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Visual Art by the Human Body.wmv


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3-MqNSOMvw

Hello my dear friends, here we go again, another weekend flown past. I send you Positive Blessings, much happiness and unconditional love. Wishing you a wonderful Week. Take care and be happy, Blessings Melodie

Achomawi Myth - An Achomawi Legend

Sixty little spider children shivered as they slept. Snow had fallen every day for months. All the animals were cold, hungry, and frightened. Food supplies were almost gone. No one knew what to do. Blue jay and Redheaded Woodpecker sang and danced for Silver Gray Fox, who floats above the clouds. Since Silver Gray Fox, the creator, had made the whole world with a song and a dance, Blue jay and Woodpecker hoped to be answered with blue skies. But the snow kept falling.

Finally the animals decided to ask Coyote. "Coyote's been around a long time, almost since the beginning. He might know how to reach Silver Gray Fox." They went to the cave where Coyote was sleeping, told him their troubles, and asked for help. "Grrrrowwwlll...go away," grumbled Coyote, "and let me think." Coyote stuck his head into the cold air outside and thought till he caught an idea. He tried singing in little yelps and loud yowls to Silver Gray Fox. Coyote sang and sang, but Silver Gray Fox didn't listen, or didn't want to. After all, it was Coyote's mischief-making when the world was new that had caused Silver Gray Fox to go away beyond the clouds in the first place.

Coyote thought he'd better think some more. Suddenly he saw Spider Woman swinging down on a silky thread from the top of the tallest tree in the forest. "Spider Woman's been on Earth a long, long time," Coyote thought. "She's very wise. I'll ask her what to do." Coyote loped over to the tree and lifted his ears to Spider Woman. "Spider Woman, O wise weaver, O clever one," called Coyote in his sweetest voice, "we're all cold and hungry. Everyone's afraid this winter will never end. Silver Gray Fox doesn't see m to notice. Can you help?" Spider Woman swayed her shining black body back and forth, back and forth, thinking and thinking, thinking and thinking.

Her eight black eyes sparkled when she spoke, "I know how to reach Silver Gray Fox, Coyote, but I'm not the one for the work. Everyone will have to help. You'll need my two youngest children, too. They're little and light as dandelion fluff, and the fastest spinners in my web." Spider Woman called up to her two littlest ones.

Spinnnnnn! Spinnnnnn! They came down fast, each spinning on eight little legs, fine, black twin Spider Boys, full of curiosity and fun. Spider Woman said, "My dear little quick ones, are you ready for a great adventure?" "Yes! Yes!" they cried. "We're ready!"

Spider Woman told them her plan, and the Spider Boys set off with Coyote in the snow. They hadn't gone far when they met two White-Footed Mouse Brothers rooting around for seeds to eat. Coyote told them Spider Woman's plan. "Will you help?" he asked. "Yes! Yes! We'll help!" they squeaked, and they all traveled the trail towards Mount Shasta until they met Weasel Man looking hungry and even thinner than usual.

Coyote told Weasel Man his plan. "Will you help?" asked Coyote. "Of course," rasped Weasel Man, joining them on the trail. Before long they came across Red Fox Woman swishing her big fluffy tail through the bushes. "Will you help?" asked "Of course, I'll come," crooned Red Fox Woman. Then Rabbit Woman poked her head out of her hole. "I'll come too," she sneezed, shivering despite her thick fur.

Meadowlark wrapped a winter shawl around her wings, and trudged after the others along the trail to the top of Mount Shasta. The snow had stopped, but the sky was still cloudy. On top of Mount Shasta, Coyote barked, "Will our two best archers step forward?" The two White Footed Mouse Brothers proudly lifted their bows.

"Everyone listen," barked Coyote. "If any one of us is only half-hearted, Spider Woman’s plan will fail. To get through the clouds to Silver Gray Fox, we must each share our powers whole-heartedly, our thoughts, our dreams, our strength, and our songs. Now, you White-Footed Mouse Brothers, I want you to shoot arrows at exactly the same spot in the sky."

Turning to the others, Coyote said, "Spider Boys, start spinning spider silk as fast as you can. Weasel Man, White- Footed Mouse Brothers, Red Fox Woman, Rabbit Woman, and I will sing and make music. We must sing with all our might or the Spider Boys won't make it." "One!" called Coyote. Everyone got ready. "Two!"

The animals drew in deep breaths. The Mouse Brothers pulled back their bowstrings. "Three!" Two arrows shot straight up and stuck at the same spot in the clouds.

"Whiff wiff! Wiff wiff!" sang the White Footed Mouse Brothers. "Yiyipyipla!" sang Red Fox Woman.

