The sacred pause

In our lives we often find ourselves in situations we can’t control, circumstances in which none of our strategies work. Helpless and distraught, we frantically try to manage what is happening. Our child takes a downward turn in academics and we issue one threat after another to get him in line. Someone says something hurtful [...]

Source: http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/the-sacred-pause

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KEN WILBER AND THE INTEGRAL MOVEMENT TODAY - HOW DO I FIT IN, HOW DO YOU FIT IN?

Vivi-Mari Carpelan: "X - Surviving in the World of the Fitter"
Handmade collage with drawing and photographs
This is my first attempt for "Project X"

Those who have read my early blog posts know that I devoured all of Ken Wilber's books back in the 1990s. It was a profound period of reconnecting with my own truth, and Ken had a way of putting it that resonated with me in a very luminous way. After that my life got rather chaotic and my concerns turned away from the theory of spiritual thought to more palpable issues. It didn't mean that I abandoned them but in a sense I felt that I had reached a limit of how much I needed to know and that I felt comfortable and reassured with the knowledge I had hitherto acquired. I was aware of Ken's presence on the web but wasn't able to access much material of any interest because I didn't feel I could afford the membership. It was quite a lot of money for someone who wasn't sure they were going to be visiting the site regularly, especially as I had started to have severe difficulties with reading. A year ago I was suddenly invited to present my art at the site's art gallery and got free membership in return. There were loads of audio files that I uplodaded onto my phone or listened to while doing mindless chores - most of them are talks with Ken Wilber. It's actually taken me this long to reconnect on a deeper level with the integral teachings, and it's slow progress as I don't find that time to listen to the audios that often. 

One of my major concerns has been elitism. The newsletter is full of smiley, if not beautiful, faces and the promise of uplifting philosophy. I wasn't sure I fitted in. My path has been quite dark and after a certain "honey moon phase" in the 90s when I did all that spiritual research I haven't felt that visions of spiritual promise were enough. Many of the audio files I listened to were inconsequential to me because the messages were basically repeating what I already knew. There is some new theoretical view points, especially Wilber's theory of quadrants, is prominent. I just don't feel that it's helping me personally. 

There was a turning point when I watched a short video of Michael Schwartz talking about integral art. Michael is a distinguished American art critic who was the one making the choice of which of my collages were to go in the art gallery, who helped me choose a title, and who wrote a short essay on my work. However, the art presented in the video was quite bland and New Agey. It was mainly about subtle and causal energies and deities... I was a bit disappointed. The burning question I had dwelled on for quite some time became so pertinent I just had to write to Michael and ask him about this. Namely, could the art work I am doing at the moment fit in with the integral world view if it's not overtly spiritual but the intention behind it is spiritual? I trust Michael and was hoping to raise an important issue but also get some clarity. At present I'm feeling very strongly about being a spokesperson for all those people out there who are suffering with invisible illnesses and who have therefore become outcasts of society. Of course, my own experiences are at the core of my vision as usual. The problem is that I have to point at this problem with a very clear indication of just how bad it is. I then hope to also present a vision of some kind of solution or positive attitude, albeit not knowing at the moment how I'm going to go about it. Well, Michael wrote me back and said very kindly that my letter  radiated compassion. To be honest, I don't know how much compassion I feel for all of humankind but I do feel somewhat driven in spite of personal health issues that are dragging me down - this is after a period of over ten years during which I wasn't feeling I had an artistic direction. You can read all about it on my art blog. 

Vivi-Mari Carpelan: "Affected by X" and "Fragmented by X", copyright 2012
Handmade collages with photographs and copies of own text

Michael Schwartz also explained that he was going to present some of my collages during the presentation about integral art and why it's important, however he felt the pieces were too complex for this type of lecture. He said that there is certainly an attempt within the integral movement at finding ways of dealing with the problems of this reality on a grass root level, but most people who come to integrallife.com for answers are still in the stage of self-development (i.e. the "honey moon phase" I mentioned earlier). It's obviously an important stage for everyone and I can totally understand that a lot of discussions are aimed at this audience. They are not necessarily responsive to art about shadows and paradox. In the initial phases, the art that will go down well is going to be mainly about the spiritual awards we reap if we pursue our path... rather sweet and other worldly, a lot of the time. He feels this kind of art can still be integral. I'm aware that a lot of the art I'm producing isn't jolly, because I have to show just how bad the situation is. However my intention is to add more and more positive notes, as there is strength and wisdom to be had from this form of suffering, but also from the diversity of experience these people may express. I still have to think how to present it.  No matter - for each their own.

One of Ken's talks was particularly interesting. While he's openly pessimistic about politics today as many of the world leaders of today are on a very low level of personal development and this is something to be seriously concerned about since they are not interested in the good of all mankind, he encourages people who adhere to an integral world view to self-identify. Other groups within society self-identify, and it makes them stronger. He estimates that only about 4 % of the whole population has an integral frame of mind. Now how do you recognize this specific mentality? Well, if you believe that all things are interconnected, that separation is an illusion and that life really is a "whole", then you're probably of an integral frame of mind. You will probably also believe that every level of development has a place on Earth and therefore they are worthy of your tolerance and respect. Like I said, the only problem is that immature people are in charge of important decisions with world wide repercussions. 

