(student handout) MONASTIC PROJECT GUIDELINES

Copyright by Calvin Mercer. All rights reserved. For permission to use The Note: Many instructors modify the Guidelines to fit their instructional situation. The Monastic Project is an individual and experiential exploration of the monastic path, closely directed by your professor. Broadly conceived, the goal is to experience in some small measure the discipline, purification, and concentration often facilitated by a monastic context. While it is not the explicit goal of the Project, many participants report transformative experiences. These Guidelines are perhaps best described as generic monastic. For example, some version of all these practices are found in various forms of Christianity and it could also be said that they loosely follow the ca. second century CE Yoga Sutra of the sage Patanjali. To illustrate, throughout the Guidelines I have provided in italics some Latin and Sanskrit words from the Christian and Hindu traditions respectively. Important Note. Do not choose to do the Project unless you can commit to ALL the Guidelines, special meetings, and daily practices. Unexpected activities that may arise in your life during the three weeks of formal practice (e.g. study group for a test, club meeting, birthday party, sporting event) will not be considered an excuse for not following the Guidelines, unless this is approved by me before you begin the Project. Tests and requirements from other courses will NOT count as an excuse for not following all the Guidelines every day. Only medical or family emergency excuses will be approved. Given the commitment required to do the Project, you are encouraged to consider fulfilling this part of the course requirement through one of the other options. This Project can be a most interesting and beneficial experience, but only if you go into it committed to follow Project Guidelines. Count the costs before you do this! Important Note. A packet of Helpful Hints material, explaining how to do each piece of the Project, will be provided to those who participate. It is understood that you will read all of this material before beginning the Project. General Guidelines Length: 28 days in length (everyone choosing this Project will do it during the same 28-day period). Week one is planning and preparation for the final three weeks of formal practice. Modifications: If prohibited from following any of the Guidelines, for physical, mental health, or other reasons, discuss this with me. Even if it contradicts Project Guidelines, you should continue with any recommendations/instructions from your medical practitioner regarding
Monastic Project beyond this course, contact Dr. Calvin Mercer at mercerc@ecu.edu.

medications, diet, lifestyle, or anything else. However, please notify me of any modifications that will be required by medical recommendations/instructions. Coaching: During the four weeks of the exploration, we will arrange regular conversations; some will be coaching with me, others will be sharing/support conversations with a peer. These conversations will likely be very short, usually 1-3 minutes, but longer if necessary. I will relate to you as someone who made a commitment (i.e. gave your word) to the program. My commitment is that the coaching calls consist of communication that is clear, direct, and effective. At any time during the Project, you are welcome to contact me for assistance or clarification. Emails: Very occasionally I may send an email note to the group or forward a meal suggestion to everyone from a member of the group. Also, unless you indicate otherwise, your email contact information will be kept on file for possible future notices having to do with research on or support for alumni of the Monastic Project. Written report: After completing the three-week formal practice, provide a written report of your exploration, focusing on your thoughts, feelings, and insights. I will provide a guide for writing your report. Do not give any attention to the written report until after the three-week formal practice. Lifestyle Practice (austerities, yamas and niyamas) for the Three-Week Formal Practice Food plan: Eat only fruits; raw, steamed, boiled, or stir-fried vegetables; legumes (e.g. beans, peas); whole grains and cereals; and nuts. Eat all food without preservatives or other chemical additions. Eggs and dairy products are acceptable in moderation. Drink about 1/3 of your body weight in ounces per day of pure water, along with some fruit juices and vegetable juices. Vitamin/mineral supplements are recommended. Continue any prescribed medications. No meat (fish is meat in this context), sugar, white flour, fried foods, MSG, caffeine, alcohol (wine is acceptable in a religious ritual setting, alcohol as a preservative ingredient is acceptable), or drugs (except prescription or, if necessary, over-the-counter). You MUST read the ingredient list for anything you obtain from the grocery. Salt is the only added substance on the ingredient list allowed (you may not add salt to anything, but if it is on the ingredient list, that is acceptable). Please note that this salt rule does not permit chips unless they are baked. Stir-fry vegetables are allowed as these are not considered fried food. Eat nothing with natural flavor or artificial flavor in itboth these are human-made chemical additives that give processed food most of its taste. When possible, it is recommended that you purchase organic food. I repeat, you MUST read the ingredient list for anything you obtain from the grocery. You may chew gum if it is sugar free.

 Weight Loss: If you experience significant weight loss, beyond what is appropriate for your height, it could be an indication that you are not getting enough calories and this should be appropriately addressed. Nutrition consultation: I have consulted with the Student Health Service which is aware of the Project. The nutritionist is available to consult with you and give suggestions for your food plan on the Project. To make an appointment, call 328 6794 and request a consultation with the nutritionist. Food plan meal suggestions: See below. Mealtime requirements: (1) You may talk while you eat, but do nothing else (e.g. TV, read). Many monks eat in silence or while listening to spiritual readings. (2) Eat slowly and ensure that you do so by completely chewing and swallowing one mouthful of food before placing more food in your mouth. (3) Do not throw away any excess food. Either eat it all or store it for the next meal. Tobacco: Use of tobacco is not allowed. However, if you wish to do the Project and tobacco is the only hindrance, then please speak to me about this. Vow of chastity (Brahmacharya): No sexual activity. Modified silence: On the third and fourth Monday, observe modified silence. That is, speak only when necessary and when you speak, be aware that you are speaking and that it is necessary to speak. You are responsible for determining what is necessary speaking. Take the modified silence practice seriously, but do not harm yourself or others with it. You may, for example, judge that saying hello to a coworker is necessary speaking. (tapas=austerities) Truth telling: Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, all the time. This certainly includes being straight with me about how your exploration is going. (sattyam=truthfulness) Spending record: Daily, meticulously record every penny you spend and on what it was spent. TV. At the end of each day add up all the time you spent watching TV. Cell and land-line phones. Use your phone only when necessary. For purposes of the Project, socializing with your friends is not considered necessary. So, you can socialize with friends all you want, but not on the phone. Internet. Use the internet for non-academic/non-employment related purposes no more than one hour per day. You cannot build up unused hours. Video games: Play no more than one hour per day, including any games played on the internet. Act of kindness: Daily, do one act of kindness/compassion without anyone knowing you did it (even me or your support partner). The size of the act is not an issue; it can be as simple as picking up a piece of trash in the yard, anonymously sending someone a card, making a small donation to

