SEVEN CHAKRA POINTS
Everywhere I turn, there are suggestions about incorporating “Meditation” in our lives. Our daughter, Lynette, has become a teacher of Yoga and Reiki; teaching me about the 7 Chakras - Breathing in and out of each of the seven areas, starting with the top of my head.
As I breath in and visualize breathing out the top of my head, I am thankfully turning over, all of which I can’t personally solve with action in my life, to GOD and the ANGELS. For me, I grew up with a personal GOD and I’m in the habit of constant dialogue all day long.
Next, breathing in and out from my third eye, which in my mind is connecting with the powerful energy and ideas from one human to another. This is the area of coincidences where we are connecting with that universal energy, if we choose to clear our minds enough to participate.
Third, I breath in and out with thanks to all those I have direct connections and can talk, text and email on a daily basis. This is where I count on others to keep me on track because we can not reach our dreams alone. We need weekly meetings for religion, business and family meetings to stay on track. It's also statistically proven research that talking is the best way to handle stress.
Fourth, I breath for the sake of my vital organs, starting with my heart. I remember when Sam passed, my heart actually hurt. So I give thanks for all I can do to thrive.
Next, it’s attention to the digestive system and all the ideas for what we put in our mouth. I love having Shaklee to take care of basic nutrition so I can use my interest and creativity with fun healthy gourmet delights. Thanks to Pinterest and chefs who bring smiles to my taste buds.
Sixth, is 'One Point' which is the center of my physical balance - 2 inches below the navel. In learning from the martial art of Aikido, I often incorporate doing the exercise of circling my torso in my thankful meditation. The Aikido guru said this exercise cures a lot of issues, especially related to the spine.
Finally, I am connecting and thankful for the earth and all nature brings into my life. I’m particularly inspired by NHK TV from Japan where the Japanese appreciation of nature is a science. These are the values Sam and I clearly want to pass on to our future generations.
![For less than $1, I can be en...]()
For less than $1, I can be energized, and calmed and focussed on the tasks before me!
I’m sitting here having a cup of Shaklee’s Macha tea. It has more caffeine than a cup of coffee,72mg; but it doesn’t make me jittery and coffee does. The reason, according to Dr. Brouse, is the Atheanine Amino Acid (in celery & green peppers) with the catkins (also found in chocolate are calming. Therefore, we get the calming and extra energy. There is also Taurine, touted in sports medicine to bring focus.
History tells us, the Samurai knew the benefits of Macha Tea. And Shaklee is featuring Macha and Pomegranate Teas as part of their healthy weight products.
![USING IT TO EMPOWER OTHER...]()
USING IT TO EMPOWER OTHERS!!
Sam was not typical of those of us with Japanese Heritage who hoped to have sons to carry on their family name and traditions. He wanted his wife and daughters, to develop our talents. He didn’t mind not having sons. That was clearly disappointing to his traditional Issei(first generation) father who prided himself in having four sons to carry on the Goto name. Sam’s clarity about the value of women came from a strong and caring Nisei(second generation) Mother.
Early in our marriage, I wasn’t aware of Sam’s push for female power in our relationship and parenting. But, I do remember how he talked me into starting the Japanese Collection at the U of W Library Archives. There was also an incident in 1973 with our second daughter that highlights Sam’s passion and how he would not allow anyone to hold back her creative energy.
It was 1970, almost ten years after we married in 1961. Sam had opened his own Dental Lab business in Seattle’s Medical Dental Building the year before - he was adamant about working for himself. I was happy to be a stay-at-home mom with our six-year-old and three-year-old daughters.
The phone call seemed to come out of the blue from Dr. Minoru Masuda, a Psychiatric professor at the U of W Medical School. I didn’t know him nor had heard of him. He asked me to consider the part-time job, “We are starting a Japanese Collection with the University of Washington Library Archives Special Collection. We want to document the Japanese Experience in the Pacific Northwest. I understand you speak some Japanese?” I’m sure he explained more, but I didn’t have any interest and felt unqualified.