"Wowooooolll!" sang Coyote. Rabbit Woman shook her magic rattle. Weasel Man beat his very old and worn elk-hide drum. The Spider Boys hurled out long lines of spider silk, weaving swiftly with all their legs. The animals sang up a whirlwind of sound to lift the spider silk until it caught on the arrows in the clouds. Then the Spider Twins scurried up the lines of silk and scrambled through the opening.

All the while, down below, the animals continued singing, rattling and drumming. The little Spiders sank, breathless, onto the clouds. Silver Gray Fox spied them and called out, "What are you two doing here?"

The Spider Boys bent low on their little legs and answered, "O Silver Gray Fox, we bring greetings from our mother, Spider Woman, and all the creatures of the world below. We've come to ask if you'd please let the sun shine again. The whole world is cold. Everyone is hungry. Everyone is afraid spring will not return, ever."

They were so sincere and polite that Silver Gray Fox became gentler, and asked, "How did you two get up here?" The Spider Boys said "Listen, can you hear the people singing? Can you hear the drum and rattle?"

Silver Gray Fox heard the drum and rattle and the people singing. When the Spider Boys finished telling their story, Silver Gray Fox was pleased. "I'm happy when creatures use their powers together. I'm especially glad to hear Coyote's been helping too. Your mother, Spider Woman, made a good plan. To reward all your hard work, I'll create a sign to show that the skies will clear. And you two may help.

"First picture the sun shining bright," called Silver Gray Fox. The Spider Boys thought hard and saw the sun sending out fiery rays in all directions. "Now, where sun-rays meet the damp air," sang Silver Gray Fox, Picture a stripe of red, Red as Woodpecker's head, Add a stripe nearby of bluest Blue Jay blue. The Spider Boys thought hard, and great stripes appeared of red and blue. Silver Gray Fox chanted, Now in between, Add stripes of orange, yellow and green! The Spider Boys thought hard. Then, dazzling their eyes, a beautiful bright arc of colors curved across the whole sky above the clouds. It was the very first rainbow.

Meanwhile, down below, beneath the clouds, the animals and people were so cold, hungry, and tired that they had stopped singing and drumming. Spider Woman missed her two youngest children. Each day she missed them more. She blamed Coyote for the trouble. So did the other animals. Coyote slipped away silent, lonely and sad. Above, on the clouds, the Twins rested. Their legs ached and their minds were tired.

Silver Gray Fox said, "You did what I asked and kept it secret. That's very difficult, so I'm giving you a special reward. On wet mornings, when the sun starts to shine, you'll see what I mean." Then the Spider Boys spun down to Earth, and ran back to their mother as fast as they could. Spider Woman cried for joy and wrapped all her legs around her two littlest children. Their fifty-eight sisters and brothers jumped up and down with happiness. All the animals gathered around to hear the Spiders story. When they finished, the Spider Boys cried, "Look up!" Everyone looked up. The clouds had drifted apart. There, bridging sky to earth in a radiant arch, was the very first rainbow.

Sun began to warm the earth. Shoots of grass pushed up through the melting snow. Meadowlark blew her silver whistle of spring across the valley, calling streams and rivers awake. Coyote came out of hiding, raced to a distant hilltop, and gave a long, long howl of joy. The animals held a great feast to honor the rainbow, Silver Gray Fox, Spider Woman, the Spider Twins, Coyote, and the hard work everyone had done together.

To this day, after the rain, when the sun comes out, dewdrops on spider webs shine with tiny rainbows. This is the spiders' special reward. You can see for yourself.



LIBERATION THROUGH RECOLLECTION:

we all work towards liberation.
but we need to know what we need to work on and when liberation can be expected.

just practicing recollection can eventually lead us to liberation if not in this life in after lives.

they are, recollections of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, generosity, morality and faith in a good rebirth.

with recollection of the faith in a good rebirth if liberation is not attained in this life liberation can be attained in after lives.

this life is just a journey, not a destination yet.

2012 Message from Mother earth (1) 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6KWEFa-I-c

Message from Mother Earth (II) 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TuLAsI3u-Y

Message from Mother Earth (III) 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VncfMaCPnW0

Message from Mother Earth (IV) 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRt7M0o4AY4

Message from Mother Earth (V) 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwxoTbjuekc

Message from Mother Earth (VI) 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-fBKcTeEbQ

Watch a Panda Grow – Posted by Bert en Thea Boonman


EVER SEE A PANDA GROW?

It's quite wonderful!

Day 120 (Cute, huh?)