a charity, pushing a stray grocery cart back to the rack, straightening a poster on the wall. Extended act of kindness: At some point during the three-week formal practice period, do a minimum of three hours of volunteer work with some established agency or group. Progressive relaxation: When you retire to bed, spend a minimum of five minutes doing progressive relaxation. See the instruction later in the Helpful Hints Handout section. Work (Karma yoga): If you have gainful employment, do your work consciously, that is, with as much awareness of your body movements, thoughts, feelings, and environment as you can achieve. Also, offer the work as a gift to your deepest self, however you understand that. If without employment, do something productive each day (e.g. clean your room, pick up trash from the yard, do laundry) with the same attitude and approach suggested above. Dream work: Reflect on your dreams, if you remember them; if you do not remember them, there is nothing to do. I suggest you put pen and paper beside your bed. When you awake from a dream, or when you awake in the morning, write down (1) the dream content, (2) feelings you had during the dream, and (3) feelings and thoughts you have as you remember the dream. Later, perhaps in your journal, reflect on any meaning that you attach to the dream. Negative experiences. Because the Project in many ways and instances calls for moving against the drift of the culture, it may sometimes be uncomfortable. You are welcome to discuss this with me in the coaching calls. However, substantively negative experiences that might impact your well-being should definitely be appropriately addressed and discussed with me. By entering into this Project, you take full responsibility for your wellbeing. If at any time your well-being is at any risk, you should withdraw from the Project and inform me. There is no penalty for withdrawal and I will arrange an alternate assignment for you. Daily Practice 65 minutes, with a MINIMUM amount spent on each of the activities below. As your exploration unfolds you may choose to spend more time on certain activities. Find a time and place, preferably quiet, where you will be undisturbed for at least 65 CONTINUOUS minutes. Mornings are recommended. Do on an empty stomach. Except for the conscious physical movement, sit comfortably, but with your back in an upright (i.e. do not lie down or recline) position. 5 minutesconscious physical movement (hatha yoga asanas) 5 minutesconscious breathing (pranayama) 20 minutesformal meditation practice (centering prayer, contemplatio, apophatic or via negativa, mantra yoga, pratyahara, dharana,)

10 minutesdevotional meditation (prayer, oratio, kataphatic or via positiva, ishta devita, bhakti, mandala) 15 minutesspiritual reading (lectio, meditatio, svadhyaya for bhakti and/or jnana) 10 minutesjournal writing (lectio divina, bhakti and/or jnana). Group Sessions (kirtan=lit. praise) Involves two group of chanting (japa yoga) and other practices, led by your teacher, and a viewing of films. Only a medical excused absence will be granted. Note The Project calls for some changes in lifestyle and, by nature, change can involve an element of stress. If you (1) have been or are in any kind of therapy (or counseling) or are (2) taking a psychotropic medication, speak to me about your participation in the Project. Lets chat in person about the Project so that you are comfortable with your participation. If you commit to the Project, and at any time experience abnormal stress or upsetphysical or emotionalsuch that there is any question about your well-being, then please withdraw from the Project immediately. There will be NO penalty in your grade and we will work out an acceptable alternative assignment. If you have any question, medically or psychologically, about the appropriateness of your participation in any aspect of the Project, you should consult your health care professional. By engaging in the Project you acknowledge that you are not required to participate and that there are other opportunities to satisfy the requirements for this course and that you voluntarily have chosen to participate. You agree to save and hold harmless, indemnify, and defend the instructor and university from any claim arising out of your participation in this Project.

(student handout) MONASTIC PROJECT SCHEDULE

Copyright by Calvin Mercer. All rights reserved. For permission to use The Monastic Project beyond this course, contact Dr. Calvin Mercer at mercerc@mail.ecu.edu.

Week 1--Preparation
T Meet with professor during the last 30 minutes of class. Note to students: At this T meeting, during class, bring your calendars so we can set up appointments for the three weeks of formal practice. I will distribute the Helpful Hints Handout material. Read it all by this Thursdays coaching call with me. I will discuss with you the importance of using this first week to focus on: (1) getting very clear and specific about what you will eat that fits the food Guidelines by going to the grocery and beginning to stock up on acceptable items, (2) getting clear about when and where you will put the 65-minute daily practice into every day during the three weeks of formal practice, (3) scheduling the two group meetings into your weeks, and (4) reading carefully the Helpful Hints Handout material. Sign up on the Coaching Schedule sheet for teacher-student individual coaching conferences (can be via phone). Everyone will choose, for each of the two group sessions, one of the following: (1) provide a substantial dish of food, consistent with the Project Guidelines, (2) assist with kitchen clean-up (two participants). I will obtain your email address. Make sure you check it at least every two days. You will pair up with a support partner and arrange times for the first few days of support partner conversations. MW & once on the weekend Support partners check in with each other. Th Coaching from teacher to ensure commitment and clarity about the Guidelines. I encourage you to consider taking yourself out of the Project and choose another option for fulfilling this part of the grade for the course. I am serious about this.

Week 2Formal Practice

M Begin formal practice, following each piece of the Guidelines. MW & once on the weekend Support partners check in with each other. Th Coaching from teacher. W Retire to bed early tonight so you will not get sleepy tomorrow night. Th 6:15-11:30 pm. Group session at professors home, 210 Quail Hollow Rd. Directions will be provided. Please remove shoes just inside the door.

Weekend Reread all of the Monastic Project Guidelines, Monastic Project Schedule, and Helpful Hints Handout. Be aware that weekends can present a new challenge because you are moving into a routine different from that of the weekdays. Also, if you travel home for the weekend, be prepared for old habits, not consistent with the Guidelines, to appear invitingly before you.

Week 3Formal Practice

M Observe modified silence MW & once on the weekend Support partners check in with each other. Th Coaching from teacher.

