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This is just pretty darned innovative! I'm in for a set!

No more Fix-a-flat, no more air compressors, no more spare tires, no more auto jacks, no more tools rattling in the trunk. Will it reduce the price of cars? Will it reduce the cost of roadside service? Will some business' s go out of business?

Coming soon!

They have been testing these for several years now.
Resilient Tech was developing them for the military.

Amazing new tires........................

Michelin Tires... Absolutely SCARY looking...

Look for 'em in August.

These tires are made in South Carolina , USA .

SEE-THROUGH TIRES

Radical new tire design by Michelin.
The next generation of tires.
They had a pair at the Philadelphia car show.

Yes, those are 'spoke' like connections to the inner part
Of the tire from the outside tread 'wrap!' The next picture
Shows how odd it looks in motion...

Makes you wonder how the ride feels doesn't it?

These tires are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon.

The bad news for law enforcement is that spike strips will not work on these.

Just think of the impact on existing technology:

A. No more air valves..
B. No more air compressors at gas stations...
C. No more repair kits..
D. No more flats...

These are actual pictures taken at the South Carolina plant of Michelin.

Spinach Recalled in 39 States

Share AA

WebMD Health News by Lisa Habib

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

Feb. 19, 2013 -- Spinach that might have E. coli bacteria contamination is being recalled in 39 states.

Taylor Farms Retail Inc., says it is voluntarily withdrawing organic baby spinach sold in 5-ounce or 16-ounce salad trays under five brand names that have a “best by” date of Feb. 24, 2013:

• Central Market Organics
• Full Circle Organics
• Marketside Organic
• Simple Truth Organic
• Taylor Farms Organic

The spinach may be contaminated with E. coli,but the company says it knows of no one who has gotten sick. If you have this spinach, Taylor Farms says you shouldn’t eat it -- throw it away. The company does not say how E. coli might have contaminated the spinach.

The recalled organic baby spinach was sold in these states:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

More information about the affected products is available on the Taylor Farms web site or by calling the company at 855-293-9811 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting                         855-293-9811 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

View Article Sources

SOURCE:

News release, Taylor Farms Retail Inc.

© 2013 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

http://www.m.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20130219/taylor-farms-spinach-recall?ecd=wnl_day_022013&ctr=wnl-day-022013_ld-stry&mb=tyNn1z3fj3RnuEIrEvbfN@HnVev1imbCOKbWdU@xi9o=

Part 1. The Untold UFO War in Antarctica

http://youtu.be/97YkOWwUE2Y
Uploaded on 4 Jun 2007

Thank you for watching my video investigation. I believe it deserves to become a full-format movie. It took me over 200 hours to gather and study the materials. The materials are not the images you see - they are given for illustration purpose only - but the pieces of story itself. They are ALL in open, independent from each other sources accessible to public. However, in order to read them, you have to speak at least a few languages. In the meantime, it were like a puzzle. After I put the facts together, I just realized how fascinating a whole picture is. These events took place 60 years ago, but they are still able to steal the show. This story gives us the answers to greatest mysteries of our times...True origin of UFOs...Do aliens are really aliens here?.. Is it true a paradise exists within this planet?.. Earth Geophysics is not the same as we were taught at school?.. Food for thought. Keep your mind open. For serious thinkers and just for anyone who know the truth is out there...This film consists of 3 episodes. Also, besides these three, you may watch my other two videos.

Latest Hollow Earth News at my web-site:

http://holywoodmaker.googlepages.com/hollowearthgeophysics

Part 2. The Untold UFO War in Antarctica

http://youtu.be/Rn0prGhLCR8

Part 3. The Untold UFO War in Antarctica

http://youtu.be/LSd0Sm0SA7w

What they don't tell you in the plane safety demo

By George Hobica | Airfarewatchdog – Thu, Jan 31, 2013

Have you ever wondered exactly why airlines dim the lights upon landing, making you grope to find the overhead light just as you were about to finish your Koduko? (Hint: It's not to save electricity.) Or why it's so important to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others? Or what's it like jumping onto a 737's inflatable emergency slide? And just how heavy are those over-wing exit doors?

If you're a bit of an airline nerd like me, then you might have been curious. Or maybe you're the cautious kind, the kind who wants to have every possible advantage the next time there's a "Miracle on the Hudson" or if a lithiumion battery catches fire and you have to deplane in a hurry.

Well, British Airways has just the thing: the BA Flight Safety Awareness Course, a modified version of the same training that flight crews go through after they're hired and then once a year thereafter. Even if you're not the pessimistic or overly cautious type, it's a fascinating way to spend a day in London.

You get to jump down an emergency slide! And if you’ve ever wanted to pull the inflation cord on one of those airplane life vests, this is your chance. You also get to evacuate a cabin filled with smoke (it's the kind used in a theater or rock concert, but it does the trick). You'll practice the fine points of the "brace position." And best of all, you understand why some of those more obscure procedures and safety warnings are part of the flight experience.

Check those life vests

One thing they don't tell you in the typical safety demo: people take those life jackets, located under or between your seat, as souvenirs. It’s a vile and punishable offense, and while airlines do check each seat at the start of every day, a plane could make several trips in a day, during any of which a passenger could steal a life vest.

Not that it may much matter anyway. Only a small fraction of the passengers on US Airways Flight 1549 bothered to grab their life vests when Captain Sullenberger ditched his Airbus A320 into the Hudson River.

Put yours on first

You’ve heard it over and over: put on your own oxygen mask before helping those around you. But the safety demos never tell you why that’s so important. The reason? You might only have 15 or 20 seconds in the event of a cabin decompression, during which all oxygen would be sucked out of the plane (and your lungs), before you’d experience confusion and a euphoric stoned state, at which point you might forget everything you heard during the safety demo (if in fact you even listened, which you probably didn't).

In 30 to 45 seconds you'd probably pass out. So it’s important to act quickly. (I think that if the standard safety announcement explained some of these fine points, people might put down their newspapers.) Andy and Diane, our instructors, also explained what else to expect during a sudden decompression: a burning smell from the oxygen canisters, severe vibration, a rapid descent (typically a drop of 20,000 feet in just 3 or 4 minutes), and an automated announcement telling you what to expect (because, obviously, the crew would have their own masks on and wouldn’t be able to communicate with passengers).

The proper brace position

Some of the finer points of flight safety may seem particularly arcane, but there's a reason for every detail. If you’ve ever bothered, for example, to look at the safety card in the seat back pocket, you may have noticed that the correct brace position is to put your hands on your head, but not in just any slipshod fashion (and definitely not with the fingers locked together). See how the illustration shows one hand over the other? Is that just arbitrary? No as it turns out. Should something fall on you during a crash landing, you want to protect at least one hand (preferably the one you write with) because you’ll need it to unbuckle your seat belt when it’s safe to do so. Your other hand is in that position to provide some protection to your "strong" hand, which will be doing the unbuckling.

Why not fly backward?

And speaking of the brace position, wouldn't it be unnecessary, I asked Andy and Diane, if airlines oriented their seats so that everyone was flying backwards? After all, in the event of a crash landing or controlled emergency landing, there would be no need to assume the brace position if the seats didn't face forward. Isn’t that why flight attendants face backward in their jump seats? People equate rear-facing seats with trains, Andy answered. "We'd be out of business in a week," said Diane.

And why not have three- or four-point harnesses rather than seatbelts, such as those worn by flight attendants, one of my classmates asked? Aren't they safer? You've probably guessed the answer: airlines recommend keeping your seatbelt fastened whenever seated, and no one would want to wear such an uncomfortable contraption during the flight.

"Touch drills" and "muscle memory"

While your pilots are waiting for takeoff, it may surprise you that they're probably doing a safety drill -- what if this or that should go wrong on takeoff, which buttons would we push or steps would we take? So they go through the motions of various procedures, touching and even moving the controls. They call these touch drills, and Andy and Diane suggest that passengers do the same thing just before takeoff, perhaps buckling and unbuckling their seat belts three times. Sounds daft? "It's muscle memory," said Diane. "In an emergency, people panic. They think they're in their cars, and try to release the seatbelt by pushing a button rather than lifting a flap."

Indeed, as the final report of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board noted following the crash of US Airways flight 405, which landed in the water after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, "Some passengers tried to move from their seats while their seatbelts were still buckled, and other passengers had difficulty locating and releasing their seatbelt buckles because of disorientation."

Why does red mean go?

And what’s with that escape path lighting along the floor? Why would red lights indicate an exit? Shouldn’t they be green (as in go) instead?

Like taillights along the motorway in a fog, Andy explained, they’re red because they show up better in a smoke-filled cabin. And indeed it's true, as we learned when our "cabin" became a soupy fog.

Those doors are heavy

What about those emergency over-wing exit doors? How heavy are they exactly, and how easy are they to open and toss? Well, we practiced on a Boeing 737. The answer? Even for me, a fairly strapping 6-footer who goes to the gym regularly, they’re pretty heavy (40 pounds to be exact). It’s not just the weight, but maneuvering them while sitting down that's an awkward challenge.

Tip: sit way back in your seat or you’ll hit yourself on the head when the door swings down. Another tip: use your knee to rest the door and then swing it out and throw it on the wing (don’t worry, you won’t be sued for damages). I was surprised that the actual latch mechanism is so easy to engage you can do it with one finger. Even though, according to our instructors, it’s been 27 years since an over-wing exit door has had to be opened on a British Airways plane (other than in this cavernous training hangar, that is), I still feel safer now that I've done it.

