DFOTB #4

                                                                       

Focusing On The Past:http://www.box.net/shared/g2tc50xb1q                 

Four World's/Chakra's:http://www.box.net/shared/1f75vq4mmj

Wake-Up!: Asher's 12 Step Re(Program) for Coffee Enlightenment

Recorded Guided Meditation:  http://www.box.net/shared/nz2zc2yttx

DFOTB#3

Well preserved roadkill on this morning's ride.

1.  Disappointment - http://www.box.net/shared/0mcqkqxsec

2.  Aladdin - http://www.box.net/shared/65ugec7jsb

DFOTB #2

Here is another edition of Downloads From On The Bike:

On Tiger Woods: http://www.box.net/shared/m0ry8f3izl

I Feel Like a Golfball:  http://www.box.net/shared/epdsds5pjn

On Parsha Mikketz:  http://www.box.net/shared/mucs59zvi2

GOOD RIDDANCE!

There seems to be a lot of concern and anger about "our sign" being stolen.  A lot of people are weighing in including outraged Rabbi's.  

I think the disappearance of the sign is actually a great blessing!  The Presence of this sign (as a reminder that we have, "enemies in every generation", like the Haggadah says) has been a burden we have carried for generations since the Holocaust.  It has been, for us, like shackles that has kept us in Mitzrayim, slavery.  I say we need to let go of the victim consciousness.  I think we should erect a new sign in its place that says, "Now, We Are Free!"  As the insightful Ari said today, (The Ari of Ashland, that is), I'm paraphrasing, "maybe the individuals who took the sign were operating on a higher level of consciousness and are signaling the beginning of a new paradigm that is about letting go of the past and from this Now perspective recreating from Freedom consciousness".  Brilliant Ari!  Yasha Koach!

Downloads From On The Bike

I am starting a new series that is called DFOTB, which stands for Downloads From On The Bike.

I will explain.

Lately I have been having many insights while riding my bike and listening to teachings from my Holy Guru, "Shuffle".  Shuffle knows exactly what I need to hear at the time I need to hear it.  Of course Shuffle is limited in its choices based upon what I have uploaded to my iphone, so I have carefully chosen a combination of teachings and sacred music.  The majority of the teachings come from Abraham-Hicks and Reverend Michael Beckwith.  These two sources have been so helpful and inspirational to me and I am very grateful and appreciative for them.  The sacred music comes from a variety of artists including; Deva Premal, Jai Uttal, Krishna Das, and many others.  It's uncanny, miraculous, fun, and meaningful all at once.  Every ride is a mystical experience full of joyful understanding and a deep connection to IT.  IT never fails to WOW! me with a depth of understanding and unconditional loving of who and what I AM.  Occasionally I receive insights that are profound and that I feel important to share.  So here goes......the first installment of DFOTB.

1.  English Language - http://www.box.net/shared/myoep4itr4
2.  Fetal Position - http://www.box.net/shared/r46yoiftm1
3.  Xmas Day - http://www.box.net/shared/nxuiyjqfj8

Mikketz - Joseph, his Gift and his Life's Purpose

A couple of days ago I was asked by my friend Sasha Borenstein if I would be the gabbai for her reading of the second aliyah in parsha Mikketz this coming Shabbat.  I was honored by the asking and enthusiastically said yes.  We studied this particular section of the Torah together which is about Pharaoh's dream and Joseph's interpretation of the dream.  As Sasha chanted beautifully in hebrew, I followed along. 

The aliyah began with Pharaoh describing his dream to Joseph.  After Pharaoh was finished it came time for Joseph's interpretation.  I felt a dramatic shift in the Torah trope from a neutral matter-of-fact description of the facts of the dream by Pharaoh, to an enlightened explanation of the dream by Joseph.  I felt waves of IT (Invisible Ta'anug) ripple through my body and I realized that Joseph was, in that moment, understanding Pharaoh's dream from the realm of IT consciousness when giving his interpretation.  Joseph's entire life up to that point had prepared him just for this moment.  This was his gift and opportunity to transcend his past and step into his future as the savior of the Egyptians and the Jews.  And the reason that Joseph had access to the IT was because he had surrendered his small egoic self by telling Pharaoh that he, Joseph, was not the interpreter of the dream, "it is not in me; God (IT) will give Pharaoh an answer of peace".  Joseph was fulfilling his mission by getting out of his own way and allowing The IT to work through and as him.

Each of us has IT given gifts and abilities that can either frustrate us (when we are not using them out of fear, unawareness, or because we are concerned what others might think), or can elevate us to experience the IT directly and powerfully.  We have the choice.  What are we doing with our gifts and abilities?  Are they being locked up and/or misused by our ego?  Or are we able to surrender our small selves and open to the possibility for IT to direct our thoughts and actions to create Shalom, peace and wholeness?