Week 4Formal Practice

M Observe modified silence MW & once on the weekend Support partners check in with each other. Th Coaching from teacher. W Retire to bed early tonight so you will not get sleepy tomorrow night. Th 6:15-11:30 pm. Group session at professors home, 210 Quail Hollow Rd. A substantial dish (consistent with Project Guidelines) will be provided by some participants; two participants will assist with kitchen clean-up. Do not bring food that requires lengthy preparation at the session. If you need to place something in the microwave for a few minutes, that is acceptable. Chanting starts promptly at 6:15, so arrive early enough to situate your dish in the kitchen, giving you time to be seated to begin chanting.

(student handout) HELPFUL HINTS HANDOUT

Copyright by Calvin Mercer. All rights reserved. For permission to use The Monastic Project beyond this course, contact Dr. Calvin Mercer at mercerc@mail.ecu.edu.

IMPORTANT PRELIMINARY NOTE

The Project calls for some changes in lifestyle and, by nature, change can involve an element of stress. If you (1) have been or are in any kind of therapy (or counseling), (2) are taking a psychotropic medication, or (3) have any health-related concerns or questions about your participation, you must speak to your health care provider about your participation in the Project. Also, speak to me about this aspect of your participation in the Project. You are responsible for ensuring your well-being. If you commit to the Project, and at any time experience abnormal stress or upsetphysical or emotional such that there is any question about your well-being, then please withdraw from the Project immediately. There will be NO penalty in your grade and we will work out an acceptable alternative assignment. If you have any question, medically or psychologically, about the appropriateness of your participation in any aspect of the Project, you should consult your health care professional. By engaging in the Project you acknowledge that you are not required to participate and that there are other opportunities to satisfy the requirements for this course and that you voluntarily have chosen to participate. You agree to save and hold harmless, indemnify, and defend the instructor and university from any claim arising out of your participation in this Project. It is your responsible to sign the legal hold harmless agreement prior to your participation in The Monastic Project.

DAILY PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONS/HINTS/SUGGESTIONS

Hints and Suggestions: General
In general, keep your mind focused on the task before you. Do not daydream, dwell on the past, or plan for the future. Fulfill the task of the moment with all your concentration. Do your 65 minutes in a well-vented, comfortable space. Consider the possibility that the best time for the 65 minutes is before sunrise when the air is relatively clean and noise is minimal.

If you sit on the floor for parts of your 65 minute daily practice, use a firm cushion under the back of the buttocks, that is, under the back of the tailbone so that the back is pushed up and the knees are pointing slightly downward. In other words, dont sit flat on top of the cushion. Some participants have found the two films we view at the group sessions to be so interesting they wish to show them to friends. The Gandhi film can be obtained on VHS and DVD at Blockbuster. The Baraka film can be obtained on DVD at Hollywood Video. Whenever you think you cannot keep your commitment to do some aspect of the Project, use the million dollar test: If someone were going to give you 1 MILLION DOLLARS as soon as you fulfilled your commitment to do each and every piece of the Project, would you find a way to get it done?

Hints and Suggestions: Food

In the beginning the food plan may be the most challenging part of the Project. The purpose of the food plan is to cleanse the body to facilitate mental clarity and to control the appetite as a method to control the mind. An important aspect of the food plan is to become aware of our normally unconscious and habitual actions and to gain insight into questions such as why we eat (e.g. for our bellies or our tongues, boredom, anxiety, depression, social custom). It is imperative that you follow the food plan rigorouslythere are good reasons for each piece of it. Disregard the claims of the advertising. Base your choices on the ingredients list on the side or back of the package. Federal regulations require the ingredients list to be accurate and the Food and Drug Administration periodically checks to insure accuracy. Ingredients must be listed in descending order, by weight. Something as innocent sounding as artificial flavor or natural flavor can be a slick marketing strategy to hide loads of chemicals in your food. The strawberry flavor, like the kind found in a popular fast food strawberry milk shake, contains the following ingredients: amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amylketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (10 percent solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, y-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent. (Eric Scholsser, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal [New York: Harper Collins, 2002; originally published Houghton Mifflin, 2001], pp. 125-26)

Sugar has many aliases and delivery systems. Anything with any of these ingredients are off limits: sucrose, frutose, dextrose, lactose, glucose malt, maltose, galactose, manitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maple syrup, corn syrup, maple sugar, cane juice, brown sugar, raw sugar, powdered sugar, date sugar, honey, molasses, artificial sweetener. Avoid breads labeled multigrain or 7 grain. They may be made with refined flours. Go for 100 percent whole grain preferably or, if necessary, 100 percent whole wheat. Avoid enriched bread, which usually means the grain has been so severely processed that vitamins and minerals have been stripped out and so much be enriched (i.e. replaced, which usually means cheap vitamins have been dumped back in). If you have been a heavy meat eater, there may be a tendency on the Project to eat more carbohydratesbreads, pastas, cheeses. Make sure you balance these foods with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Good non-meat protein sources include peanut butter, soy products, beans, legumes, lentils, milk, cheese, and other dairy products. For folks who want to live a long and healthy, active life (and those on the Monastic Project), shopping in the typical modern grocery store is an exercise in finding a few nuggets of food in the midst of poisonous products. Some may say the word poison is too extreme, but I say many of the highly processed, refined, and sugared products are indeed harmful to the body and over time can cause the diseases that are the major killers in the industrialized world, such as cancer and cardiovascular. Following some basic rules will facititate finding decent food. Shop around the edges of the shore where the fresh fruits and vegetables are found; the inner aisles are loaded with sugar, salt, and highly processed products. If you dare enter this domain, it is imperative that you read labels carefully. On the cereals aisle, look high; the boxes full of sugar labeled as cereal are placed in the middle where kids will see and grab. Digestion begins in the mouthkeep this in mind and chew liberally and deliberately. Here is an interesting food mindfulness exercise. Put a raison in your mouth and see how long you can keep it there while paying attention to taste and texture. If you are interested in consulting current experts on healthy eating, here are some books I have found useful. These experts do not always agree with each other on some things, but they can be quite helpful if you read with a critical eye and your own health situation in mind. On the bottom line, they dont disagree that much. The general, usually agreed upon, themes are regular exercise and a food plan rich in vegetables, fruits, and high quality protein, and avoiding much highly refined/processed/chemicalized foods.

