When was the last time you caught a snowflake on your tongue or let snowflakes coat your eyelashes? Sound like fun?
It is!
Last weekend I was up at my favorite coffee house when it began to snow and snow hard. It was an amazing and welcomed event…until last weekend we had not seen any sign of moisture for 143 days and where I live in Arizona, snow is rare.
Not only was the snow a beautiful sight to see, but what was even more beautiful was watching 30 adults (myself included) darting in and out of the snow…catching snowflakes on our tongues and on our eyelashes, giggling and laughing like little children. The result was energizing and uplifting!!
It was then that I was reminded of how important it is to stay in touch with our child sides. (You know the part of each if us that loves to do silly things and enjoys being playful.) We all have the capability to be child-like and it is more than OK to embrace that side of yourself, letting it come out and play. Heck, it is what keeps us young and helps us to recharge our batteries.
So, can you come out and play?
I challenge you to…
have a snowball fight or make a snow angel (if you have snow)…
turn some cartwheels…
sit on the floor and play jacks…
skip down the sidewalk…
jump rope…
sing and dance in the middle of your living room…
spin in circles until you get dizzy
Whatever you choose to do, have fun, re-energize, because you deserve it!! Oh, and one more thing, try and make a play date with yourself on a regular basis. I promise you, you will be glad you did.
© 2006 - What’s Within U. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of content allowed, but must contain a link to What’s Within U (http://www.whatswithinu.com), copyright notice, and author’s name.
Pam Thomas is a personal and business development coach who supports individuals that are stuck or in transition in creating their best life. Her passion and purpose is to help others find the resources and wondrous assets within them and around them to excel, overcome obstacles and discover the amazing opportunities available. Pam understands what it takes to reach deep inside to overcome fears and anxieties in order to truly achieve the goals, dreams and desire that rests within all of us.
For more information about Pam’s work, please visit; http://www.whatswithinu.com
As we grow in awareness of who and what we are, we start to become aware of the influence of the planets and stars on the flow of our life. For thousands of years people have been aware of the subtle effect of the planets in our solar system and their influence on our moods and destiny.
Astrologers have followed the movement of the planets and their relationship to events in our life. This knowledge has led to the creating of astrology, a system to predict future events in our life from the position of the planets at our birth.
If you look into the Kabbalah system of knowledge - an ancient Jewish mystical tradition - you will see that each heavenly body is given the name of an archangel and we can call upon their influence to bring changes in our life.
Each planet is known for its qualities: Venus - the planet of Love, Mars - the planet of War, and so on. These influences set a direction, which is the natural flow of life. But it is not fixed, and in every moment of our life, we can use our free will to create our own future and destiny.
What I am bringing out is the multi-dimensional nature of being human. There are many forces interacting with our body each and every day. The energy field of our body is like a cosmic computer interpreting these influences and always aiming to reach a balance.
We can always use our free will to shape these influences and, using our imagination, create a different dream or path to follow.
You are always given a choice to go with the flow of life or create something different, something new, and flow your energies in a different way. Neither is right or wrong, they are just different paths to walk.
Lots of people use gemstones or crystals to enhance the influence of a certain planet. The chakras, the energy vortices of the body, work like radio tuners picking up the energy that is being radiated by the planets, each tuning in to its distinct frequency.
It is good now and again to just relax and let the mind and the body come to peace within themselves, either through meditation or something as simple as fishing or knitting.
As we let go of our ego controlling everything, our energies naturally find their own balance and we become more alert to these subtle influences which are permeating our environment.
As we tune in to the cosmic dance and align our energies with that, we become more in tune with these subtle influences, so they start to support and coordinate our life. We find that they are also giving the same massages to our neighbours and we notice that synchronies start to happen.
We receive the support of the whole universe in every thought, word and deed that flows from us. These synchronies are coordinated and we find that problems naturally drop away from us, as we let go of controlling through our ego. We start to be aware of the subtle energies and feelings that inspire us to action in a natural way.