The 73rd Name of God, IT (Invisible Ta'anug)

In searching for another name, in English, to use for God (the word God is loaded with preconceived thoughts and ideas that are based on separation and duality) I have come up with IT.  The only reference I have for IT is cousin It from the old Munster's TV show.  IT's innocuous enough for me, cousin It, like The Presence, Source, God, etc., was hidden.  IT as an acronym stands for Invisible Ta'anug.  Ta'anug is a hebrew slang word that means blissful pleasure.  It is a word I was introduced to by my Israeli friend Ronen.  When Ronen says, "Ta'anug", he says it in such an expressive and joyous way that his face and whole being is lit up and awake indicating his connection to the IT in that moment.  So, from here on when I write about God I will use the acronym IT.

Mystical Ruminations...

Recently I have had some profound experiences and realizations that I would like to share. 

On Shabbat:

As we enter Shabbat, the first thing we do is light candles.  Shabbat is about going into the darkness, the void, pure consciousness, and dwelling there (like Moses communing with the Presence in the tent).  This void of pure consciousness is where creation begins.  It begins in the invisible as a thought long before we see the physical manifestation of it.  In the void we are able to glimpse a vision for our lives and then bring it back into the body.  On Shabbat we catch the vision and then take action in the physical world for the next 6 days.

 I think we should use Yahrzeit candles for Shabbat candles to assist us in letting go of the old-self on a weekly basis.  Each week we die to our littleness, small self, just a bit.  Our constant expansion is summoning us and requires us to examine our thoughts and beliefs so we can let go of them and go with our natural expansion.  Shabbat was created for this purpose.  It is a weekly practice of communing with the Presence and experiencing God Consciousness.


On Tzim-Tzum, lit., contraction:


During this morning’s meditation I realized the concept of Tzim-Tzum.  Everything in the universe is made up of energy and it is pure, whole, and perfect.  This energy (in the Jewish tradition it is referred to as God), is actually a vibration, a resonance.  It feels ecstatic, orgasmic, and glorious!  This is the place, the vibration, from whence we all come forth into this physical experience.  We choose to experience Tzim-Tzum, this contraction from our natural state of God Consciousness, in order to be our creative selves and create on a blank canvas.  We choose this just for the fun and feeling of the expansion!  This means that when we talk about God withdrawing it’s consciousness creating Tzim-Tzum, we are really talking about our eternal non-physical beingness choosing Tzim-Tzum.  We are not separate from this process, WE ARE the God beings choosing Tzim-Tzum.  And the best part is that this choice is temporary, for when we die (there is no real death, just the leaving of our physical bodies) we instantly return to that blissful state of ONEness.

How ****ing good is that!

Ruch Gift Exchange Benefit ---Thanks for your Giving!

Today's Gift Exchange was a benefit for a community member whose Landscaping tools, used in his business, were destroyed this past Tuesday in a fire that consumed the garage they were stored in.

A special thanks to Chris Beekman for Gifting the use of his property and to baker extraordinaire Jo Ferneau for providing his award winning loaves.

Some of the Gifted Items included:

• 2 weed wackers
• a chainsaw
• a worm-drive saw
• a shovel
• a rake
• a personal check
• other useful tools and odds and ends
• fresh roasted Sumatra Mandheling coffee beans

Thanks to all who participated! Your Gifts are grately appreciated.

We are interested in having an ongoing Gift Exchange for those in need. If
anyone knows of someone who has recently experienced a hardship of any kind please contact Asher, (541) 899-0111, for a special benefit possibility.

Economic Crisis?...or...Extraordinary Opportunity!

               (photo courtesy of Asher Yaron's bike tire patch)

I have a solution to the current economic challenges and it is based on the simple statement, "All that we need we already have."  The citizens and corporations of this country have been accumulating,  amassing, and hoarding stuff for generations and it is sitting, underused and under appreciated, in storage facilities everywhere.  It is time to use the teaching of the story of Joseph and to tap into the stored resources in these times of famine and hardship.

         
How can we access this abundance of resources? 
I suggest we come together in small communities and neighborhoods and create weekly gatherings that are Gift Exchanges.
 

Close Communities are Happy Communities

By giving our attention a local focus we can create possibilities for prosperity and success right in our own backyards.  Get 10 neighbors together and have everyone list their individual gifts and you will be amazed at the depth of resources available.  The human desire to give compassionately is vast and deep.  Tapping that resource and multiplying and expanding it is creating a powerful movement towards abundance and prosperity. 

         
What constitutes a Gift?  A song or poem, appreciation, a motorhome, currency.  A Gift should be thoughtful and authentic to the person who is giving it and it should end up with the person who will appreciate it the most!

Practically...this is how it would work.

•  Once a week, preferably on a weekend, a Gift Exchange is created whereby community members gather together (at a site that is Gifted) to meet, socialize, and bring their Gifts to share.  Community members are encouraged to bring their instruments to the weekly event, or to participate fully in whatever way they feel moved.  The Gift Exchange is meant to be FUN and JOYFUL!

• At the end of the day there will most likely be an excess of Gifts that become the temporary assets of the local Gift Exchange organization.  These Gifts can then be cataloged, by a volunteer, stored (at a facility that is Gifted), and listed online.

•  After just a few weeks the amount of excess assets will have multiplied and community members can check locally first before making a purchase.  After several months a communities' assets may have grown to the point where they can Gift to other communities in need.