If so few people are spiritually conscious in the way Ken Wilber is promoting then it also means these people will feel pretty lonely. What's the use of being wise if there is nothing much you can do in a world like ours? This hits a soft spot in myself. Boy do I know about feeling lonely and helpless, and wondering what point there is to doing anything for the good of all mankind when nobody seems to care? Ken says, try and stay true to yourself and don't fall into the trap of trying to adapt to the level of people around you. Whatever you do, whether it be working as a dentist or as an artist, you can be integral in your approach. You may not want to talk about it much, as you have probably already discovered that people aren't in general very interested in what you have to say. You simply have to become creative in your way of putting a message out there. There are integral viewpoints that do struck a cord with the general public if expressed in a language they can understand. You have to think deeply about this. This is clearly not a time to be arrogant and so self-contained that no communication can take place "across the borders", so to speak. And of course, the wiser you are the more aware of this problem you will naturally be. 

A lot of people who do good in the world aren't the ones that anyone take much notice of. It is hard to set egotistic concerns aside and work for the improvement of our living conditions in spite of not knowing whether there are any results or rewards to be had. You just have to keep going. Sometimes small groups can change attitudes on a world wide scale, it's just a matter of timing, phrasing and general methods. Everyone has a heart, and most people will resonate with certain matters of conscience and human rights when the time is right even if not all the implications are fully understood. 

I'm working on "Project X", a series of images that are meant to express the fatalistic situation in which people with invisible illnesses find themselves in. They are outcasts of society, misunderstood by the healthy and discriminated by the right wing part of society especially. I'm only addressing a tiny part of the problems present in society today, and may only be noticed by a small number of people. But I have to do something and this is what I have decided to do now. It's a tentative, explorative... we shall see how it goes. I can only do what I can do.

I just noticed that part of one of my pieces of art (albeit with the wrong title) was used in this article about "attracting your beloved" on integrallife.com.

Read more:
My art blog
About "Project X"
Integrallife.com
+KenWilber.com
The Creative Spark (audio) 

Source: http://vivi-mari.blogspot.com/2012/05/ken-wilber-and-integral-movement-today.html

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Having Heart to Take Action: Approaching Veganism with Kids

EBTV presents host Evita Ochel with special guest Ruby Roth – writer, speaker and author of the newly released children’s book Vegan Is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action. Ruby shares her personal journey as to why...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EvolvingBeings/~3/3XHtdVEYIQU/

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Mother’s Day, Forgiveness, Celebration and A Special Offer

  Being a mother is the most difficult job on earth. ~ Oprah Winfrey I was one of 10 children. My mom wrote me the above note 25 years ago when I was angry with her for breaking a promise. It reads, "To My Dearest Daughter Theresa, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. It's so [...]

Source: http://theboldlife.com/2012/05/mothers-day-forgiveness-celebration-and-a-special-offer/

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Want to Live Longer--and Better? Watch This Fun Powerful Video...

Source: http://spiritfeast.blogspot.com/2012/05/want-to-live-longer-and-better-watch.html

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Sleep Meditation for Children

Getting me to bed was a long routine for my mother. She’d have me all tucked in and start to leave my room and then I’d say, “Mommy, I want some water”. Off she’d go for water, and once I’d had that, she’d be on her way again. My next ploy for keeping her near [...]

Source: http://www.meditationoasis.com/2011/01/19/sleep-meditation-for-children/

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Fearless Friday: 40 days to freedom

Fear stops us from feeling the loving presence of the divine, of the angels and of love itself. And the only thing that is real is love everything else is an illusion created by our beliefs,agreements and assumptions. What I call our...

Read the full post here »

Source: http://blog.beliefnet.com/angelsonyourshoulder/2012/03/fearless-friday-40-days-to-freedom.html

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Abundance Is Just A Flip Cam (Or A Sony Bloggie) Away!!!

Source: http://spiritfeast.blogspot.com/2012/05/one-of-sure-signs-of-abundance-is.html

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Guest Article: Is Buddhism Just a Form of Spiritual Self-Centeredness? Not!

Source: http://spiritfeast.blogspot.com/2012/04/guest-article-is-buddhism-just-form-of.html

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How to Manifest Your Desires | Manifestation Techniques

Desire Manifestation

Techniques to Manifest Desires

With the new year upon us and many of us having forged resolutions and goals, I thought this would be a good time to summarize all the techniques and wisdom from previous articles on how to manifest your desires. This knowledge and these techniques can be very useful, not just in helping you manifest your intentions, but very useful in helping you determine what indeed is worth manifesting in the first place.

Below are the best articles on the topic of manifestation from past years. I have provided a summary of each of these articles below, and you can click the title link to read the articles which are of interest to you.

1. The 4 Key Laws of Manifesting Desires:

If you are interested in manifestation, law of attraction and intention manifestation this article is a must read. It summarizes the topic of desires end to end. It discusses the mysterious states of desirelessness and witnessing, and also explains what kind of desires one ought to pursue and what kind of desires the Universe helps fulfill. This is one of the most popular and important articles on the topic of manifestation.

2. Secret to Manifesting Abundance and Wealth:

In this followup article to the 4 Key Laws of Manifestation, I discuss what I consider the fifth law of manifesting desires. This article goes into the difficult topic of security and how it needs to be approached in order to have the Universe taking care of you and fulfilling your desires.

3. Relax and Let the Universe Fulfill Your Desires:

Along the lines of the fifth law of manifestation, this article explores the value and practice of "going with the flow". The great challenge and benefits of this approach are discussed, and it includes a funny real life event of mine to illustrate the points.

4. Meditation for Making Money and Success:

This article details a visualization meditation often used for manifesting money, success, or anything else you feel you need in your life. It exploits the power of the Third Eye and the mind to assist with the manifestation.

5. Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation:

Here you will find details of the powerful kundalini yoga technique to bring upon you blessings and rewards. There is also a video demo of how to practice this potent technique.