o Agatston, Authur. The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, DoctorDesigned, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2003. o Howard, H. Leighton; Bethea, Morrison C.; Andrews, Samuel S.; and Balart, Luis A. Sugar Busters! Cut Sugar to Trim Fat. New York: Ballantine, 1995. o Ornish, Dean. Dr. Dean Ornishs Program for Reversing Heart Disease. New York: Perennial Currents, 1995. o Ornish, Dean. Eat More, Weigh Less. New York: Perennial Currents, 2000. o Ornish, Dean. Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish: 150 Easy, low-Fat, High-Flavor Recipes. New York: Harper Collins, 1996. o Ornish, Dean. Stress, Diet & Your Heart. New York: Signet, 1984. o Scholsser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the AllAmerican Meal. New York: Harper Collins, 2002 (originally published by Houghton Mifflin) o Weil, Andrew. Eating Well for Optimum Health. New York: Alfred K. Knopf, 2000. o Weil, Andrew; and Daley, Rosie. The Healthy Kitchen: Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit. New York: Knoph, 2002.

Instructions for Specific Exercises

Conscious Physical Movement If you have taken a hatha yoga class with a qualified instructor, you can practice asanas you have learned. If you have not taken a class, your instruction is to move the body through gentle stretching exercises, either ones you know from gym class or made-up ones. You can do a gentle dance if you like. The point is to keep the body moving and be conscious of the body through the exercise. This is not an aerobic body movement practice; it is a stretching/limbering exercise. Conscious Breathing See the selection below, entitled The Breath of Life, by Sri Swami Satchidananda. It contains an introduction to conscious breathing and instructions in three specific breathing practices. For the first formal practice week, do only the deep breathing. Beginning with the second week of formal practice, you may continue to do deep breathing only, or you may experiment with the other two. Always start your breathing with two or three deep breaths. Formal Meditation Practice The purpose of formal meditation practice is to bring your mind to a single point and hold it there. There are a number of techniques that will work for this part of your daily practice. Unless you have experience with other techniques, and work out an agreement with me, please spend the first formal practice week

with the follow the breath technique. Even if you choose one of the other techniques, read the follow the breath explanation because the information there can be useful in implementing other focusing methods. After the first formal practice week, you may switch to one of the other techniques explained below. You may find that having a clock in front of you is the best way to know when 20 minutes have passed. However, many people like to do formal meditation with their eyes closed. In this case, you can use an alarm clock or timer, ideally one that is not too intrusively loud. One way to muffle the alarm is to stuff it under a pillow or blanket. When you place yourself in a sitting position to begin, avoid bodily positions that will cut off circulation. Follow the Breath. The follow the breath instruction is quite simple; the implementation and results anything but simple. Notice the breath at the point where the breath comes out of the nostrils and enters the nostrils. The instruction is, for 20 minutes, to bring your awareness to the breath at the point at which it enters and exits the nostrils. Do not follow the out-breath out into the world and do not follow the in-breath into the body. Just keep the awareness on the spot where the breath moves across the nostrils. Do not try to think about anything else; that is, try to have your mind only aware of the breath going in and out. The second part of the instruction is crucial. Unless you have a highly unusual brain wiring or are a highly advanced practitioner of meditation, your mind will wander from the breath point. There will be a moment at which you will realize that your mind has wandered. At that instant, your job is to gently bring your mind back to the breath. Your mind will soon wander again and your job is to gently bring it back to the breath. Formal meditation practice looks something like the following example of what we might see if we peek inside the mind of someone practicing meditation. Breath, breath, breath oh, this is not so hard, oh breath, breath, breath breath wow, is this all there is to oh, breath, breath this is harder than oh, thats just another thought, oh, another one breath, breath, breath, breath wonder how long its been . oh, breath, breath for lunch I think Ill . breath Im doing terrible at this breath, breath, breath, breath wonder if breath, breath I sure wish shed . breath, breath, breath, breath wonder if she would do a movie with me, maybe if I breath, breath, breath And so it goes. Theres a reason they call it meditation practice. Meditation practice is NOT keeping the mind on a single point for 20 minutes because this will be impossible for you to do. The goal is, simply, to bring the attention to the breath and as soon as you notice it has wandered off somewhere, gently bring it back. Thats it. As I said, for the first week of formal meditation practice use the follow the breath technique. After one week of formal practice, if you wish, you may experiment with one of the other techniques. It is certainly just fine to continue with following the breath. The point, after the first week, is to find a focusing technique and use it for the remainder of the Project. Within a couple of days into the second week, decide on a technique and stick with that for the remainder

of the Project. Never change the focus point in the middle of a session. The temptation is to flip from one technique to another in hopes (false) of finding a technique that will keep your mind from wandering. Give up that thought! It wont happen. If it does, let me know immediately because I want to become your student. Mantra. This technique involves using a word as the point where you focus your attention. Unless you have experience at this, I recommend a onesyllable word. You can use any one-syllable word you wish, although it should be a word that has no significant personal meaning to you. Certainly dont use the word sex or Coke! My suggestion is to use the word one. If you want to use a word in a language other than English, I suggest om. Centering Prayer. This technique and the next one, the Jesus Prayer, are widely used in some Christian circles. Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk, is the founder of the Centering Prayer movement. Its proponents derive it from various strands of the Christian tradition, including The Cloud of Unknowing and St. John of the Cross. The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an anonymous fourteenth-century author, is a manual of instruction for the contemplative life. St. John of the Cross was a sixthteenth-century mystic and companion of St. Theresa. I will present the Centering Prayer instruction as traditionally presented in the Christian contexts. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within you. Examples of possible sacred words are Abba, Jesu, Mary, Love, Yes, Shalom. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Settle into your position, and then silently, to yourself, introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within. When you become aware of thoughts, sensations, feelingsany perception whatsoever other than the chosen wordreturn gently to the sacred word. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes. For more information on centering prayer, see www.centeringprayer.com. John Main (1926-1982) was a British Benedictine monk who was greatly influenced by Swami Satyananda, a Hindu meditation master. In a program similar to Centering Prayer, Main recommended the use of the Aramaic maranatha, translated as Lord Come, and maybe the most ancient prayer of the church. His instruction can be distilled to: Sit down, sit still, sit upright and continue to say your mantra from the beginning to the end of your meditation. He recommends that the word maranatha be recited in four equally stressed syllablesma-ra-na-tha. Jesus Prayer. The Jesus prayer, derived from New Testament gospel stories (Matthew 20:29-34; Luke 18:9-14, 35-43), is a very short sentence: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." The sentence, which can be shortened to Lord, have mercy, is repeated slowly, over and over. The Jesus Prayer has been used in monastic life at least since the fifth century. Its a good thing to start off saying the prayer aloud. Gradually, it goes from the mouth to the ear. You find yourself running out of breath, running out of voice, just