No individual can fix our current problems...and certainly no politician!  WE, THE PEOPLE, can create abundance and prosperity by coming together, by sharing, and by discovering that we are more united in our similarities than we are divided by our differences.
         

The Ruch Gift Exchange - Opening Day!

A special thanks to our host, Chris Beekman, for providing a perfect space for our first happening!  We played music, ate, drank, and connected with new friends discussing and exploring new creative endeavors and possibilities while we exchanged our Gifts!  Some of the Gifted items included:       

• Freshly baked bread from Rise-Up!                     

• Goat Chevre from Siskiyou Crest                        

• Freshly roasted coffees from Wake-Up!               

• Incense and incense holder                                   

• chocolate covered Goji berries                             

• A $15 Food For Less Gift Card                           

• US Currency

Thanks again to all participants......we will be gathering again this coming Sunday, weather permitting, in an ever expanding way.....more fun...more joy...more sharing...more gifting...and more abundance!

Same time - 9 am - 1 pm,    Same place - Crystal Clear Satellite parking lot.  See you there.....

Trees of Knowledge

This past week I received a Chinese Acupuncture 5 Elements treatment with my friend and talented healer Lee Showerman. Lee suggests a minimum of 4 treatments a year around the time of the change of seasons. She explained how the earth, uncomfortably, shifts from one season to the next. After summertime, which is the most Yang (active) time of the year, the shift to Autumn brings with it a time of withdrawing from the intense activity in the physical world.

For the past week I had been feeling slightly depleted of energy and desiring to rest and sleep more. Knowing intuitively that all life is experiencing these same feelings, because we all are connected to the earth and to each other, I called Lee to make an appointment for my seasonal energy balancing of my 5 elements.

Lee described our lives like that of a tree whose focus changes from flowering outwardly to withdrawing and bringing the energy back to its roots.

I loved this metaphor and spent meditation time dwelling in returning to my own roots, as a spiritual being having a human incarnation. Of letting go of the daily worrisome thoughts about survival and competition, and directing my focus and thoughts about creating wonder, love, and joy.

It's easy for us to get offtrack and be pulled down by the gravity of the human experience especially at this season of reflection and introspection. When all we can see is the physical world our vision of a great future is diminished. Now is the time to return within and re-energize our dreams and visions. We may not see the physical results until the springtime, but we will feel and know that we are growing and preparing to burst forth 6 months from now.

Wake-Up! Coffee Coming to Buncom!

What: Roadside Coffee Service (featuring my fresh roasted organic cold pressed coffee, served hot!)


Where: Buncom (where Sterling Creek Rd. meets Little Applegate Rd.)

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays (from 7 am - 8:30 am).

Please bring a travel cup to use....see you there!

Media Blitz, I am now the Biodiesel posterboy!

Local coffeemaker pours his soul into perfect cup.

By Greg Stiles
Mail Tribune
July 15, 2009

Asher Yaron has sought the perfect cup of coffee as if it were the holy grail. From drip to espresso, he pursued the consummate cuppa joe with fervor. Yet he found little satisfaction. "Everything always fell short," Yaron says, until he began roasting beans on his barbecue, one pound at a time. "I couldn't believe how good it was."

He soon discovered merely home roasting wasn't enough. "About three or four days after roasting the beans begin to deteriorate and the taste starts to change," Yaron says.

The confluence of events ranging from the global recession to his own awakening led Yaron to transform his simple interest in fresh brews to a commercial venture called Wake-Up! He delivers both freshly roasted beans and cold-pressed coffee to customers out of an Ashland office.

For a dozen years Yaron and his wife, Avara, produced fine jewelry from gold obtained during two-dozen treks to Bali and upscale handbags that retailed for $150 in stores around the world.
"The high-end luxury business went down a while ago and we started looking for something else," Yaron says. "I had the inspiration to do the coffee roasting thing — Wake-Up! — as I was waking up to an expanded state of consciousness one morning."

He began selling his beans at the Ashland Food Co-op in October, but prefers delivering straight to the customer. He also makes a cold pressed coffee, soaked in water for 24 hours, and sells it in 1 quart containers. "You don't want to use boiling water," he says. "Hot water extracts the acid and kills the subtle flavors. That's why in dark roast coffee you get a bitter kick at the end."

Yaron roasts 50 pounds of beans a week and has the capacity to handle 200 pounds. For now, he's limited his service area within a triangle taking in Ashland, Medford and the Applegate Valley — announcing his arrival with a traditional Jewish shofar ram's horn blast.

Eventually, he hopes to franchise the approach, rather than extend his own travel. "I want to be as sustainable and green as possible," says Yaron, who fuels his van with biodiesel and uses fair trade organic beans. "I don't ship through the mail, because that means you're relying on fossil fuel. Besides you don't want a coffee's best days spent sitting in a post office."