In addition to the above articles, the following posts also explore manifestation and mind power, and you might find them useful in helping you realize your desires.

Visualization Technique to Manifest Desires

Weight Loss Meditation

Mind Power to Manifest Desires and Intentions

If you have used techniques to help you manifest your desires successfully, please do share them with us in the comments section below. I am sure everyone will benefit from your feedback.

If you enjoy any of the articles of Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please do share them with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, etc. I appreciate your love and support.

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. Effective Visualization Technique to Manifest Your Desires and Dreams
2. Mind Power to Manifest Intentions & Desires Instantly
3. Secret to Manifesting Abundance and Wealth
4. The 4 Key Universal Laws For Manifesting Desire If You Absolutely Must
5. Weight Loss Visualization Meditation w/ 3SRB Breathing Technique- Guided Meditation Book- Ch 6

Source: http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2012/01/09/how-to-manifest-your-desires-manifestation-techniques/

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How to Simplify Your Life – Part 1

Simplifying Your Life

Tips to Simplify Your Life

Life is pretty complicated these days and for most of us, it seems to just get more and more complex and busy with each passing day. Such complication, not just adds to our stress levels, but it also significantly reduces our opportunities for spiritual and personal growth. So for our peace and sanity, and for helping our hearts and minds blossom, we really need to simplify our lives.

In this series I am going to share tips and information that will help you learn how to simplify your life. Given that we are heading into new year's resolution territory I think this is a great time for such a series, as I hope many of you, understanding the need and benefits that such simplification brings, will be adding it to your resolutions for next year.

In the first part of this series I am going to share with you what I have done this past year which has helped me a great deal in ensuring that each day is spent in the most meaningful way possible. Given all the things that we have on our plates, from family, career, friends, finances, hobbies, passions, responsibilities, etc, etc., how can we make sure that our time and energy is well directed and that we are not being swept away in the tidal wave of daily activities and chores? The answer is to create a must do daily shortlist.

Create a Daily Shortlist:

I have found that creating such a shortlist of things really goes a long way in helping me simplify my day and help me structure it in the best possible way. What this list is, is simply the few things you must do everyday no matter what. I have 3 things on this list and I suggest the same number for you. If you make this list too long, it is just going to end up being too complicated like everything else :-). So keep it short and keep it meaningful.

My list of the 3 things I must do everyday are Meditation, Exercise and Blog Work. These are the 3 most important things in my life and if I don't give them my time and energy, I always feel that my day has been incomplete and that I have not used my time wisely. If you don't know what might be the things you ought to do everyday, here are some questions which can help you uncover the answers.

How to Determine Your Shortlist Items for Life Simplification:

In the article Stop the Madness of Self Discipline, I provided 6 questions which help you determine what your real passion in life really is. Those 6 questions can be very helpful in creating your shortlist and helping you simply your life. Here are those questions for you...

1. What is it that you like to do for its own sake, without any concern for reward or compliment? Do you find joy in writing? Do you like to just create music? Do you like to teach? Do you like the challenge of watching your thoughts in action?

2. If you won the lottery, I mean the really, really big one how would you like to spend the rest of your life?

3. If you were informed you are about to die shortly, what would you regret most as not having spent your time doing?

4. No matter where on Earth you are. In a rich, first world country, in the bush lands of Australia or high up in a Himalayan village what do you see yourself doing regardless of location?

5. What activity do you always find yourself coming back to throughout your life?

6. What activity can you just not see yourself doing without?

For me the answers to those questions are Meditation, Exercise and Teaching (blogging). Those are the things that fit the questions and those are the 3 things I make sure I do everyday without fail.

Simply Your Life Summary

So this is what I suggest for you to do as well as the the first step in simplifying your life. This will set the foundation for more simplification which I will suggest in future articles of this series. Doing the things you care about most and which are the most important to you on a deeper level, will ensure that you are living your true purpose in life and ensure that you will not have regrets later in life. It will also make sure that each day is being spent meaningfully and productively.

Another good resource for helping you determine which things you should shortlist is the article 10 Things You Should Do Everyday for a Happy Life. This list can give you ideas on what daily activities raise your level of consciousness and make life a beautiful adventure.

Look out for more tips on how to simplify your life coming soon.

If you have tips you have used to simplify your life please do share them with us in the comments section below.

If you enjoy this or any article on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga please do share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc. I appreciate your love and support.

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. 3 Keys for How to Live a Blessed Life
2. 3 Beautiful Words that Can Change Your Life
3. Important Life Lessons to Learn from Biggest Mistakes In Life Survey
4. My Simple Rule for a Peaceful Life
5. 10 Things You Should Do Everyday For a Happy, Meaningful & Good Life (Combined)

Source: http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/12/30/how-to-simplify-your-life-part-1/

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Fearless Friday: 40 days to freedom

Fear stops us from feeling the loving presence of the divine, of the angels and of love itself. And the only thing that is real is love everything else is an illusion created by our beliefs,agreements and assumptions. What I call our...

Read the full post here »

Source: http://blog.beliefnet.com/angelsonyourshoulder/2012/03/fearless-friday-40-days-to-freedom.html

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Ride the learning curve

Notice what happens as you observe life experience as an opportunity to learn (or unlearn).  At some stages, you may even wonder where the learning curve ends.   What happens as you begin to feel there is no beginning or end? What if you imagine whatever you encounter you create as a gift to yourself? What if you do everything with the intention to stretch, to develop resilience, ingenuity and to allow you to see through all that is not really here? 

