Learning
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Yoga of Conjuring – IV
The Yamas The Sanskrit word, Yama, translates to “control” or simply “the don’ts.” There are five Yamas. They are Ahimsa or Non-Violence, Satya or Non-Lying and Truthfulness, Astayna or Non-Stealing, Brahmacharya or Non-Sensuality and Aparigraha or Non-Greed and Non-Attachment. Ahimsa Ahimsa is known to many through the life of Gandhi. Through living Ahimsa and Satya… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – III
Each limb of Patanjali’s Eight-Limbed path has a direct correspondence to learning and growing as a magician and the performance of magic. For me, they are a path to being an awake and present performer. I came to this as process for my own development. I’m sharing it here an invitation to explore, not as… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – II
Studying the Eight Limbs of the Yoga Sutras, it became clear that while they are guides for living, they fit with our work as magicians. Magic is one of those words that we all assume we understand. However, all one has to do is review the literature of performance magic to see our struggle and… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – I
I’m not sure when I made meditation and yoga daily practices. It’s been over 20 years. I started earlier with occasional practice using a set of VHS tapes. For those who missed out, VHS was a clunky format with less than optimal control. For a “date night,” we attended a three evening class of yoga… Continue reading
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Reacting to Stuff
“Conditions are always neutral. They seem either sad or happy depending on the sad or happy attitudes of the mind.” Paramhansa Yogananda “The cause of my irritation is not in this person but in me.” Anthony de Mello, The Way to Love Events, occurrences, interactions are all just stuff. Stuff is what most of our… Continue reading
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Revisiting: Magic In Mind
The adage goes, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” In our day-to-day transactional world, this is true more often than not. Quid pro quo tends to be our motto. Occasionally there are some things that come without explicit expectations of getting something in return. One is the ebook, Magic In Mind, compiled by… Continue reading
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Carney on Learning
John Carney is a true master. I return often to his books for help and inspiration. I recently found this passage on learning in his Book of Secrets. I know it rings true for me so it may for you too. Most magicians give up too quickly when they meet a challenge in technique. If… Continue reading