Advanced Crystal Healing Configurations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeLzqf7iM48

Crystal Healing Properties of Amethyst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yBW4qDef8s

Crystal Healing Properties of Aquamarine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAg1x4GMKJI

Rainbow Aura Quartz Crystal Cluster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ2i4KaKgLM

Searching for Crystals in Snowdonia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KezYUDysU1I

Hi, to my Sweet soul friends, I wish you a beautiful weekend of love, laughter, peace, abundance and joy. Blessings full of positive Energy coming your way, Melodie


Friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life.
and thanks to a benevolent arrangement, the greater part of life is sunshine.

Thomas Jefferson

Achomawi Creation Myth - An Achomawi Legend

In the beginning all was water. In all directions the sky was clear and unobstructed. A cloud formed in the sky, grew lumpy, and turned into Coyote. Then a fog arose, grew lumpy, and became Silver-Fox. They became persons. Then they thought. They thought a canoe, and they said, "Let us stay here, let us make it our home." Then they floated about, for many years they floated; and the canoe became old and mossy, and they grew weary of it.

"Do you go and lie down," said Silver-Fox to Coyote, and he did so. While he slept, Silver-Fox combed his hair, and the combings he saved. When there was much of them, he rolled them in his hands, stretched them out, and flattened them between his hands. When he had done this, he laid them upon the water and spread them out, till they covered all the surface of the water. Then he thought, "There should be a tree," and it was there. And he did the same way with shrubs and with rocks, and weighted the film down with stones, so that the film did not wave and rise in ripples as it floated in the wind. And thus he made it, that it was just right, this that was to be the world. And then the canoe floated gently up to the edge, and it was the world.

Then he cried to Coyote, "Wake up! We are going to sink!"

And Coyote woke, and looked up; and over his head, as he lay, hung cherries and plums; and from the surface of the world he heard crickets chirping. And at once Coyote began to cat the cherries and the plums, and the crickets also.

After a time Coyote said, "Where are we? What place is this that we have come to?"

And Silver-Fox replied, "I do not know. We are just here. We floated up to the shore."

Still all the time he knew; but he denied that he had made the world. He did not want Coyote to know that the world was his creation. Then Silver-Fox said, "What shall we do? Here is solid ground. I am going ashore, and am going to live here."

So they landed, and built a sweat-house and lived in it. They thought about making people; and after a time, they made little sticks of service-berry, and they thrust them all about into the roof of the house on the inside.

And by and by all became people of different sorts, birds and animals and fish, all but the deer, and he was as the deer are today. And Pine-Marten was the chief of the people; and Eagle was the woman chief, for she was Pine- Marten's sister. And this happened at 'texcag-wa [the word will not translate].

And people went out to hunt from the sweat-house. And they killed deer, and brought them home, and had plenty to eat. Arrows with pine-bark points were what they used then, it is said, for there was no obsidian. And Ground-Squirrel, of all the people, he only knew where obsidian could be found. So he went to steal it.

To Medicine Lake he went, for there Obsidian-Old-Man lived, in a big sweat- house. And Ground-Squirrel went in, taking with him roots in a basket of tules. And he gave the old man some to eat; and he liked them so much, that he sent Ground-Squirrel out to get more. But while he was digging them Grizzly-Bear came, and said, "Sit down! Let me sit in your lap. Feed me those roots by handfuls."

So Ground-Squirrel sat down, and fed Grizzly-Bear as he had asked, for he was afraid. Then Grizzly-Bear said, "Obsidian-Old-Man's mother cleaned roots for some one," and went away.

Ground-Squirrel went back to the sweat- house, but had few roots, for Grizzly-Bear had eaten so many. Then he gave them to the old man, and told him what the bear had said about him, and how he had robbed him of the roots. Then Obsidian-Old-Man was angry. "Tomorrow we will go," he said, Then they slept.

In the morning they ate breakfast early and went off, and the old man said that Ground-Squirrel should go and dig more roots, and that he would wait, and watch for Grizzly-Bear.

So Ground-Squirrel went and dug; and when the basket was filled, Grizzly-Bear came, and said, "You have dug all these for me. Sit down!"

So Ground-Squirrel sat down, and fed Grizzly-Bear roots by the handful. But Obsidian-Old-Man had come near. And Grizzly-Bear got up to fight, and he struck at the old man; but he turned his side to the blow, and Grizzly-Bear merely cut off a great slice of his own flesh. And he kept on fighting, till he was all cut to pieces, and fell dead. Then Ground-Squirrel and Obsidian-Old-Man went home to the sweat-house, and built a fire, and ate the roots, and were happy. Then the old man went to sleep.