1) Observe emotions need not control you.  Take a step back.  Observe them, even sing a tune as a way to snap yourself out of the trance. Retain a clear head during situations that would otherwise shake your peace of mind. Know nothing ever does except inside the mind.

2) Be aware of your physiology.  The physical body is constantly giving you signs and communicating.  Be receptive. What you notice and ignore shapes the evolution of your life. 

3) Listen to the heart Be still. Quiet the mind.  Imagine places where you feel comfortable just being yourself.  Create them and go/be there.  Here, you truly listen to heart and soul.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DreamBuildersAustralia/~3/_R-x-EqdvcU/ride-the-learning-curve.html

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Produce permanent harmony

Your own unique frequency generates continuously.  How often do you consciously allow it to fill your entire being? What is life like as you recognize what produces constant harmony?

As awareness grows, you notice the gentle strength of love is present.  You feel a connection transmitting effortlessly through and all around you.  What the mind tells you is life is only a tiny part of it.  The extent of your creation is inconceivable. All movement and none is in balance.  You have the ability to learn and change with the environment or in spite of it.

Stand back.  Feel what is flowing effortlessly.  Feel the nourishment in the air, the trees, the water, the Earth.  You do nothing and feel the true dimension of everything.  Notice it takes nothing to drive it.  Accessing more than one dimension comes naturally.  Be open to feel the response come back to you.  Notice how you feel energized as you directly transmit energy into more than one dimension.  Acceptance of harmony recognizes nothing exists in isolation.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DreamBuildersAustralia/~3/H006PIbSvLw/produce-permanent-harmony.html

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Wordless Wednesday: sunrise sunset

Imagine if you were as sure of love as you were the sun will rise and set each day?

Read the full post here »

Source: http://blog.beliefnet.com/angelsonyourshoulder/2012/02/wordless-wednesday-love.html

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What Are You Saying? Stop-You-Dead Affirmations That Are Controlling Your Life (And How To Change Them...)

Source: http://spiritfeast.blogspot.com/2012/03/whats-word-stop-you-dead-affirmations.html

chan meditation children s spirituality

The Tree Legend of Japan.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Torii, Shinto arch, surrounded by ancient, Japanese, cedar trees on the Kumano Old Road in Wakayama, Japan).

(Translation: Alternate, Ukrainian translation: http://blog.1800flowers.com/international/thebuddhistblog-legend-ua/)

In the ancient, Shinto, belief system of Japan, a legend says, that the Japanese people descended down from the heavens by climbing down the tall, sacred, cypress trees of the island. As someone who is in awe, admiration, and respect for our noble trees, I find this creation story to be deeply, spiritual. The other aspect I admire, is how it echoes the Buddhist teaching that we are interdependent upon nature for our very lives. As a Zen Buddhist, I find much within Shinto that I admire and respect; not the least of which, being nature veneration.

May we all find freedom atop the great tree of Dharma. All branches, regardless if they are Theravada or Mahayana, contribute to the strength and vitality of the tree. Do our branches bend a little differently, of course!! But, when was the last time you saw two tree branches that were the exactly same?!! Diversity is the strength of any system--it takes all sizes, shapes and age of branch to sustain a strong tree. This is true, by the way, for humanity. If everyone was supposed to be the same, then everything would be one color; imagine how boring that would be?!!

~Peace to all beings~

Source: http://thebuddhistblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/tree-legend-of-japan.html

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People are all the same…

The Cheers theme song has been playing in my head today ever since meeting a podcast listener while doing my grocery shopping today. “You wanna go where people know, people are all the same, You wanna go where everybody knows your name.” When you have an online presence, or people hear your voice on a [...]

Source: http://www.meditationoasis.com/2011/08/16/people-are-all-the-same/

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MY TAI CHI PHOTO IN THE NEWSPAPER AND OTHER NEWS...

My photo was in the local newspaper County Times, but unfortunately Alan Jefferies's Tai Chi class didn't get more space than this, and my photo was not credited. It's also cropped... How fortunate Alan chose this particular photo as one with smaller figures would have looked ridiculous in such a small space! Martin, my husband, was well dressed in black! We shall take part, hopefully the weather gods will be benevolent!

See more photos from the photo shoot here (scroll down a bit on the page).

I'm also pleased to have been chosen to partake in the Shrewsbury photography month in August! Two of my older  abstacts will be at The Shrewsbury Coffee House.

"The Mystery of Calculation", copyright 2007

"The Magic of Curves", copyright 2007

Source: http://vivi-mari.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-tai-chi-photo-in-newspaper.html

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VA testing whether meditation can help treat PTSD

Steve Vogel: Seeking new ways to treat post-traumatic stress, the Department of Veterans Affairs is studying the use of transcendental meditation to help returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Veterans Affairs’ $5.9 billion system for mental-health care is under sharp criticism, particularly after the release of an inspector general’s report last month that found that [...]

Source: http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/news/va-testing-whether-meditation-can-help-treat-ptsd

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Finding Joy Within

When I was an adolescent I possessed a lifelike doll that stood about two feet high. My mind was troubled with many anxieties and not much affection or warmth at home.  When I needed support and protection I would wrap the doll’s arms around me and imagine that it would hold and protect me as I slept through the night. I felt wracked with fears and pain and this soothed my nerves. I loved the doll, but finally gave it up when I realized that in reality it could not give me anything. It was...

Read the full post here »

Source: http://blog.beliefnet.com/awakeintheworld/2012/04/trading-in-the-doll-for-reality.html

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When does Lent REALLY start?

It all depends on what Christian sect you belong to. Today is Great Lent according to the Eastern Orthodox Church. What does Lent mean to you? Over the years my answer to...