The bad news is that half the people (probably more) who I see sitting in those exit rows wouldn’t have the strength to manage the door. Airlines should not sell these seats to anyone merely because they can pay the fee for the extra legroom. But don’t worry if some nut tries to open the doors in flight. They’re impossible to open owing to air pressure being much higher inside the plane than outside.

Perhaps the most macabre little tidbit

Next time you get on a plane, take note of the handles by the door, just inside the plane. What on earth are those for? Well, in a panicked emergency evacuation, when the flight attendants are manning the exit door, passengers, in their mad rush to get off, have a tendency to push them out of the way, sometimes all the way down the slide. The handles are there to make sure that the flight attendants stay on the plane if that's what they need to do.

Why don't airlines tell us all this?

I left the course thinking that more passengers would listen to the pre-flight safety demo if airlines shared some of this insider information before each flight, maybe mixing it up from time to time so that the demo doesn't bore people. On one flight, the demo might include the finer points of opening the over-wing exits. On another flight, more information about why it’s so important to put your oxygen mask on first (and quickly) before helping others. More passengers would probably do what they're told in an emergency if they knew the reasons behind these rules (and time and time again, in emergencies, passengers do not listen, do the wrong thing, and become victims).

Speaking of the whys, just why do airlines dim the cabin lights during nighttime takeoffs and landings? You guessed it: to help adjust your eyes to the dark (either inside a smoke-filled cabin or on a darkened runway). And why do some airlines ask that you keep your shoes on (except high heels, which can tear the slide) when taking off and landing?

Because the runway might be burning hot after you jump down the slide. And while it's doubtful that airlines will ever add these extra details to their pre-flight safety drills, the main thing I left the course with was a better respect for the thought that has gone into airline safety over the years, as each crash and emergency landing contributes to collective knowledge. And I have even more respect for flight attendants who, as we all know, are primarily there for no other reason than our safety.

Chest Pain in Women: Heartburn or Heart Attack?

It May Be More Than Just Severe Heartburn
By Michele Bender, Special to Lifescript

A little heartburn may come after a big, greasy meal. But could that pain be a heart attack? Recognizing the differences between the two may help save your life. Read on to learn the symptoms, risk factors and triggers of each, and how to treat and prevent them...

In the middle of dinner, you feel a sharp chest pain. Is it a heart attack – or severe heartburn?

The pain may feel similar, but the potential consequences are a matter of life and death.

Unfortunately, too often women ignore the pain, making a potentially fatal mistake.

About 12 million Americans get heartburn once a month, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. Approximately 10,000 women 29-44 years old have a heart attack each year.

“People often confuse the symptoms of a heart attack and heartburn,” says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., chief of women’s cardiac care at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and author of Dr. Nieca Goldberg’s Complete Guide to Women’s Health. “Unfortunately, they usually think they have heartburn instead of a heart attack – this can be a tragic mistake.”

Both heartburn and a heart attack cause a feeling of pressure and a gnawing or burning sensation in the chest. But that’s where the similarity ends.

A heart attack occurs when the artery walls narrow, severely reducing the flow of oxygen and blood to the heart.

Heartburn, however, has nothing to do with your heart; it's a digestive problem. Acidic liquid from your stomach backs up into your esophagus and inflames its lining.

If you’re not sure which one you’re experiencing, go to the emergency room immediately. But here are a few tips to figure out what you have and get the right treatment:

Heartburn or Heart Attack? Symptoms to Watch for

Heartburn: When you experience heartburn – or acid reflux, the backup of the stomach's contents into your esophagus – you may feel a burning in the chest, an acidic or sour taste in the mouth or a sensation that you’re full. Other people have nausea, a dry cough or sore throat.

Unlike heart attacks, heartburn symptoms are similar for men and women.

Heart attack: The image of a woman gripping her chest and falling to the floor really isn’t what happens with a heart attack.

“In fact, only half the women who have heart attacks have chest pain, which is the most common symptom for men,” Dr. Goldberg says.

Unfortunately, women’s symptoms are more subtle and easy to miss. These include:

• Pressure or burning feeling in the chest
• Unexplained, extreme fatigue
• Pain or discomfort that radiates to the arms, jaw, neck and/or back
• Nausea, dizziness and/or vomiting
• Breaking out into a cold sweat
• Shortness of breath

Still not sure which it is?

Here’s a tip: “Pain that can be reproduced by changing position, pressing over the area of pain or that can be brought on by deep breathing or coughing is unlikely to be related to the heart,” says cardiologist Elizabeth Klodas, M.D., author of Slay the Giant: The Power of Prevention in Defeating Heart Disease and spokeswoman for the American College of Cardiology.

Then again, you might not feel pain, says Mary Ann Bauman, M.D., of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign. You just may not feel like your usual self and that may be your heart talking to you.

Are you suddenly breathless while climbing stairs? It could be a sign that your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen, Dr. Bauman says.

What Are the Risk Factors?

Heartburn: Being pregnant increases your risk. In fact, almost 50% of moms-to-be get heartburn, especially in the second half of pregnancy, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.

Initially, the culprit is high levels of the hormone progesterone, which cause the muscle located between your esophagus and stomach to relax. In later months, heartburn is caused by the growing fetus pushing your stomach (and its contents) up toward your diaphragm.

Weight also plays a role.

“Obese women are six times more likely to develop heartburn than women of normal weight, but simply gaining weight has been linked to increased risk,” Dr. Goldberg says.

Additional risk factors include smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

Heart attack: High blood pressure or cholesterol levels, diabetes , family history, older age, and being a smoker and overweight can boost your risk of heart disease and, thus, a heart attack.

“If you’re at high risk for a heart attack, you need to be more cautious about the symptoms you’re experiencing, especially if they’re new,” Dr. Klodas says.

In other words, don’t shrug off unfamiliar chest pain.

What Triggers Attacks?

Heartburn: The commercials for heartburn relief are right – eating can set off the pain. Certain foods can trigger heartburn, such as chocolate, peppermint, fried or spicy foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and acidic fruits and veggies. These cause the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle to weaken, which allows acid to flow up into the esophagus.

A peek into your medicine cabinet may also reveal possible sources.

“Both prescription and over-the-counter medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, Aleve, prednisone, iron, potassium can all cause heartburn,” Dr. Bauman says.

These drugs inhibit prostaglandin, a compound that protects the stomach’s lining from its acid.

Heart attack: You won’t get much warning with a heart attack. Often, they occur after exertion, such as shoveling snow, which causes blood pressure to rise and blood vessels to constrict.

But most heart attacks come out of nowhere.

Soothing the Pain

Heartburn: Although our instinct is to lie down and rest when we hurt, don’t: That exacerbates heartburn. Being horizontal causes stomach acids to flow back up into your esophagus.

Instead, stay upright for a few hours after eating. When you’re ready to sleep, keep your head above your stomach by resting on a wedge or elevating the head of the bed.

Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on the latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!

Get the latest celebrity health news! Find out how the stars get those picture-perfect, red-carpet bodies. Tune into Lifescript’s Hollywood Health Report, every week. Only on YouTube.

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Mild heartburn symptoms can be soothed with over-the-counter antacids, such as Tums, which counteracts stomach acid.

“Some people find that drinking milk helps too,” Dr. Klodas says. But its relief is short-term: Milk may neutralize heartburn-causing acid, but its nutrients, particularly fat, will stimulate more production later.

Also, figure out which foods trigger the ‘burn, so you can avoid them.

Don’t chow down on a heavy meal before you hit the sack, eat smaller meals, quit smoking and "reduce stress because it increases stomach acid that can cause heartburn,” Dr. Goldberg says.

If you have heartburn more than twice a week, you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition characterized by chronic, persistent acid reflux.

See a doctor as soon as possible, because GERD is linked to more serious conditions, such as esophageal ulcers and bleeding, peptic stricture and Barrett's esophagus, which increases the risk of cancer. A physician can also prescribe stronger medications to reduce acid production.

Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on the latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!

Get the latest celebrity health news! Find out how the stars get those picture-perfect, red-carpet bodies. Tune into Lifescript’s Hollywood Health Report, every week. Only on YouTube.

Australia floods: Sunshine and Gold Coast covered in 'sea foam'

Tourists, residents and emergency services were left bemused by the huge swathes of foam which were whipped up by high winds and then thrown onto land in eastern Australia.

Foam fills Australian town by itnnews

This was the bizarre scene on Australia's Sunshine Coast over the weekend, where extreme weather has blanketed coastal towns with several feet of 'sea foam'.

Tourists, residents and emergency services were left bemused by the huge swathes of foam which were whipped up by high winds and then thrown onto land in eastern Australia.

Videos have emerged of cars attempting to navigate through the thick 'snow-like' sea foam in Alexandra Headland and nearby Mooloolaba.

The sea foam forms when powerful storms force water into the air before it is washed onto the beachfront.

The foam may have provided beachgoers with a unique photo opportunity, but it has also had serious consequences as local business have been affected during travel chaos.

The extreme weather has provided some spectacular images on the Sunshine Coast with foam being stirred up by the …

Onlookers said the foam reached three metres high at its peak, with emergency services urging residents and tourists to cancel all non-essential travel.

