Happy Spring!
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Luminata...
Explore Luminata's spectrum of fine books and unique gifts in an uplifting, galleria atmosphere. Lift your spirits. Feast your mind and senses! . . . at Luminata!
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Your Body, Mind, and Spirit Center on the Monterey Bay Peninsula
Photo by Nubia Navarro
Luminata Hours
Monday and Saturday
11: am to 6:30 pm
Tuesday through Friday
10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Sundays
12-5
Monday and Saturday
11: am to 6:30 pm
Tuesday through Friday
10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Sundays
12-5
Title of Interest
The Heartbeat of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben The bestselling author of the Secret Life of Trees and The Inner Life of Animals, Peter Wohlleben spent over twenty years working for the forestry commission in Germany before leaving to put his ideas of ecology into practice. He now runs an environmentally-friendly woodland in Germany, where he is working for the return of primeval forests. In this new inspirational foray into the amazing and complex life of trees, he shows that the ancient tie between humans and nature is as strong as ever. ($26.95 hardcover) 
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Treasures of the Spirit to illuminate your life.
Luminata's dazzling array of products and delightful ambiance offer something for everyone in historic old Monterey . . . featuring books, music, exceptional cards, jewelry, candles, crystals, incense, personal care products, world sacred art, recovery tools, wind chimes, stained glass, Austrian crystals, children's toys and books . . . and much more.
Happy Valentines Day! |
Thought for the Day
Photo by Artem Saranin
The Miracle of Sunlight
If you ask someone what is the nearest star to the earth they might name the morning or evening star (both of which are actually the planet Venus) or if they know some astronomy they might say Alpha Centauri. But the closest star to the earth is really our sun, our Day Star. Everyone knows the Sun illumines our world. It is the source of life and light on the planet. Without the sun our earth could not exist. Sunlight is also the most powerful agent for our health. Exposure to sunlight is known for providing us with Vitamin D. Yet the sun gives us far more than measurable nutrients. Absence of sunlight for prolonged times produces the malaise known as SAD, "sunlight affective disorder." We become depressed without sunlight. The sun lifts our moods and makes us happy. It is a source of joy and contentment. Perhaps that's why children put a smile on the sun when they draw it in pictures.
The sun also has invisible and immeasurable subtle elements that bring us life. The sun fills the earth and our bodies with chi, prana, or life force. The sun transmits a mysterious essence that gives life not only to our bodies but to our souls as well. The sun is the physical symbol for our own spirit essence, the immortal divine spark that imbues each of us with eternal life (not in our bodies, but in our immortal essence.) The ancients believed that behind the physical sun pulsed a spiritual sun of immeasurable grandeur, and that our spirit essence is connected in some mysterious way with this spiritual source of eternal beauty and light behind the physical sun.
"The sun shines not on us but in us," said John Muir, voicing the profound truth that beneath our ordinary thoughts and feelings the deepest mysteries await discovery. Spending time in the sun brings us health of mind and body. It uplifts our moods and connects us to the source of light in our hearts. In the words of the Upanishads: "The little space in the heart is as great as the vast universe. Heaven and earth are there, and the sun and the moon and the stars. Fire and lightning and wind are there, and all that now is, and all that is not. The whole universe lives in each of us and dwells in our hearts." The sun is a visible reminder that in each of us lives our own eternal sun, a spark of sacred divine fire originating in the heart of the universe.
— Emory Michael
If you ask someone what is the nearest star to the earth they might name the morning or evening star (both of which are actually the planet Venus) or if they know some astronomy they might say Alpha Centauri. But the closest star to the earth is really our sun, our Day Star. Everyone knows the Sun illumines our world. It is the source of life and light on the planet. Without the sun our earth could not exist. Sunlight is also the most powerful agent for our health. Exposure to sunlight is known for providing us with Vitamin D. Yet the sun gives us far more than measurable nutrients. Absence of sunlight for prolonged times produces the malaise known as SAD, "sunlight affective disorder." We become depressed without sunlight. The sun lifts our moods and makes us happy. It is a source of joy and contentment. Perhaps that's why children put a smile on the sun when they draw it in pictures.
The sun also has invisible and immeasurable subtle elements that bring us life. The sun fills the earth and our bodies with chi, prana, or life force. The sun transmits a mysterious essence that gives life not only to our bodies but to our souls as well. The sun is the physical symbol for our own spirit essence, the immortal divine spark that imbues each of us with eternal life (not in our bodies, but in our immortal essence.) The ancients believed that behind the physical sun pulsed a spiritual sun of immeasurable grandeur, and that our spirit essence is connected in some mysterious way with this spiritual source of eternal beauty and light behind the physical sun.