Read the full post here »

Source: http://blog.beliefnet.com/angelsonyourshoulder/2012/02/when-does-lent-really-start.html

chan meditation children s spirituality

The Power of Presence, Clarity & Effortless Living

EBTV on http://evolvingbeings.com presents “The Power of Presence, Clarity and Effortless Living” with host Evita Ochel and special guest Joy Holland – empath, clarity and energy facilitator of http://facetsofjoy.com Joy and Evita discuss the concepts of clarity and presence,...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EvolvingBeings/~3/QGKKV35Tsoo/

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The Challenge of Relocation

This autumn has mainly been about survival. I've had two bugs, the second which is on its eigth week. We were obviously tired after the Great Move and the Wedding, so maybe we were more likely to succumb to the local strains of viruses - we both got them to varying degrees. This is on top of other health concerns. I was making progress with the singing when the throat flu hit and I had to give it all up. I also expected this place to be more sociable but loneliness struck quite soon and the lack of energy made it even more difficult to break. In the end we both managed to do some networking and meet people even if it's on a shallow level. At least it helps to dispel some of the sense of alienation. Most of my time has been dedicated to sorting out my new relationship with the national health service, a task of some overwhelming magnitude. Countless of appointments later I'm still not a lot wiser and don't feel that my attempts to talk about the insomnia has ensued in much else than moral lectures about the evils of drugs. It's clear to me that no one has a clue as to what it means to have chronic insomnia. The view seems to be that "insomnia doesn't kill so therefore there is no real need to medicate". I am not saying health officials in Finland are necessarily any better in a general sense, but this kind of view feels quite rigid and conventional to say the least, and it's not even true - as far as I know sleep deprivation can kill (read more on the subject:). It's the sort of comment you expected to get twenty years ago regarding fibromyalgia. Do I need to say it's utterly unhelpful.

Once the guests were gone we just couldn't afford putting a lot of time and effort into fixing the house and so apart from the livingroom which is not too bad, it's not all that cosy here. The sight of the dirty throw-up patterned carpets that cover all the floors is not great to wake up to every day! It's hard for me, as I need to feel rooted in my home. We desperately need to make money but everything is at a standstill and we're suffering the consequences of living beyond our means due to the big transitions.

I did feel that I entered some flow in a more spiritual sense when I went to Finland to give a lecture on the symbolism of my art, as well as a workshop on the making of mandalas. Though it felt difficult to re-enter the sphere of more intellectual thought after years of concerns of a more practical nature, it did start to feel like a real need. I felt as though the universe was maybe conspiring to encourage me to take all this up again. Despite being quite ill on the day, I felt that the seminar went fairly well and that this was something to develop. The only really annoying thing was that I am still waiting to get my travelling expenses paid by the organization that invited me. I am not a charity organization and shouldn't have to wait! This means I will not be able to do similar seminars in the future and wonder when we'll be able to afford going back at our own expense. I also feel disconnected from Finland in other ways, mainly through other people. I'm not sure what this means. Suddenly the flow got disrupted and things are not making much sense.

It was interesting at the time to reconnect with the homeland. I have to say that returning to my new home wasn't quite so easy after that, as it just struck me as quite strange. Throughout my time here, feeling a connection with the place and the land has been overwhelmingly difficult. I might find myself out on a beautiful hillside and be struck by a sense of panic; I don't belong! And I can't escape if I wanted to! We would visit the coast and it would all feel too vast and desolate in a scary sort of way. This was a bit surprising but I guess the smaller scale of the Baltic appears intimate and homey and the wintery desolation over there has an arctic feel to it that brings a sense of comfort because it's familiar.

On the other hand, my new hometown feels quite small and almost a bit claustrophobic compared to what I'm used to. I expect it takes time to adjust. Also, as we are covered in snow at the moment, there is no way of going anywhere as Britain is not geared up for this kind of weather. This is a bit limiting. If we had money we'd definitely get snow tyres!

On returning, I continued to try and sink into the beingness in this particular place, and I did begin to feel much better. Bits here and there did after all feel quite familiar because I've always had a soft spot for Britain and assume that I have lived there in a rather happy past life. These positive things are gradually becoming more conscious as I'm feeling less overwhelmed by the great changes that the move has entailed. I shall have to continue working on relaxation and a better sleep schedule in order to try and improve the sleep at least a little bit. It's hard, as so many things are worrying and stressful. I'm very run down and feel resistance to making efforts. While I don't have trouble pacing myself, it's not so easy to decide where to start on the list of things to accomplish. When the tasks have some spiritual contents, things get easier as they seem to provide a certain deeper sense of accomplishment that nourishes the soul and my sense of purpose. The rest is more mundane, and therefore not quite so satisfying on a deeper level. Ideally, it would all tie in as a whole, but I haven't figured out how to get there yet. The concerns of the body and plain survival in the world tend to muffle the connection with soul and spirit.

Artwork: digital photographs of the Finnish winter, copyright V-M C 2010

Source: http://vivi-mari.blogspot.com/2010/11/challenge-of-relocation.html

key to positive thinking keys to positive thinking

4 Inspiring Quotes of the Week

Recently we have been getting some great feedback on our Mastery of Meditation and Yoga Facebook Fan Page and one of the aspects which the readers have really been enjoying are the inspirational quotes that we have been posting on a daily basis.

These simple quotes are great pointers of the deeper Truths of life and enlightened living and can inspire one to live at a higher level. So, below are 4 such sayings which I thought would be worth sharing with you on the blog as well. I am sure you will find them uplifting as have others.

