September 2014

29 September, 2014  by

Can’t Get the Hang of Meditation? Try This Instead

I’m sure you don’t need convincing that chronic stress is bad for your brain, and that if you are stressed out you need to relax. But that’s easier said than done!

One of the most widely heralded stress reduction techniques is mindfulness meditation. But many people find it difficult, if not impossible, to quiet their mind.

It’s not unusual for people to feel frustrated and disillusioned with their meditation practice. Then meditation becomes an additional source of stress!

There are some excellent reasons to pursue meditation, even when it seems to be the problem and not the answer. And there are other ways to achieve the same benefits if you can’t get the hang of traditional meditation.

Stress Destroys Brain Cells

When a situation you perceive as stressful occurs, it initiates a launch of biochemicals such as adrenalin and cortisol.

Too much stress over prolonged periods actually changes the structure and function of the brain. Cortisol kills brain cells in the hippocampus, the seat of the memory. It literally excites your brain cells to death.

Stress conversely causes the amygdala, your fear center, to grow, causing you to become more fearful and anxious.

Research suggests that chronic stress stimulates the growth of certain proteins that might even be the cause of Alzheimer’s.

Benefits of Meditation for Stress Reduction

There are many lifestyle changes you can make to reduce stress, but meditation keeps popping up as one of the best. Over 1,000 studies have been published showing the health benefits of this relaxation technique.

Meditation has become a mainstream relaxation technique which has been reported on favorably by prestigious medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, National Institutes of Health, and Harvard’s Women’s Health Watch.

It helps your brain by reducing stress, but meditation does a lot more too.

Meditation has been shown to improve learning and memory by increasing the communication between the right side and left side of the brain. It also puts your brain in a desirable brainwave state. Meditation enhances the brain’s ability to regenerate new brain cells and new neural connections. One of the most exciting findings is that mindfulness can even slow down the rate of cellular aging!

Problems with Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is one of the most common types of meditation.

It involves sitting quietly while trying to keep your mind focused on the present. This can be done by concentrating on your breath or by repeating a mantra.

Some of the most common complaints about traditional meditation include feelings of impatience, frustration, boredom, and not getting the desired results. It understandably leaves many people questioning whether they are wasting their time. Imagine how hard meditation can be when trying to fit it into a sensory-bombarding, multitasking Western life!

Sound Meditation Can Help

The sound of waves at the beach, the crackle of an open fire, or listening to relaxing music causes your brainwaves to synchronize with that sound’s frequency and puts you in a relaxed state.

I’ve used sound technology in addition to traditional meditation for years. I find meditation to be hit or miss. Some days I feel like I’ve nailed it but many days I feel like my thoughts were a runaway train and I don’t know what, if anything, I got out of it.

The sounds soothe my mind and dissipate the constant urge to think. I find I don’t even “think about thinking.” I come out of each experience feeling like I’ve been on a mini-vacation. I never feel the frustration, impatience, or boredom I experience with meditation the old-fashioned way.

Everyone is different, so the only way you’ll know what either traditional meditation or sound meditation can do for you is to give them a try.

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Author: Deane Alban / Wake up World

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26 September, 2014  by

The Power of Convictions and How They Shape Our Lives

Are you aware of how important your convictions are in your life? They rule what you do. They can be conscious or unconscious. They have the power to decide between healing or illness, success or failure, great relationships or mediocre ones. The power of conviction is tremendous, and we all exercise it, to varying degrees.

Mahatma Gandhi changed Indian politics forever and inspired global civil rights movements through his practice of non-violent disobedience. Adolf Hitler’s convictions changed the face of the Earth forever through totalitarian terror. The power of conviction itself is neutral – it works the same, for good or ill. We all carry the potential of a Mahatma Gandhi and an Adolf Hitler within us.

I would like to share an example of how powerful convictions are. Then, I encourage you to take stock of your own, and to see how they help or hinder your life experience (relationship, work, healing, etc.).

Conviction & the Mind Body Connection

Mr. Wright suffered from advanced cancer. With tumors the size of oranges and having received maximum treatment, time was running out. There was only one untried option: a brand new drug, still under testing, and only open to people with a life expectancy of at least three months. Mr. Wright besieged his doctor – who thought his patient was not going to last another week – to make an exception and let him try the drug. All of his hope hung on receiving this new treatment, of which he was thoroughly convinced that it would help him. The doctor finally gave in and injected the drug on a Friday. When he came back to the hospital the following Monday, Mr. Wright walked about the room. His tumor masses had shrunk to half their size. Only ten days after the first injection, Mr. Wright left the hospital, apparently cancer free.