Self-awareness and becoming conscious of all these subtle influences are bringing a new, deeper connection to the oneness of the energies of which we are a part. As we tune in, so we feel the peace and harmony, and life flows in a happier, more joyful way.
This is all about moving the awareness from the intellect, in the head, down to your feelings, in your heart; living your life from the love radiating from your heart in full awareness.
Message channelled by George Lockett (C) Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved. Read HealerGeorge’s Blog: Journey into the Self
Yes, I can send you absent/distant healing: this will really help. Just follow the instructions on the home page of my web site at: HealerGeorge Web Site and Distant Healing
As you make your donation you will get the opportunity to put in your personal details, so I can focus the healing directly to you.
Or ask at question at: Ask HealerGeorge
There are many energetic leeches or energetic vampires around and sometimes you may feel you need more protection. If you do need to put up a psychic shield this is one way that you can do this. I use this technique myself. I imagine that it is a light weight extremely thin titanium shield. I imagine the colors of titanium on my shield (which is blues and pinks and purples tones.) Titanium is extremely strong and durable. I next imagine that this invisible shield materializes in front of my heart and third eye and separates me from whatever energy drain I’m receiving. It could be from a specific person that is trying to intimidate me, or of a psychic energy of which I’m very aware and I don’t want any part. In my exercise when my shield comes up, I imagine that the psychic drain, or probe from them is immediately blocked.
My shield can be as long or tall as I create. If I need further protection, I can then imagine my shield is more like a thin fortress that can wrap all around me like light weight body armor. If I feel I need a bigger separation, I imagine a very thick psychic wall that is growing thicker, wider, and stronger between me and that person. I can push them back with that wall. “My space. Your space.” That need has not occurred many times but on occasion that I was traveling on a bus or in a public space and you can’t control the environment or who will want to invade your space, just because they can. They don’t have to know that you are doing anything psychically. You don’t even need to look in their direction, but if you are effective in putting up your wall, they will begin to become uncomfortable in the location that they chose near you and will begin to find another place away from you to stand. When that happens, you can back off building the thickness of your wall. You can diminish your wall if you choose or just keep your psychic shield active. Once you get the hang of this you can create a psychic shield or wall at will.
Another technique that I sometimes use is to imagine that I’m behind a one way mirror that is used in police stations. On your side you can view, but they can’t see you from behind the glass, that has a mirror on their side. However you must do what you feel is comfortable, and you must practice working with your psychic ability and also backing off. Practice putting up your shields, or walls, and folding them down again. Hone your craft. Keep asking questions, expecting guidance and making psychic adjustments. Believe me, you’ll do fine. Work with balance. You will begin to expand your abilities immediately. You will be able to manage your abilities more and more. Everything comes with practice.
Yoga Kat–aka Katheryn Hoban is a yoga teacher and Reiki Master Teacher with twelve years experience. She teaches children’s yoga ages 3-6, and 7-12 and Adults privately in NJ. She is the author the book DAUGHTER BELOVED which will come out next year. She has created a children’s affirmation CD (ages 3-6) and an affirmation CD for adults. Yoga Kat is available for speaking or writing and can be reached at katscoolcorner@yahoo.com or 201 970-9340
COMING SOON http://www.thecircleofpeace.com
- Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting. (Heavy sigh)
Would you agree that waiting is largely considered to be an inconvenience, a hassle, a problem? Well, I am boldly proclaiming that I think waiting has gotten a “bum rap.”
Today I’m going to share something totally personal with you. It’s about waiting, and how valuable the precious moments of waiting can be. As you hear my personal waiting story, I hope you will be able to relate it to your own.
From my youngest years, my larger-than-life dream was to be married to a wonderful man and have a family. I waited until after college. I waited until I went into the Navy. I waited some more. Then, I waited still longer.
Eventually I gave up on my dream. By about age 43 I decided that being single for the rest of my life could actually have many advantages. ‘Yeah, I could be single forever. I wouldn’t mind living out my years as a free, flexible, hip single lady!”