If you have quotes that you find specially uplifting and insightful please do share them with us in the comments section below. Also, feel free to leave your thoughts and feedback, we would love to hear what you think of these sayings.

[caption id="attachment_1868" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=" Be The Lion "][/caption]

Spirituality is rebellion; religiousness is orthodoxy. Spirituality is individuality; religiousness is just remaining part of the crowd psychology. Religiousness keeps you a sheep, and spirituality is a lion's roar. - OSHO -

 

 

[caption id="attachment_1869" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=" Insight "][/caption]

Jesus said: the mote that is in thy brother’s eye thou seest, but the beam that is in thine eye thou seest not.

 

 

[caption id="attachment_1871" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=" The Down Ward Dog Pose :)) "][/caption]

The True Person is detached and humble and to the world appears confusing. The people all strain their eyes and ears,yet the True Person remains childlike. - LAU TZU -

 

 

[caption id="attachment_1870" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sleep - Samadhi"][/caption]

Patanjali says sleep is just next to samadhi. A good sleep, a deep sleep, and samadhi, are different only in one sense: samadhi has awareness, sleep has no awareness. - OSHO

 

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. How to Make Spiritual Friends and Inspirational Spiritual Quotes
2. Inspiring Osho Quote on How to Live Courageously
3. Inspiring & Enlightening Spiritual & Personal Growth Articles – Carnival #31
4. Survey: How Many Times a Week Do You Meditate?
5. Inspiring Yoga & Pranayama Testimonials from Online Yogis

Source: http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2012/03/23/inspiring-sayings-on-spirituality/

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How to Know Whom to Vote For: Reds (Republicans) and Blues (Democrats) Compared for Your Convenience and Enlightenment

Source: http://spiritfeast.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-know-whom-to-vote-for-reds.html

articles on positive thinking articles on spirituality

Pigeon of Discontent: “No One Appreciates Me.”

Each week, I post a video about some Pigeon of Discontent raised by a reader. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we’re also plagued by the Pigeons of Discontent. This week’s Pigeon of Discontent, suggested by a reader, is:  “No one appreciates me.”   No One Appreciates Me. If you want to read more … →

Source: http://happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2012/05/pigeon-of-discontent-no-one-appreciates-me/

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THE CURRENT SPIRITUAL SITUATION AND ALL THOSE ASCENSION IDEALS...

I asked my husband to help me do some searches on the internet because he's so good at coming up with search terms. I have been feeling as if it's very hard to breathe, and in general felt pretty under the weather for no apparent reason. Well, one reason might have been some issues and worries about my mother but the feeling continued and didn't seem to make sense. Maybe it's just the weather and low pressure (literally feeling "under the weather", ha!). Perhaps this climate isn't very good for me. I was curious though whether there was anything going on cosmically speaking. We looked up "cosmic weather reports" and such, but could find nothing of any interest. At best there were explanations about the current situation of global economy and how it's all still a great mess. Apparently a few days there was a full moon and a constellation that might have brought out some emotional issues. 

We then looked up some lightworkers to see if there are any signs of life and if there are thoughts about what's going on from an esoteric point of view. Well in fact the big site lightworkers.org was not available (it seemed to have disappeared but it could have something to do with our server). We figured they had all ascended! Oops. There are many very pink (ok read gaudy and utterly tasteless) sites out there that are basically just repeating the same old, and nobody seems to have anything very new and thought provoking to say. "The ascension symptoms" is still the same old list of issues and as my husband said, it really just sounds like being human! From my point of view, many of them sound a lot like fibromyalgia which of course is increasingly common within the female population. Some of the issues are of a more spiritual nature but I'm sure that people who have a lot of mystical experiences are quite aware of what they are and don't need to read about them from a list... Anyhow, maybe it's a good thing if there aren't too many predictions out there (or maybe I just didn't find them) - perhaps the truly evolved are hesitant to say things that could be misinterpreted.

The whole idea of putting labels on things so that people fit into categories seems very perilous to me. Many people so want to feel special and part of an elite. Very often people are not what you think they are anyway, looks may be very deceiving! People have a frame of reference for deciding on what kind of level others are, and it may be very false. In reality we are probably all here for very different reasons.

And seriously - too many times I have already heard people who claim to be psychic say oops, things didn't go according to plan because not enough people were ready for spiritual changes. It doesn't take much to see that most people are still in a state of oblivion and not very interested in self-development, struggling to survive in times of great global imbalance. It takes time, here on Earth, for collective evolution to take place. I don't know how much time but I am not surprised that profound changes aren't instant. At them moment, collective insanity is definitely increasing, but I certainly hope we have reached the peak!

It occurred to me, that the fact that I have no clear feelings on the subject of ascension is maybe that there aren't any to be had. I do think there's an acceleration of evolution on the collective and individual levels, and I am quite certain of this. In fact all you need to do is just look around and see how society is speeding up, and this is obviously not isolated from the individual psyche. It seems dangerous though to read too much into these things, to hypnotize yourself into believing in hypotheses. To be centred in yourself or at least attempt to be, is the best way to be in my opinion. Flirtation with religious concepts often takes people away from who they really are, something which needs to be acknowledged and integrated before they can expect significant spiritual changes. I am not saying there aren't people who aren't very evolved, but don't ever make the mistake of comparing yourself with them. We are not here to compete, in fact we need to get out of the habit of comparing ourselves with others. Note what's going on and decide what sort of person you really want to be. Then keep this in mind at all times. Avoid putting on the role of the happy happy lovey dovey person if this is not who you are naturally. Too many people who are interested in self-development simply take on a new persona and think they have solved their problems - it's a kind of spiritual role playing and highly deceptive.