Dozens of Australians have been left stranded by severe flooding in northeast Australia in the last few days.

The extreme weather has also killed three people and affected thousands of homes.

Thousands have evacuated their homes across Queensland and neighbouring New South Wales with widespread flood warnings in the southern path of ex-tropical cyclone Oswald.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the "wild weather had broken a lot of hearts", with some Queensland residents experiencing their third flood in two years, including the devastating 2011 inundation which killed 35 people.

Worst of Queensland flooding still to come
http://www.3news.co.nz/Worst-of-Queensland-flooding-still-to-come/tabid/313/articleID/284707/Default.aspx
By Alex O'Hara
Reporter

Thousands of homes have been flooded by torrential rain in eastern Australia, and more rain and high winds are expected in Queensland and New South Wales.

Four people are reported to have been killed, including a three-year-old boy who was hit by a falling tree in Brisbane.

Officials are preparing for another day of evacuations after the Burnett River in Brisbane burst its banks.

Flood waters swept through homes in Ipswich in just half an hour, and residents used containers and canoes to save their belongings.

More than 2000 homes are underwater in the worst-affected city of Bundaberg, but that's not the most immediate concern for residents, who are just desperate to leave the area.

Bundaberg, in Queensland, has been hit the hardest by floods (AAP)

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Worst-of-Queensland-flooding-still-to-come/tabid/417/articleID/284707/Default.aspx#ixzz2JJ2rltNY

Many buildings in the region were destroyed in the floods two years ago, now locals are trying to save them from another flood.

The Gold Coast was spared major flooding - but there is plenty of damage as roofing was ripped off and boats driven ashore.

Further up the country in Queensland's Sunshine Coast, sea foam 3m deep covered streets and walk ways, whipped up by huge waves.

There was enough to almost cover a bus, and to completely cover a car.

Queensland premier Campbell Newman is urging residents to prepare for the worst in the coming days, with the Brisbane River set to peak at midday today.

3 News

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Worst-of-Queensland-flooding-still-to-come/tabid/417/articleID/284707/Default.aspx#ixzz2JJ2khVtT

Thousands urged to evacuate as Queensland floodwaters rise
http://www.3news.co.nz/Thousands-urged-to-evacuate-as-Queensland-floodwaters-rise/tabid/313/articleID/284687/Default.aspx?ref=vid_2012-11-22

With floodwaters rising in Queensland, 5000 Bundaberg residents are being urged to get out now – or risk their lives.

So far three people have died after being caught in the rushing water, and now a mandatory evacuation warning is in place after the Burnett River broke its banks.

An elderly man was washed out to sea when he went to check on his yacht in southeast Queensland. His body was recovered yesterday.

Today another two bodies were recovered, including that of a motorcyclist who was swept away whilst crossing a bridge.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan says Bundaberg is one area which may be hit harder than it was in 2011.

“I’m told by people up there that this is likely to be the worst in the history, in terms of the level of the river – and that is posing some very special challenges up in that region.”

Currently 225,000 Queenslanders are without power, with the Bremer River and the Brisbane River also expected to cause major problems overnight.

Emergency responders are said to be extremely frustrated at needless rescues caused by people driving through floodwaters or going outside to watch rising rivers.

Deputy State Emergency Services Commissioner Steve Pearce says they've received more than 700 calls for help, and in some cases, rescuers are being forced to put their lives on the line because of foolish behaviour.

“The majority of flood rescues are [of] people attempting to drive through flooded roadways or causeways – so it’s people just rolling the dice, which is really concerning obviously,” he says.

Helicopters are scrambling to rescue those stranded on car roofs and houses, while 1200 properties are flooded in the east coast city of Bundaberg, 385km north of the state capital Brisbane. Most parts of the city are expected to be underwater at some stage.

Deputy Mayor David Batt told ABC Radio on Monday that hundreds of people need to be evacuated from their homes.

Queensland State Premier Campbell Newman says emergency crews are trying to rescue 30 people trapped on roofs in city.

In Ipswich, around 40km west of Brisbane, Mayor Paul Pisale is bracing for the worst, saying that after the deadly 2011 floods it's a case of déjà vu.

“I know I’m finding it very hard to deal with the emotional stress this morning, just talking with people,” he says.

“They’ve worked their guts out to get to this situation and now [ex-cyclone] Oswald’s come around and just kicked them in the guts – it’s very, very hard emotionally for me to feel, as you can imagine, what my community’s feeling at the moment.”

While the water peak is not expected to reach the levels seen in the devastating Queensland flood two years ago, 5000 homes are expected to be inundated.

The tail end of ex-cyclone Oswald is due to hit Sydney tonight.
RadioLIVE / AP

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Thousands-urged-to-evacuate-as-Queensland-floodwaters-rise/tabid/417/articleID/284687/Default.aspx#ixzz2JJ3ffVyp

Being in love is a wonderful thing.

Everyone needs and deserves to feel that kind of love from both sides -- to love and be loved.

But love can be complicated these days . . .

Well, I suppose it may have always been at least a little complicated, but it's often more complicated in this modern age, because our lives are more complicated now.

And even when we are in love, it can be a challenge to make a relationship work in ways that are satisfying to both partners.

A recent poll of couples reported that only 30% consider themselves to be even "semi-happy."

That seems like a terrible shame, to have found a mate who feels like the right person for you, and still not be fulfilled in the relationship.

But this is a problem that has many solutions, and my wonderful friend Arielle Ford has gathered together 50 experts she thinks have discovered quite a few of them. And now, to celebrate the promise and possibility of the new year, she wants to share them all with you.

Announcing The Art of Love Relationship Series << A No-Cost Online Event

If you don't already know Arielle, she is the bestselling author of The Soulmate Secret and Wabi Sabi Love, as well as a genuine love ambassador to the world who has been known to put together extraordinary love-focused events in the past, and is always trying to outdo herself.

And in classic Arielle style, your cost for this incredible 10-day, relationship-boosting event is exactly . . . nothing.

Join her here to share in the experience:

The Art of Love Relationship Series << Join Arielle Here

Starting on Tuesday, February 12th, you are invited to be part of these 10 days of life-changing focus on creating the loving and authentic partnership of your dreams.

Here are just a handful of the 50 love and relationship experts you'll hear from during the series: John Gray, Harville Hendrix, Marianne Williamson, don Miguel Ruiz, Alison Armstrong, Jack Canfield, Katherine Woodward Thomas, Gay Hendricks, Katie Hendricks, Arielle Ford, Craig Hamilton, Claire Zammit, Debbie Ford, my good friend Jean Houston, and . . . me (though I am anything but an "expert" on relationships, I have been told some wonderful things in my conversations with God about "Making Love a Spiritual Journey").

The whole Art of Love Relationship Series has been designed to help singles preparing for love, as well as couples who want to deepen their connection to each other, improve their intimacy skills, learn immediate and productive conflict resolution, and so much more.

Register Now and Reserve Your Spot for the No-Cost Art of Love Relationship Series

And Arielle has added another fun new twist to this event:

For a limited time, when you register you'll receive an exciting"GIFT BAG," giving you INSTANT ACCESS to 6 powerful audio/video seminars and eBooks containing wisdom from respected experts, including Dr. Diana Kirschner, Alison Armstrong, Dr. Sheri Meyers, Dr. Tammy Nelson, Susie & Otto Collins, and Harville Hendrix, Ph.D. & Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph.D.

PLUS you'll also have the opportunity to be placed into a drawing to win one of FOUR iPod Nanos pre-loaded with all The Art of Love Relationship Series seminars for you to listen to anytime you want.

Winners will be announced throughout the 10-day series.

Register for the NO-COST Art of Love Relationship Series here << get immediate access to the bonuses and enter to win one of the fully loaded Art of Love iPod Nanos

I hope to "see" you there!

Love,

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One February Morning in Vietnam
by Eugene Hilderbrandt

It was another morning in Chu Lai, Vietnam -- a large and ugly army base where I was. One February morning, as I avoided the mud puddles in my morning duty, I found myself standing on top of a drive-up ramp.

Looking through the mists toward distant purple mountains, I suddenly became aware that I WAS those mountains and they were me. The now perfect little mud puddles were as much me as my fingers. The olive drab trucks, the concertina wire, the things that had always possessed a negative connotation in my mind were simply ... man's folly!

Another GI, whom I barely knew, walked across the compound and I experienced a love beyond words for him, a realization that he was me wearing his own personal disguise. I was immersed in this joy that I had never even heard of -- no separation from anything or anyone, no judgment of the world around me. Later, when I attempted to explain what I'd experienced with words, the only word that came close was one-ness.

Less than 2 weeks later, I was at LZ Bronco and was looking through a meager dozen or so collection of books left by earlier tenants and I saw this curious title, "The Book ... on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are" by Alan Watts. When he began describing the experience I recently had, it triggered the experience again, only this time as I immediately tried to hold on to it, to keep it, it dissolved, like quick-silver through my fingers.

A few months later, as I prepared to return "to the world" -- America -- I thought, "Okay, I now know some important truths. Life will be easier, more simple." Instead, it has become more challenging than ever. But those experiences changed this Southern Baptist bred Okie for life. I am thankful every day for the grace that I received that February morning along with the realization that this beautiful state of being belongs to every single being of every color, culture or persuasion on earth.