forming the words with your lips. Then the lips stop, and it goes in deeper, to the inner ear. The words are still there. It goes from the inner ear to the breath, by itself, as you inhale and exhale. Inhale with "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God" and exhale with "have mercy on me, a sinner." Other techniques involved coupling the words with the heartbeat. Devotional Meditation Practice There are some options here. If you are a person of faith, you can use this time for prayer or meditative reflection that you usually do. If you are a Christian and wish to use the Ignatian imaginative meditation, I have described that below. If you do not have a regular devotional practice, or if you prefer, you may pick a picture that is pleasant to you. It can be a nature scene or an image of a holy person, like Jesus or Buddha. For ten minutes bring your awareness to the picture. The object of this meditation is broader than in the formal meditation. Your mind can move to whatever emotions and images that can be related to the picture. Still, you will likely find your mind wandering outside the picture, to thoughts unrelated to the picture. As with the formal meditation, at the point at which you become aware that your mind has wandered, gently bring it back to the picture or, if you are praying, to the prayer. Ignatian Imaginative Meditation. St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, produced the Spiritual Exercises between 1522-26. Several methods of prayer are provided. The following instruction is based on the work of St. Ignatius, but certainly does not exhaust the technique and value of this tradition. Select a scene from the Gospel, and imagine yourself in the scene. Hear what is being said and respond to the situation. For example, consider the transfiguration story in Mark 9:2-8. Close your eyes and see Jesus radiant with blinding light. As you see Elijah and Moses you may become one of the three apostles kneeling in awe. What is Jesus talking about? How do you, as one of the witnesses of this vision, feel? What would you say to the Lord? How would you take the command not to discuss it until after the resurrection? You completely enter the scene with your imagination and allow the Spirit to work through that faculty. You can pick from many stories in the Bible. If you use this technique, I recommend that for at least one day you pick the Mary and Martha story in Luke 11:38-42. Spiritual reading You may read books considered sacred by religious traditions, devotional writings, or poetry. The point is to read for inspiration and reflection, not to obtain factual information. There is no required amount to read; in fact, you may find yourself reading a line or two and reflecting, or lingering, there for several minutes before reading more. By the way, Svadhyaya literally means meditation (dhyaya) on truth (sva). It can more loosely be understood as contemplating on the truth of who you really are. In the Christian tradition, spiritual reading has a long history under the term lectio divina (literally divine reading). While technically a process of

reading, it is perhaps essentially and more accurately a listening to and joining with God. The traditional lectio divina consists of four steps. Lectio can be an intense reading of the passage several times. Meditatio can be conceptually thinking about the issues in the reading. This reflective, pondering process can be facilitated by repetition of a word or phrase from the reading. The early church Fathers used the image of a cow chewing the cud to illustrate ruminating over the text to savor and digest it. The worshippers natural, even spontaneous, response is oratio, praying on the issues arising in the meditation. The process deepens into contemplatio, simply translated contemplation, but more difficult to distinguish and describe. It can be understood as sitting quietly and listening to what God is saying or resting (quies, or in the Greek monastic tradition hesychia, a kind of sweet repose) in the divine presence. Some further distinguish contemplatio into kataphatic and apophatic. Kataphatic or via positiva (positive way) is probably best understood as preparation for contemplation proper. It can involve visualization, veneration of icons, and memory. Apophatic or via negativa (negative way) is sometimes understood to be pondering the unknowability of God. Perhaps more accurately it is the absence of pondering, the simple resting in that place that is beyond the use of ordinary faculties of thinking and feeling. Christian via negativa has commonality with some eastern traditions. While there are four distinct categories in lectio divina, the steps are not neatly compartmentalized. One can move back and forth between them in a single session. Also, while I have given the four steps here in the context of spiritual reading, clearly meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio can be understood as fitting into what I call, in these Project Guidelines, formal and devotional meditation practices. For the Project, I suggest that you follow the formal and devotional meditation segments of the daily practice, and if in doing the spiritual reading you find yourself returning to a more formal or devotional practice, that is fine. Journal Writing This segment can include the recording of thoughts, insights, feelings, dream interpretation, continued reflection on the spiritual reading, or stream of consciousness writing. Artwork and poetry is good as well. For some of the days, pick a painful experience in your life and write about it in whatever way you like (description, expressing of emotion, analysis, whatever). Do not turn the journal writing in to me. Brief Progressive Relaxation Training: The purpose of this training is facilitate physiological and psychological relaxation. A wide variety of these brief relaxation-inducing techniques exist. There is much research and clinical support for their effectiveness and indications are that they work regardless of the specific model used. The point is that you can vary these instructions in ways that are comfortable for you. I have used this technique very successfully in clinical practice with clients who present with a variety of diagnoses.

When you are ready for bed, lie on your back with your legs uncrossed and your arms beside you. Move through each major part of the body, beginning with the toes, using the following approach. Bring your attention to the toes. Flex the toes for one or two seconds and hold your breath; then relax them as you let out your breath through the mouth with gentle force. As you relax your toes, imagine them to be limp, warm, and relaxed. If you want, you can wiggle your toes just a bit and then forget about them. Do this for each part of the body: feet, calves, knees, upper legs, hips, genital and anal areas, stomach, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, forehead, face (whichever feels best, either open the eyes and mouth as wide as you can, sticking the tongue out, or scrunch the face prune-like). With the forehead, imagine coolness here rather than warmth, as this is one body part where relaxation is associated with coolness. Next, flex the whole body for a second or two and then, with a vigorous out-breath from the mouth, let the whole body fall limp. Finally, beginning with the toes and working up, mentally scan each part of the body and notice any tightness or stress. If you note any tightness, just imagine that you breath that out and breathe warmth and relaxation into that part of the body. If you find this brief relaxation method valuable and wish, after the conclusion of the Project, to learn the more sophisticated Autogenic Training (AT), please speak to me about that.