Yeah, yeah - well, maybe not so yeah. In reality, I had not given up on my dream. Deep in my heart it was still there, and I just absolutely refused to let that dream die.
Then, at the ripe old age of 44, I walked down the aisle to marry the man I’d been waiting for all those years. Doug and I were married in May of 2003, just months before I would be retiring from my 21 year career as a Naval Officer. Life was sweet. Those years of waiting were not just idle years. I’d been in training. I was being prepared. I had to wait for just the right time and just the right person. The seemingly impossible had been made possible by my Heavenly Father.
Fast forward to today, October 28, 2005. I’m waiting again. I’ve been waiting for months - 13 months to be exact. This time, I am waiting to be a Mom for the first time in my life. I am waiting to meet my daughter. She was born on the other side of the world - someplace in China. I don’t know her yet. I don’t know her name. I don’t know her age. I’m waiting for that phone call to tell me that we have a little girl who has been matched to us. She is waiting for us to fly over to China and bring her home.
I have actually come to love waiting. I love it because I have learned that each and every day of the journey has beauty, lessons, and value. Waiting for something that is big and great and worth waiting for has taught me that it’s better to
- Relax and trust - rather than be anxious over something that’s out of my control.
Do the next right thing - when what I’d rather do is throw myself on the floor and have a tantrum or crawl under the covers and do nothing.
Live life in the here and now - and not let a single hour of precious life be wasted while my mind and heart are somewhere in the future.
OK, have I totally mastered this “art of waiting”? Hey, I’m human, just like you! But, I have learned that there are gems to be discovered in each and every day if I will just open my eyes and look along my path today instead of rushing to get around the bend that lies ahead.
So, whether you are waiting on a baby girl, a wedding proposal, or a huge jump in your business productivity, don’t take your eyes off today while looking towards the future. Enjoy today, wherever you are in the process. Revel in the wait, because the time between now and then is full of possibilities!
Copyright 2005, Edi Sowers
Edi Sowers coaches women professionals who work from home and face the challenge of balancing their professional and personal priorities. Visit http://www.lifehousecoaching.com and sign up for Edi’s weekly “Blueprints for a Dream Life” where you will receive more articles, tips, and special coaching offers.
Gardening by the signs of the zodiac
The first farmers were probably the first practical astrologers. Their crops seemed to respond to the signs in the heavens and this became a convenient method of ensuring good harvests and provided a functional approach to husbandry.
Modern agriculture echoes many of these ancient principles.
Certain seasons brought changing conditions which seemed to either help or hinder the growth of crops. Each season presented different alignments in the constellations and these patterns would evolve into horticultural astrology as it is often practiced today. The following is a brief outline of the zodiacal roots of gardening by the stars and signs of the zodiac.
Pruning
It was believed that in order to insure against infestations when pruning vine crops, trees and woody growths the following formula applied. The Moon must be full in the constellations of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Sagittarius. When pruning is done during this period the plants will not suffer from parasites nor disease.
Grafting
Ancient gardeners were believers in never grafting plants or trees when the moon was waning or not visible. Decreasing moonlight or the total absence of moonlight was considered crucial in the successful propagation and grafting of all types of vegetation.
Harvesting
Crops and other plants that were to be preserved for future use were always cut while the light of the moon was decreasing. This was believed to aid in the length of time that produce could be stored without spoiling. This was especially true of timber which was to be used in construction. If wood is cut at the end of the winter and during the decline in moonlight it will be hard and durable.
Plant Regeneration
When cutting or gleaning crops and plants that produce more than one yield the moon should be waxing and in its first quarter. Also, the moon must be high in the sky at this time and in conjunction with the planets Venus or Jupiter. When this equation is followed yields will increase and new growth will be rapid.
Sowing
Sow or plant your garden when the moon is in Taurus, Virgo or Scorpio and is near Saturn. This is the time of maximum benefit for seeds and transplants which, if planted now, will grow with strength and vitality. Also, when the moon is in Libra or Capricorn it is a good time to weed your garden and trim trees and shrubs.