In the morning Obsidian-Old-Man woke up, and heard Ground-Squirrel groaning. He said, "I am sick. I am bruised because that great fellow sat upon me. Really, I am sick."

Then Obsidian-Old-Man was sorry, but Ground-Squirrel was fooling the old man. After a while the old man said, "I will go and get wood. I'll watch him, for perhaps he is fooling me. These people are very clever."

Then he went for wood; and he thought as he went, "I had better go back and look."

So he went back softly, and peeped in; but Ground-Squirrel lay there quiet, and groaned, and now and then he vomited up green substances. Then Obsidian-Old -Man thought, "He is really sick," and he went off to get more wood; but Ground-Squirrel was really fooling, for he wanted to steal obsidian.

When the old man had gotten far away, Ground-Squirrel got up, poured out the finished obsidian points, and pulled out a knife from the wall, did them up in a bundle, and ran off with them.

When the old man came back, he carried a heavy load of wood; and as soon as he entered the sweat-house, he missed Ground-Squirrel. So he dropped the wood and ran after him. He almost caught him, when Ground-Squirrel ran into a hole, and, as he went, kicked the earth into the eyes of the old man, who dug fast, trying to catch him.

Soon Ground-Squirrel ran out of the other end of the hole; and then the old man gave chase again, but again Ground-Squirrel darted into a hole; and after missing him again, Obsidian-Old-Man gave up, and went home.
Ground-Squirrel crossed the river and left his load of arrow-points, and came back to the house and sat down in his seat. He and Cocoon slept together. Then his friend said, "Where have you been?"

And Ground-Squirrel replied, "I went to get a knife and to get good arrow-points. We had none."

Then the people began to come back with deer. And when they cooked their meat, they put it on the fire in lumps; but Ground-Squirrel and Cocoon cut theirs in thin slices, and so cooked it nicely.

And Weasel saw this, and they told him about how the knife had been secured. In the morning Ground-Squirrel went and brought back the bundle of points he had hidden, and handed it down through the smoke-hole to Wolf. Then he poured out the points on the ground, and distributed them to every one, and all day long people worked, tying them onto arrows. So they threw away all the old arrows with bark points; and when they went hunting, they killed many deer.

DailyOm – Letting Go of Understanding
August 18, 2010

Letting Go of Understanding

Deeper Meanings

Sometimes we are not always meant to know the deeper meaning of certain occurrences and need only move forward.


All of us who seek to be conscious and aware regard our experiences as teachers, and we try to discern what lessons we are learning from the things that happen in our lives. Sometimes the lesson is very clear from the get-go, and other times we have to really search to understand the deeper meaning behind some event. While this search often yields results, there also comes a point in the search where what we really need to do is move forward. It is possible that we are not meant to know the deeper meaning of certain occurrences. Answers may come later in our lives, or they may come as a result of letting go, or they may never come.

We are all part of a complex system of being, and things work themselves out in the system as a whole. Sometimes we are just playing a necessary part in that process with a result larger than we can understand. It may have very little to do with us personally, and while that can be hard to understand, it can also free us from overthinking the matter. Sometimes it is best to see it in terms of karma, a past debt we have been able to repay in this way, or as the clearing of energy. We can simply thank the event for being part of our experience and let it go. This completes the process that the occurrence has made possible.

To make this letting go official, we can perform a ritual, make a final journal entry on the subject, or sit in meditation with the intention of releasing the event from our consciousness. As we do so, we summon it one last time, honoring it with our attention, thanking it, and saying good-bye. We then let it go out the door, out the window, out the top of our heads, or into the earth through the bottoms of our feet, liberating ourselves from any burden we have carried in association with it.

DailyOm – Empowered Forgiveness
August 17, 2010


Empowered Forgiveness

Apologies

We say "It’s okay," when somebody has wronged us which energetically is allowing for the behavior to happen again.


In life there will always be times when we are affected by the actions of another person. When this happens, we often receive an apology. More often than not we say, "It’s alright," or " It’s okay," and by saying this we are allowing, accepting, and giving permission for the behavior to happen again. When we say "thank you," or "I accept your apology," we are forced to sit in our feelings rather than ignore them.

There are many of us who feel that it is easier to brush off how we really feel than to express our discomfort with something that has happened to us. While this may initially seem like the best thing to do, what it really does is put us into an unending pattern of behavior; since we are not honest with another person, we continue the cycle of letting them overstep our emotional limits time and time again.

