Browse Meditation

Be you ever so wise, confident, and “enlightened,” you will nonetheless find yourself at times uncertain: uncertain about what actions to take, uncertain about your life, uncertain about your place or purpose in this life. At such times, we tend to think of ourselves as confused or lost. And consequently, we may feel fearful, “unsupported” in the larger sense, or even powerless.

These are three of the most common underhanded tactics used in debates.They come into play as an attempted deflection from the main argument that your opponent is usually losing and can no longer argue intelligently. If you watch out for them and keep bringing your opponent back to the original premise of the debate, your opponent will have no choice but to discuss the actual facts of the argument instead of trying to wiggle out of them. 1. Red Herring (Changing the subject) Example: "I should not be prosecuted for stealing songs off the internet.

The following are answers to some of the questions most frequently asked of us by those interested in or just beginning the practice of meditation. WHAT IS MEDITATION? Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, so there are countless variations and definitions of the practice. Most forms of meditation offer relaxation – primarily through a quieting of the mind – and create a “pause” from the rapid pace of our lives to let our mind and body “catch up,” rebalance, and re-center.

Controlling the autonomic responses like heart rate is quite familiar to practitioners of Qigong.The difference betwee Qigong meditation and other types is that we utilise different kinds of "body breathing" techniques through the flesh and bones, especially when we induce proper "Qi" flow or ...

Whenever someone asks me how to start meditating, the first question I ask them is, "What's your zodiac sign?" That may sound like a cheesy pick up line but, in my experience, I've found that people have an easier time beginning a meditation routine if they work *with* the element of their birth sign. Here are the elements of the signs as well as ways you can use them to help you meditate. Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius How many of you have ever become mesmerized watchin

We all know it, only too well. It’s that inner voice, that “inner critic,” that seems always present and always keenly prepared to defeat us. When we feel happy, the voice says: “Yeah, this can’t last.” When we’re about to attempt something, it whispers: “Watch out. You’re gonna fail.” And when we do succeed, the voice dismisses: “That was just luck. It won’t happen again.”

We’ve all arrived at those moments when we feel overwhelmed, even under siege, by trying circumstances within our life. We’ve done all we can, bearing up as best we can, but without great success or relief. And in our frustration and fatigue, we’ve probably looked up to heaven and asked: “How can you possibly ask more of me?” If we could hear clearly through our distress, we’d probably hear heaven lovingly reply: “ 'We' are not.”

If you have fallen into the routine of life, or find it to be a chore, you have fallen asleep to the preciousness that every moment in life is. It is a great phenomena that we are all living in this physical reality, with a body, an identity, and we have people who we love and are connected with. Every moment should be cherished and precious to us, every hug, every kiss, every moment of eye contact we have with another, those should all be moments we cherish. We never know when our lives here on Earth are going to end, or when the dream is over. It could happen any time.

We all have goals. Some seem to be very important, others not. Often, however, we are not consciously aware of what we really want. Some of us waste our lives in a fruitless search for actualization and completion. The meditation that will be demonstrated here is one of the most powerful meditations you will ever perform. It will bring you directly to your real goals and will allow you to accomplish those goals right now. Sit back and relax. Clear your mind. Breathe deeply.

It’s easy to misinterpret periods of great growth and advancement – in our personal lives and in our world – as dark and difficult times. As times of great fear. And in the face of these fears, we can find ourselves feeling disheartened and “at odds” with our growth. But, in fact, we are never more aligned with our growth – and with our growing strength – than when we come up against our fears. Far from being a discouraging sign, our fears actually show us where we are growing … because as we grow, we will necessarily “push out” against our fears.

So you hear a little inner voice, a little "message." Or you feel an inkling, a sense that directs you this way rather than that. Is this a voice or a feeling you should follow? Is this your intuition or just an active imagination?

It's the puzzle we all face as we go about healing and restoring a wounded self-esteem. We want to value and love ourselves more completely. We certainly know the anguish when those old feelings of worthlessness creep in. We even know the areas where we're most "sensitive" and self-critical. But how on earth do we get from these wincing, self-negating feelings to feelings of self-love? How do we love ourselves when in many ways we so painfully don't?

Jason Shulman, a friend of mine and Kabbalistic healer, tells one of my very favorite stories about Zen meditation. He had gone on sesshin, a Zen meditation retreat. He was at a place in his daily meditation practice where he had come to believe that the goal of Zen meditation was to have no thoughts. So he sat on his meditation cushion in the lotus position, facing a blank white wall with his hands in the correct mudra.

