally against North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and his youngest son believed to be designated as the leader's successor, in Seoul on 6/15/09. North and South Korea failed to reach agreement in talks Friday on the fate of a joint industrial estate which is their last remaining reconciliation project, officials said (AFP/File/Kim Jae-Hwan). 2. South Korean tourist walks past posting of North Korea's map and a flag at an observation post in Ganghwa, located inside of the civilian passage restriction line that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, South Korea, 6/21/09. North Korea has criticized the U.S. for reaffirming its nuclear protection of South Korea in their recent summit, saying it exposed a U.S. plot to launch atomic war (AP/Ahn Young-joon). Previous • Next
What are Buddhist "devas"?
A deva (देव Sanskrit and Pāli) in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share certain characteristics: They are more powerful, longer-lived, and generally more contentedly than the average human being.Synonyms in other languages include Tibetan lha, Chinese tiān, Korean cheon, Japanese ten, Vietnamese thiên. The concept of devas was adopted in Japan partly because of the similarity with the Shinto concept of kami.
Synonymous words used in Buddhist texts to refer to devas are devatā "deity" and devaputra (Pāli devaputta) "son of god." Putra, which literally means "son," generically designates that one has spontaneously been born among the devas. (Devas do not give birth, but they do act as parents when karma leads to spontaneous rebirth in proximity to other devas).
Powers of the devas
From a human perspective, devas share the characteristic of being invisible to the physical human eye. The presence of a deva can be detected by those humans who have opened the divyacakṣus (Pāli dibbacakkhu), an extrasensory power by which one can see beings from other planes. Their voices can also be heard by those who have cultivated a similar power of the ear.
Most devas are also capable of constructing illusory forms by which they can manifest themselves to beings in lower worlds; higher and lower devas even have to do this between each other.
Devas do not require the same kind of sustenance as humans, instead sustaining themselves on manna or the nectar of the gods. The higher (as in the Abhassara world) devas feed on joy. Deva literally means "shining one" since they are beings of light radiating their own intrinsic luminosity.
Devas are also capable of moving great distances flying through the air and through space quickly. The lower devas sometimes accomplish this through spacecraft (vimana) such as flying chariots and mounts (in the form of birds, animals, or platforms).
Types of devas
- Buddhist cosmology (main article)
The term deva does not refer to a natural class of beings. It is defined anthropocentrically to include all of the beings more powerful or more blissful than humans. It includes some very different types ranked hierarchically. The lowest class of these beings are closer in nature to humans than to celestial and immaterial devas.
Devas fall into three general classes depending on which of the three dhātus, or "realms," in a world-system they are born in.
The devas of the Ārūpa-dhātu (Formless Realm) have no physical form or location, dwelling absorbed in meditation on formless subjects. They achieve this by attaining advanced meditative levels in a previous life. They are extremely long lived and do not interact.
The devas of the Rūpa-dhātu (Fine Material Realm) have physical form, but are sexless and passionless. They live in a large number of "heavens" or deva-worlds that rise, layer atop layer, above the earth. These be divided into five main groups:
- The Śuddhāvāsa (Pure Abode) devas are the reborn Anāgāmis, Buddhist meditation practitioners who died just short of attaining the state of Arhat. (Brahma Sahampati, who appealed to the newly enlightened Buddha to teach, was an Anagami from practicing with a previous Buddha[1]). They guard and protect Buddhism on earth and will become fully enlightened as Arhats from the Śuddhāvāsa worlds. The highest of these worlds is called Akaniṣṭha.
- The Bṛhatphala devas remain in an equanimous state attained in the fourth dhyāna (Pali jhana).
- The Śubhakṛtsna devas rest in the bliss of the third dhyāna.
- The Ābhāsvara devas enjoy the delights of the second dhyāna.
- The Brahmā devas (or simply Brahmās) participate in the more active joys of the first dhyāna. They are more interested in and involved with the world below than other higher devas and sometimes intervene with advice and counsel.