Positive thinking is an anti-thesis to negative thinking and will therefore not remove negativity. It's a polarised way of thinking that keeps you stuck in dualistic behavioural patterns. You cannot force these things, only gently acknowledge your negativities and see what you can do to break the patterns. One important thing is to give up some of the control we are so used to exercising, but doing it in the right kind of way! You don't just decide to rely on the universe providing you with everything... we do need to be proactive and responsible, not passive. We need syntheses and ways of integrating life as it is while gently working towards greater emotional openness. Gently, I say - myself and others (anecdotally anyway) have sometimes worked with ourselves so much we have become too open too soon, and the heart energies have gone all wiry and in some cases even worse things have occurred. One becomes vulnerable but not resilient - herein lies a danger. To dare open up again from having been too open to attack becomes the focus of some new inner work.

I find it deeply disturbing that the ascension ideas have driven a wedge between "the evolved" people and the ones who are not. Again I'm not saying everyone sees it this way but I think a lot of the talk out there can reinforce elitist thinking in immature individuals. We also have to remember that there are many, many chronically ill people who really have a hard time keeping up with everything. Their task is sometimes immense, and should be respected rather than spit on as the result of their own inability to create a better reality. At best it can be a noble task.

It's a bit telling when someone posts an advert about a book about Kuthumi in the comments section on my blog. From Wikipedia: "According to Theosophy, Kuthumi is considered to be one of the members of the Spiritual Hierarchy called the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom which oversees the development of the human race on this planet to higher levels of consciousness. In the Ascended Master Teachings, Kuthumi is one of the Ascended Masters who collectively make up the Great White Brotherhood."  I do take objection to the fact that someone posts adverts on my blog - it is not a very evolved way of acting. As for ascended masters and all that... well believe in it if you feel it's important to you, but don't feel obliged to. You may have a different sort of spiritual life that doesn't include beings from other dimensions. You are, after all, on Earth! There's plenty enough to focus on right here... beware of getting distracted by shiny things and what appear to be elevated ideals of other dimensions!

I do think that some people have very heavy and difficult lessons to learn, and it may be the greatest purpose of their current existence. It can be very disconcerting not to know for sure why you feel a lot of things that appear not even to come from yourself. On the other hand, you may have surges of self-developmental reactions that are peculiar to yourself at any given time. Not dwelling on this too much but trying to do something creative with it would be my advice. For what it's worth! Also, there are people who are very serious about spiritual evolution and who are acting it out in the world rather than outside of it, not afraid of including all aspects of being into their belief systems.

Artwork: Digital photograph, "Things Were Not Quite What They Seemed To Be", copyright 2011

Source: http://vivi-mari.blogspot.com/2011/07/current-spiritual-situation-and-all.html

spiritual beliefs spiritual blessings

What Secret?

I suppose that the craze surrounding the book and film The Secret is wearing off, but I still feel like presenting a few thoughts about the whole thing. When it came out, I went online and looked at the movie trailor and the author's website - at least I think it was her. I didn't like the hyped up energy and the way the woman in question was fixated on money. "I became a millionaire, and then a billionaire - all thanks to The Secret" I recall being her statement. Well yes... a nicely wrapped up ultra positive New Age book that encourages people to catch at a straw in a world full of stress and uncertainty is likely to get a lot of buyers. It screamed sensationalism to me. Anyway, I finally got a chance to get the book out of the library as it had been translated to Swedish. I was curious to see what exactly is in it, though I had a hunch from the very start that there was nothing that special about the concept of the law of attraction. Here is what I think.

First of all, notice that the message is packaged in a romantic sort of way that is sure to appeal to a lot of people. It reminds me of The Da Vinci Code. One thing that immediately struck me as phoney was the way the author makes references to people of the past and claims that they all knew about the secret. Where is the evidence? There is none. All that you get are some very obscure quotes by some of the people listed (Einstein, Emerson and so on) that tell you absolutely nothing and that probably were retracted from a context that had nothing to do with the message of this book. She also claims that all these famous thinkers and scientists owed their success to knowing the secret. In other words, they believed their way to success. Come on! It sure takes a bit of talent and education as well! Really! The book is really talking to us as if we are children who need to be convinced that the author knows what she's talking about and we have no right to contest this because we're somehow lesser knowing. Another thing that made me raise my eyebrows was the loose way of using the term "Spirit". The author claims that spirit is like the genie in the bottle, all ready and prepared to fulfil all of your most ardent wishes. Later on there is some talk about humans really being equal to God and thus in the position of creating the reality they want, but it's really not very good literature. Spirit as I understand it is way beyond our comprehension and certainly a very active part of existance, rather than a passive force that a human ego can control and demand.

I was a bit taken aback that the universe was likened to a postorder catalogue. All you have to do is choose your wish and send out the order. While I don't necessarily object to the profanity of the metaphor, I do think that it brings down a very complex process to a very banal level. What I feel is that there is nothing all that wrong with the concept about the law of attraction per se, the problem is that it's only representing a narrow scope of reality. Perhaps it does act as an eye opener to people who have never thought in terms of spiritual "truths" before. What I see as problematic is that people usually get stuck on the most obvious statements of this truth such as "abundance is your birthright" and "you must only think positive thoughts and make sure you're state of mind is always one of happiness and well being". These act as life buoys in an uncertain world and tend to freeze into dogmas. I have met people online who have been very eager to push these "truths" onto me although it actually does state in the book that you must never do that as it's only serving the ego. Other people have been very depressed because they failed to manifest their wishes and feel very guilty that they have negative thoughts. What I see as a big danger apart from egoistic self-gratification is severe self-blame! It actually does say in the book that you should embrace all of your feelings but it's not really coming out that clearly. The overshadowing statement is basically that you must not give into negative or doubtful thinking and feeling (this is being repeated many times though in fact there is a passage saying that one positive thought will outrule many negative ones...). This is a ticket to a very hyped up sort of positivity that is likely to undermine the work a person might be doing in order to attract what they want. You cannot command your subconscioius, negative undercurrents to disappear magically!