Although I have pursued, even lusted after the Oneness experience I'd had, like a donkey chasing a carrot on a stick, I have slowly and painfully come to realize that only through knowing and then having the compassion to love myself just as I am and accepting completely this wonderfully terrible world just as it is, will I be able to open my heart to the state that is always there, that makes the pain and the fear of self-discovery so worth the journey I'm on.

--Eugene Hilderbrandt

Lady Diana Ghost at prince william wedding.
http://youtu.be/3Z0F2Y8HRDs

Woman walked through a ghost in Japan

http://youtu.be/B_cKDdpRn24

Practicing Acceptance

Which is harder: Accepting the situation you are in, or fighting it?

BY: Brandi-Ann Uyemura

I think one of the greatest obstacles we grapple with is learning how to accept what is instead of moaning and groaning about what we don’t have.
It’s like we’re sitting there one hand full of riches and the other hand open full of potential. But we don’t see it. Nope. We’re too focused on the fact that the other hand is empty and not filled yet.
“Why oh why is it not filled yet?,” we ask.
It causes us to transform back into our 2-year-old selves, throwing punches to the air, crying out for all the things we deserve to have, but don’t. Praying about how much we need it, how much better our lives would be with it. And there we are so focused on our poor, wounded souls that we neglect the jewels that fill us, surround us and already make us whole.
If you ever need to be reminded of that, check in with your nearest and dearest furry child. Notice how they seem utterly forgetful about all the mishaps you do. Analyze how a mere treat, a pet on the head or a cuddle could make them silly with joy. See how they seem to pass up the chance to moan about their loss sibling that you had to adopt them away from or the fact that they don’t have a mate, kids or even anyone that even slightly resembles them. They just move on.
Accepting your situation can feel hard. It can be like welcoming an uninvited guest or settling for less.
But it’s not.
Learning how to accept whatever you’re going through and wherever you are is a gift.
It’s about returning to a state of vulnerability in realizing you have less control over life than you think. And that is okay.
It’s about loosening your grip over the outcome and opening your heart up to possibility instead of forced intention.
It’s about seeing your life as a large red carpet unfolding in front of you instead of a predetermined path.
It’s about releasing the rigidity of adulthood that sometimes tricks us into believing we know everything.
It’s a lesson in gratitude for what you have instead of what you still haven’t received.
It’s a muscle being flexed to exercise resiliency.
It’s a reminder that the events of your life ebbs and flows like waves. No matter what you’re going through it will not always be this way.
More importantly, it’s about relinquishing the need to know what’s next. It’s about continuing to relax and release when we feel the need to grasp on harder. It’s about giving up our ego and just letting things be.
Acceptance isn’t easy.
But if we let go into the wave of difficulty rather than force our way through it, we will find the ride much easier. And almost always it will take our breath away.
Make sure to follow Brandi-Ann Uyemura's Happy Haven blog!

http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Articles/Practicing-Acceptance.aspx?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=10&ppc=&utm_campaign=Inspiration&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=yahoo.co.uk

The alien face is seen in the aurora Northern Lights sky (Caters)

Yahoo! News UK -

We may finally have proof that there are aliens among us.

Using a complicated system unknown to us humans, aliens appear to have managed to beam their image onto the spectacular Northern Lights sky.

The photographer was shocked on his return home to see the image of the green faced alien in his pictures of the aurora Northern Lights.

Landscape photographer Iurie Belegurschi captured the image by accident in the Reykjanes peninsula of Iceland.

On a clear night on September 8, Belegurschi stayed up all night and waited to watch the aurora Northern Lights dance in the sky.

He said: "I didn't see the alien face during shooting, but when I came home I checked my photographs on the computer and I saw it! It's unbelievable, I couldn't believe my eyes."

"I can't describe with words what I feel when I see the Northern lights, but in my opinion it is the most amazing phenomenon we can witness.

"I wish everybody could see it at least once in their life."

But don't expect to see aliens if you do venture out to the remote area.

Self-taught Iurie moved to Iceland in 2006 to follow his biggest passion, the Northern Lights.

He is now waiting for the solar max in 2013-2014 to capture more aurora activity - with or without aliens.

DailyOm – Stepping Stones

April 6, 2011
Stepping Stones

One Day at a Time

Our lives are made of stepping stones, one experience after another in perfect and divine order.

The years of our life do not arrive all at once; they greet us day by day. With the descent of each setting sun, we are able to rest our heads and let the world take care of itself for a while. We may rest assured throughout the night, knowing that the dawn will bring with it a chance to meet our lives anew, donning fresh perspectives and dream-inspired hopes. The hours that follow, before we return to sleep once more, are for us to decide how we want to live and learn, laugh and grow. Our lives are sweeter and more manageable because we must experience them this way: one day at a time.

Imagine the future stretching out before you and try to notice if you feel any tension or overwhelm at the prospect of the journey still to come. Perhaps you have recently made a lifestyle change, like beginning a new diet or quitting smoking, and the idea of continuing this healthy new behavior for years seems daunting. Maybe you have started a new job or are newly married and can feel an undercurrent of anxiety about your ability to succeed. If you can shift your focus from what may happen years down the line and return it to the day that is before you right now, you may find a measure of calm and renewed confidence in your capabilities. You may also discover an inner faith that the future will take care of itself.

The way we show up for our lives today and tomorrow has an enormous affect on who we will be and what we will be experiencing years from now. If we can remain fully engaged in the day at hand, enjoying all it has to offer and putting our energy into making the most of it, we will find that we are perfectly ready and capable to handle any future when it arrives.

DailyOm – A World in Confusion

April 7, 2011
A World in Confusion

Cultivating Inner Clarity

If we can locate the stillness at the center of our hearts, we can find composure in almost any situation.

People who maintain their sense of calm when things around them are in a state of flux and confusion are always wonderful to be around. We feel calmer just being near them, as if they have activated our own sense of inner peace. From them we learn that we can be calm, even when everything around us is in turmoil, because we know that no matter what happens, this inner sense of calm will help us to function well. Often, times of confusion are the times that enable us to find that part of ourselves that knows how to cope, and how to be a light to others in the storm.

If we allow ourselves to be thrown off balance by every piece of disturbing news that comes our way, we may be relying too much on our emotions. On the other hand, our thoughts may also be unreliable at times like these, as they chatter on endlessly about what might happen next. If our feelings and thoughts activate one another in a hectic way, then we become caught up in the confusion that surrounds us. However, if we can locate the stillness at the center of our hearts, we can find composure in almost any situation. In addition, we provide a safe place for our friends and family, who are also prone to taking on the confusion of a world in flux.

It helps to remember that we don’t need to completely understand what’s happening right now, nor do we need to be able to predict the future. Most of us just want to find our way to being at peace with whatever happens, and we can find this peace inside. Cultivating our inner clarity with meditation, journaling, and reading words that inspire us, will lead us to that place inside us that’s already there, just waiting.

DailyOm – Underneath the Noise

April 8, 2011
Underneath the Noise

Hearing the Whisper

Sometimes it is the softness of a whisper that is needed the most.

You may have noticed that if you want to speak to someone in a noisy, crowded room, the best thing to do is lean close and whisper. Yelling in an attempt to be louder than the room’s noise generally only hurts your throat and adds to the chaos. Similarly, that still, small voice within each of us does not try to compete with the mental chatter on the surface of our minds, nor does it attempt to overpower the volume of the raucous world outside. If we want to hear it, no matter what is going on around us or even inside us, we can always tune in to that soft voice underneath the surrounding noise.

It is generally true that the more insistent voices in our heads delivering messages that make us feel panicky or afraid are of questionable authority. They may be voices we internalized from childhood or from the culture, and as such they possess only half-truths. Their urgency stems from their disconnectedness from the center of our being, and their urgency is what catches our attention. The other voice that whispers reassurances that everything is fundamentally okay simply delivers its message with quiet confidence. Once we hear it, we know it speaks the truth. Generally, once we have heard what it has to say, a powerful sense of calm settles over our entire being, and the other voices and sounds, once so dominant, fade into the background, suddenly seeming small and far away.

We may find that our own communications in the world begin to be influenced by the quiet certainty of this voice. We may be less inclined to indulge in idle chatter as we become more interested in maintaining our connection to the whisper of truth that broadcasts its message like the sound of the wind shaking the leaves of a tree. As we align ourselves more with this quiet confidence, we become an extension of the whisper, penetrating the noise of the world and creating more peace, trust, and confidence.

DailyOm – Other People’s Agendas

April 19, 2011
Other People’s Agendas

Appreciating Suggestions

Other people may have their own agenda for our life; we can value their input but we don’t have to take it to heart.

As children, our parents had dreams for us. They wanted us to do well in school, and to do whatever was necessary to reach our highest potential. Later in life, friends may try to set us up with their idea of the perfect partner or the perfect job. Spouses may have agendas for us, too. People close to us may have ideas about how we should live our lives, ideas that usually come from love and the desire for us to be happy. Other times, they come from a place of need within them—whether it is the parent who wants us to live out his or her dreams or the friend or spouse who wants us to play an already-defined role. Whatever the case, we can appreciate and consider those people’s input, but ultimately we must follow our own inner guidance.