By doing this we place ourselves in the position of victim. We can put an end to this karmic chain by first acknowledging to the other person that we accept their request for forgiveness; often a simple “thank you” is enough. To truly create a greater sense of harmony in our relationship, however, we need to gently, and with compassion, express our innermost concerns about what has transpired. By taking a deep breath and calling upon the deepest parts of our spirit, we can usually find the right words to say and verbalize them in a way that lets the other person recognize ! the consequences of what they have done.

If we can remember that our response to others is important, we can begin to realize that trust and forgiveness go hand in hand. And when we react in a way that engenders a greater amount of honesty and candor, we will establish a more positive and empowering way of being and interacting others.

10 good reasons to chow down on the nation’s favourite food

Nutritionist and curry lover Rachael Anne Hill explains how the much maligned curry can actually be good for your health.…Posted By Rachael Anne Hill


Think of a healthy meal and a curry might be the last thing that springs to mind, but recent research shows that many of the ingredients used within a typical curry can do you the power of good.

1. Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s

Turmeric, one of the spicy ingredients of almost every curry from korma to vindaloo may be an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s. According to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, a chemical found in the spice called curcumin can reduce the build up of knots in the brain that can cause Alzeihmer’s by as much as 50%. This may help to explain why Alzheimer's affects just 1% of people over the age of 65 living in some Indian villages. Turmeric has also been found to improve memory, aid digestion, reduce inflammation, fight infection and guard against heart attacks.

2. Fewer colds

Paprika, chilli and many other spices commonly found in curries can ward off colds by triggering the body's natural defences to produce extra mucus which traps viruses and soothes inflamed passages. Eating spicy dishes also clears the nostrils and gets rid of that 'bunged-up' feeling, enabling a speedier recovery for sufferers.

3. Better moods

Lean red meat in curries such as beef, pork and lamb not only provide a significant number of B vitamins which are essential for helping the body to release energy from food, but they can also enhance mood and promote a more positive state of mind.

4. Less risk of cancer

Tomato based curries are a great source of lycopene. This extremely powerful antioxidant is far more prevalent in cooked tomatoes than raw ones. Research shows that eating cooked tomatoes three or more times a week can lower the risk of prostate, lung, stomach, pancreas, bowel and breast cancers.

5. Reduced risk of heart disease

Regular consumption of cooked tomatoes also prevents the formation of blood clots, lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes by as much as 48%. Many spices, such as curry powder, hot paprika and thyme may also help to cut the risk of heart disease as they contain salicylic acid, a compound that scientists believe may work to stem inflammation in the blood vessels that could otherwise lead to hardening of the arteries.

6. Improved circulation and reduced pain

Ginger, an ingredient commonly used in curries, contains an antioxidant that reacts with free radicals that can cause tissue damage and joint inflammation and so helps to reduce the pain of arthritis. Chilli has also been shown to be a powerful painkiller.

7. Increased metabolic rate

Several clinical research studies have found that an ingredient known as capsaicin found in spices, particularly chilli, can raise the metabolic rate for as long as three hours after a curry.

8. Reduced blood pressure

Coriander, another common ingredient of both Indian and Thai curries, contains high levels of antioxidants that help to lower high blood pressure and prevent the formation of cancer causing free radicals.

9. Increased energy

Lack of energy can be caused by an iron deficiency. This is particularly common in women, with research suggesting that one in four has well below the recommended iron intake. Curries containing red meat such as beef, pork or lamb can be an excellent way of boosting iron intake. A lamb curry can provide up to 50% of the iron a woman needs in a day. Baltis can be particularly high in iron as, during the cooking process, some of the iron from the pans they are cooked in transfers into the food. Other common ingredients of curries such as lentils and spinach are also good sources of iron.

10. A stronger immune system

No curry would be complete without a generous helping of garlic. Research shows that garlic contains allicin which is antibiotic, antifungal and may even be antiviral.

Despite all these wonderful health benefits many curries can contain extremely high fat levels. Here’s how to reduce the fat in your curry whether you’re eating in or out.

Eating in

Use a non-stick pan or fry ingredients in a small amount of water instead of oil.

If you do use oil, measure it with a tablespoon and gradually cut down to half – or even less!

Use tomatoes as bases for sauces instead of cream or coconut. If you do want a creamy tasting curry try using natural or Greek yoghurt instead. To prevent the yoghurt from curdling simply mix in a tablespoon of cornflour.

When cooking meat-based curries, add all the ingredients together without oil, cover and cook slowly, stirring frequently to improve the flavour. The natural fat in the meat will provide enough moisture and fat for cooking – and for taste!

Use the leanest meat you can find. For a quick cooking curry trim off any visible fat and cut into thin strips or mini cubes (approx. 1.25cm(½”)

Add dahls (lentils) to as many dishes as you can. They are filling, rich in protein and fibre, and help keep your blood sugar and cholesterol low.