His bliss lasted for two months – until he read an article about the inefficacy of the drug he had received. Believing in what he read (and not in his own factual healing, regardless of the written words!), Mr. Wright fell into a deep depression. His cancer returned.

This time, recognizing that Mr. Wright very competently engaged his self-healing ability without realizing it, his wise doctor gave him a placebo (something without medicinal capacity) – he injected plain water under the guise of a very pure form of the drug used previous. He also told his patient that the drug they used the first time had deteriorated during shipping and thus was nowhere near as effective as this highly-concentrated, very pure form they now had available. Mr. Wright took to the well-intentioned bait and healed himself – again – only by way of conviction that the ‘high quality drug’ would help.

Two healthy months passed. Then, sadly and much to his detriment, the American Medical Association announced that a nationwide trial proved his wonder drug ineffective, once and for all. This time, Mr. Wright lost all faith, the cancer returned, and he died within days.

It is the belief in the method we apply that heals us, and not necessarily the method itself (and there are good methods, don’t get me wrong). The unequivocal belief in something helping engages our innate healing capacity.

Now It’s Your Turn: What are YOU Convinced Of?

It helps to define the term: while a belief is a thought you keep on thinking, a conviction is that belief chiseled in stone. Pretty much. Once that happened, we may even become unconscious of our convictions and just act them out… until we sit down and ask ourselves a few questions:

What am I convinced of in the context of _______ ?

What do I believe around _______ ?

What benefits might I experience when I let go of this belief / conviction?

What would I rather believe (and live)?

It is fun to explore your own biography for patterns of thought/belief/convictions – it may be one of the most valuable exercises you ever undertake. Because once you found those patterns and made them conscious, you can act on that insight and change your beliefs and convictions from something detrimental or hindering into something supportive. And that may make all the difference!

Remember: our life is what our thoughts (beliefs, convictions) make it. Choose your convictions well. They drive your actions or inactions. As we have seen, convictions can help you accomplish the ‘impossible’, regardless of what others think. What YOU think matters most in your healing process, and in your life.

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Author: Katrin Geist – Wake up World.

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23 September, 2014  by

Love is the Answer

It takes great courage of the heart to embark deep within oneself. It can be very confronting. We may feel pain, or regret, or that we were “wrong” in the way we perceive our respective reality, but we must remember that our perspective is not “wrong” – it is a unique manifestation of consciousness itself. And as we raise ourselves to a higher place of Love, we must show ourselves compassion and release ourselves from the emotions and experiences that are no longer on the same vibrational frequency as we are.

It is in our human nature to want to be right, for the ego to assert itself and keep going rather than looking within in order to make a change. Change is usually uncomfortable because it means something new when we are programmed (usually by fear) to long for something safe and/or familiar. In order to change our vibration to a higher energy it is also necessary to put ego aside and allow the change to occur, especially if it means changing your perspective from something based in “fear” to something based in Love and Universal understanding.

The gift of self-exploration is necessary in order to gain emotional intelligence for ourselves, the collective, and our planet — so we can begin to take a (1)Quantum Leap together. We cannot consider ourselves intelligent beings if we continue to live in denial of our inner emotions, to live in disharmony and discontent, and perpetuate emotional and physical states of poverty, inequality, war, and oppression.

This journey is not something that one can step around. In order to create a miracle, it is necessary that we all go through this shift in our energetic being together and integrate the higher vibration of Love (God) into our physical reality. Call it “The Event” if you will. And it is possible. Whether by small jump or Quantum Leap, we are collectively on the path back “home”; to creating our own personal brand of Heaven, manifested individually and then collectively, thereby bringing it into our physical form. It is up to us as individuals to decide the scope of our miracles, our leaps of faith.

When we greet everyday as a miracle, we give ourselves the gift of spiritual consciousness. We resonate at a higher vibration, and align ourselves to the energy of our Mother Earth. And it is a gift meant for everyone, as our energy resonates collectively. By giving this gift to our self, we give a gift to the collective of Humanity, the Earth, and our Universe. As we increasingly give and receive the divine gift of Love, we will experience a Quantum Leap… we will manifest a miracle!

In our Universe, everything is possible. We are our only limitation!

It’s up to you. Please say “Yes!” to Love.