There may come a time when all the suggestions can become overbearing. We may feel that the people we love don’t approve of our judgment, which can hurt our feelings. It can interfere with the choices we make for our lives by making us doubt ourselves, or filling a void with their wishes before we’ve had a chance to decide what we want. It can affect us energetically as well. We may have to deal with feelings of resistance or the need to shut ourselves off from them. But we can take some time to rid ourselves of any unnecessary doubts and go within to become clear on what we desire for ourselves.

We can tell our loved ones how much we appreciate their thoughts and ideas, but that we need to live our own lives and make our own decisions. We can explain that they need to let us learn from our own experiences rather than rob us of wonderful life lessons and the opportunity to fine-tune our own judgment. When they see that we are happy with our lives and the path we are taking to reach our goals, they can rest assured that all we need them to do is to share in our joy.

DailyOm – A Dynamic Choice-Maker

April 20, 2011
A Dynamic Choice-Maker

Accepting Yourself

There is no such thing as a good person or a bad person; simply choices and actions that lead us in different directions.

There is no such thing as a good person or a bad person. There are choices and actions that lead us in different directions, and it is through those choices and actions that we create our realities. Sometimes we choose or do something that takes us in the opposite direction of the reality we want to create for ourselves. When we do this, we feel bad—uneasy, unhappy, unsure. We might go so far as to label ourselves “bad” when a situation like this arises. Instead of labeling ourselves, though, we could simply acknowledge that we made a choice that lead us down a particular path, and then let it go, forgiving ourselves and preparing for our next opportunity to choose, and act, in ways that support our best intentions.

Many of us experienced childhoods in which the words good and bad were used as weapons to control us—you were good if you did what you were told and bad if you didn’t. This kind of discipline undermines a person’s ability to find their own moral center and to trust and be guided by their own inner self. If you were raised this way, you may find yourself feeling shockwaves of badness when you do something you were taught was wrong, even if now you don’t agree that it’s bad. Conversely, you may feel good when you do what you learned was right. Notice how this puts you in something of a straitjacket. An important part of our spiritual unfolding requires that we grow beyond what we learned and take responsibility for our own liberation in our own terms.

You are a human being with every right to be here, learning and exploring. To label yourself good or bad is to think too small. What you are is a decision-maker and every moment provides you the opportunity to move in the direction of your higher self or in the direction of stagnation or degradation. In the end, only you know the difference. If you find yourself going into self-judgment, try to stop yourself as soon as you can and come back to center. Know that you are not good or bad, you are simply you.

DailyOm – Spreading Your Light

April 21, 2011
Spreading Your Light

How You Affect Others Daily

Everything we do or say has the potential to affect the whole; imagine how powerful that is.

As the pace and fullness of modern life serve to isolate us from one another, the contact we do share becomes vastly more significant. We unconsciously absorb each other’s energy, adopting the temperament of those with whom we share close quarters, and find ourselves changed after the briefest encounters. Everything we do or say has the potential to affect not only the individuals we live, work, and play with but also those we’ve just met. Though we may never know the impact we have had or the scope of our influence, accepting and understanding that our attitudes and choices will affect others can help us remember to conduct ourselves with grace at all times. When we seek always to be friendly, helpful, and responsive, we effortlessly create an atmosphere around ourselves that is both uplifting and inspiring.

Most people rarely give thought to the effect they have had or will have on others. When we take a few moments to contemplate how our individual modes of being affect the people we spend time with each day, we come one step closer to seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. By asking ourselves whether those we encounter walk away feeling appreciated, respected, and liked, we can heighten our awareness of the effect we ultimately have. Something as simple as a smile given freely can temporarily brighten a person’s entire world. Our value-driven conduct may inspire others to consider whether their own lives are reflective of their values. A word of advice can help others see life in an entirely new fashion. And small gestures of kindness can even prove to those embittered by the world that goodness still exists. By simply being ourselves, we influence other’s lives in both subtle and life-altering ways.

To ensure that the effect we have is positive, we must strive to stay true to ourselves while realizing that it is the demeanor we project and not the quality of our wondrous inner landscapes that people see. Thus, as we interact with others, how we behave can be as important as who we are. If we project our passion for life, our warmth, and our tolerance in our facial features, voice, and choice of words, every person who enters our circle of influence will leave our presence feeling at peace with themselves and with us. You never know whose life you are affecting, big or small. Try to remember this as you go out into the world each day.

DailyOm – Words of Wisdom

April 22, 2011
Words of Wisdom

Affirmations

Our minds accept as truth the critical statements we tell ourselves, but it can also accept our positive affirmations.

The words we speak and think hold great sway over the kind of life that we create for ourselves. Many people live their lives plagued by negative thoughts and never even realize this. They tell themselves and others that they are doomed to fail, not good enough, or not worthy of love, yet they are amazed when their reality starts reflecting these words. Just as the subconscious mind accepts as truth the critical statements we tell ourselves, however, it is also equipped to instantly accept the veracity of our affirmations.

Affirmations are statements chosen and spoken consciously. Once they enter our realm of consciousness, they also enter our subconscious mind where they have the power to change our lives. The affirmations you create should be specific, not too long, worded positively, formed in complete sentences, and spoken in the present tense as if what you are affirming is already true. It is a good idea to repeat your affirmations daily. You may want to tell yourself that you deserve to be happy or that you are in control of your destiny. Or, you may want to focus on a particular goal, such as attracting new friends. Rather than telling yourself you want to be well-liked, say, “I am well-liked.”

Your subconscious mind will pick up on these positive messages, and you will begin to live your life as if what you are affirming already has happened. Soon, your reality will begin to reflect your affirmations. If you find that you are thwarting yourself with negative thinking, try repeating ! your affirmations several times a day. Write your affirmations down and say them aloud or in your mind. Allow your conviction to grow stronger each time you say your affirmations, and your negativity will be overridden by your motivation and positive thoughts.

Affirmations are a powerful tool for creating our desired reality. We consciously and subconsciously invite opportunity into our lives when we say affirmations. Trust in the power of your affirmations, and you will very quickly create what you have already stated to be true.

DailyOm – Seasons of Beauty

April 25, 2011
Seasons of Beauty

Aging Gracefully

As we cultivate our life, our beauty becomes as much about what we are creating and doing as it is about our appearance.

We tend to associate youth with beauty, but the truth is that beauty transcends every age. Just as a deciduous tree is stunning in all its stages—from its full leafy green in the summer to its naked skeleton during winter and everything in between—human beings are beautiful throughout their life spans.

The early years of our lives tend to be about learning and experiencing as much as we possibly can. We move through the world like sponges, absorbing the ideas of other people and the world. Like a tree in spring, we are waking up to the world. In this youthful phase of life, our physical strength, youth, and beauty help open doors and attract attention. Gradually, we begin to use the information we have gathered to form ideas and opinions of our own. As we cultivate our philosophy about life, our beauty becomes as much about what we are saying, doing, and creating as it is about our appearance. Like a tree in summer, we become full, expressive, beautiful, and productive.

When the time comes for us to let go of the creations of our middle lives, we are like a tree in autumn dropping leaves, as we release our past attachments and preparing for a new phase of growth. The children move on, and careers shift or end. The lines on our faces, the stretch marks, and the grey hairs are beautiful testaments to the fullness of our experience. In the winter of our lives, we become stripped down to our essence like a tree. We may become more radiant than ever at this stage, because our inner light shines brighter through our eyes as time passes. Beauty at this age comes from the very core of our being—our essence. This essence is a reminder that there is nothing to fear in growing older and that there is a kind of beauty that comes only after one has spent many years on earth.

DailyOm – An Invitation to Love

April 27, 2011
An Invitation to Love

Angel Meditation

A meditation with your angels can provide a new gentleness into your normal meditation routine.

Though your host of spirit guides encompasses many diverse beings, all of which willingly watch over you, meditating with angels can be a uniquely insightful experience. The angels stationed at your side are both powerful and knowledgeable—they possess a limitless understanding of your needs and desires, your strengths and weaknesses, and your purpose. However, angels take an active part in our lives only when invited to do so. Meditation allows you to make contact with your angels and lovingly request that they participate actively in your day-to-day life.

To begin, retreat to a solitary place where you won’t be distracted by concerns. Incense and candlelight may aid you in achieving a meditative state but are not necessary. However, laying an image of an angel, angel statue, or item symbolizing your angels before you can focus your thoughts. Sit comfortably, breathe deeply, and let yourself relax. When you feel peaceful, invite your angels from the highest of light to sit with you as you meditate. Mentally repeat your request and reiterate that this time together is important to you. Then, in your mind’s eye, visualize a bright-white light floating above you. As you breathe, draw this light first into the crown of your head and then into the whole of your physical self. Allow this light to spread through your arms and hands, your core, and your lower body. Repeat this integration of illumination with a violet light.

Once again, ask your angels to be with you. Let the stillness surrounding you enter your soul, and open your heart to your angel guides. If they wish to communicate a message, they will do so now. Allow them to wrap their wings around you and infuse you with their bountiful love. Breathe them in as you did the light. As the meditation draws to a close, you may feel a presence, fluttering wings, or billowing fabric, or you may see an angel in your mind’s eye. Thank them for providing you with love and light, and being with you as you meditated. If you don’t sense or feel anything, there is no cause for worry—you can be certain your angels are with you. Don’t be surprised if you start to see signs throughout the day that your angels are near, perhaps a feather at your doorstep. As you practice this meditation, you will become increasingly adept at recognizing when your angels are near and sensing their presence.