Each deva-world contains different grades of devas -- weak attainment of the dhyāna corresponding to that class, moderate accomplishment, and mastery. On the one hand, all of those within a single group are able to interact and communicate with each other. On the other hand, the lower groups may have no direct knowledge of the existence of higher types of deva at all. For this reason, some of the Brahmās have become proud, imagining themselves as the creators of their own and lower worlds (having come into existence before those worlds began to exist). They may fancy themselves "the alpha and the omega."
The devas of the Kāma-dhātu (Sensual Realm) have physical forms similar to humans. They lead the same sort of lives as humans, though longer-lived and generally more contented; indeed, they oftentimes recklessly immerse themselves in pleasure. It is the Sensual Realm that Māra has greatest influence over.
Higher devas of the Kāma-dhātu live in four celestial heavens, leaving them free from contact with the strife of the world. They are:
- The Parinirmita-vaśavartin devas, luxurious devas to whom Māra Devaputra belongs;
- The Nirmāṇarati devas;
- The Yāma devas.
The lower devas of the Kāma-dhātu live on different parts of a mountain or axis at the center of the world, Mt. Sumeru. Like the "gods" of Greek mythology, they are more passionate than higher devas. They do not simply enjoy themselves but also engage in strife and fighting. They are:
The Trāyastriṃśa devas, who live on the peak of Sumeru and are something like the Olympian gods, constantly at war with the Asuras. Their ruler is Śakra.
The Cāturmahārājikakāyika devas, who include the four great kings who guard the four quarters of the Earth. The chief of these kings is Vaiśravaṇa, but all are ultimately accountable to Śakra. Their kingdoms include four types of earthly demigods or nature-spirits:
- Nāgas, and
The Buddha advised that rather than praying to devas as was common in India, one should strive to become one. Good karma leads to rebirth among them. "Furthermore," he said, "you should recollect the devas: 'There are the devas of the Four Great Kings, the devas of the Thirty-three, the..."[2] [196. Dh.] "Feeders of joy we shall be like the radiant beings (devas)."
Sometimes included among the devas, and sometimes included among the demigods and nature-spirits, are the Asuras, the opponents of the preceding two groups of devas. Their nature is to be continually engaged in war. This corresponds to Christian legends of the "war in heaven" between archangels and fallen angels.
Humans are said to have originally had many of the powers of the devas: not requiring food, the ability to fly through the air, and giving off light (Aganna Sutta). But over time humans began to eat solid food, so their bodies became coarser and their powers faded away.
Devas vs. gods
Although the word deva is generally translated "god" (or "angel") in English, Buddhist devas differ from the "gods," "God," or "angels" of Western religions past and present in many important ways.
For example, Buddhist devas are not immortal. They live very long but finite periods of time, ranging from hundreds to billions of years. When they pass away, as with all beings, they are reborn according to their karma as some other class of being, perhaps a different type of deva, perhaps a human or something else.
Buddhist devas do not create or shape the world. They come into existence based on their past karmas, and they are subject to the natural law of action and result (or cause and effect) as other beings in the world-system. They also have no role in the cyclical dissolution and evolution of worlds.
Buddhist devas are not incarnations of a few archetypal deities or manifestations of an all-embracing pantheistic One (as conceived of in some forms of Hinduism). Nor are they merely symbols. Like humans, they are considered distinct individuals with their own personalities and paths in life.
Buddhist devas are far from omniscient. Their knowledge is inferior to that of spiritual teachers, Arhats, and Buddhas, lacking knowledge and even awareness of beings in worlds higher than their own.
Buddhist devas are not omnipotent. Their powers tend to be limited to their own worlds, and they rarely intervene in human affairs. When they do, it is generally by way of quiet advice rather than physical intervention.