I was a Public Health nurse and I hadn’t come close to thinking about history. I answered, “No thank you.” I didn’t even think to ask who had recommended me for the job nor did I have any over-all thoughts about the Japanese community activities yet. I had grown up in Eastern Oregon and gone to college in Portland; therefore, I was new to the Seattle Community.
After I hung up, I told Sam about the call and he suggested I think about it more. He said, “I think it sounds like something you should try.” asking me to call back. At that time, Sam understood me better than I did myself. I was flattered that he thought that of me.
I had never been to an archive so I had to ask how to get there. Karyl Winn was the newly hired assistant director of Special Collections and Rich Berner was her boss. The other collection started was the Jewish Collection. My orientation was, “Go out and find information that documents the Japanese here in the Pacific Northwest,” and I was shown a couple boxes of papers that were already at the Archives. Sam bought me a tape recorder and with his help I began tape-interviewing people in the Japanese Community and got referrals. I worked for a year or so until the grant funds ran out.
By 1973, Kelly was almost six-years-old and we moved into our new house on Mercer Island where she started first grade. Mrs. Wheelis was the teacher and all the neighbors told me she was an excellent teacher.
Kelly had a great preschool and kindergarten experience so we were surprised when she was sent to the principal’s office those first couple weeks. Three weeks into the school year we went to a parent evening and met the teacher. She informed us that, “Kelly was not listening to directions and needed to be put down a peg or two.”
My reaction was to be patient and work things out, but Sam immediately decided his daughter was not going to be treated like that and he pulled her out of the class and reenrolled her at West Mercer.
Evidently, in Sam’s childhood, a first grade teacher had made him do something in front of the class and he wet his pants. He said, “She also forced me go out and play with the girls and gave me a spanking because I wouldn’t.”
Kelly Goto is keeping her name and her 9-year-old daughter doesn’t want to use her birth name and signed “Kaori Goto” on their 2018 Christmas Cards. The Goto girls will carry on our family name well.
![Box of cards FOR THOUGHT P...]()
Box of cards
FOR THOUGHT PROMOTION
I bought this set of cards at the Postal Service Shop at the Marin Country Mart because I like the clerk and wanted to give him some business. The girls like the inspirational cards and are always begging for the ones at Paper Source that inspire them. I had Drew, the clerk, wrap the box and he put on a nice pink grosgrain ribbon..
This morning, with breakfast, I decided to give the cards to the girls as an early Valentine gift because I am leaving on the 12th.
So, we opened the package, each took a card and started to read them out loud:
“Once we learn to see ourselves as already (and by nature) foolish, it doesn’t matter so much if we do one more thing that might look stupid. Failure won’t be news to us; it will only confirm what we have already gracefully accepted in our hearts: that we, like every other person on the planet, are nitwits.”
We started to laugh. We couldn’t believe how negative the cards were and badly written if they were supposed to be funny. A lot of the other cards were serious!! We spent the next 5 minutes talking about how bad the cards were. I looked at the packaging more, “Made in England”. Maybe they are supposed to be funny??? No, too many of them were good advice and not bad, just unclear and hard to understand.
I decided to take them back to the store, but we decided we needed to document the ineptness of the writer by copying some of them first.
Our 11-yr-old announced, “Let’s make some of our own cards.” She ran to the copy machine, got some card stock. We found the paper cutter and cut them into fourths. She set a bunch of pencils and markers on the table. Then, we were directed to begin.
I was hugely intimidated because the girls are almost professionals in calligraphy themselves and take after their grandpa in their ability to draw. Their drawings are displayed all over their apartment walls and I am so proud of their creativity. The first thing I said to myself was, “My mind is a blank, I can’t even think of anything in my own words.”
I needed to force myself to participate and wrote, “I am not afraid to mess up, then, I can do it better.” I ended up making 15 cards and felt good about myself, half an hour later.
We need to keep the cards as an example of bad writing. I decided to take them to the Lunar New Year party later this afternoon. We are invited to dinner to celebrate and we think the cards will be a good party laugh.
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