"The sun shines not on us but in us," said John Muir, voicing the profound truth that beneath our ordinary thoughts and feelings the deepest mysteries await discovery. Spending time in the sun brings us health of mind and body. It uplifts our moods and connects us to the source of light in our hearts. In the words of the Upanishads: "The little space in the heart is as great as the vast universe. Heaven and earth are there, and the sun and the moon and the stars. Fire and lightning and wind are there, and all that now is, and all that is not. The whole universe lives in each of us and dwells in our hearts." The sun is a visible reminder that in each of us lives our own eternal sun, a spark of sacred divine fire originating in the heart of the universe.
— Emory Michael
A giraffe's eye glimpse inside
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Smiling at the counter in Luminata
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Books and gifts on dislpay
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We love to place special orders and can often get books in just 24-48 hours, with a million titles in stock at our west coast warehouse.
The Magic of Goodness
It seems the quality of goodness sometimes gets a bad rap, almost as if people feel there is something corny about being good. And it’s true that there is a superficial kind of so-called “goodness” that is prompted by a desire to conform or to be “obedient” to authorities. This kind of timid conformity to opinions or traditions or supposed authorities in order not to make waves is not authentic goodness, and is in fact closer to fear. Real goodness is heroic, for it often flies in the face of tradition and the supposed “authorities” that would enslave the human spirit.
There is a deeper goodness, a true goodness, a quality of loving-kindness that shines from the hearts of some people and which prompts them to beneficent actions and heroic deeds. This true goodness springs from the deepest center of the human spirit. It is this kind of goodness that characterized the lives of people such as Jesus, Thoreau, Albert Schweitzer, Gandhi, Tolstoy and Mother Teresa (to name a few). Such goodness has an immense power to heal and bring new life; it may also cause tremendous upheaval and is frequently revolutionary in its power. True goodness is often resisted violently by entrenched, established powers. Yet like the flower that breaks through concrete, true goodness is irresistible and will eventually build a new world.
Goodness that springs from deep love and wisdom is the antidote to the world’s ills. This ancient yet ever-new goodness is taking root in the hearts and minds of many people today; it resists evil by its own incandescence, and causes shadows to vanish by its mere presence. Though the temporal powers that would rule this world attempt to crush the emissaries of this goodness they will fail; it is a revolutionary power that will bring into manifestation a new culture and a new world. The seeds of this new world are being planted amidst the paroxysms of the old culture of violence, warfare and exploitation that will soon be dying around us. The forerunners of this new world of benign culture are those whose hearts shine with love and whose minds are illumined by the light of wisdom that radiates from the source of their being, the eternally living spirit.
At Luminata we are dedicated to fostering the renewal of healthy life-ways based on the world's wisdom traditions. We believe it is imperative to stay positive and hopeful in these days of awakening. Our goal is to assist our customers in finding tools and products that aid them in reaching their full potential. In the garden of our lives we can only reap the fruits of the seeds we have sown. Our view is that the seeds of the new era are being planted and will germinate with a radiant light. We will continue to provide you with "seeds" for cultivating a life of promise and renewal. –- Emory Michael
There is a deeper goodness, a true goodness, a quality of loving-kindness that shines from the hearts of some people and which prompts them to beneficent actions and heroic deeds. This true goodness springs from the deepest center of the human spirit. It is this kind of goodness that characterized the lives of people such as Jesus, Thoreau, Albert Schweitzer, Gandhi, Tolstoy and Mother Teresa (to name a few). Such goodness has an immense power to heal and bring new life; it may also cause tremendous upheaval and is frequently revolutionary in its power. True goodness is often resisted violently by entrenched, established powers. Yet like the flower that breaks through concrete, true goodness is irresistible and will eventually build a new world.
Goodness that springs from deep love and wisdom is the antidote to the world’s ills. This ancient yet ever-new goodness is taking root in the hearts and minds of many people today; it resists evil by its own incandescence, and causes shadows to vanish by its mere presence. Though the temporal powers that would rule this world attempt to crush the emissaries of this goodness they will fail; it is a revolutionary power that will bring into manifestation a new culture and a new world. The seeds of this new world are being planted amidst the paroxysms of the old culture of violence, warfare and exploitation that will soon be dying around us. The forerunners of this new world of benign culture are those whose hearts shine with love and whose minds are illumined by the light of wisdom that radiates from the source of their being, the eternally living spirit.
At Luminata we are dedicated to fostering the renewal of healthy life-ways based on the world's wisdom traditions. We believe it is imperative to stay positive and hopeful in these days of awakening. Our goal is to assist our customers in finding tools and products that aid them in reaching their full potential. In the garden of our lives we can only reap the fruits of the seeds we have sown. Our view is that the seeds of the new era are being planted and will germinate with a radiant light. We will continue to provide you with "seeds" for cultivating a life of promise and renewal. –- Emory Michael
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