We are the angels we have been looking for. We are the source of love on this planet. We are the helpers of others who are here. We are the ones who answer each other’s prayers, really. The angels aren’t outside of ourselves. We are the inca ation of angels who have come here to dream the life of a human. We are not fallen angels, we are not punished angels, and we are not “messed up” angels. We came here by choice because we are interested in the human experiment, this attempt to build a vehicle that can hold God’s consciousness, which each of us are.

Everyone is looking for “the one” who will be a partner for life. Some even feel that they are looking for a lost soul counterpart, their other half somewhere here on the earth like a needle in a haystack. Many believe that human beings are meant to mate for life. However, I am not so sure about that. I think perhaps that idea could be erroneous, and maybe it is in fact a rare contract that only happens to a few. I don’t believe the long-term “mates for life” applies to all of us.

If you are drawn to spiritual growth, you are no doubt “sensitive.” And as we pursue these paths and practices, our sensitivity will certainly grow: sensitivity to our own feelings and “energy” ... and sensitivity to the world around us. This sensitivity is of course a strength, as we need it for our compassion and for connecting with ourselves and others. It is also a great power, as we cannot hope to properly address a thing (internally or exte ally) until we become aware of it.

Life seems almost perfectly arranged to keep us guessing as to why we are here … about our role, our place, in this world. At one moment the problems of the wider world seem to call to us with the greatest urgency. In the next, these vanish as we’re called to our own urgent needs. The sublime achievements of others can inspire us, exciting our deepest aspirations – and at the same time confound us, fearing we can never approach such mastery. And when we see so many struggling to find their way, how can we feel certain of our own?

Did you know that Metaphysics is considered a “new emerging religion” by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) of the United States? Representatives of the IRS explain that they do not determine what a religion is or is not. As long as no crime is being committed, all religions are considered valid simply by saying it is a religion! Truly, this is the only way to preserve freedom of religion as the Constitution of the United States depicts. Metaphysics is also considered a “new emerging field of study” by the Department of Education. But what does Metaphysics really mean?

Lucid dreaming is like a virtual reality movie set inside your head. Lucid dreaming is the act of realizing that you are dreaming while you are still in a dream. When you realize that you are dreaming, the sky is the limit on what you can do. Have you ever fantasized about being a brain surgeon? Then lucid dreaming is your chance to do it without having to go to university for eight years. Have you ever wanted to be a gymnast? Lucid dreaming is the way you can do it without years of training and the perfect body type for such endeavors.

The secret benefits of Guided Meditation are the subtle effects that happen quietly in the background without your conscious awareness. The first term I will introduce is Homeostasis. (Just read it slowly and that is how it is meant to sound) Homeostasis is when the different systems of the body work together to regulate the optimal conditions for you internal function. And to put that more simply... It's the body striving for 'balance'. Now, the body is made up of 11 major organ systems.

If you've made the choice for a richer, more empowered life ... and your life-path seems "bumpier" than ever, please don't be discouraged. If you've been striving for greater wholeness – striving to heal a part of yourself or your life that is causing you pain – only to find yourself in greater turmoil, don't give up quite yet.

The end of the year is a very powerful time. And one that presents some unique opportunities and challenges. Along with “holiday” pressures, we must also contend with the natural shifting of “energy” that comes as we approach the close of the year. As one creative cycle ends and another begins – as it does with the turn of our calendar year – the larger energies that move us forward will need to rearrange themselves. There will be a necessary shifting of momentum.

There is a lot of ado about the movie The Secret. However, it has never been a secret! It has always been known. It is already built into your being. The Law of Attraction has always been in effect whether or not it has been named, just the same way gravity was operational long before it was named. There are many other un-named laws in the universe that are in effect as well, even though we may not be aware of them by title.

As we approach the holidays we look forward to a time of joy and happiness, to lightness and warmth. It's a season of fond memories, great anticipation … and much planning. And whereas this yearning and anticipation is quite understandable, it can also be a bit of a trap. Expecting great joy and not finding it, we may become all the more disheartened. Seeing warmth around us yet not experiencing it ourselves, we may find ourselves feeling a bit separated.

I was recently at the circus. The ring-master bellowed a terrific introduction for the next act - A man with lightning fast hands. He started by juggling 3 balls, then 4, then 5... The crowd seemed suitably impressed and responded with enthusiastic applause. 6 balls, 7 balls... Amazing! He threw each one higher and higher into the air. With his head tilted skywards he seemed to be able to keep track of them all. His busy little feet shuffled this way and that, and his hands, well yes they were fast. 8 balls... 9 balls... What skill, what a master. He made it look easy.