Along the way, Yaron teamed up with fellow Applegate resident Rourke Ball, who manufactured a personal roaster known as JavaRoast, which roasts 5 pounds at a time and sells for $2,200.
"Home-roasting is the fastest growing part of the industry," Yaron says. "There's been a mystique, like you need an artful way of roasting coffee, but if you can make popcorn and stop it before it burns, you can roast coffee."

Yaron can be reached at 944-0600.

Once In A Lifetime!

A couple of weeks ago, my wife, Avara, told me about the challenges she was having in facing her biggest demon (aka the coagulated thoughtform that was preventing her from receiving). Avara’s biggest demon is the demon of disappointment. “This one is dogging me!” she exclaimed at one point. I knew what she meant. I, too, at times, felt like this same demon was dogging me! The way this showed up in our lives was a feeling (a low level vibration constantly in the background) of never fulfilling our dreams, falling short of the mark.

Avara had been doing inner work with her demons for a few months. Her good friend (and powerful healer) Lee Showerman had given her the book, “Feeding Your Demons, ancient wisdom for resolving inner conflict”, by Tsultrim Allione. This inner work, combined with Avara’s new passion for a vegan raw food diet, had made a dramatic effect on Avara’s being. She is becoming more full of light day by day...cleaning out the old and allowing in the new. I am a beneficiary of this expanded way of living from the passion, creativity, and excellence in which Avara took on this latest phase in her, and now my, evolution.

This past Thursday night, May 21st around 11:30 pm, we were lying in bed and Avara said she was feeling tightness and discomfort in her back and upper arms. Independently we both had the thought that these were possible signals of a heart attack but did not give voice to those thoughts. Nevertheless, we both knew that this was something that Avara had never felt before.

The next day on Friday May 22nd Avara spent the day cleaning, gardening, and food preparing for Shabbat. During the day Avara was listening to music and spiritual teachings while surrounded by nature in the midst of its spring song and celebration. She later told me that she had again felt tightness in her body on two occasions.

After our shabbat dinner guests arrived, Avara gave them a tour of her large new organic garden. As we were about to begin shabbat, Avara, who was in our kitchen doing the last salad preparation suddenly fainted. I caught her and saw that she was leaving her body, losing consciousness. Her eyes rolled up and what happened next was like a scene from “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Her facial features began transforming before my eyes into a scary, grotesque, and powerful entity. I immediately knew that I was face-to-face with her biggest demon who took the form of a bitterly disappointed and resentful old krone. One side of her face completely distorted into a look I would not have thought possible! I eased her onto the floor and we put a pillow under her head. Avara clenched her teeth, made animal groans and curled up her hands and feet in seizure-like fashion. I whispered into her ear, “let it go...it’s not who you are...let it go...”. She had now stopped breathing and began to turn blue. My CPR training had me intuitively announce, “call 9-1-1” and I started doing CPR. As I breathed a few breaths into her, in-between compressions, she began to respond and breathe on her own. The natural color of her face returned and she began to regain consciousness. Not knowing where she was or what had happened I whispered into her ear, “You did it! You let go of your biggest demon, it left your body!”. I stayed with her on our kitchen floor until the paramedics arrived. They quickly hooked her up to a heart machine which appeared to show a normal healthy heart. An ambulance arrived next and a bigger machine was brought in to monitor her heartrate. After a few minutes the technician announced that Avara had had a heart attack and that, according to the information at hand, there was a blockage that needed to be removed. He recommended calling for a helicopter airlift to take her to the hospital (we live in a fairly remote place with the nearest hospital about a 40 minute drive) so they could begin operative procedures immediately to open up the blocked area of her heart.

Avara and I both felt that the healing had already taken place but there was no arguing with 6 well trained, and well meaning, paramedics. A helicopter was flown in and Avara was placed on a gurney. She was alert and awake and laughed as I half jokingly announced, “Honey, enjoy every minute of the ride because this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!”

When we arrived at the hospital we were greeted by our friend and cardiologist Todd Kotler. Todd had examined Avara’s condition and first remarked on how clean and pristine Avara’s arteries were. He confirmed that she had a heart attack but that the place in her heart where the blockage was was so small and remote that they could not even put in a stint or open it up. Basically, there was no operational procedure they had to fix the “problem”.

Two days later, on Sunday May 24th, the head cardiologist on duty told Avara she was leaving the hospital because she wasn’t sick. In fact, it was his opinion that the event that happened had most likely removed the blockage. He drew a diagram for Avara to show her the exact place on her heart where the blockage was. Avara later learned that this exact spot is called the “heart of hearts” and is known as the “holy of holies”.

Mystical traditions have different names for experiences such as this. In Judaism it is called a “Dybbuk”. This entity may not be a foreign entity that invades our bodies, but an entity of our own human creation! An entity that is created through years of negative beliefs and thoughts. The dark, some say evil, side of human creativity. We are powerful creators and always have the choice through our consciousness to create peace, love, joy, and harmony, or hate, destruction, and disappointment through our fears.

As humans we all have our own demons that we contend with. Are we facing them, or are we allowing them to control our lives and choices? Avara’s demon could no longer inhabit her body temple that was being purified by the light of consciousness. What old beliefs and thoughtforms do we continue to hold onto that creates a blockage to our own divinity?