Increase your fibre intake and cut the fat by using boiled wholegrain rice instead of pilau rice or naan.

Boost your vitamin and mineral intake by using a wide variety of vegetables and fruits such as apple, pineapple and sultanas.

A curry always tastes better the next day so make a day in advance and then let it sit in the fridge.

Eating out

Cut calories by up to 50% by asking for your poppadoms to be grilled or microwaved instead of deep fat fried.

Ask for naan breads to be served without butter on top or have a chapatti instead as they are usually lower in fat. A naan can have double the calories and up to 16 times more fat than a chapatti.

Opt for dahl and vegetable dishes whenever possible as they tend to be lower in fat and higher in fibre.

Choose boiled rice instead of pilau rice which is fried.

Go for tandoori (dry, oven cooked) curries or ones with tomato based sauces instead of high fat cream or coconut varieties such as massalas, passandas or kormas. A chicken tikka massala can have up to twice the number of calories and fat than a tandoori chicken curry.

Keep snack type foods such as bhajis and samosas to a minimum.

Avoid drinking alcohol before ordering. Even a small glass of wine or beer can lower inhibitions, increase appetite and result in over ordering and over eating.

Healing Chamber of Light

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnf65WUjaOY

How to do EFT Tapping + Chronic Pain, PTSD and CFS + EFT for Pain
EFT for Pain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKuRq7euTPw

Chronic Pain, PTSD and CFS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl3f2V59_CY

How to do EFT Tapping

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7d_7Dkco0M

Twelve Principles for the New Reality, Self-help and guidance.

I found this article by Owen Waters and I thought others could gain from it here.

The New Reality brings with it a new vista of awareness. In order to operate successfully in the new environment, you need to apply the new principles which come with this expanded view of reality.

Such knowledge empowers you to awaken to your newly expanded potential and manifest it with ease.

Here are some basic principles of the universe, as seen from the expanded vista of New Reality consciousness.

In this, the ultimate reality is recognized as universal consciousness, which is the formative essence behind all that exists within the universe. This essence can be called Infinite Being because it is the awareness behind everything within the universe.

Here are twelve principles which describe the New Reality awareness.

1. Infinite Being is All That Is. Nothing exists outside of it.

The universe exists within the consciousness of Infinite Being. The physical world exists within the consciousness of Infinite Being. We exist within the consciousness of Infinite Being.

2. We are Infinite Being.

Creation is holographic in nature, meaning that the one can be found within the all. For example, the oak tree produces acorns and yet the life-form of a complete oak tree is contained within each acorn. If a picture hologram is divided into two, both parts will still retain the complete original picture.

While you are a part of the consciousness of Infinite Being, you are also Infinite Being itself. At the deepest level of reality, all that Infinite Being is, you are.

Therefore we are, each one of us, Infinite Being.

3. Purpose in life.

Your overall purpose in life is to experience it from one individual, unique point of view. Just as each snowflake is unique, so is each person. From a cosmic point of view, you are one expression of Infinite Being as it experiences itself from all possible viewpoints. In this way, through you and all life, Infinite Being gains infinite experience.

At a personal level, you, as a soul, pre-planned the major themes of your life. You chose the time, the place and your parents in order to set a life plan in motion which would explore those themes. Such pre-planning gave rise to the occurrence of related, meaningful events in your life which may have already given you the impression that destiny exists.

Destiny does exist, to the extent that the major themes of your life are pre-planned, by you, ahead of time.

As you pass through life, certain names, places, people and activities resonate with certain specialness in your consciousness. It’s almost as if you knew them once before, but you can’t quite remember when or where. That is destiny, as it unfolds important, pre-planned and pre-viewed events into your life.

In the phenomenon called déjà vu, scenes that you recognize as they unfold in your life are scenes which you had previously viewed in another state of consciousness. This previewing occurred either during your pre-life planning or, more often, in a recent, out-of-body, dream-state where, in order to help yourself remain on-purpose, you reviewed the important, upcoming events in your life.

4. Free will enables you to explore your true potential.

Free will fills in all the details. It can be used to any degree that you choose. The most productive use of free will is to explore your true potential within the themes of your life, thus gaining the greatest possible experience from your life plan.

5. Reincarnation.

Reincarnation exists to provide a variety of experiences, so that life skills may be gained, and so that, while in a physical body, you can rediscover your spiritual connection within.