DailyOm – Unblocking the Ally
April 28, 2011
Unblocking the Ally

Habitual Anger

Anger can easily become our go-to emotion; to remedy, start noticing when and why you get angry.

Sometimes when we feel anger, it is coming from a deep place that demands acknowledgment and expression. At these times, it is important that we find healthy ways to honor our anger, remembering how dangerous it is to repress it. However, anger can also become a habit, our go-to emotion whenever things go wrong. Often this is because, for whatever reason, we feel more comfortable expressing anger than we do other emotions, like sadness. It can also be that getting angry gives us the impression that we’ve done something about our problem. In these cases, our habitual anger is inhibiting both our ability to express our other emotions and to take action in our lives.

If it’s true that anger is functioning this way in your life, the first thing you might want to try is to notice when you get angry. You might begin to see a pattern of some kind. For example, you could notice that it is always your first response or that it comes up a lot in one particular situation. If the pattern doesn’t become clear right away, you could try keeping a journal about when you get angry and see if you can find any underlying meaning. The good thing about keeping a journal is that you can explore your anger more deeply in it—from examining who in your family of origin expressed a lot of anger to how you feel when you encounter anger in others. This kind of awareness can be a formidable agent of transformation.

Anger can be a powerful ally, since it is filled with energy that we can harness and use to create change in the world. It is one of the most cathartic emotions, and it can also be a very effective cleanser of the emotional system. However, when it becomes a habit, it actually loses its power to transform and becomes an obstacle to growth. Identifying the role anger plays in your life and restoring it to its proper function can bring new energy and expansiveness to your emotional life.

DailyOm – An Invitation to Love

April 27, 2011
An Invitation to Love

Angel Meditation

A meditation with your angels can provide a new gentleness into your normal meditation routine.

Though your host of spirit guides encompasses many diverse beings, all of which willingly watch over you, meditating with angels can be a uniquely insightful experience. The angels stationed at your side are both powerful and knowledgeable—they possess a limitless understanding of your needs and desires, your strengths and weaknesses, and your purpose. However, angels take an active part in our lives only when invited to do so. Meditation allows you to make contact with your angels and lovingly request that they participate actively in your day-to-day life.

To begin, retreat to a solitary place where you won’t be distracted by concerns. Incense and candlelight may aid you in achieving a meditative state but are not necessary. However, laying an image of an angel, angel statue, or item symbolizing your angels before you can focus your thoughts. Sit comfortably, breathe deeply, and let yourself relax. When you feel peaceful, invite your angels from the highest of light to sit with you as you meditate. Mentally repeat your request and reiterate that this time together is important to you. Then, in your mind’s eye, visualize a bright-white light floating above you. As you breathe, draw this light first into the crown of your head and then into the whole of your physical self. Allow this light to spread through your arms and hands, your core, and your lower body. Repeat this integration of illumination with a violet light.

Once again, ask your angels to be with you. Let the stillness surrounding you enter your soul, and open your heart to your angel guides. If they wish to communicate a message, they will do so now. Allow them to wrap their wings around you and infuse you with their bountiful love. Breathe them in as you did the light. As the meditation draws to a close, you may feel a presence, fluttering wings, or billowing fabric, or you may see an angel in your mind’s eye. Thank them for providing you with love and light, and being with you as you meditated. If you don’t sense or feel anything, there is no cause for worry—you can be certain your angels are with you. Don’t be surprised if you start to see signs throughout the day that your angels are near, perhaps a feather at your doorstep. As you practice this meditation, you will become increasingly adept at recognizing when your angels are near and sensing their presence.

DailyOm – Messengers of Direction

April 29, 2011
Messengers of Direction

Animals in Nature

Animals in nature always have a message for us, start noticing what animals show up in your life and when.

Animals share our planet with us, but experience it differently—each has its own abilities and gifts that allow them to interact successfully with the natural world. Since we are merely one manifestation of the universe’s energy in action, when we feel the need for direction we can turn to animals in nature for guidance. Animals can show us different ways to approach and deal with our challenges.

As we hold a question in mind, we can begin to pay attention to the animal activity around us. Staring out a window we may notice a bird soaring high in the sky, showing us how to look at our situation from a greater distance. If we don’t get an immediate answer, we can remember that the universe has its own perfect timing that doesn’t heed the ticking of the clock. Instead, we can release our question into the universe’s care, and then trust that an animal messenger will carry inspiration our way. In the meantime, we align ourselves with the universe’s rhythm—opening, humbling ourselves, and shifting our perceptions so that at the perfect time we will be ready. Then, even weeks later, the sight of a small bird hopping from branch to branch may signal for us to use a talent other than our greatest strength and to take small leaps rather than fly over details. A squirrel bounding across an open expanse of grass to stash its latest prize may remind us to check our favorite hid! ing places for forgotten treasure. Even if we don’t see actual animals, their representations may hold messages; whether we see them in a shape in the clouds, a picture, or a show on television, their symbolic meaning is the same.

Animals are closer to the rhythms and cycles of nature and have fewer distractions from it than humans do. That is why they are the perfect messengers when we are in need of advice. Just by being themselves they remind us of the wisdom of the universe, and that all answers are available to us when we reconnect with our source and with those who know how to be nurtured by it.

Mars One finds more than 1,000 volunteers for one-way trip to planet in 2023

The Mars One organisation has revealed details of its plans to land four astronauts on the Red Planet in 2023, with four additional 'crew' arriving every two years.

The Mars One organisation has revealed details of its plans to land four astronauts on the Red Planet in 2023, with four additional 'crew' arriving every two years.

The organisation said that it had had more than 1,000 volunteers for the mission, who emailed in via the foundation's website.

Selection of the astronauts will begin next year, the Dutch organisation says.

The trip to the planned 'colony' would be one-way - and the astronaut volunteers will live and die on Mars.

Mars One aims to finance a mission to Mars via donations from corporations, people - and by creating a reality show-style 'media event' around the training and selection of its astronauts.

The Dutch company is backed by Nobel prize winning physicist, Gerard 't Hooft - and by Paul Romer, co-creator of Big Brother.

Mars One also announced that it had become a not-for-profit foundation.

"With more than 850,000 unique visitors to the website, Mars One has received thousands of emails," the Dutch company said in an email today.

"Among those emails were more than one thousand requests from individuals who desire to go to Mars--well before the launch of the Astronaut Selection Program. Furthermore, Mars One is supported by a large groups of advisers and ambassadors, among them an astronaut, a Nobel prize winning physicist and several NASA scientists."

Bas Lansdorp, co-founder and President of Mars-One offers, “A foundation more accurately represents how the Mars One team feels about this mission, and how the world has embraced our plan, even in this early stage.

"We receive so many kind and supportive emails, people offer donations or offer to helpin whatever way they can. The conversion to a foundation represents that going to Mars is something we do as a united world.”

In the first half of 2013 Mars One will launch the Astronaut Selection Program, a search to find the best candidates for the 'next giant leap of mankind'. The search will be global, open to every person from every nation. As a Foundation, Mars One will be the owner of the human outpost on Mars, the simulation bases on Earth, and the employer of the astronauts, both in training here on Earth, and those on Mars.

Arno Wielders, co-founder and technical director of Mars One: “Sending humans to Mars has been my dream for twenty years. Evidently, I am not alone--we have received emails from over fifty countries."

"People in thirty seven countries have purchased our merchandise, demonstrating their support for Mars One. Regardless of their background, people are positive about this optimistic event that we believe will bring people of Earth a little bit closer together.”

Frozen in time: Photographer gets up close and personal with icebergs and glaciers

Tim Vollmer, 41, and partner Marketa Kalvachova, 32, spend months every year travelling to and braving freezing temperatures to shoot the amazing sights of Iceland.

Yahoo! News UK – Mon, Nov 12, 2012

Yahoo! News UK - Spectacular: Photographer Tim Vollmer said 'no two icebergs are the same' (Caters)
They are the spectacular phenomenon which loom large in some of the Earth's least hospitable areas.

Now the majestic beauty of Iceland's biggest icebergs and glaciers has been captured by a brave photographer, who spent months taking these remarkable images.

The stunning series of shots show the variety in shape, size, and colour of the glistening ice on the European island country.

Tim Vollmer, 41, and partner Marketa Kalvachova, 32, spend months every year travelling to and braving freezing temperatures to shoot the amazing sights of Iceland.

This captivating image shows the ever changing appearance of glaciers (Caters)

And due to the ever-changing appearance of the ice they insist they never get bored - because they will never come across the same iceberg more than once.

Photographer Tim, from Germany, who organises workshops to the region said: "Marketa and I moved to Iceland in 2005 and we instantly fell in love with the snow and ice.

"We became fascinated by the textures and tones. Every day we go out to shoot pictures the light, formation, shape and colours are completely different.

"The lifecycle of the landscape creates unbelievable sights. All these images were taken over the last couple of months but if I went back now they would look different.

Photographer Tim said the colours in Iceland are 'unlike any others in the world' (Caters)

"It's an adventure everytime because there is always something new to photograph.

"Some of the colours are so spectacular I don't think you could see them anywhere else in the world.

"We first started taking images to capture the place we were in for the memories but now we want to highlight the beauty of the ice and show others what makes them exciting.