The first questio I’m always asked when I tell people I do Hypnotherapy is, “Does it really work?” My reply is always the same, “If you want it to”. Hypnosis is very effective if you are ready and willing for change. It can’t make you do something you don’t want to do. People forced to quit smoking don’t really want to quit, they are just doing it for someone else and really they want to smoke. Hypnosis will not help this person as they won’t allow the suggestion to work.

Living in a time of light, we will "of necessity" encounter the shadows within us and around us. It's critical we understand that this is not intended as a burden. These shadows are never meant to darken our view of ourselves or our view of the world. It's simply that our wholeness grows as we make more room for light within us. So with these encounters we are merely "extending" light into those places that light has not fully reached ... places that still hold remnants of fear or wounding.

Nothing's more frustrating than feeling like you're "spinning your wheels." There's a restlessness for action or change, but you can't seem to sustain your enthusiasm for any particular direction. Or perhaps you're facing a critical decision, a situation that DEMANDS action. You want to make the right choice, but the more you think about it, the LESS certain you become.

There's an energy dynamic common to personal healing and growth that's easy to misinterpret. It's part of the natural momentum of the healing and pattern-breaking process that can, however, lead us to believe we've relapsed when in fact we're nearer than ever to completion. If you've ever had a personal breakthrough, only to feel it slip away days later, you've experienced this dynamic. If you've ever felt discouraged and dismayed as some old negativity -- some old pattern or pain you'd recently cleared -- comes roaring back out of nowhere, you're actually right on course.

A lot of people think they know what abundance is: having a lot of money, material possessions, fame, or some sort of power. However, I am not sure that is what abundance is. I have had a little of each of those things, but I can’t say I felt abundant in those moments. In fact, those were stress inducers and some situations were actually nightmaric! So then, what is abundance…really? I have come to believe that abundance is actually in your heart, in the richness of life, in the love you are able to share with others.

Back when I started doing Buddhist meditation in the ‘70’s, it was hard to find any Buddhist books or Buddhist retreats or Buddhist meditation classes or any information of any kind at all that could help me learn a daily Buddhist meditation practice. If you started talking about the "Dalai Lama," people figured you meant some kind of restaurant featuring sandwiches for pack animals from South America. It's different now, of course. In fact, I think people have gotten a bit Buddhist meditation happy these days.

We live in a very fast, changing and often stressful world. Sometimes things happen so quickly that we don't react as fast as we want to. We might even lose our capacity to think fast, clearly and make right decisions. It's not supposed to be like that. It is important to slow down, relax and calm down our bodies and minds. Otherwise the stress will build up and this will affect our lives and our relationships in negative ways. One of the best methods to slow down, relax and

IF you feel, or believe, that your life is in such an impossible state that there is no way you can move forward from it,(without it being ovewhelmingly painful or catastrophic), take heart. It's just these kind of circumstances that often give rise to major growth. But in order to do that, you might well benefit from some positive guide lines that can help you to navigate the hard times without collapsing into fear, defensiveness or other ways of being. It's important to grow in ways that do not recreate the unwanted circumstances you're experiencing now.

When you meditate, the key is to focus on your breath because that is the only thing happening right here, right now. You may have a mantra or prayer word; you may visualize or use a guided meditation; but the key to any meditation is to be in the here and now.

Alright, let’s talk about the "E-Word," one of those combinations of letters that carries almost as much baggage as the c-word or the -word, depending, of course, on who you hang with and what country you call home. People argue about this word; they criticize it; they make up stories about it.

Once the Buddha was asked if anyone can become enlightened, even if they were not a follower of the Buddha. His answer - a resounding; "Of course!" He even went further than that. He warned about becoming attached to the religion itself, and suggested that one only use Buddhism as a raft to cross over from delusion to enlightenment. Then, just as one who has crossed a river in a raft gets out of the raft on the far shore and leaves it behind, so an enlightened person should do the same with Buddhism.

H.B.I.T.S. is more widespread than originally thought, mainly because it goes unreported. The reason for this is that on the surface, it doesn't seem to be all that serious. But as a matter of record, H.B.I.T.S. could be called the silent killer. One of the major symptoms of H.B.I.T.S. is a sudden and drastic lapse of intelligence that becomes problematic when this lapse turns into a chronic disorder.