–

(1) Quantum Leap – for definition check our previous article “The science of Miracles” 

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Author: Jennifer Deisher

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20 September, 2014  by

The Science of Miracles

The Universe is, by design, an intelligent Universe with math and physics being a key “language” to help us understand its laws and principles. The Universal Law of Attraction tells us that the Universe, being limitless, can’t differentiate the scope or magnitude of a miracle. A miracle is just as likely to be something regarded as small as it is grand by our own perceptions.

Let’s talk about how a miracle actually works, and why we should never put an expectation or limitation on the magnitude of our greatness, or what we can achieve when we “put our Hearts together”. The best way to explain how a miracle works is to use the theory of an atomic electron transition also known as a Quantum Leap.

An atomic electron transition is a change of an electron from one quantum state to another within an atom or artificial atom. It appears discontinuous in our reality as the electron “jumps” from one energy level to another in a few nanoseconds or less. It is also known as atomic transition, quantum jump, or quantum leap. These Quantum Leaps occur when energy begins to vibrate at a higher rate thus “jumping” it to another frequency, taking it closer to the Source of the frequency of its new vibration.

The same is true for us as human beings in that we are made of molecules, atoms and energy, meaning that we also have our own individual and collective energetic frequency that is emitted into the Universe. The significance here is that we are also capable, on an individual and collective level, of making a Quantum Leap according to Universal Law and Physics 101. When we emotionally connect with the idea that “God” is energy and not some bearded “man” sitting in the sky in judgment, waiting for us to “die” in order to decide if we’ll go to Heaven or “hell”, we release ourselves from any fear surrounding the Unconditional Love of “God”.

The fact is, energy never dies and cannot be destroyed – it can only change form. The energy of “God” is Love and the closer we vibrate to that Source, the more we resonate with the frequency of “God”, Source, or Love. This is why this state feels so natural and satisfying to our being. It is a state of pure Love, free from all judgment and ego. It can also be defined as benevolence, compassion, consciousness, generosity, a state of grace, or a sea of tranquility.

A Quantum Leap?

As many are seeing the shifts happening around them and hoping for a miracle, in the form of a Quantum Leap, we can all take steps toward making such an event occur as it is physically possible for it to be so. As with the atoms and molecules, it must start within for it to manifest without – into our external reality. We must learn to follow the laws of the Universe by living in Harmony with the Earth and her resources. We must live in balance with one another and (all sentient beings) in equality, free from labels and separation.

There are many people on the planet right now who are living a heart-based life of Love, forgiveness, truth and balance. And as we continue to raise our vibration, it also raises the vibration of the collective. As we collectively raise our vibration back to that of Source energy, or unconditional Love, it also grows more uncomfortable for those who continue to stay in a dense, fearful vibration. As time goes on, those who are living without, or in a state of fear (war anyone?), anger, greed, lack or judgment, or who live with a victim mentality, will find it increasingly difficult – even painful – to stay in this lower, negative vibration.

Some people describe this as karma but it is more simply described as ’cause and effect’. Any emotion or action that is not grounded in Love will begin to manifest as something “negative” in our reality, sooner or later. But this is where Miracles are born. At this time, we are becoming more compassionate toward others, and courageous enough to stand in our truth. Only by showing Love and understanding – and our truth – to those who are struggling with this shift in vibration can we ensure no-one is “left behind” – for their benefit, and our own, as a collective.

There is no right or wrong perspective, only a positive or negative way of perceiving a situation. We can perceive it from a place of being uncomfortable, angry or judgmental, or we can perceive it from a place of truth, peace, equality, and unconditional Love. It is all a state of mind that manifests into a state of being known as Heaven, Zen, Christ Consciousness, Nirvana, Svarga, and any number of lingual definitions of that which words cannot describe. It is not a “place” but a state of consciousness which begins as knowledge and manifests itself into wisdom when it is recognized as a Universal truth from within.

If we don’t see the change we wish to see in our lives it’s because we aren’t allowing ourselves to receive the gift that comes to us in the form of recurring situations whereby we can change our way of thinking, looking, and feeling about the circumstances in our lives — which are always a direct reflection of our respective thoughts and feelings. As we practice spiritual and emotional intelligence, we actually tell our DNA what to do in this “evolution” we are going through collectively! We come to understand that “God” is actually an infinite and intelligent energy Source that comprises everything, and our prayers are answered with an infinite number of positive outcomes, despite seemingly “impossible” situations.

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Author: Jennifer Deisher

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18 September, 2014  by

10 Tips for a Mindful Home

The idea of mindfulness seems to be catching on. That’s good, but if we’re not careful, an idea is where it remains.