A heartfelt thank you to all the amazingly wonderful staff at the Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, OR. You are all dedicated and committed to your jobs of helping others and it shows in your love and affection for your patients. Thank you for being!

Seeds of Change

This morning I had an incredible experience on my 2 hr. bike commute to Ashland from my home (must be one of the top ten bike commutes in the world!).

I started out in a state of awareness that was very present and focused. I could hear the individual songs of the birds, and noticed how many there were! While listening intently, I could feel the trees celebrating as light breezes caressed the pine needles. I attuned my awareness to this energy of appreciation and celebration.

Next, I experienced myself as a seed or nut of a tree going through its metamorphosis. Allowing my outer shell to break apart and seeing my essence exploding outward, upward, and in all directions. I focused on feeling this transmutation and expansion taking place inside my own being and becoming a mighty tree. I then caught a visual of myself looking at our "Japanese Money" tree yesterday and contemplated the explosive new growth occurring horizontally. I linked up, energetically, the new directional growth on the tree with my own dying and re-becoming in new directions. And now that it has happened in consciousness, I simply allow it to be and say, "And So It Is, Especially Now!"

Cold Pressed Coffee - A Healthy Elixir!

Recently I was introduced to a process of making coffee called, cold pressed. I was so im-pressed by the delicious flavor and smoothness that I have made it a significant part of my business. Cold pressed coffee stays fresh for weeks in the refrigerator and you can't beat the convenience. Just take it out of the fridge and either heat it up or add ice. No equipment necessary!

I am now making and delivering cold pressed coffee in 1 qt. containers for $8 each. Cold pressed coffee is a concentrate and is usually diluted with water (1 part cold pressed to 3-5 parts water). It is ideal for entertaining and perfect for iced blended coffee drinks on a hot summer day.

Like many other cold pressed food processes it is a healthier option. Cold pressed coffee contains 60% less acid and 50% less caffeine. It is very smooth with no bitter aftertaste. If you are a coffee lover and have never tried it, I highly recommend it!

Here is how I create this delicious elixir:

1. The first step is to obtain freshly roasted coffee beans (I know where you can get some!).

2. I grind the beans on a coarse setting (I use 5 lbs. of beans for each batch and 3 gallons of water).

3. I then place the coarsely ground coffee in a large container that has a super-sized coffee filter.

4. Fresh well water is then sprinkled on the grounds (use 1/2 - 3/4 of a gallon of water for each pound of coffee).

5. Allow the water and grounds to soak for 24 hours.

6. Drain the liquid and keep stored in the refrigerator.

Give it a try.....and remember, fresh roasted always tastes better!

The Wake-Up! Van - Art & Sacred Commerce in Motion

Today The Van received its finishing touches.....being clothed in Avara's Wake-Up! Coffee logo designs.

It's now ready for the audio portion of the project, the sound of the shofar beckoning us all to WAKE-UP! Tekiah...Shevarim...Tekiah...Tekiah...Shevarim...Tekiah G'dola...

Wake-Up! Coffee Debuts at The Ashland Food Coop

The first UPC labels being applied to my first delivery of coffee....Yay!!!

Wake-Up! Coffee is now available at The Ashland Food Coop. Freshly roasted same day delivery days are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

My first demonstration/sampling will be on Monday May 11th, 2 - 5 pm.

A special thanks to Sanya Brown for her support and encouragement!

PATH---OVER

As the Passover holiday approaches, I have been thinking quite a bit about the story of Passover and how we tell that story every year.

This year I was asked to lead a small family seder back east. I was wondering how could I help make this year's seder more meaningful for everyone. What concepts or exercises could I introduce that would enhance the seder experience and transform us from slavery to freedom?

Then, a vision came to me. I imagined myself asking everyone, at the very start of the seder, to please pass in their Maxwell House Hagadah's (still a tradition in our family). I bravely announced to everyone, "This year, we are going to tell a different story!" I then passed out booklets to everyone. The booklets were the story of Sidhartha, the Buddha. The vision becomes a bit blurry at that point and I vaguely imagine drawing parallels between the life of Sidhartha and the Israelites. At this point, I received a call informing me that, in fact, this year's seder was going to be at my uncle's home, Rabbi Harold Spivack, who would be conducting the seder.
Whew! Now that I was off the hook, my ego stopped inventing ways in which I would look good in front of everyone, and I realized that my PATH---OVER journey had begun.

The truth is, as jews, we do need to tell ourselves and our offspring a different side of the story. We need to shift our focus and attention from where we came from, slaves in Egypt, victims of the Holocaust, to where we want to go, communion with The Presence in the promised land. We are so caught up in our identity of victimhood that by thinking and talking about it so much we are perpetuating its existence and validity, and it continues to infect us as a people, as the Hagadah says, "...oppressors and tyrants rise against us in every generation..."