6. Life after ‘death’.

From the point of view of your true, inner personality, passing away from the physical realm is like stepping out of a suit that you have worn for a while. The suit is not the real you. In your spirit body, you move into the spirit realm, which is a place of joy and healing. After meeting with friends and relatives who have passed on before, you start work on resolving the issues which caused inner conflict during your physical life. Then, as you move into the higher realms, remembering more about who you really are, you experience reunion with the rest of your immediate and extended soul families.

7. Life reflects what you project.

Reflectance is a property of the universe. Also known as karma, this principle states that life reflects your beliefs, emotions and actions. The stronger these are, the more apparent it becomes that life is a mirror of what you project.

Every time you change the way you view life, the universe, just like a mirror, reflects your new view of reality. This may not occur instantaneously as, often, circumstances do not allow the new reflection to immediately manifest. In this case, the new reality is held, like a pressure within the aura of your body’s subtle magnetic field. You then walk around in life, surrounded by this magnetic potential, as it influences your circumstances to adapt into a form where the new reality will be able to manifest and operate.

Reflectance, sooner or later, produces manifestation. Therefore, if you don’t like something in your life, the most powerful way to change its effect permanently is to discover how you are generating that reflection, and then change your point of view so that you change the reflection that you are causing from the universe.

That’s how reflectance works. It’s just like law in physics. It’s how the universe was designed. The mirror of life will shine happiness upon you, but not until you first decide, within yourself, to become a happy person. Then it will reflect your new reality.

8. Abundance is natural.

Natural abundance comes from ‘getting into the flow,’ by doing work that brings a sense of inner excitement. The phrase “Follow your inner joy” is actually the key to abundance. Once you follow your innermost joy and adapt your situation to doing work that you love, then synchronicity begins to flow. Synchronicity is the universe’s way of telling you that you’re on the right track. It is a flow of events where everything starts clicking into place in order to support your efforts.

Synchronicity brings you opportunities, people, events and circumstances exactly when and where they need to be. When life flows naturally, the universe’s natural state of abundance follows automatically.

9. Love is the only reality.

Unconditional, holistic love is the answer to all of life’s challenges. We are here on Earth to learn how to love ourselves and others, and to accept ourselves and others completely, without judgment.

At this point, some people ask, “What, are you supposed to love someone who is bent on being anti-social, even destructive?” The secret here is that there is a difference between an acceptance of the outer beliefs of a person and an acceptance of their inner essence.

Regardless of that person’s outward belief system, and whether you agree with it or not, it is the inner essence of the person that you learn to recognize, love and accept.

The secret is that unconditional love will heal the world, and there is no shortage of its supply. The universe is permeated by, and held together by, the love aspect of the One Creator. You have only to allow it to flow through you in order to experience its wonder.

10. Self-responsibility.

You create your own reality and take personal responsibility for it. Your life is a reflection of your point of view in this, the set of experiences that you, as a soul, planned for this life.

11. Truth is everywhere.

The ultimate truth is to be found within, yet the study of a variety of sources of information helps you to reawaken and remember your inner truth. Your intuitive sense is your guide as to what material is most appropriate for you at any particular time during your personal development.

12. Inner connection and insight.

Inner connection with your spiritual source promotes spiritual transformation and the achievement of your true potential. Developing intuition, both in men and women, provides an essential insight into life’s experiences.

The way this is achieved is through regular, daily meditation. The regular practice of meditation promotes intuitive insight, unconditional love and personal spiritual experiences. Any meditation technique that you prefer will function perfectly well, but the Infinite Being meditation technique is particularly powerful.

With practice, you actually need no technique at all, because you will find that you can go into those deeper levels of awareness, whenever you wish, as an acquired habit. In the meantime, check out the ultimate door-opener to the higher realms of human consciousness, the Infinite Being meditation technique.

Prayer/Spirituality

Turn all your anxiety over to God because He cares for you. I Peter 5:7


The prayer and spirituality can make a significant difference in sufferers of depressive and anxiety disorders. Fear and anxiety come from feelings of inadequacy and impotency. We're usually facing some kind of situation that we can't control such as:

deteriorating marriages, disintegrating health, financial difficulties. These are the factors that break us down and bring us to the end of ourselves. This is where faith comes to our aid.

Studies have shown that religious people are less likely to become depressed and anxious than their nonreligious counterparts. Frequent churchgoing was shown to be associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression.

Several studies showed that religious involvement can protect against mental and psychological problems.

In one study, 20 out of 22 people who practiced prayer or meditation to reduce moderate to severe anxiety showed marked improvement after three months.

The cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. [Proverbs 15:15-17]

In a 1993 study, researcher Harold Koenig assessed the relationship between religious involvement and anxiety disorders in 2,969 individuals. They concluded that young and middle-aged individuals who attended church at least once a week were significantly less likely to have anxiety-related disorders than those who did not attend church regularly. Devotional activities such as prayer and Bible study were found to be linked with lower incidence of agoraphobia and other forms of anxiety.