When to Avoid Planting
Never plant any type of vegetation when Saturn is in one of the fixed signs of the zodiac. This will cause poor crops and limited harvests. In ancient times this stellar alignment was associated with famine and death.
The Stellar Gardener
Planting and husbandry by astrological signs should be examined by any gardener as an insightful way to round out ones knowledge of horticulture. The ancients studied the natural order of things. It worked for them and it will still work for us if we care to heed these echoes from the past.
Eugene DeFazzio is the webmaster of XtraAstrology.com.
(http://www.XtraAstrology.com/)
Human beings have always been curious to know their future. Whenever someone is in difficulty and cannot easily come out of it, he wants to know whether the days of his misery will come to an end at all. And if yes, then when? When one invests a great deal of time, effort or money into some project, it is natural to wonder whether that investment will bear some fruit. There have always been people around who have successfully predicted future events. Their methods have been different - some people can simply look into the future, some use tarot cards, some draw up an astrological chart which we call horoscopes, some read the lines in the palms of people. One cannot deny that future has been accurately predicted many a times and by many a people. Each successful prediction proves that it is indeed possible to correctly predict future.
In the ancient times, astrologers were held to be in great esteem by the people. There was no difference between astronomers and astrologers. In fact, astronomy and Astrology were not considered to be two different subjects. Many will be surprised to know that most of the renowned scientists of the past, including Sir Isaac Newton, were astrologers too. In ancient India Astrology was known as “Jyotish Shastra” which included predictive Astrology as well as what we know as astronomy. Needless to say that the astrologers of that era were all great mathematicians too. An accomplished astrologer was called “Trikal-darshee” : one who could see past, present and future. It would perhaps not be an exaggeration to say that Astrology was considered to be the foremost branch of science.
Slowly over a period of time this subject came into disrepute.
How Astrology lost its exalted status?
It is a fact of life that people emulate successful, popular and respected persons. Seeing the social status enjoyed by astrologers, charlatans started masquerading as astrologers. They learnt a few tricks of the trade and started duping gullible people. It was and still is a very lucrative business. An astrologer earns money by making predictions while giving no guarantee that any of his predictions will turn out to be true. There is no money back guarantee :-). Once an astrologer sets up shop, people start coming to him in the hope that may be he will be able to foresee their future correctly. The astrologer is in a wonderful position. For example, he may make predictions about ten persons, getting only one prediction right. The nine persons, about whom he predicted wrongly, will never come back to him. But the tenth person, about which the astrologer was able to predict correctly, will not only come back to him again but also refer many other persons to him, citing personal experience. In this way, the business of an astrologer always flourishes, no matter how he himself fares in his trade. But the downside of this was that astrologers, as a group, started being seen as a lot of dubious persons like politicians of the modern age. Once such impression started gaining ground, Astrology as a subject no longer remained attractive to intelligent persons. People, who had talent, started to pursue other fields of knowledge. Over a period of time, the inevitable happened. No talent, worth its salt, chose to pursue Astrology as a vocation or a hobby and the outcome of this is for everyone to see in the present times.
There was one more very important reason for Astrology becoming one of the lesser fields of knowledge. It was the decline of India, the fountainhead of human civilization, and its loss of status as the repository of all the knowledge of the ancient world (see How India lost its Glory). The Islamic hordes, who attacked and looted India many a times and later ruled that country for hundred of years, had no respect for priceless works of art, the magnificent architecture and the other exalted areas of human endeavor. They destroyed most of the ancient temples, burnt down libraries like Nalanda and Takshshila and permanently took away innumerable books of infinite wisdom from the future generations of humanity. A great amount of recorded knowledge was lost, astrological books included. This loss proved to be irreparable, as the then Indian society became engaged in ensuring its survival and a constant struggle against the aggressors. The few people, who had some invaluable texts and scriptures with them, were hard put to preserve the remaining works of ancient sages. That is why, when one studies Astrology , he feels as if some vital links are missing. With the Hindu philosophy losing its ground it was natural that Astrology would lose its prominent place too. As the modern science developed and the scientific temperament gained ground, with the dearth of genuine astrologers, Astrology started fading into oblivion.