"More and more we find ourselves going out to take photos - it's a special area for us."

Pictures of the week: floods in Britain and More

Torrential rain and strong winds brought flooding to Britain this week. A man died in Somerset after his car became trapped in a river. Hundreds of homes were left without power. The bad weather is set to continue into the weekend (PA)

Incense smoke wafts past the face of an Indian Hindu devotee as she prays as part of a ritual at sunset in the holy Yamuna River during the Chhath Puja festival in New Delhi. Chhath prayers, an ancient Hindu festival popular amongst the working class, is performed to thank the Sun God for sustaining life on earth (PA)

A waterspout was recorded off the coast of Batemans Bay in Australia. The giant funnel of cloud and water did not cause any damage (AFP)

Icicles form on a tree as the afternoon sun melts the snow in Banff National Park near Lake Louise, Canada (Reuters)

Part of Whitehall was cordoned off on Friday after a naked man climbed onto a statue (PA)

Eyeballs", the wild owl, was captured and taken to a sanctuary in Devon after terrorising residents in Northam. The eagle owl attacked a poodle and gardener and was becoming a danger to children (Caters)

DailyOm – Choosing Loving Care

March 16, 2011

Choosing Loving Care

Extra Weight

If we make food choices from a place of love and awareness we will nurture ourselves with the foods our body really needs.

Our bodies are like living temples, and deserve all the love and care we can give them. Amazingly flexible and strong, they allow us to experience the world. If we notice that we’re not feeling our best, that we’ve put on extra weight, or that our favorite clothes don’t fit, we can make the choice to be good to ourselves in a new way today.

There are times we become conscious of a deeper hunger that will not be satisfied physically. We can make a new, healthier choice for ourselves in any moment, regardless of the hour, day, week or month. And when we make the choice lovingly, we work from a creative place of improving our lives and nurturing the best within us, so there is no need to punish ourselves. From this place, we can be gently honest with ourselves about the reasons we want to eat certain foods. We can reach out to doctors to help us determine if our bodies are out of balance at a level that requires something other than basic nutrients. We can also reach out to our friends for support and to share the journey of health, which is just another part of our adventure on the physical plane.

When we treat ourselves and our bodies as we would a trusted and loyal companion, we keep our energy free from negative thoughts that would complicate our journey. Our bodies are not our enemies, and we are not fighting a battle. Instead, we are investing our love and attention into the care and support of a beautiful creation—our selves.

DailyOm – Accepting Our Calling

March 17, 2011

Accepting Our Calling

Worthiness

When we accept our divinity we no longer question whether we are worthy because we know that we here for a purpose.

The issue of worthiness may come up in many areas of our lives, as we ask, often unconsciously, whether we are worthy of success, love, happiness, and countless other things, from supportive relationships to a beautiful home. In the end, though, it all comes down to one thing: our willingness to claim our space in this life as humans on this planet at this time. When we accept our divinity, we no longer question whether we are worthy, because we know that we are meant to be here to fulfill a particular purpose, a purpose that no one other than us can fulfill.

There are no replacements who can take over and live our lives for us, no other person who has had the experiences we have had, who has access to the same resources and relationships, who carries the same message to share with the world. Our purpose may be large or small, and in most cases it is multi-leveled, with important actions taking place on the interpersonal level, as well as in terms of the work we do in the world. Small acts of kindness share the stage with large acts of sacrifice, and only through accepting and honoring our divinity can we know what we are called to do and when.

Ultimately, we are all equally, exactly, completely worthy of being here in this life. Moreover, we are all essential to the unfolding plan of which we are each one small, but important, part. If we suffer from low self worth, it is because we have lost track of understanding this truth, and allowing it to guide our actions in the world. Seeing ourselves as part of something larger, as beings called to serve, is the ultimate cure for feelings of unworthiness. In the end, it’s not about evaluating ourselves as worthy or unworthy, so much as it’s about accepting that we have been called here to serve and taking the steps required to listen and respond to what our lives are asking us to do.

DailyOm – Seeing the Illusion

March 18, 2011

Seeing the Illusion

The Secret of Surrender

True lasting success comes only with surrender, which is the opposite of control.

Most of us were raised and live in a culture that emphasizes the ideals of independence and control. The general idea is that we are on our own and we don’t need any help from anyone else, and if we are really successful it’s because we are in complete control. However, true lasting success comes only with surrender, which is the opposite of control. We cannot accomplish anything truly great on our own, without any help, and the idea that we can is an illusion that causes most of us a great deal of suffering. Surrender comes when we see that illusion and let go of trying to attain the impossible. Surrender can then be seen as a great strength rather than a weakness.

Even small moments of surrender are powerful indicators of how different our lives could be if we would only let go. We’ve all had the experience of extending huge amounts of effort and energy to reach a particular goal only to realize that we can’t make it happen after all. At the moment of letting go, realizing that we need to ask for help or simply release our agenda entirely, a profound feeling of relief may rush over us. This warm, open sensation is the essence of surrender, and if we didn’t feel that we didn’t really let go. But it is never too late to let go, even of things in the past that didn’t work out the way we wanted them to, because surrender is always an option in every moment of our lives.

When we finally do surrender, our goals actually become possible, because the act of surrender is, in essence, asking for the help we need. This help may come in the form of other human beings or unseen helpers such as angels or inner guides. It may also come in the form of shifting circumstances, the small miracles that we call grace.

DailyOm – Knowing Our Heart’s Desire

March 21, 2011

Knowing Our Heart’s Desire

Feeling Jealous

When we examine jealousy of another, we can use this feeling to help us determine what we really want for ourselves.

Jealousy is one of the toughest feelings we come up against in our lives. There is not much worse than this aching sense that somehow life has been unfair to us, while amply rewarding someone else. It’s even worse if that someone else is present in our daily lives, making it difficult for us to get the space we need to feel and heal our pain. We may be jealous of a sibling, a dear friend, or even famous personalities. We may even face the challenge of feeling jealous of our spouse, our child, or one of our parents. Whatever the case, we can normalize our experience by understanding that, as painful as it is, jealousy is a common human feeling.

Nevertheless, it is important that we not revel in our jealousy for too long, feeding it with inner talk or gossip with others. If we do, we run the risk of losing ourselves to its negative power. Jealousy has something good to offer us, though, and that is information about our own heart’s desire. When we are jealous of certain people, we want what they have, and if we are to be conscious, we must acknowledge that. In this way, we discover what we want for ourselves, which is the first step to getting it. It may be a certain kind of relationship or a career. Whatever it is, it is possible that we could create it for ourselves, in our own lives, if we are able to honor our own desires.

Of course, there are times when we cannot heal our jealousy in this way, and then the lesson may be about acceptance and the understanding that our path is different from the paths of those around us. It may be hard to see now, but perhaps it will eventually be clear why our life has taken its particular path. In the end, the best cure for jealousy is the recognition that the life we have is full of its own meaning and beauty, utterly unique to us—a gift that could never be found in the life of another.

DailyOm – Taking the Risk

March 22, 2011

Taking the Risk

Permission to Be Real

People who keep it real present themselves as they truly are, the good parts and the parts most of us would rather hide.

Most of us are familiar with the idea of keeping it real and have an intuitive sense about what that means. People who keep it real don’t hide behind a mask to keep themselves safe from their fear of how they might be perceived. They don’t present a false self in order to appear more perfect, more powerful, or more independent. People who keep it real present themselves as they truly are, the good parts and the parts most of us would rather hide, sharing their full selves with the people who are lucky enough to know them.

Being real in this way is not an easy thing to do as we live in a culture that often shows us images of physical and material perfection. As a result, we all want to look younger, thinner, wealthier, and more successful. We are rewarded externally when we succeed at this masquerade, but people who are real remind us that, internally, we suffer. Whenever we feel that who we are is not enough and that we need to be bigger, better, or more exciting, we send a message to ourselves that we are not enough. Meanwhile, people who are not trying to be something more than they are walk into a room and bring a feeling of ease, humor, and warmth with them. They acknowledge their wrinkles and laugh at their personal eccentricities without putting themselves down.

People like this inspire us to let go of our own defenses and relax for a moment in the truth of who we really are. In their presence, we feel safe enough to take off our masks and experience the freedom of not hiding behind a barrier. Those of us who were lucky enough to have a parent who was able to keep it real may find it easier to be that way ourselves. The rest of us may have to work a little harder to let go of our pretenses and share the beauty and humor of our real selves. Our reward for taking such a risk is that as we do, we will attract and inspire others, giving them the permission to be real too.

DailyOm – Stuck in the Mud

March 23, 2011

Stuck in the Mud

Staying in Pain

Pain comes and goes- it is when we get stuck in our pain that it becomes detrimental to our well-being and development.

Pain comes and it goes. It is just one component to the grand cycle of life. And when experienced as such, pain can serve as an important teacher. It is when we get stuck in our pain that it becomes detrimental to our well-being and development. If you notice that you feel closed-off, resentful, heavy-hearted, or that you try very hard to avoid being hurt again, there may be a part of you that is still stuck in pain.