Selections from The Breath of Life

By Sri Swami Satchidananda Used by permission from Swami Ashokananda, President, Satchidananda Ashram (1/4/01) The full text, and other helpful books and practice aids, can be obtained from Integral Yoga Distribution Center (1 800 262 1008) of the Satchidananda Ashram (1 800 858 YOGA). Note: If at any time during the breathing exercises you feel faint or light-headed, just return to normal breathing. PRANA: THE VITAL FORCE When you breathe, in addition to the oxygen, you also take in a lot of prana. The oxygen gets diffused in the lungs and then gets into the bloodstream, but the prana goes throughout the body. It enters into every areaphysical, vital, and mental. Every cell of your body vibrates with new life. Prana is our very life. It is the vital force that pervades the entire cosmos. You get prana from food, from the sun, and from the air you breathe. You can live for many weeks without food, days without water, minutes without air, but not even for a fraction of a second without prana.

In Sanskrit, if you deify the prana you can call it Parashakti, the Cosmic Power. Wherever you see power, you see the action of prana. Even the movements in an atom are due to the prana within it. The light and heat in a flame are prana. Electricity is prana. Your motorcar moves with prana-gasoline is a liquid form of prana. To raise your hand you need prana. Your breathing is prana. Your digestion is prana. Even to think you need prana, because it is the subtle prana that moves the mind. All movement everywhere is caused by prana, the cosmic energy. The entire nature is moving constantly. That is the nature of the natureconstant movement and transformation. And it is the prana that causes all the movement. So why should we want to control it? PRANAYAMA: CONTROLLING THE COSMIC POWER In pranayama we are trying to handle and control the cosmic Shakti. Pranayama is composed of two words: prana and ayama. Ayama means regulation, control, or mastery. We begin by regulating the prana that moves our own bodies and minds. When we gain mastery over the prana, we have mastery over the inner nature, too, because it is the prana that creates all the movements in an individualphysical and mental. We try to control the inner nature, because it is the natures movement that causes a lot of disturbance in the system and makes it impossible for the Light within to shine in its true, original way. When we can control the prana inside, we can control the prana outside, too. They are one and the same force on different levels. The body is a microcosm, and the universe outside is a macrocosm. So by the regular practice of pranayama, we are able not only to control and direct the prana that functions within us, but the universal prana as well. YOGIC BREATHING With proper pranayama you begin to use the entire lungs. You take in much more than your normal quota of oxygen and prana. It can be measured in laboratory tests. In a normal breath, you inhale five hundred cubic centimeters of air, and then breathe out the same. After your exhalation, the lungs are almost empty. Still there is residual air in the lungs. After you breathe out your normal five hundred cubic centimeters, if you pull your tummy in slightly, you can exhale some more air, which has been measured as sixteen hundred cubic centimeters. Now you begin to inhale. You first inhale the air that you squeezed outsixteen hundred cubic centimeters. Then you inhale your normal five hundred. And then afterwards, you can inhale some additional air. If you inhale more deeply, you can take in another sixteen hundred cubic centimeters. So after a complete

squeezing out on the exhalation, you can inhale thirty-seven hundred cubic centimeters. So instead of your usual five hundred cubic centimeters, you can take in thirty-seven hundred cubic centimetersmore than seven times as much as in a normal breath. In every breath you can take in seven times more air, more oxygen, and more prana if you do the pranayama regularly. Imagine the advantage. The quality of the blood improves, and the richness of the blood is the basis of the entire bodys health. Your blood gets more oxygenated. Oxygen is life. It is a great panacea, a fine medicine for all kinds of poisons. When you have that much vitality, no virus can even think of coming near you. As soon as it comes near, you burn it out. That is the beauty of pranayama. BENEFITS OF PRANAYAMA The main purposes of pranayama are to purify the system and to calm and regulate the mind. Pranayama purifies the nervous system and eliminates toxins from the body and blood. It helps in the curing of asthma, constipation, and other respiratory disorders. With proper breathing you can eliminate the excess mucous that causes most hay fever and sinus discomfort. You can exhilarate the blood circulation and stimulate the entire body quickly. Pranayama produces lightness of body, alertness of mind, good appetite, proper digestion, and sound sleep. Pranayama helps you to attain radiant health, but that is only a secondary benefit, a by-product, of the practice of pranayama. The main aim is to control the mind through the prana. If you can control the mind, you are the master. The pranahere as the movement of the breathand the movement of the mind go together. If you regulate the prana, you have regulated, through the movement of the breath, that same pranic movement in the mind. Should you ever feel upset, tense, or worried, do some slow deep breathing with full attention on the breath, and you will easily bring the mind to a calm state. According to the Yoga Sutras, the Light within is covered by a veil of mental darkness. The benefit of pranayama is that it removes this veil, and the mind becomes clear and fit for concentration. So pranayama is a beautiful preparation for meditation. Before meditation, do three rounds of Bastrika, the bellows breath. It will exhilarate the entire body, drive off drowsiness, remove tension, and bring harmonious movement in all the cells. After this, do some alternate nostril breathing, or some slow deep breathing through both nostrils at the same time. Follow the breath with the mind. Feel how it comes in, how far it goes, and how it returns. Calm, slow, and steady breathing will also keep the mind very calm.