The criticism and The defense
Astrology is scoffed at by people for two main reasons. First, of course, is that the predictions made by astrologers often goes wrong. Secondly, if one takes his horoscope to different astrologers, they make different predictions. They even make different horoscopes given the same set of data regarding the birth of a person. These facts force people conclude that Astrology is not a science and that it is only a means to befool people for the astrologers’ benefit.
One cannot deny that the reasons cited above are valid. Nonetheless, there is some element of prejudice against Astrology which also plays some part in the denigration of this science. Let us take an example to illustrate this point.
A man falls sick due to some disease. He goes to his neighborhood doctor. The doctor advises him to go for some tests. After seeing the results of those tests and considering the patient’s symptoms, the doctor concludes that the man has contracted some particular disease say, Sickosis :-). He prescribes some medicines and the patient goes home in the hope of getting rid of the sickness as soon as possible. After taking the medicines for next two days, the patient finds that the medicines are not working the way they were supposed to work. He goes back to the doctor and the doctor changes the medicines and the person starts responding to the second set of medication immediately. Within a few days, the person is back to his old healthy self.
What would have happened if the person had not responded to that second set of medicines? Most probably he would have gone to another doctor. That doctor would have advised him to go for more tests, diagnosed his problem as per his own knowledge and experience and treated him accordingly. Again, there would have been the same probability of the patient getting rid of his disease.
So, in the end it boils down to problem of correct diagnosis. As soon as the disease is identified correctly, it can be treated successfully. The doctor’s problem is to identify the disease correctly, given the symptoms and the results of the tests conducted. In fact, he guesses the disease based on the symptoms the patient displays and to confirm his suspicions the doctor asks the patient to undergo a particular set of tests. If the doctor’s first guess is proved wrong, he suggests another set of tests to the patient aimed at confirming his second best guess of the disease.
There is one more element which may mar the chances of the patient getting better: the test results. If the lab conducting those tests makes a mistake, the doctor is bound to be misled by the results. It has also been observed many a times that even with the same symptoms and the same set of test results, different doctors may diagnose the problem differently.
The same thing, when happening in the context of Astrology , is proffered as a proof that it is not a science. When a doctor makes a mistake, his skills are blamed not the Medical Science. But if an astrologer fails, it is Astrology which is considered a pseudo-science. If doctors can arrive at different conclusions on the basis of same data, why astrologers should not be allowed to differ with each other. If you take the blood samples of the same patient to different labs, you are almost certain to find differences in their findings. If the machines built with all our scientific knowledge at our disposal make mistakes, no one denigrates modern science itself. But when it comes to Astrology, people are only too ready to dismiss it. Perhaps, by doing this, people want to prove that they have, what is called, scientific temperament.
Why Astrologers go wrong in their prediction?
Lack of knowledge: This is perhaps the foremost reason. Most of the astrologers, after learning a bit, find it difficult to resist the temptation to start making predictions. A certain percentage of their predictions do turn out to be true since they have learnt a little bit of Astrology after all. They cannot hold themselves back from showing off their half baked knowledge. Another reason if the temptation to start reaping, as soon as possible, the fruits of their efforts made in learning the subject. Once the customers start flocking to them, they lose the urge to keep learning further. Also, they are left with little spare time to make further efforts to learn more. They get too busy duping people.
Lack of Talent: In the modern times, since the pursuit of this subject is not considered very respectable, persons of genius do not take up the study of Astrology. They would rather prefer to become scientists, engineers, doctors, littérateurs, artists etc. This does not help the development of Astrology nor does it help add to the knowledge or find the missing links in this subject. Currently, there are no serious research projects related to this field. Thus this base of knowledge does not get updated.