Buddhist devas are far from morally perfection, though generally better off than humans. The devas of the worlds of the Rūpa-dhātu lack human passions, but they are capable of delusion, arrogance, and pride. The devas of the lower worlds of the Kāma-dhātu experience the same kind of passions as humans, including (in the lowest of these worlds), lust, jealousy, and anger. Indeed, it is their imperfections in mental, moral, and ethical arenas that caused them to be reborn in these worlds.
Buddhist devas are gone to for refuge ("guidance" or sarana). While some individuals among the devas may be beings of great moral authority and prestige and thus deserving of a high degree of respect, devas do not show the way to escape saṃsāra or to control one's rebirth. The greatest respect is reserved for the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.
Matrix (Secret) News Stories
liveh2o.tv (news)
- Iranian Elections: The Hidden Hand of the U.S.
- Ridiculous Safety Measures in UK
- Child Molester Goes Free while Father Who Attacked Him Gets Jail Time
- U.S. Beats War Drum as Iran Dumps the Dollar
- IRS Proposing Ban On Returns Filed by Anyone by "Experts"
- CIA Recruiting Laid Off Bankers
- Supersized Propaganda in New York: Carbon Counter
- Top 5 Most Sinister Corporate Logos
- Some in Congress Worried about Obama's Plans for Fed [Like putting the fox in charge of the chicken house!]
- Hemp...Cars?
- Antarctic Ice Shelves Show No Change Over Six Years.
- Crops Under Stress as Temperatures Fall
- Scientists Pan Obama's Scaremongering Climate Report
- E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress
- Audit Finds that U.S. Overpaid Blackwater $55 Million [That we know of!]
- By R. Jeffrey Smith and Joby Warrick
- House Passes $106 Billion War Funding Bill
- New H1N1 Strain Found [Beware Propaganda! - see WHO To Get Vaccination Donation elsewhere on this site]
- WHO To Get Vaccination Donation
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Pagans keep the world alive
Western Pagans celebrate nature, seen here at YSEE ritual (Wikipedia).
Russian neo-pagans look on while participating in festivities to celebrate the summer solstice in Maloyaroslavets, some 124 miles (200 km) south-west of Moscow, Russia, early Saturday, June 20, 2009. The festivities of Ivan Kupala, or John the Baptist, are similar to Mardi Gras and reflect pre-Christian Slavic traditions and practices. After the 1991 Soviet collapse, Russia has seen a revival of the Russian Orthodox church along with a surge of indigenous movements and creeds (AP/Sergey Ponomarev).
A supreme Russian neo-pagan priest beats a tambourine while his followers dance around a bonfire to celebrate the summer solstice in Maloyaroslavets, Russia, 6/20/09 (AP/Sergey Ponomarev).
Japanese Pagan-Buddhist shrine within a tree -- for trolls, gnomes, and/or dryads (Pali yakkhas, kumbhandas, and/or bhummatha-devas).
Summer Solstice (34 photos)
Web Buzz: UFO, Colby Curtin, Zicam
Colby Curtin, UFOs in Australia, pharmceutical Zicam's side effects
Some weeks of Internet Buzz are thrilling, others inspiring. However, the past week was filled with surprising news: UFO abductions are rampant in Australia; a child dying of cancer asked for (and received) a private screening of Pixar's "Up"; and the nasal spray you've been may have taken away your sense of smell.
- AUSTRALIA - A rash of alleged UFO abductions are striking Down Under.
- Something stinks in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Particularly when a chemical companies claim to make homeopathic products. So when will companies learn to stop trying to cure the common cold? Perhaps now after the FDA charged Matrixx, the makers of Zicam, with selling a product that robbed people of their sense of smell. Matrixx called the claim "unwarranted." But the news caused a shockwave as searches roared on "zicam side effects," "zicam recall," and "loss of smell zicam." An article from CNN Money explains that because Zicam was classified as a homeopathic remedy, it was able to be marketed without "government oversight." Perhaps that loophole will soon be closed?