We can get stuck in our pain for many reasons. As children, it was natural for us to cry, throw a tantrum, and let the experience move through us. By fully feeling our pain in this way, our emotions would wash us clean, leaving us open and available to new experiences. With age, though, we might have determined that expressing emotion was no longer appropriate, and so we developed a variety of coping strategies to deal with our discomfort. We may have learned to stuff our feelings down or to run away from them. Perhaps we began thinking that staying closed and unwilling to try new things would keep us safe from heartbreak, safe from rejection, and safe from failure. We may have even gotten so used to being in pain that the thought of being without it scares us. But, if we continue to hold onto it longer than necessary, we are expending a lot of energy that could instead be channeled into making our life experiences more positive.

If you notice that you are continually connecting with the same familiar patterns of pain, consider embracing your feelings and letting go of your hurt. Whether your pain is from childhood or from an experience last week, see if you can give it room to move. When it does, you will reconnect with a wonderful source of your own vital energy.

DailyOm – Disapproving Faces

March 24, 2011

Disapproving Faces

Not Everybody Will Like You

When someone doesn’t like you, rather than taking it personally we can release the need for approval and move on.

It is not necessarily a pleasant experience, but there will be times in our lives when we come across people who do not like us. As we know, like attracts like, so usually when they don’t like us it is because they are not like us. Rather than taking it personally, we can let them be who they are, accepting that each of us is allowed to have different perspectives and opinions. When we give others that freedom, we claim it for ourselves as well, releasing ourselves from the need for their approval so we can devote our energy toward more rewarding pursuits.

While approval from others is a nice feeling, when we come to depend on it we may lose our way on our own path. There are those who will not like us no matter what we do, but that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with us. Each of us has our own filters built from our experiences over time. They may see in us something that is merely a projection of their understanding, but we have no control over the interpretations of others. The best we can do is to hope that the role we play in the script of their lives is helpful to them, and follow our own inner guidance with integrity.

As we reap the benefits of walking our perfect paths, we grow to appreciate the feeling of fully being ourselves. The need to have everyone like us will be replaced by the exhilaration of discovering that we are attracting like-minded individuals into our lives—people who like us because they understand and appreciate the truth of who we are. We free ourselves from trying to twist into shapes that will fit the spaces provided by others’ limited understanding and gain a new sense of freedom, allowing us to expand into becoming exactly who we’re meant to be. And in doing what we know to be right for us, we show others that they can do it too. Cocreating our lives with the universe and its energy of pure potential, we transcend limitations and empower ourselves to shine our unique light, fully and freely.

DailyOm – A Chance to Contribute

March 25, 2011

A Chance to Contribute

Disarming the Know-It-All

A person that is a know-it-all is usually afraid of listening because it has become completely unfamiliar to listen.

Most of us have encountered a person in our lives who can accurately be referred to as a know-it-all. This person seems to know everything about anything that gets brought up and tends to dominate the conversation. They don’t take well to being questioned, and they have a hard time ever admitting that they were wrong.

Being around a know-it-all is inevitably tiring because there is no shared energy between the two of you. Rather, you become an audience member to this person’s need to be the center of attention. Attention and respect are probably the two things this person most longs for, and at some point in their lives, they learned that knowing it all was the way to get those needs met. Over time, they have become stuck in this pattern, regardless of the fact that it is no longer working. They may feel afraid of the experience of listening, being receptive, or learning something new, because it’s so unfamiliar.

On the one hand, when we see the childlike need underneath the know-it-all’s mask of confidence, we feel compassion for the person, and we may tolerate their one-sided approach to conversation out of a desire not to hurt their feelings. On the other hand, we may be feeling drained and tempted to avoid this person altogether. In the middle of these two possible ways of feeling, we may actually like this person and wish for a closer relationship. If we come from a place of kindness, we might attempt to bridge the gap that this person’s habitual way of relating creates. Simply expressing a desire to be closer may open their heart, and give you a chance to ask for what you need in the relationship—a chance to contribute.

DailyOm – A Legacy of Love

April 4, 2011

A Legacy of Love

Leaving the Earth a Better Place

From our first breath here to our very last, we will find infinite opportunities to influence our environment for the better.

We inherit this great planet from our parents and from the generations that came before. Then, in concert with the surrounding culture, our elders teach us how to care for the land and the sea, ourselves and each other. They model ways of being in relationship with every other expression of life on earth. But whether they act with care or carelessness, compassion or cruelty, generosity or greed, we have the ability to choose our own individual way of relating with the planet and her inhabitants. From our first breath here to our very last, we will find infinite opportunities to influence our environment for the better. We can decide now to act with intention in order to leave this amazing planet brighter and more beautiful than when we arrived.

If we enjoy environmental activism, we might feel moved to clean up beaches or to plant trees. But, we need not feel limited in our ability to contribute positively. There are many ways to leave a legacy of love. We might begin by radiating affirmative thoughts and feelings about how magnificent the earth truly is. We might create and tend a special garden, one that provides an abundance of food and herbs for ourselves and our loved ones. Or we might create a garden filled with sweet smelling flowers to uplift our hearts. We might even honor the earth simply by trying to be the best person we can be while we are here. Such good will can have a domino effect, inspiring others to contribute in their own way as well.

We spend our lifetimes being nourished and enlivened by the rain, sun, soil and wind. Our experience is blessed by other living beings, from plants to insects to birds and humans. We receive so much; giving back just naturally feels good. When we live our lives with intention of leaving this temporary home a better place for generations to come, we are perhaps leaving behind the best gift of all.

DailyOm – A Chance to Contribute

March 25, 2011

A Chance to Contribute

Disarming the Know-It-All

A person that is a know-it-all is usually afraid of listening because it has become completely unfamiliar to listen.

Most of us have encountered a person in our lives who can accurately be referred to as a know-it-all. This person seems to know everything about anything that gets brought up and tends to dominate the conversation. They don’t take well to being questioned, and they have a hard time ever admitting that they were wrong.

Being around a know-it-all is inevitably tiring because there is no shared energy between the two of you. Rather, you become an audience member to this person’s need to be the center of attention. Attention and respect are probably the two things this person most longs for, and at some point in their lives, they learned that knowing it all was the way to get those needs met. Over time, they have become stuck in this pattern, regardless of the fact that it is no longer working. They may feel afraid of the experience of listening, being receptive, or learning something new, because it’s so unfamiliar.

On the one hand, when we see the childlike need underneath the know-it-all’s mask of confidence, we feel compassion for the person, and we may tolerate their one-sided approach to conversation out of a desire not to hurt their feelings. On the other hand, we may be feeling drained and tempted to avoid this person altogether. In the middle of these two possible ways of feeling, we may actually like this person and wish for a closer relationship. If we come from a place of kindness, we might attempt to bridge the gap that this person’s habitual way of relating creates. Simply expressing a desire to be closer may open their heart, and give you a chance to ask for what you need in the relationship—a chance to contribute.

DailyOm – A Matter of Significance

April 5, 2011

A Matter of Significance

Recognizing Your Value

Sometimes we can feel as if we don’t matter in the world, but we all have something to offer.

It can be easy sometimes to buy into the illusion of our own insignificance. We may see large corporations or institutions, celebrities or successful people in our community, and compare ourselves to them, thinking that their fame or material power affirm how little our own lives amount to. But nothing could be further from the truth. Every single one of us matters—tremendously. Our very existence affects countless people in countless ways. And because we are each essentially a microcosm of the larger universe, our internal experiences affect the whole of life more than we could ever imagine. The world simply could not exist as it does now if you, or any one of us, were not in it.

Perhaps you are aware that on some level you believe your life does not matter. If this thought resonates within you, maybe it is time to explore why you feel this way. You may have formed self-rejecting or belittling beliefs as a child to keep yourself safe or to help you make sense of confusing situations. You may have felt unseen or unheard and decided that there was something wrong with you, rather than with the attention span of the people around you. Spend some time looking into where these feelings of insignificance first took root, and see what changes you might be able to make in your life and in your heart.

This one belief in your own unimportance could be limiting you and impacting your life in enormous ways. When you shift your perceptions around your own ability to affect your life and impact the world, you may discover wonderful parts of yourself that you had long ago forgotten. There may even be exciting new parts that you never even knew existed. When you gain awareness of how much your life really does matter, new sources of energy can emerge and your sense of connection with the world is renewed.

Fields of custard: Photographer's amazing pictures of 'Alice in Wonderland' landscape

By Simon Garner

These are the amazing images of bright yellow rapeseed fields that look just like custard.

They were taken by German photographer Anne Berlin on a visit to Luoping, China.

Anne said: "It was absolutely unbelievable, a fascinating sight that I will never forget. They were such a bright yellow - they looked like custard.

"When I at first left the car, I was so bowled over from what I saw, that for a short time, I even forgot taking photos.

"I never saw something comparable. It was so amazing. When I walked through this fabulous landscape, I felt like Alice in Wonderland.

"Millions of busy bees were buzzing around me. It was like swimming in a yellow sea of flowers.

"I'll never forget this wonderful fascinating day. It was so amazing. You can't believe it, except you see it yourself."

The fields in Luoping (Picture: Caters)

Ms Berlin was making a photo tour through Yunnan in March when she took the shots.

"The last two days we stayed at Luoping, which is about 200km to the east of Kunming, to take some pictures of the rapeseed fields", she said.

"The weather wasn't good for taking photographs because it was quite hazy. To take the images we had to climb up a tall hill."

To capture the wonderful pictures, Anne used a Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40mm and 70-200mm.