Incorrect Data: As the very basis of Astrology is mathematical, the data such as time of birth etc. must be accurate. If this data is incorrect, the horoscope and consequently the interpretation of it is bound to be faulty. The position of cusps, house divisions, and the planetary positions at any given moment needs to be accurate too. The numerous ephemeris differ from each other so much that it seems incredible. One must follow the most accurate data (for example, from NASA) for calculations, in this age of science. Normally, astrologers tend to take the easy route, that of following some ready-reckoner sort of things, leading to inaccuracies in their calculations.
Destiny of the subject: It may so happen that the fate of the person who wants his future read, does not favor the person in knowing his future. This idea may seem far fetched but it is not. Even in modern times, with all the development of medical science, patients keep dying of fully treatable diseases. If a person is destined to die of pneumonia, he will in spite of the fact that millions of people around the world are successfully treated for it every year. If fate can play a role here why cannot it play the same role regarding Astrology.
The very nature of Future: Modern science divides the universe in two parts: known and the unknown. It is believed that whatever is unknown today, will become known tomorrow. Over a period of time, every thing will become known one day. But the enlightened sages have said that certain aspects of the existence is unknowable. These things do not belong in the domain of human knowledge. Certain aspects of future also belongs to the same domain.
Anyone, who will study Astrology with an open mind, cannot dismiss it as something without merit. It is an easy task for astrologers to correctly tell certain things about a man, such as his physical characteristics, diseases he is likely to get afflicted with, his temperament, his overall success in life in terms of money he earns or fame he achieves, the nature of his profession etc., simply by looking at his correctly drawn horoscope. It is in the matters of details and the timing of events that astrologers tend to go awry. What is needed is a fresh approach to the subject. Brilliant minds should take it up for study, correct some anomalies and misconceptions which this science has acquired over the long past. Then only this subject can regain its rightful place as a serious and important branch of knowledge.
Ashok Kumar Gupta
My friend Hugh Jeffries died. He was a wealthy man. His wealth was of the kind that you can take with you when you go. I do not know what his tangible estate measures. That is unimportant now. This I do know…his contributions to the lives of others were the true measure of his success and wealth.
He was a wise and compassionate man. He offered, in every conversation I had with him, words of encouragement and kindness. When I expressed frustration or anger, he counseled forgiveness and understanding. When I ranted about the mediocrity of people’s lives, he reminded me that every human soul is great and we cannot know the value of another’s daily contribution by their anonymity.
Hugh worked with many of the great and famous personal development teachers. He believed in me and supported my work. I took that as high praise. It was only after my ego got out of the way that I realized that Hugh believed in and supported everyone he encountered.
I think it is important to note that Hugh knew that every word and deed is a causal agent that produces effects. He lived his life accordingly. He believed that everyone has something valuable to contribute and everyone has the potential for greatness.
Each word spoken and deed enacted by Hugh is a measure of his greatness.
We may not be ever be able to know exactly what kind word saved a person’s life or what supportive gesture contributed to someone’s happiness and success.
Hugh often said that each of us could make difference in the world. It wasn’t just a philosophical statement. He set about to do that; and, he succeeded.
Hugh made a extraordinary difference in thousands of lives, who in turn will make a difference in the lives of countless others. His loss is deeply felt by all who knew him; but more importantly, his gift of himself to each of us will live on as we learn to live by his example.
Now that is a legacy, an estate to leave behind. Hugh died a wealthy man indeed.
I mourn his death. I celebrate his life.
I will always remember his smile. It was in his eyes. It overflowed out of his heart.
“That Man is a Success
Who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love of children;
Who has filled his niche
and accomplished his task;
Who leaves the world better than he found it,
whether by improved poppy, a perfect poem,
or a rescued soul;
Who never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty
or failed to express it.
Who looked for the best in others
and gave the best he had.”
—R.L. Stevenson
“We have never come at the true and best benefit of any genius so long as we believe him an original force. In the moment when he ceases to help us as a cause, he begins to help us more as an effect. Then he appears as an exponent of a vaster mind and will. The opaque self becomes transparent with the light of the First Cause.”