Those who are just starting out with meditation often try to create a daily meditation practice. People regularly ask me to talk about starting a daily practice in a similar tone to how people talk about losing weight or stopping smoking. The conversation sounds like there is some habit that needs to be overcome or acquired. Maybe I'm not the best person to ask about this, because besides going to the bathroom and breathing, there isn't really anything I can think of that I do every single day.

The first thing you want to do is scream at your kids. That makes them afraid and teaches them to become pushy themselves, connecting verbal abuse with authority and influence. (Never use compassion or loving kindness - that will make girlie men out of them). If you are dead, so to speak, serious about raising a world class bully, then maltreat them as often as possible. The more maltreatment they learn to endure, the better bully they become.

As I wrote the title of this post, “Meditation and Depression,” I found myself smiling at the concept that meditation could cause depression.

Did you ever notice how life seems to be dancing all around you, full of synchronistic events which bring realizations into your consciousness? Well, it is true that you are the focus! Life is in service to your awakening. Synchronistic, coincidental events are not random. They are carefully and divinely choreographed in order to serve your spiritual unfoldment. Certain themes are played out around you that repeat over and over until you notice them.

If we at least had enough to live on and make expenses, that would be enough. And enough to pay off the house, which isn't worth much anymore. Oh, and maybe provide for our healthcare, which is going to get very expensive in the very near future, and we better pay it or they will take our house! Oh, and enough in the bank for emergencies, home repairs, vehicle replacements; and maybe some investments to stave off inflation, and maybe enough to help out our kids, and help our grandchildren with college, and an occasional holiday or vacation.

by Laura Jagla Skallerup B.S.NCTMB I used to be a procrastinator when it came to my meditation practice. There were always too many other things demanding my attention and I would put off my daily reflection. Some days I would sit here, some days I would sit there, to be perfectly honest, I did not have anywhere that really was the sacred space that inspired me. Recently, all that changed. I got a lovely, comfy zabuton. If you are like me (or maybe I am just a slow learner) e

If you were to ask me, “What is the key, essential component of happiness?” or, “What is a fundamental element of happiness? my answer would be simultaneously simple , yet very complicated. Here, I’d like to explore the fundamental element of happiness. When we “get it,” when we understand it, when we live by it, we will be happy. What is it? What is the fundamental key to happiness? Though it may seem very easy, finding the key to happiness can be one of life’s most difficult and elusive tasks; yet it is possible. It is absolutely possible.

Benefits of Wearing One Mukhi Rudraksha Beads rnA One Mukhi Rudraksha can bring you immense power, wealth, luxuries, fame, massive confidence boost and spiritual enrichment. The Vaastu of this bead often carries an auspicious sign of signifying a connection with Lord Shiva. This is the best among all other Rudraksha seeds. This is the mother of all other forms of Rudraksha. rnThe One Mukhi Rudraksha symbolizes formlessness, deathlessness , shadow less , Godhood, Supreme Truth

The Endless, or Ete ity Knot is one of the “Eight Auspicious Symbols” of Buddhism. The other seven symbols include the: Conch Shell, Lotus, Parasol, Pair of Golden Fishes, Victory Banner, and Treasure Vase. The Tibetan phrase for Endless Knot is dpal be'u, and its Sanskrit name is shrivatsa. There are several other English terms that can be used for this historic symbol, such as: the Tibetan Knot, the Mystic Dragon, the Knot of Ete ity, and the Lucky Diagram.

On one of the meditation courses I did, we sat for fourteen hours a day. During that time, there was one three-hour period when we were supposed to sit in the meditation hall on our meditation cushions without moving in any way.

Not only Kundalini Yoga, but all of yoga is really based on the seven chakra system. In this system there are seven chakra points that lie along the spine, from the base to the crown of the head, and each of these chakra points is responsible for the organs and glands situation in it's region. The chakras, though, are responsible for not just the organs and glands, but they are also responsible for our various personality traits and characteristic. Of these seven chakras, mor

There are two faces of religion; that which we profess, and that which we project. Our professed religion follows our scriptures and our beliefs and are what we declare to be our truths, our ideals. It's the talk we talk. Our projection of our religion is how we act, what we say, how we say it, and what and how we think. It's the walk we walk. For example, we might profess love, but project (openly or surreptitiously) hatefulness if someone disagrees with our religion.

At True Nature Centre spiritual life teachers Elysha and Julie Sarah Powell offer inner peace and meditation. They give the spiritual gift of realizing who you are through inspirational quotes and spiritual growth products.