I choose to focus on my freedom. Freedom from being controlled by my Pharaoh (ego) in my everyday life and inter-reactions with people, and beginning a new journey of awakening and realizing the true nature of my being, in a peaceful and still place like the desert (or the forest, anywhere that is away from the invasive thoughtforms of gossip, TV, radio, etc.). This is the matzah, the essence, of the PATH---OVER story. To leave our small selves in mitzrayim, that are enslaved by thoughts of worry, doubt, fear, lack, and limitation, and surrender to our Higher Self through thoughts and feelings of love, beauty, joy, abundance, and prosperity.

Practically, in my everyday life, this is how it looks.

1. Each day I spend time alone. This is essential for understanding who we are and what we are doing here on earth at this time. Moses spent a lot of time alone, with The Presence. Since The Presence is everywhere, we have the same opportunity!
2. Each day I consciously choose to focus on the good in every situation. This takes practice and patience, but once mastered we experience the world differently. Where there is limitation, we can see expansion, where there is lack, we see abundance. Which world do you want to live in? The choice is ours. We can focus on freedom and expansion, and experience these qualities, or we can focus on enslavement and limitation and suffering will be our experience.
3. Each day I am constantly reminding myself to Be Present and Wake-Up! I know how easy it is for me to get lost in my own thoughts, making up stuff in my head that is just my ego's way of trying to maintain control. It takes courage and diligence to examine my thoughts and refocus them towards assisting and being subordinate to my Higher Self. We must Wake-Up! Now! The evolution of consciousness depends upon it!

Lastly, I think we owe it to our ancestors, for whom we are deeply grateful, to continue to evolve towards becoming Tzaddiks, enlightened ones. Our ancestors suffered, some greatly, so that we would not have to. It does not honor them to suffer as they did. In fact, it is dishonoring of them. Every generation stands on the shoulders of the next and continues to evolve. As we stand on their shoulders, let us become like Moses, who knew God face-to-face and who communed with The Presence. Let us make this year the year of our awakening. It is happening all over the planet at this time with all peoples. We must embrace our past and then LET IT GO and focus on our expansion. We can no longer wait for the Messiah to come save us and bring us peace. We are the Moshiach energy and we must become the Shalom, peace and wholeness, that we seek.

Running Man

Recently I have become more aware of the internal ticking clock that drives me. It feels to me that the natural state of my physical body is constantly in a mode I call Running Man. It also feels like this mode is necessary in order to exist in this time/space reality. On the other hand, I am also aware of the dimension of me that is timeless and exists outside of our time/space reality. That part of my being craves silent stillness where I am fully present and communing with The Presence. This is the place where I meet the holy one, is beyond thought, a place of feeling.

In order to reach that place of communion I have been doing a meditation that helps me get there. It actually is a process that slows time. The meditation goes something like this:

First, imagine you are on a crowded subway train that is traveling fast through the tunnel. Imagine this is the Time Train. Feel your body rhythms, your breathing, your heart rate and sync them up with the rhythm of the train on the tracks. Relax into that feeling and ride the train for a couple of minutes.

Now, as you hear the conductor call out the next stop, take the next couple of minutes feeling the train gradually slowing down, and feel your body rhythms also slowing down in sync with the train, until the train comes to a full stop. Feel yourself stopping and becoming acutely aware of the stillness in the present moment where time has been temporarily suspended.

As the doors to the train open feel your excitement of peeking out at a new world. It feels to me like cautiously peeking out from the cave I have been living in. Step out of the train. Notice how it feels to have the train doors close behind you. Adventure? Fear? Wonder? This is a place where anything is possible, the eternal dimension. See the train move on and look around. See the sign that says "Welcome To Heaven, You Made It!"

Here is the audio file for this guided meditation:  http://www.box.net/shared/2tza2d09ja

Can a Cup of Coffee Prevent a Stroke?

Drinking two or more cups of coffee a day may actually lower a woman’s chances of having a stroke, according to a study of more than 80,000 female health professionals published in the March 3 issue of Circulation. The benefit appears to be specific to coffee: other caffeinated drinks such as tea and soft drinks did not reduce the risk of stroke.

These results are surprising because some previous studies have linked coffee drinking with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which raise a woman’s stroke risk. However, recent research has also found that coffee does not increase your risk of developing heart disease, and may even protect against type 2 diabetes (an important heart disease risk factor). This is the first study to look specifically at the connection between coffee and stroke in women. Studies in men have had conflicting results, with some finding higher risk and others lower risk the more coffee you drink.

This study looked at the coffee habits of 83,076 women in the Nurse’s Health Study. Every few years between 1980 and 2004, the women were asked about their consumption of coffee and other drinks and monitored for health outcomes. Researchers found that women who drank two or more cups of coffee each day had a 20% lower risk of stroke than coffee abstainers. This was true even after other health conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes were taken into account.

Even decaf coffee appeared to have benefits: women who drank two or more cups a day experienced an 11% decrease in stroke risk, although the total number of women who drank decaf was too small to be sure this result was not due to chance. Another important finding was that women who smoked appeared to miss out on the stroke benefits of coffee.

New JavaRoast Creates Great Batch of Costa Rican!

We are celebrating the debut of the JavaRoast Coffee Roaster prototype created by Rourke Ball and Wake-Up! founder Asher Yaron.