Mindfulness is about improving ourselves with special contemplative consideration, a method for making saner choices and assuring better outcomes. To actually transform ourselves with the wisdom of mindfulness, we have to start with the lives we’re living from the moment we wake each day. We have to bring mindfulness out of our heads and into our homes. That’s where ideas become harder to handle.

Here are 10 simple and powerful ideas to bring a day of mindful moments into your home.

Wake with the sun – There is no purer light than what we see when we open our eyes first thing in the morning. Resisting the morning’s first waking moment instantly adds stress to your day. Avoiding the sun, you commence a chase that lasts all day long: running short of time, balance, peace and productivity.

Sit – Mindfulness without meditation is just a word. The search for mindful living is always grounded in a meditation practice. Seated meditation is the easiest and fastest way to clear your mind of anxious, fearful and stressful thoughts. Meditation puts your overactive brain on a diet, so you have more attention to bring to the real life that appears before you. You will be far more productive in the ensuing hours if you begin the day by spending five minutes actively engaged in doing nothing at all.

Make your bed – The state of your bed is the state of your head. Enfold your day in dignity. The five minutes you spend making your bed slows you down from your frantic, morning scrambling and creates a calm retreat to welcome you home at night. Plus, making your bed means you’ve already achieved an even more challenging feat: getting out of it.

Empty the hampers – Do the laundry without resentment or commentary and have an intimate encounter with the very fabric of life. Doing laundry is a supreme act of personal responsibility. It requires maturity, attention and discipline, and it engenders happiness. Don’t believe me? See how you feel every time you reach the bottom of an empty hamper.

Wash your bowl – Rinse away self-importance and clean up your own kitchen mess. If you leave it undone, it will get sticky. An empty sink can be the single most gratifying sight of a long and tiring day.

Set a timer – If you’re distracted by the weight of what’s undone, set a kitchen timer and, like a monk in a monastery, devote yourself wholeheartedly to the task at hand before the bell rings. The time you’ll find hidden in a kitchen timer unleashes more of your attention to the things that matter most.

Rake the leaves – Take yourself outside to rake, weed or sweep. You’ll never finish for good, but you’ll learn the point of pointlessness. The repetitive motion is meditative; the fresh air is enlivening. Lose yourself in doing what needs to be done, without a thought of permanent outcome or gain. You’ll immediately alter your worldview.

Eat when hungry – Align your inexhaustible desires with the one true appetite. Coming clean about our food addictions and aversions is powerful and lasting medicine. Eating is so central to family life and culture that we can pass on our habits for generations to come. Mindless overeating feeds our sickness; mindful eating feeds the body’s intuitive, intelligent wisdom and nourishes life well past tonight’s empty plates.

Let the darkness come – Set a curfew on the Internet and TV and discover the natural balance between daylight and darkness, work and rest. Your taste for the quiet will naturally increase. When you end your day in accord with the earth’s perfect rhythm, you grant the whole world a moment of pure peace.

Sleep when tired – Nothing more to it.

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Source: Healthy Living

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13 September, 2014  by

Interesting Facts about the last True Kingdom in the World.

Bhutan, a tiny country in South Asia is nestled in the eastern end of the Himalaya mountains bordered by India in the south, east and west and by China in the north. It’s regarded as one of the most isolated nations in the world mainly because the Bhutanese government has regulated foreign influences and tourism to a great extent in order to protect and preserve the nation’s identity, culture and eco-system.

Here are a few facts you may find interesting about this magical Kingdom in the Himalayas:

1. The United Nations recognized Bhutan as a country in 1974.

2. Bhutanese call their home “Druk Yul,” which means “the Land of the Thunder Dragons,” because of the extremely powerful storms which constantly roar in from the Himalayas.

3. Its capital is Thimpu with a population of about 742,737 (2012). It is the only capital in the world without traffic lights. In fact when traffic lights were installed the people objected and the city reverted back to the use of white-gloved traffic police.

4. Until the 1960’s it had no roads, automobiles, telephone, postal system or electricity. Bhutanese had no access to TV or Internet until limited access was permitted in 1999.

5. One of 43 landlocked countries in the world, Bhutan is about half the size of the state of Indiana. Buddhism is the official religion and Dzongka is the official language.

6. The first foreign tourists were allowed into Bhutan in 1974.

7. Bhutan has the world’s highest unclimbed peak, Gangkhar Puensum, a mountain so sacred by the Bhutanese that the government has banned mountaineering on any peak above 19,685 feet.

