wildaspie

In this season of remembrance and thanksgiving, a common but seldom noted tradition is the Dumb Feast.

A Dumb Feast is a way to show that those separate from the family due to distance, duty, or death are not forgotten.  Most often, their continued presence in the hearts and thoughts of those celebrating is shown by setting an extra place at the gathering’s table, just as if the missing party will arrive and partake of the meal with hir loved ones.

In some cultures, food is even portioned to the extra setting; this has old roots in sacrifice gestures, when, despite scarcity of food, it is still shared with the memory – spirit – of those who cannot attend in the flesh.  It also happens sometimes that at the end of the meal, the offering is burned, with the thought that the smoke will carry the thoughts of love and well-wishes to the absent, wherever they may be.

1. Earth is also known as Terra, the World, and Gaia; also, the surface particulates of the planet are known collectively as earth (dirt).
2. Our plant’s circumference is roughly 24,901 miles (40,075 km).
3. Earth is the largest of the inner planets (largest to smallest: Earth, Venus, Mars and Mercury).
4. The planet is approximately 4.54 billion years old.
5. Life has probably existed on Earth’s surface for some 3.5 billion years.
6. The planet rotates on an axis tilted 23.4 degrees past the perpendicular to orbital plane.
7. Approximately every 366.26 rotations, Earth completes an orbit of the Sun.
8. Earth is made up of layers: a crust of tectonic plates and bodies of water; a mantle of viscous minerals; a liquid outer core, and a solid inner core of iron.
9. Our planet’s crust is made up mostly of silica, followed by aluminum, lime, magnesia, sodium, and iron.
10. 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by salt water.
11. The planet produces a magnetic field; at irregular intervals the polarity of the fields reverse.
12. Earth has one satellite, the Moon, which creates tides on the planet due to gravitational attraction.
13. Our planet is home to millions of species, and humans alone count near 7 billion lives.

First, remember to always breathe in and out through the nose.  This is the natural design of the body, and when one breathes through the mouth, the body’s first-line defense measures against dirt and disease are subverted.

Second, make inhalations and exhalations of equal duration and pressure (or as close to it as possible).  Perhaps because of the predominance of speech for communication, people often train their bodies to inhale very quickly and sharply, and exhale shallowly.

It is important to allow the lungs to function fully as they should.  The entire lung must be given opportunity to inflate and deflate with each breath.  Posture plays a key part: hunching or slouching inhibits the full inflation of the lungs.

When breathing properly at last, one might become dizzy or light-headed from the increased amount of oxygen reaching the brain.  Practice in safety until your body is used to breathing properly.