Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch has treatable cancer

Ed. Note: Bummer news to hear, Adam is not only a great musician but a phenomenal person. My prayers and thoughts go out to him, his family and the rest of the band for a speedy recovery!

From CNN: The Beastie Boys canceled all scheduled concerts and delayed their next album release while member Adam “MCA” Yauch is treated for a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland, Yauch says in a video statement to fans.

“The good news is that they did scans of my whole body and it’s only localized in this one area and it’s not in a place that affects my voice,” Yauch says. “So, that’s nice. That’s convenient.”

The cancer is in his left parotid gland and “also in a lymph node right in that area,” he says.

Stressed out? Have a little faith

Some days I really think this works. One of my friends was having a breakdown last night. I do understand her pain, but I sometimes wonder if she has any faith in herself. I have given her a couple of books. She said she has looked at them, but I guess she forgot what I had tried to say to her.

It took me almost 30 minutes to try and calm her down. Of course, I am not the greatest teacher.

My wife ordered some blinds today. They were a little short. Okay 5 inches. I have been working so much she had lost the measurements and didn’t want to bother me to remeasure. I used many poor verbs in regards to these blinds. And they are a little off I needed to put spacers up. Taught me I have along way to go and still hope to make it

Putting The ‘Om’ in ‘Shalom’

From The National Post

Although Michelle Katz, a Jewish woman who teaches yoga in Toronto, was never wholly bent out of shape over the practice’s Hindu and Buddhist roots, she is more comfortable with “shalom” than she is with “om,” prompting her to start teaching Torah Yoga as part of an increasingly popular trend that pairs Judaism and Hebrew chants with yoga postures.

“I simply wanted to do yoga more Jewishly,” said Ms. Katz, who has taught Torah Yoga for five years. “I see it as a way to connect more deeply with my faith.”

As the popularity of yoga increases, so too do questions about whether any country or religion has a monopoly on yoga and whether the practice, which is grounded in Sanskrit writing and Eastern spirituality, is contrary to Jewish, Christian or Muslim beliefs.

Brain Injuries Linked to Spirituality

From Miller-McCune

Two University of Missouri psychologists are proposing “a neurophysiological model of spiritual experience” that explains what is happening inside the brain when people experience feelings of selflessness and transcendence.

The model “suggests that all individuals, regardless of cultural background or religion, experience the same neurophysiological/ neuropsychological functions during spiritual experiences,” according to co-authors Brick Johnstone and Bret A. Glass. It also attempts to explain why these brain activities are interpreted in such different ways by people from different religious traditions and cultures.