To derive the maximum benefit, go slowly in developing your practice. Be patient. Pranayama should never be done in a hurry, nor should you try to advance too quickly, because you are dealing with vital energy. The yoga scriptures personify prana as a deadly cobra. So remember, you are playing with a cobra. If you play well and make the cobra dance, you will accrue many benefits, as did the snake charmers in India. They used their snakes for their livelihood. But if they didnt play properly, they would be killed. In the same way, with prana, you should be very careful. Do everything gently, avoid even the slightest strain, and never hurry. Only a strong person can realize God. If you want to build up your body and mind, save your pranathe vital energy. Learn how to regulate and store vitality and be careful not to waste it in your life. And to get extra prana, practice pranayama regularly. YOGIC BREATHING TECHNIQUES 1. DEERGHA SWAASAM (DEEP BREATHING) Technique: Exhale slowly through the nose. At the end of the exhalation, pull the abdomen in slightly. Then inhale slowly. Begin by releasing the abdomen and allowing it to expand fully. Continue to inhale while expanding the lower chest and then the upper chest until the collarbones rise slightly. The abdominal muscles will automatically slightly contract as the chest becomes full. Soon after, without holding the breath, exhale slowly. First drop the collarbones, then contract the chest, and then the stomach, one section flowing into the other. In both the inhalation and the exhalation, the breath should be one continuous flow. Repeat this breathing slowly and steadily. Benefits: This method of three-part deep breathing fills the lungs to capacity and empties them thoroughly, enabling you to supercharge the system with seven times as much oxygen and prana as in a normal breath. 2. NAADI SUDDHI (NERVE PURIFICATION) Technique: This is the same as deep breathing, but you alternate the nostrils. Stage 1 -- Make a gentle fist with the right hand, releasing the thumb and the last two fingers. This is the Vishnu Mudra. It is used when alternating or closing off the nostrils in pranayama. Now, close the right nostril with the thumb and exhale slowly through the left as much air as possible without any strain. At the end of the exhalation, slowly, without any sudden jerk, start inhaling through the same, left nostril. Take a slow, steady, three-part deep breath. At the end of the inhalation, gently change the

nostrils by closing the left nostril with the last two fingers, releasing the thumb, and exhaling through the right nostril. Start the exhalation slowly and steadily, without any sudden jerk. Exhale completely, pulling the abdomen in slightly at the end to expel the maximum amount of air. Now inhale through the right nostril, close it off, and then exhale through the left. This constitutes one round. Repeat this process as many times as feels comfortable, employing the slow, three-part deep breathing. The pattern is: exhale, inhale, switch nostrils. Stage 2 -- When you are comfortable with the practice, you can begin to make the exhalation take longer than the inhalation, slowly creating a ratio of 1:2, so that the exhalation takes twice as long as the inhalation. For example, if you inhaled for a count of five, you would exhale for a count of ten. You can mentally count as you do the breathing. Count OM 1, OM 2, OM 3, etc., instead of simply, 1, 2, 3. This will give you an accurate second count, as well as the added beneficial vibration. Once youve established a 1:2 ratio, practice at a given count until you can comfortably do at least ten rounds in a sitting. Then, increase the count by one. For example, if you are breathing at a 5:10 count, once you can comfortably do ten rounds in a sitting, increase the count to 6:12. Then practice at the new count until you can comfortably do at least ten rounds in a sitting. In the same manner, increase the count to 7:14, 8:16, 9:18, and lastly to 10:20. After reaching 10:20, dont increase the count, but simply increase the number of rounds per sitting. Once you reach this final stage of Naadi Suddhi, and only then, are you ready to begin the practice of retention. When you develop your practice of Naadi Suddhi in this slow, systematic way, the entire system gets purified and strengthened, making it fit for retention of the breath. So you should not practice Sukha Purvaka or Bastrika until youve developed your Naadi Suddhi to this point: If you ignore this caution, you could cause harm to your body and mind. But if you take your time and build slowly, you will enjoy enormous benefits. Benefits: Naadi Suddhi brings lightness of body, alertness of mind, good appetite, proper digestion, and sound sleep. 3. KAPAALABHAATI (SKULL SHINING) Technique: This is rapid diaphragmatic breathing. Have a forceful exhalation caused by snapping the abdomen inward, and then an equally forceful inhalation caused by snapping the abdomen outward. Alternate the forceful exhalation and inhalation as many times as you can comfortably do. After the last expulsion, inhale deeply using the three-part breath and exhale as slowly as is comfortable. This constitutes one round.

Do three rounds. Start with a few expulsions per round, and gradually increase the number according to your capacity. Do not hurry this breathing at any point. If dizziness occurs, discontinue and let the breath return to normal. Between rounds, take a few normal breaths. Benefits: Kapaalabhaati is so called because it cleanses the naadis in the skull. It helps to burn out the excess mucous that causes sinus problems and allergies. Strictly speaking, Kapaalabhaati is a kriya or cleansing practice, but it is included in the pranayama section because it is helpful in learning Bastrika, a more advanced technique.

FOOD PLAN SUGGESTIONS FROM STUDENTS

The following suggestions are from students who have done the Project. Before you use them, make sure they adhere to the Project Guidelines. Be aware that Project Guidelines have been revised through the years, so some of these suggestions may not now fit the Guidelines. It is your responsible to make sure they do before you eat it. If you see something on here that does not fit the Guidelines, thanks for letting me know so I can take it off the list. Some participants prefer simple, time-efficient meals; others like to creatively experiment with cooking according to the Guidelines. There are recipes here that speak to all preferences.

Eat In
Krogers has a frozen food section called Natures Market, a good place to shop. Here you can get vegan qusadeallas, pizza, egg rolls, and other products, including soups without preservatives. Many of them are excellent and for some all you do is heat in the oven or on the stove. Raw salads (there are about 183,846 different meals you can do in this category). Fruit meal with cottage cheese. Vegeburgers. Vegedogs. Black beans and whole grain rice mixed with diced tomatoes quickly became my favorite, as it was easy to fix and gave me plenty of protein. Whole grain pasta and any Annies Homegrown pasta sauce. Very easy to fix and all the ingredients can be found at Harris Teeter. Popcorn (no salt or butter). Natural peanut butter. Whole-wheat pasta with Prego sauce. Black beans with rice and diced tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno peppers. Bean dip: 1 can black beans, 1 can red beans (if no canned beans can be used, then use dry bean equivalent, prepared for cooking), 1 can diced tomatoes. Mix in a pot and bring to a boil, then low boil/simmer. Add