- A child's last wish
10-year-old Colby Curtin died of cancer this week, but before she passed away, her final wish was fulfilled. The child had desperately wanted to see the new Pixar movie, "Up." Unfortunately, she was too ill to go to the theater. According to various articles within the Buzz, Pixar was told of Colby's illness. The company sent a representative to deliver a DVD for Colby to watch in her room. Though she could no longer see, her mother narrated the action. Colby died several hours after the movie ended, and searches on "up movie make a wish" and "colby curtin up" both soared.
Also buzzing this week...
• The highly anticipated, if awkwardly named, iPhone 3G S hit store shelves.
2012 Prophecy (film)
Prophecy behind "2012" film The new end-of-world movie is based on actual beliefs with a large following. Did Mayans predict apocalypse?
A Trip to Shanghai's Jade Buddha
(blogography.com)Starting the day early to visit the Temple of the Jade Buddha turned out to be more of an adventure than I thought. I have been skydiving, diving with sharks, bungee jumping, race car driving. I have even been held up at knife-point twice and had many other adventures throughout my life.
But all pale in comparison to taking a taxi through the streets of Shanghai, China. It was especially disturbing considering the driver didn't know the location of the temple (despite being a famous landmark). He had a map in his face a good portion of the time.
By the time I got to the temple, I was ready to shave my head and become a monk so as not to have to go through that again. But the temple itself is sweet and well worth the dangerous journey to get there. Photos are not allowed of the actual Jade Buddha (which is exquisitely beautiful), but there is plenty to photograph.
I particularly like the little lion guardians everywhere around the temple, many with red "wish ribbons" tied around them. On the way out, I pass through the gift shop to get a wooden "Happy Buddha" statue to take back with me. Given my luck with taxis, I can use it. More>>
Story and photos by David Simmer II; additional editing by WQ
Father's Day: the holiday that almost wasn't
Dad's day almost didn't existWhen Father's Day -- celebrating beer-drinking, slovenly American dads like Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, and this Mardi Gras specimen -- was first proposed, anger and mockery almost killed the holiday.
Summer solstice in NY: Yoga in Times Square
Over 200 people practice yoga on the morning of the summer solstice in Times Square, in New York, on Sunday June 21, 2009. During the seventh annual free yoga classes, held in the "Crossroads of the World," participants sought peace and calm in the center of urban chaos (Reuters/Chip East). Preceded by file photo of lunar eclipse of the sun over Indonesia (AP).
Pagans, solstice partygoers at Stonehenge
Nardine Saad (AP)
STONEHENGE – Pagans and partygoers drummed, danced, or gyrated in hula hoops to stay awake through the night, as more than 35,000 people greeted the summer solstice Sunday at the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge.
PLAY VIDEO Summer solstice in the UK (Reuters)
STONEHENGE – Pagans and partygoers drummed, danced, or gyrated in hula hoops to stay awake through the night, as more than 35,000 people greeted the summer solstice Sunday at the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge. Despite fears of trouble because of the record-sized crowd, police said the annual party at the mysterious monument was mostly peaceful. "It's the most magical place on the planet," said antique salesman Frank Somers, 43, dressed in the robes of his Druid faith. "Inside when you touch the stones you feel a warmth like you're touching a tree, not a stone. There's a genuine love, you feel called to it," he said.
The prehistoric monument in southern England is the site of an annual night-long party — or religious ceremony, depending on perspective — marking the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. More>>
The prehistoric monument in southern England is the site of an annual night-long party — or religious ceremony, depending on perspective — marking the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. More>>
Buddhist boxer delivers spiritual punch
Boxing Buddhists are a common sight in Thailand where kick boxing is the national pastime. Buddhist boxing might not be out of place in a Shaolin temple ring alongside other martial arts in China. But an American Buddhist boxing in the stiff, British style made famous in the U.S?
BOULDER, Colorado — Only in Boulder: a Buddhist boxing gym. The walls of Front Range Boxing are lined with Lao Tzo quotes, alongside photos of Dave Gaudette with famous boxers and trainers. Gaudette was 16 years old when he fell in love with boxing.