A 5 lb. batch of FTO Costa Rican was roasted and turned out beautifully!

Rourke and Asher plan to make the JavaRoast available to small commercial roasters, restaurants, coffee shops, coffee drive-thru's, etc. The pair will offer training, support, and other accessory products.

Wake-Up! Coffee was created to serve those who normally would not have access to locally roasted fresh coffee. Believing that the vast majority of coffee drinkers can taste the difference in freshness, Wake-Up! Coffee is committed to providing its customers with high quality Fair Trade Organic beans that are freshly roasted. Because fresh roasted always tastes better!

Coffee Roaster Prototype

Chief Production Engineer, Rourke Ball, stands beside an early prototype of our commercial coffee roaster. Great job Rourke! I can't wait to get my hands on the first production model!

This past Wednesday, February 25th (my 49th birthday) I was given a Food Processor license for the sole purpose of roasting coffee beans. I will be working out of the commercial kitchen located at 1800 E. Main St., in Ashland, OR. Come by and try some of the freshest roasted coffee around. I can be reached by calling (541) 944-0600, or else following me on Twitter where I will be updating my location and roasting schedule daily.

Transformational Twittering

My friend and webmaster Verin Lewis recently turned me on to Twitter as we were discussing new creative possibilities for my new venture, Wake-Up! So I signed up and started twittering.

At first I really did not understand how Twitter could benefit me. Then I started following the twitter of two guys, Lance Armstrong, and Lance's good friend, Doug Ullman, CEO of Livestrong (and who just happens to be the ex-husband of my wife's first cousin).

Lance loves to twitter, and what he is able to communicate through Twitter is profound. It's not what he says, but how he says it! Every single twitter is positive and joyful. You can feel that Lance is living a thrilling and satisfying life.

So I tried the same approach. Throughout the day I started twittering all of the positive aspects of what I was doing. What I noticed immediately was that I started looking for only the joy in everything. My twitters were becoming affirmations about the good in my life, and as long as I am focused on the good I feel great and know and believe that anything is possible!

I highly recommend twittering as a spiritual practice. Just follow the twitters of Lance, Doug, and now me and you will see what I mean. Thanks Lance! You inspire me to live the best life possible. It's as if you are saying, "hey, tuck in behind me and draft.....I got you covered".

The Insanity of This World!

This morning as I was contemplating the meaning of life, I was amused at how insane it is to be a part of this world.

I imagined that I was receiving instructions on how to be an earthling before making my descent into this world. This is what I was told, "Your mission on earth is to live the most joyous and happiest life possible while helping others to do the same." Well, okay, so far so good. "The secret to maximizing your life experience and have fun is to find the source of that which you are and allow that source to do all the work." Another name for that source is God, trouble is, God is invisible. The Great Paradox. We come to earth looking for something that is invisible...cannot find it... and yet, we are completely surrounded by it!

So we search for someone who has been with God to tell us what God looks like and where to find it. Religions were created for this purpose. But each religion has a different idea of what God looks like and we easily become confused in the process.

When we have finally given up our search in looking for the image of God outside of ourselves, we become open to experiencing the God within. The indwelling Presence, Shechinah, Atman, Christ consciousness, Buddha. Oh........I see, I have to feel it. There it is, it was here all the time.

Friends, it's time to Wake-Up! Let us align with this power and allow our life experience to unfold happily and joyously for all humankind!

Welcoming The Age of Aquarius

I just learned yesterday that today, February 14, 2009 (as well as being Valentine's Day and Shabbat) is the beginning of The Age of Aquarius!

That means that everyone who is currently on the planet has consciously chosen to be Present at this time to help usher in this new age of expanded consciousness.

The moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter is aligned with Mars, peace will now guide the planet and Love will steer the stars. This is the dawning of The Age of Aquarius.

Harmony and Understanding, Sympathy and Trust abounding. No more falsehoods or derisions, golden living dreams of visions, mystic crystal revelations and the mind's True liberation.

It's all happening now! It's time to Wake-Up! Let us let go of the illusions of the human condition so that we may experience right now, right where we are, a revelation that hastens our Collective Mind's True Liberation!

Wisdom of the Woods - The Story of Jed

This morning as I walked outside to throw out the compost I was greeted by an incredibly beautiful sight. A light snow had fallen overnight and all of the trees in the forest were covered with white. I took a deep breath of cold air and felt peace and
gratitude.

This experience led me to a realization that I call “The Story of Jed”. Many of you know Jed. Jed was a poor mountaineer who lived in nature amongst the trees. In the stillness of his environment Jed always felt surrounded by The Presence. His life was very simple and his main concern was keeping his family fed, which at times was difficult.

One day Jed takes his rifle to fetch some food for his family and an errant shot goes into the earth. What happened next would change Jed’s life forever. Up from the ground came the bubbling crude. Jed struck oil. Jed wasn’t looking for a life changing moment and would have been very happy staying in the woods. But his kinfolk recognized that he was an instant millionaire and told him to move away from his native land.