—R.W. Emerson
© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.
Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra’s DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.
Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.
In the modern world there is confusion regarding the role of sexuality in spirituality. Most of the time religions tend to propagate that sex and spirituality are opposite experiences. Sex is about pleasure and spirituality is about suffering. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Universe operates at at least two levels. One- that is seen by our senses and the other- an unseen level that is termed ‘spiritual’. These levels are also paradoxical in nature. One is to be seen and is factual, the other is unseen and is to be felt or experienced. There are other paradoxes in Nature too. The paradoxes of life and death, day and night, cold and heat are commonly known in daily life. The choice between the paradoxes is what makes a man confused. When the human being becomes confused then he (or she) looks into spirituality for answers. Acceptance of all paradoxes is what makes a person more spiritual than any other person.
Sex and spirituality are such paradoxical subjects. They are both necessary for leading a fulfilled life. One is at a physical level, the other is at an experiential level. Do they affect one another? Yes they do. Acceptance of both of them equally is what makes a person wiser. The common factor in both of them is that they both relax the body and the mind. In addition to giving pleasure, the sex act is an act of reproduction and it also helps involved individuals develop intimate relationships. Meditation, at an unseen level, also brings the people together in a spiritual manner. Both sex and meditation cause a reduction in body and nervous tension.
In my practice I meet people on a daily basis who are extremely stressed out. Many of them are suffering with depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. In most of them, the sexual drive is reduced. The reason for this is that their nervous system is in a chronically aroused state. It does not get any rest because the person is on the go most of the time.
When they start doing meditation or any simple breathing exercise on a regular basis, they experience their sexual drive increasing temporarily. Then they experience a waxing and waning of the drive. As their emotional distress is reduced, their sexual drive becomes more stable. With increase in meditation, their physical needs including appetite, need to exercise and spending habits become stable. People who are addicted to sex also notice a reduction in their sex drive sooner or later.
As meditation is increased, there is a remarkable reduction in sexual needs and sexual drives in individuals. It does not mean that their sexual based relationships are broken down or destroyed. They simply become less demanding of their partners. If they do not have partners, they realize that they do not need to be sexually active to live a perfectly normal life.
It is because of the ability of meditation to reduce sexual drive, that celibacy is demanded of spiritual teachers in almost all cultures. It is not that sexual act is against the core of spirituality. In almost all religions, the spiritual leaders have been married. Sexual relationships have not been discouraged in pursuit of spirituality. In many cultures it is accepted that sexual fulfillment can sometimes be a pre-requisite to a spiritual journey. According to some researchers, during orgasm and also while experiencing climax in meditation, both the nostrils of the participant/ practitioner open for breathing. At no other time in wakeful or sleep phase does it happen.
Using meditation, sexual life can be made healthier. Suppression of sexuality is not the goal of spirituality. Rising above the sexual needs is the goal.
Pradeep K Chadha is a psychiatrist who specialises in helping patients with meditation and imagery using little or no medication. He is the author of The Stress Barrier-Nature’s Way To Overcoming Stress published by Blackhall Publishing, Dublin. He is based in Dublin, Ireland. His website address is http://www.drpkchadha.com
This morning at 5:22am to 6am, I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed is an understatement considering I am still crying and it’s like 7:15am. I am at work typing away.
Kyle Maynard is what overwhelmed me.
Kyle is a congenital amputee. But that is not what is important. What is remarkable is that Kyle can do everything. Kyle is a wrestler, a model and motivational speaker. The guy is either 18 or 19 years of age. The greatest additional is that Kyle didn’t grow up in an exceptionally rich home. He was like any other kid in a normal family. But this family had a great and still has a great attitude.