Another twist: At the time, he was studying to be a Franciscan priest. "I've always been drawn toward the ultimate, the bigger picture," he says. "Every once in a while, the time and the ego melts away. And that's the closest you're ever going to get to God. I'm talking about the 'dis-ease' of philosophy. If you're satisfied with everything, there's no impulse to look beyond your next experience."
He continues, without a breath in between: "Do you know the story of the Buddha?" Ah, yes. The preceding is a typical conversation with Lisa Gaudette's father. His endurance and passion about philosophy and spirituality rivals his endurance and passion in the boxing ring. And a boxing Buddhist is no contraction, he insists. But before we get swept into another intense discussion about transcendence and the infinite, let's pause to wish Gaudette a happy Father's Day. More>>
He continues, without a breath in between: "Do you know the story of the Buddha?" Ah, yes. The preceding is a typical conversation with Lisa Gaudette's father. His endurance and passion about philosophy and spirituality rivals his endurance and passion in the boxing ring. And a boxing Buddhist is no contraction, he insists. But before we get swept into another intense discussion about transcendence and the infinite, let's pause to wish Gaudette a happy Father's Day. More>>
Boxing Buddha
Jen Hodsdon (thebollard.com)
Jaed Coffin, 28, is a talented writer who lives in Brunswick. The Thai-American has been a boxer, a lobsterman, a sea-kayak guide, and a Buddhist monk. He’s traveled around the world. But he’s also a guy who will invite you to come hang out in his garage workshop with some warm beer and classic rock. In other words, despite all his accomplishments, he’s unpretentious. Coffin’s first book, a memoir titled, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants, was recently published by Da Capo Press. It tells the story of Coffin’s journey to his mother’s village in Thailand several years ago to live as a monk and experience Thai culture. More>>Saturday, June 20, 2009
Welcome Summer Solstice!
Summer Solstice: U.S. Sunday, June 21, 2009, 9:00 am - 11:59 pm EST
Buddhist Salutation to the Sun
(Sigalovada Sutra, "Advice to Householders," DN 31)
Dharmachari
On meeting a householder engaged in saluting the sun and sky, the Buddha is asked for advice on the proper performance of this ancient ritual. The Buddha explains the threefold preparation of eradicating:
Dharmachari
On meeting a householder engaged in saluting the sun and sky, the Buddha is asked for advice on the proper performance of this ancient ritual. The Buddha explains the threefold preparation of eradicating:
- Four Vices in Conduct
- Four Causes of Unwholesome Karma and the
- Six Channels for Dissipating Wealth.
The Buddha goes on to shed light on friendship by pointing out:
- Four False Friends
- Four True Friends
- Four Divisions of Wealth and the
- Four Bases of Popularity.
Establishing the fundamentals of a good home life, the Buddha reveals what the directions of the sky – previously bowed to in an empty ritual – represent within the Buddha-Dharma and how one indeed honors and upholds them.
Moreover, the Buddha explains how one is in turn honored and upheld by them. In this way a thorough set of reciprocal social obligations is established – a brief code of Buddhist virtue and ethics.
THE SUTRA
Salutation to the Sun (a formal sequence of yoga poses paying homage to the source of life), an Indian metaphor for reverencing what supports us.
The Empty Ritual
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Buddha was residing in the Bamboo Grove, in the Squirrels’ Sanctuary, near Rajagaha.
Young Sigala, the child of a householder, arose early in the morning and set off from Rajagaha with wet hair and clothes to engage in the ancient practice of saluting sun and sky – bowing at sunrise with joined hands to the East, South, West, North, below (Nadir), and above (Zenith).
The Buddha, arranging his robes in the morning, took his bowl and set off toward Rajagaha for alms. He saw Sigala, the young householder, worshiping in the traditional manner and said:
"Young householder, on what account have you arisen early, set off from the city with wet hair and clothes, and come to salute with joined hands Sun and Sky – East, South, West, North, Nadir, and Zenith?"