Jed packed up his family in his truck and moved to Beverly Hills, California. The idea being that with his new found wealth he could create a bigger, more prosperous, more joyous life. Life in Beverly Hills was insane! He couldn’t trust anybody and every day he was engulfed by greed, fear, lack, and limitation and all the drama that came with it. He could feel his body energetically succumbing to the effects of gravity and the depravity of the human experience. Life was a struggle and he was losing a sense of Self. He longed for a simpler existence, a quiet walk in the woods amongst the trees and The Presence.

The story stops there and gives us a lesson and a choice on how we live our lives. The choice is ours......I am so grateful to have chosen what feels best to me. What do you choose?

Better Than Ever!

Lately I have been thinking about how to respond to my friends and acquaintances when, upon greeting me, they inevitably ask me how I am doing.

It has been about a year since I changed my answer from "good" to "great!". I have grown into "great-ness" and am now feeling very comfortable responding this way. It now feels like my truth, and the more I say it the more I believe and embrace it!

So, what comes after "great"? After pondering this awhile, I came up with "Never Better!". I figured that since I am always in the process of evolving (always becoming more and never less than my True Self) then I must naturally always be in the state of "Never Better". This response now best reflects my awareness of who I am and the being I have become.

However, I feel uncomfortable saying this right now. The audacity of fulfillment! It might take a year or so to fully believe and embody "Never Better", but that's okay, I'm not going anywhere and I can't think of anything better to do!

Encouragement Leads To Insight

I received an email today from my friend who is a very talented ceramicist. Some of you may know him, his name is Dennis Meiners. This is what he wrote, "Hey Asher, The OLE Blend is great! It blooms on the palate...the words rich and robust come to mind." Wow! Thanks for the great review Dennis. (Encouragement)

Dennis is a decaf coffee drinker ('decaffer') always in search of a better cup. My conversations with him about coffee remind me of a time in my life when I was a 'decaffer'. I remember always searching for a better decaf and always coming up short! I wasn't aware, at the time, about the critical freshness factor and always wondered why there was a very limited choice compared to caffeinated. (Leads To)

I started to think about the decaf coffee drinkers situation. Decaf drinkers drink mainly because they love the taste and are passionate about it. The coffee market caters mostly to the caffeinated drinker with an abundance of choices in flavor and freshness. This leaves a sizable portion of the market open for servicing. (Insight)

My commitment to you is to offer Fair Trade Organic freshly roasted decaffeinated coffee in both single origin and blends. I want you 'decaffers' to have more choices of flavors as well as the freshness you have come to expect from Wake-Up!

The Van - My Office On Wheels

The Wake-Up! Coffee Van

My discovery of the freshness factor when it comes to coffee led me to ask the question, "How can I share my discovery with others?" The inspiration I received was about creating a way to roast and deliver my coffee as fresh as possible.

I have also been wanting to drive a vehicle that runs on biodiesel. In order to do this I needed a diesel engine. I began looking on craigslist for a diesel van (which is very hard to find). I found one available in my area. I contacted the owner who turned out to be someone who lived less than a mile up the road! (I live in a very rural area). He was selling an '82 Chevy G-20 van with a transplanted diesel engine. Problem was, he was told that the Fuel Injector Pump needed to be replaced which could cost into the thousands. I had a feeling this could be my van and went to take a look. When I saw it from the outside I knew it was perfect! Then I looked inside and saw the engine completely apart. If I wanted to proceed, I would have to have it towed to a garage for further inspection. Again, I had a feeling that this was my coffee van and gave my friend $200 (a 50% deposit), called AAA and had it towed to a garage in Medford.

As luck, and my intuition, would have it it turned out to be a clogged fuel filter. The garage replaced the fuel filters and put the engine back together for a total cost of $402. I gratefully paid my friend the $200 balance and drove my Wake-Up! Coffee van home.

Waking Up!

I love coffee! For the past 10 years or so I have been making espresso every morning and always trying to brew the perfect cup. In the beginning I thought it was all about the proper grinding of the beans combined with a barrista expertise with my espresso machine (I use a La Pavoni Europiccola machine). I was ignorant about how the quality and the roasting of the beans were a part of the process to create 'the perfect cup'.

Once I started roasting coffee at home I was amazed by the results. I had made a quantum leap closer to 'the perfect cup'. I Woke-Up to the most important factor when it comes to coffee. Freshness. And the most critical time period for enjoying that freshness is consuming the coffee within 3 or 4 days after roasting. My research revealed a mantra uttered by coffee experts around the world, 'fresh roasted coffee always tastes better!'

Inauguration Day - Paradigm Shift!

Today I can feel the world abuzz with excitement, hope, and redemption. We have all waited a long time for this time to come and now it is here! Present in all its glory!

A new era has begun and with it I begin a new venture. I call it "Wake-Up!" and it's part coffee roasting and part consciousness raising. I am committed to creating a sustainable green business through my products and business practices while having as much fun as possible.

I created this blog to share my experiences so that I can better appreciate the unfolding that is taking place in my life. I invite you to take this journey with me and I welcome feedback and input throughout the process.