frozen corn, red pepper, garlic powder, and cilantro. Cook for at least 1 hour. Occasionally mash beans during cooking if you like them that way. Veggie pita wrap. The baked potato is the easiest meal to prepare. You can top a baked potato with anything the fits the Guidelines. On my baked potatoes I use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. Organic pasta with chick peas (from Harris Teeter). Brand name is Annies Homegrown. I found really good spinach pasta and organic pasta at Krogers. Just add some veggies to the sauce and you have a meal. Hash browns. Slice potatoes and brown in skillet with olive oil. Add sliced onion, peppers, cheese. Krogers has excellent granola cereal. Add fruit. Smoothies are great for breakfast or to replace dessert. Combine your favorite fruits and juices in the blender with ice. Personally, I like 1 banana, 1 cup of strawberries, 2 cups of ice, and 1 cup of orange juice. Veggie grain tortilla wrap is good and easy. Put hummus, lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red peppers on it. Bowl of potato leek soup goes great with the above tortilla. As a snack, trail mix or dried fruit without preservatives or salt. Black beans and brown rice. I can black beans, 1 cup of brown Minute Rice, red and green peppers and Jalapeno peppers chopped, maybe some cucumbers or other fresh veggies. Cook beans in microwave for 12 minutes or until hot. Follow directions on brown rice. Mix beans with rice, top with crushed red peppers and other veggies. Brown rice topped with steamed vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower and carrots. Baked sweet potatoes. Veggie soup. Throw canned and fresh vegetables into a crock-pot and let cook all day. Eat when convenient. Put over a bed of brown rice: steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, peppers, and mushrooms. Lentel beans and baked potatoes covered in cheese is tasty. Let the beans soak overnight and microwave the potatoes to lessen meal preparation time. Spaghetti sauce. You can get salt free tomato sauce and paste from Harris Teeter. The spices you can use are lots of basil, garlic (powder and fresh clove), cilantro, parsley, onion (fresh or minced), small amount of cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Use mushrooms as the base and let it simmer 2 hours. I love Mexican food. Find some pitas and organic tortillas. Be careful to not go overboard with the cheese and sour cream, but you can use a host of fresh vegetables. Meal prep takes little time. Replace the meat with black beans.

I would like to discourage future participants from trying a mustard salad dressing at Harris Teeter. I found this dressing to be one of the most disgusting things Ive ever had the misfortune of eating. Cheesy couscous. One cup of water and 1 cup of couscous, with a drop of olive oil, covered in the microwave for 5 minutes, makes a quick and easy meal. Add a Parmesan and mozzarella cheese blend. Salsa. Cut up 6 ripe tomatoes, a handful off cilantro, 3 roasted garlic cloves. Add cup olive oil and lots of chopped jalapenos. Put in the fridge for 1 hour or so. Harris Teeter has organic blueberry granola that is good in soymilk. Spinach dip. Frozen spinach, Monterey and Pepper Jack cheese and garlic melted in the microwave, served with toasted whole-wheat pitas. Creamed Tomato Bisque: lb. butter, 1 c. chopped celery, your usual desired amount of garlic, 1 c. chopped onion, c. chopped carrots, 1/3 c. flour, 2 cans whole tomatoes drained and chopped, 1 can tomato paste, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. marjoram, 1 bay leaf, 4 c. veggie broth, 2 c. whipping cream or half-n-half, tsp. paprika, tsp. curry powder, tsp. white pepper. Melt butter in large stock pot. Saut onion, celery, garlic and carrots until tender. Stir in flour. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, basil, marjoram, bay leaf and broth. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf and puree 1/3 of the mixture in blender. Return mixture to stock pot and add cream, paprika, curry and pepper. Stir to blend. Serve hot or cold. Can be refrigerated several days or frozen 4 to 6 months. Potato and Leek Soup: 6 medium potatoes peeled and chopped, 2 medium leeks, sliced and rinsed well, 1 tbs. Oil, 1 tbs. butter, 4 c. veggie stock, 1 tsp. coriander powder, fresh ground pepper, 8 oz. frozen spinach or handful of fresh with stems cut off, chopped chives. Gently fry the potatoes, leek, coriander powder, pepper, bay leaf in the oil and butter mixture. DO NOT BURN THE SPICES! Add veggie stock and cook gently until all ingredients are soft. As a general rule the more stock you add the more liquid the soup will become. When everything is soft, put 1/3 of the soup in a blender or mash it somehow. Once most of the cooking is complete, add the spinach to heat. I find it creamy enough without the cream, but you may choose to add cup of milk of cream. Add the cream/milk and then cook no longer! Blend soup and serve in a bowl with a topping of chives with crusty bread. Whole Wheat Honey Cookies: 4 tbsp. butter, c. honey, 1 c. stone ground whole wheat flour, 1 c. dry milk, tsp baking soda, 2 tbsp water, 2 eggs, tsp vanilla, 1 c. carob chips, c. sunflower seeds, c. chopped peanuts. Combine ingredients. Drop by teaspoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies. Ohsawa Coffee (Yannoh) Grain Coffee): This grain coffee recipe is gratefully posted with permission from the George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation from the book Zen Macrobioticsthe Art of Rejuvenation and

Longevity by George Ohsawa, edited by Carl Ferre (1995), page 91, item 304. I will post the recipe exactly as it is written, then I will post how I adapted it to my blood type. Take 3 tablespoons rice, 2 tablespoons wheat, 2 tablespoons azuki, 1 tablespoon chickpeas and 1 tablespoon chicory. Roast separately until well browned. Mix together and brown in 1 tablespoon oil. Cool and grind into powder. Prepare beverage to desired strength. Use 1 tablespoon to 15 ounces water. Boil 10 minutes, strain and serve. Now, for my blood type, O Secretor, I substituted 1 tablespoon spelt berries and 1 tablespoon buckwheat for the wheat called for. Incidentally, if you are interested, I purchased an organic roasted chicory root in bulk at New Frontiers, although there are other places you can purchase it. I suspect any combination of grains can be used.

Eat Out
Jersey Mikes veggie sub on wheat. Salads at many restaurants. Dressing is the problem. Oil and vinegar is fine. A number of restaurants have vegetarian food and burgers. The Flying Sasa has great veggie burritos.