"My father, Venerable sir, when he was dying said to me: ‘Dear child, do not neglect to worship the Sun and Sky.’ Respecting and upholding my father’s wish, to show reverence and honor, I get up early, leave the city with wet hair and clothes, and pay homage with joined hands to Sun and Sky."
"But, young householder," the Buddha pointed out, "this is not the noble way of honoring and upholding Sun and Sky."
"How then, Venerable sir, what is the noble way of honoring and upholding the Sky? It would be a wonderful thing if the Noble One were to instruct me in the noble way of doing so."
"Listen then, young householder, attending carefully to what I say, and I will tell you."
"Very well, Venerable sir," young Sigala answered.
The Buddha explained, in terms of preparation, those things to be done before setting out to honor and uphold the Sky.
Threefold Preparation
"Young householder, inasmuch as a noble lay follower eradicates the Four Vices in Conduct, abandons the Four Motivations of Unwholesome Karma, and avoids the Six Channels for Dissipating Wealth, to that extent, honoring and protecting them, a lay follower nobly honors and upholds the Sky."
"By avoiding these fourteen unskillful things, one sets oneself on the path leading to success here and beyond: One comes into favor in this world and the world to come. With the dissolution of this body, after death, such a person goes on to be reborn in a happy and fortunate destinations."
PAIN: Agony and insight, it's all in the head
A BRAIN WIDER THAN THE SKY
A Migraine Diary
Author: Andrew Levy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (289 pages)
A Migraine Diary
Author: Andrew Levy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (289 pages)
Reviewer: Christine Montross (Washington Post)
It's no easy business to write about pain. Memoirs of illness and injury too frequently end up either as proud testimonies of endurance or self-indulgent tomes. Andrew Levy's beautiful memoir, A Brain Wider Than the Sky, is welcome relief.
A professor of English at Butler University, Levy is also an accomplished writer, who here turns his exacting gaze inward: He invites us to accompany him on a harrowing descent as he changes from a man who has suffered from occasional headaches into the victim of an unremitting, four-month-long, life-altering migraine.
It's no easy business to write about pain. Memoirs of illness and injury too frequently end up either as proud testimonies of endurance or self-indulgent tomes. Andrew Levy's beautiful memoir, A Brain Wider Than the Sky, is welcome relief.
A professor of English at Butler University, Levy is also an accomplished writer, who here turns his exacting gaze inward: He invites us to accompany him on a harrowing descent as he changes from a man who has suffered from occasional headaches into the victim of an unremitting, four-month-long, life-altering migraine.
Inevitably, when Levy is confronted with this disorienting and disabling pain, he is driven to wonder why he is afflicted. Happily for his readers, he does not ask, "Why me?" but rather, "Why any of us?" What follows is an affecting, readable account of the pain of migraine and the weird wonder of it. Levy seamlessly glides from the experience of his own suffering to broader neurological and historical realms, including a number of jaw-dropping anecdotes about migraine and its treatment.
Levy guides us through a range of theories regarding the causes of migraine, including Sigmund Freud's laughable hypothesis that his daughter's first menstruation gave him "a migraine from which I thought I would die." Levy also includes descriptions of patients who endured wacky and often violent attempts at treatment, such as the 17th-century intellectual Lady Anne Conway, who allowed her brother to cut open her head. Levy asserts that such a preposterous-sounding cure simply reflects the victim's desperation. More>>
Levy guides us through a range of theories regarding the causes of migraine, including Sigmund Freud's laughable hypothesis that his daughter's first menstruation gave him "a migraine from which I thought I would die." Levy also includes descriptions of patients who endured wacky and often violent attempts at treatment, such as the 17th-century intellectual Lady Anne Conway, who allowed her brother to cut open her head. Levy asserts that such a preposterous-sounding cure simply reflects the victim's desperation. More>>
Herbs that Heal
Eight herbs that healLearn which ones can ease ailments like indigestion, poor memory, or bad eyesight. Fight fatigue too
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