As Larry King was interviewing him I couldn’t help but cry. Look at this guy who can do more than most of us and yet he has no legs nor hands…I kept muttering to myself. I thought of all the things I have said I cannot do. Things I have told myself are too hard to do. How could I have an excuse? How can I look myself in the mirror and limit that person I see? If you haven’t seen Kyle Maynard’s interview on CNN please request for it. If you want a reason never to give up, just watch Kyle.
It’s one thing to hear good stories that cause us to go ahead and live out our dreams. But I promise you that it is entirely another thing to see someone push themselves to achieve beyond human imagination. I don’t even know why they haven’t done a movie on him.
I learnt alot this morning about making it no matter what life throws at you. I learnt that God has made us stronger than we care to know. But one thing that the parents of Kyle said will stick with me for long. You know, Kyle used to be fed when he was growing up. Sometimes he used to fall on the stairs and of course someone would have to pick him up. But one day his parents realized we will not always be around him to help him. So they begun to allow him to figure out how to pick up or feed himself. And he did. Now a statement they made was this is kinda paraphrased, “We knew he had to learn to do things for himself because the world was not going to tailor things for him.” Simply said he had to learn to make the best of what he had because no one was going to stop and make room for him.
Today I wished I could take that program and take it to all the schools of the physically challenged in Kenya and to all who say they cannot make it.
I made a promise to myself this morning as I watched Larry interview Kyle…
LORD EVERYTIME I THINK I CAN’T DO SOMETHING, PLEASE REMIND ME OF KYLE.
I am just overwhelmed. If you watch Kyle you will get up and do everything that is humanly possible to accomplish your goals. And for real, you will make it. Just think of Kyle…
Writing has a way of encouraging other people. That’s why I do it…
You have a great idea. You’re really excited about it. You have all sorts of successful thoughts running through your mind. You can’t wait to tell somebody.
Watch out! Danger could be lurking on your very next move.
But you’re so excited. You blurt out your idea and then it happens…
Barf!
You’re stunned. The reaction you get is a shock. Words like - “You’ll never be able to do that!” The wind is sucked right out of your sails. “What makes you think that somebody like you will be able to do that?” Now your ship is becalmed.
So, what just happened? I’ll tell you what happened. You shared your dream with a “dream thief.” Sometimes I refer to them the “Barf Brigade.” You tell them something and they go “uughh-euwww-uughh!”
Dream thieves are people who knowingly or unknowingly tip cold water all over your bubbling enthusiasm. These are the people who can’t or won’t do anything successful themselves and take pleasure out of trying to keep everybody else down at their level. Don’t listen to them.
You can always tell a member of the Barf Brigade. First, they are classic non-achievers. Like pigeons they seek safety in numbers. They do little but they talk a lot. They are full of “reasons” to justify their excuses. Mostly what comes out of their mouths are words like “impossible” and “can’t” or “don’t” or “won’t.”
Have you got the image of somebody in mind here?
OK. What do you do?
- The simplest thing is not to tell them anything about your dreams and goals until after you have achieved them. Then, you still need to be careful. They will say things like: “I could never do that” (No. They couldn’t - because they will never try) or “You’ll never be able to keep it up” or “That will eventually get you into a lot of trouble.” I’m not talking about advice here. I’m talking about people who want to flatten your enthusiasm at every turn.
- If you live with a friend or partner or relative who continually says negative things like this it can be difficult. If practicable, you could try living somewhere else. That would remove the negative influence. But if that is not a viable option then there is only one way to fight back. Every time you get barfed on you can either block it out or, even better, replace the negative attack with some positive defense. How do you do that?
The best way to defend yourself against negative attacks is to implant your conscious and your sub-conscious with positive affirmations.
A positive affirmation is a short set of words (usually less than 100) which are inspiring and encouraging. It should be written in a pro-active voice and should contain your name so that it becomes personalized to you. You can write affirmations to assist you with exercise, smoking, weight control, achievement, money matters, employment and any other area of your life that needs improvement.
This article comes with reprint rights providing no changes are made and the resource box below accompanies it.
To learn more about affirmations you can click here. To receive a short inspirational weekly message you can click here.