The bottomline is; you cannot make certain negative tendencies go away just by thinking positive thoughts. And what I really want to stress is that there is no short cut to deep insight and wisdom. I myself am the first to admit that I only learn the hard way! I simply cannot imagine myself going around faking my inner life to sound like a prayer wheel of repetitive, lovey dovey thoughts and feelings that are only about the wonderful things I have in this moment. "I have a lot of money, I have the perfect partner, I have perfect health..." are examples of the sort of affirmations that were actually very popular back in the early 1990s already. If it works for some; fine... obviously everyone must do what they feel is working for them. I just think that it would require an easily suggestive mind in order to work, and that it would feel highly unnatural. This is only my personal opinion, of course!

I think that a big problem with this sort of thinking is also the idea that all we need to do is know what we want and then ask for it. I believe that we rarely know what we truly need, and that this is way more important than wanting things. Of course, some people are here on Earth with a purpose of discovering ways in which they can attain a higher level of happiness and success, but if you're on a serious spiritual path I really don't see "wanting" as very relevant. I like to believe that I am always guided by the more higher spiritual part of me, and so whatever comes my way is there as a challenge that helps me gain a higher level of wisdom. I don't think we learn much of any value from a very easy life. If this was the case, we would probably not be on Earth, but in some other realm where there are less opportunities to experience the friction between polarities. Every dilemma that I manage to solve leaves me feeling more accomplished, and this is a deep experience that has little to do with the puny "little" self, the ego. Of course there is always the option of using spiritual insight as a way of growing the ego, but I think that the more humbled you are by life and the incredibly complex forces at work, the less likely you are to want that. I have to say that it wasn't long ago that I had an experience of surrendering part of my will to Spirit and it caused a surge of Kundalini (a strong energy current) in me.

I think that claiming that you can keep your weight only by thinking that you have your perfect weight is a bit strange. I understand the concept, and maybe it does work for some. In my case my weight depends on what I eat and how much I exercise. To manically focus on keeping it is not really my thing. I also have to say that I got through University because I believed I would. But I also got through it because it was quite important in terms of my self-esteem and my life's purpose. Manifesting something like that "just because" doesn't make any sense to me. There are also lots of people who believe they have tons of money and end up heavily indebted. Of course, if you really did what The Secret tells you would also make sure that you don't believe in being indebted or somehow change your energetic frequency to match a state of true abundance. But really... we can certainly try but how realistic is it that we would be able to juggle with so many elements that are actually subconscious, for the most part? Better, methinks, to just take a step at a time and see how things really work out on this level of reality..?

I also like to stress that people do need to talk about their own hardships, and not keep it all to themselves as The Secret suggests. It's simply very bad psychology! Dwelling on negative things incessantly is a different issue... still there's a time for everything. You also cannot force feelings of love so all the imperative talk about having to feel massive amounts of love all the time is not realistic either. First and foremost, be kind to yourself!

Some time ago I met someone who really fancied me. It seemed that I represented all the things that this guy had asked for (he confessed to having pleaded to the universe). However, there were other things there as well: I also brought a host of challenges into this guy's life. In the end he refused the good as well as the bad and went back to a more comfortable lifestyle. Perhaps I was a manifestation in this person's life? The thing is, that could very well be the case because we certainly are not islands and so oftentimes we act out a role that someone else is needing to experience. I'm sure I learnt important lessons from all this myself. But this person obviously didn't really know what he wanted, and so the scenario had to collapse. I also don't want to pretend to know exactly what was really involved in the drama. Only time and deep contemplation may reveal some of the reasons behind the encounter, but some of it may remain embedded in the unconscious forever. All I can do is try and do the right thing, which in my vocabulary means being intuitive and following thoughts and feelings with utter attention and discernment.

I also wish to give another example of the complexity of life. I became friends with a very nice woman in the spring and was hopeful about the contact. One day she texted me something very short and dismissive. I was quite hurt, and didn't hear from her all summer. Recently I deleted her from my list of Facebook friends. Suddenly I received a sincere apology from her. She was asking to be my friend and explained what exactly had happened. There was no reason for me not to accept the apology and so there is a chance that we will be able to carry on our deep conversations. But the point is; I didn't manifest her return, in fact I had negative thoughts about her. There was no direct law of attraction implied other than that me taking a decisive step made her realize that she was attracted enough to our friendship so as not to let it go!

Finally, I want to say that I think the law of attraction is really quite common sense (don't most of all realize already that we attract certain things into our lives depending on who we are?) and not some hushhush "secret"! Perhaps it's just me but I really like to live life in a natural way. To me it does not mean living an unconscious zombie like existance (cf. the state preceding the awakening suggested by The Secret), but being attentive to all that goes on inside and outside of me. It's relaxing into the real me the way this "me" is manifested by Spirit in this time and place. I don't want to control my environment or make other people become something that I want through some idea about manifesting the perfect people to surround you with. It's not easy, but that's my personal challenge.

Photo by author, all rights reserved 2009

Source: http://vivi-mari.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-secret.html

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