8. Bhutan is the world’s only carbon sink, that is; it absorbs more CO2 than it gives out. It sells hydro-electrical power, making it the only country whose largest export is renewable energy. 72% of the country is forested. In fact, it’s in the country’s constitution to keep 60% of its land forested. Respect for the environment, the eco system and all species is a serious matter in Bhutan. Anyone caught killing an endangered species, faces the harsh sentence of life in prison.

9. Agriculture is its major industry with rice, fruit and dairy industry. They are aim to be the first 100% organic country.

10. Rather than using the GDP as an economic index, Bhutan measures its overall “health” through the four pillars: sustainable development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and good governance, which together form the Gross National Happiness or GNH.

11. Plastic bags have been banned in Bhutan since 1999.

12. Bhutan is the only country to outlaw tobacco (effective 2004).

13. The “takin,” a goat-antelope, is Bhutan’s national animal. There are no zoos in Bhutan, that is something unthinkable for them. Anyone found guilty of killing a highly endangered and culturally sacred black-necked crane could be sentenced to life in prison.

14. The country’s two national sports are archery and darts. But unlike a regulation dartboard, theirs is much smaller and the darts heavy and quite lethal which are thrown over 20 meters toward the target.

15. All citizens officially become one year older on New Year’s Day. This way, no one forgets anyone’s birthday.

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Source: Academic Exchange 

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7 September, 2014  by

Chakras: What they do and How to heal them

1. Root Chakra – Represents our foundation and feeling of being grounded.

Location: Base of spine in tailbone area.

Emotional issues: Survival issues such as financial independence, money, and food that can present fatigue, disagreements with family members and disorientation. (Lack of grounding)

What to do?: Visualize a molten lava flow beneath you (intense red) Go to an open space barefoot and imagine a growing root from your feet to the center of the earth. Resolving issues with family (root) can help you heal this chakra.

2. Sacral Chakra – Our connection and ability to accept others and new experiences.

Location: Lower abdomen, about 2 inches below the navel and 2 inches in.

Emotional issues: Sense of abundance, well-being, pleasure and sexuality that can present sexual dysfunction, hormonal imbalance and lack of activity if the chakra is blocked.

What to do?: Any creative or sexual outlet has the potential to engage this chakra but only if the person is willing and align with his or her genuine self.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra – Our ability to be confident and in-control of our lives.

Location: Upper abdomen in the stomach area.

Emotional issues: Self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem that can present digestive system upset, weakness in “core” muscles, low immunity and low self-esteem if the chakra is blocked.

What to do?: Reassessing personal choices and life directions, it is helpful to take time and space to nourish and to uncover and accept the real self.

4. Heart Chakra – Our ability to love.

Location: Center of chest just above heart.

Emotional issues: Love, joy, inner peace can present high or low blood pressure, cardiac symptoms, anger, numbness and fear of love if the chakra is blocked.

What to do?: Visualize a bright white light in the center of the chest and allow it to expand slowly to awaken this chakra and soothe feelings of hurt, write a journal or talk to a good and trusted friend too.

5. Throat Chakra – Our ability to communicate.

Location: Throat.

Emotional issues: Communication, self-expression of feelings, the truth can present hypothyroid, frustration and fear or inability to express oneself if the chakra is blocked.

What to do?: Sing, dance, write, speak and yell, express yourself, no fears, stand up for personal beliefs and support other people, ideologies and groups, but especially for yourself.

6. Third Eye Chakra – Our ability to focus on and see the big picture.

Location: Forehead between the eyes. (Also called the Brow Chakra)

Emotional issues: Intuition, imagination, wisdom, ability to think and make decisions can present headaches, lack of insight, feeling lost and lack of psychic intuitiveness if chakra is blocked.

What to do?: Visualize a third eye in the middle of the in the middle of the forehead, looking around with keen observation and insight. Overthinking congests the brow chakra.

7. Crown Chakra – The highest Chakra represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually.

Location: The very top of the head.

Emotional issues: Inner and outer beauty, our connection to spirituality, pure bliss can present headaches, brain fog, fear, disconnection, lack of trust/faith/ hope in chakra when blocked.

What to do?: This chakra represents the connection with the divine as well as the reality that all is energy, there is no form. Visualize a glowing white energy coming down and enveloping the top of the head, opening and healing the crown chakra. Talk (out loud or internally) to the higher self and ask for guidance, healing and wisdom.

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Source: Positive Med. 

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