A national study of 2,679 baby boom-generation participants was conducted to understand the causes of psychiatric illnesses. The study found that those who attend church regularly have only a 50% probability of suffering from mental health conditions such as depression and other mental illnesses compared to those who attended church infrequently. (18 percent versus 34 percent). Denominations did not make any difference in this case.

A study was conducted in India to test whether the beneficial health aspect of prayer is restricted to Christianity alone or would apply to other religions as well. In a study of Christian and Hindu patients, the psychological well-being of the patients was carefully evaluated. Assessed factors such as mood, sleep, and cognitive impairment. For Christian men and women, and for Hindu women, frequent attendance at worship was correlated with fewer psychological problems. (This effect did not hold true for Hindu men.) There was no overall statistical difference between the Christian and Hindu groups, suggesting that the faith factor may be equally beneficial regardless of religious affiliation.

If any of you are having trouble, pray. If you are happy, sing psalms. James 5:13

In a study that assessed the psychological health of members of a church in Newfoundland, church members who took part in healing rituals and participated more actively in all church activities reported significantly fewer symptoms of psychological distress than those who participated less in such activities. The results showed a strong correlation between higher levels of church activity and lower levels of psychological distress.

Another set of studies showed that people who suffer from significant mental illnesses like depression and anxiety are less likely to be religiously involved than individuals who are psychologically well. In one study, 16 percent of the mentally ill claimed no religious affiliation, versus only 3 percent of the non-mentally ill patients. The mentally ill patients were also less likely to say that religion was important to them, and their church attendance rates were lower than the non-mentally ill subjects.

Suicide is very often associated with mental illness. Faith was found to help in this case too.

In a 1974 study of suicidal feelings among 720 members of the general population in Connecticut, researchers found that individuals reporting suicidal feelings were less likely than their nonsuicidal peers to belong to a religious organization, to attend religious services, or to pray. A large 1972 community-based study found that people who attend church once a week or more are only half as likely to attempt suicide as others.

A 1991 study by researchers J. B. Ellis and P. C. Smith found that, among one hundred college-student subjects, those with a strong sense of religious well-being were less likely to commit suicide than those who did not derive peace and satisfaction from religious involvement.

Religion and spirituality does not eliminate mental health problems. What religion does is to help the victims cope with their disease. It can enhance the healing process.

"Prescription medications now form the medical cornerstone for recovery from mental illness, but psychotherapy, support groups, and the resources of faith appear to help people change their thought patterns and make constructive changes in their lives. For many of my patients, suffering through depression or anxiety has actually brought them closer to God-perhaps not right away, but ultimately.

Once out of the grip of these frightening illnesses, they find new meaning in their lives and often go forward with a desire to grow spiritually and to serve others. The illness can serve as a wake-up call for some to change destructive life patterns. People who have listened to the message and heeded its call have often done better."

Dale A. Mathews, M.D.: The Faith Factor

Overcoming Fear and Anxiety With Prayer and Spirituality

Fear is a reality of life. It is true for believers and anyone else. However, those who are grounded in faith and spirituality, find that they have God to lean back on when the going gets tough.

We don't have to let fear defeat us. We can triumph over it and feel safe.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
(2 Timothy 1:7)

Building a Sense of Confidence

The faith can help us overcome fear. We can't expect God to protect us from every evil of the world during this life. But we can have utter confidence that we are, indeed, loved by God, and that, ultimately, we will be redeemed.

We can take solace in knowing that we are loved by God. That knowledge should provide us with reassurance.

Many theologians believe that fear is a form of suffering. The key is to accept it for what it is and not to indulge it. Think less of what may come to us and our loved ones and more of who God is and what God wants. Then we turn ourselves over to the love and the care of God.

God has promised us eternal peace. Do not be afraid.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

The way to find and keep peace is outlined for us by the Prophet Isaiah: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isa. 26:3). We find God's will (and His peace) by staying grounded in our spirituality, where we find His will for our lives.

One of the most peaceful thoughts in the entire world was written by the Apostle Paul: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). If we truly believe this promise and appropriate it for our daily living, we will know complete and abiding peace. The divine promise remains true: "The Lord will bless his people with peace" (Ps. 29:11).

Countless multitudes have ridden themselves of their fear knowing the power in God's presence
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me. (Psalm 23:4)

Henry Ward Beecher says the Twenty-third Psalm is the nightingale of the Psalms. The nightingale sings its sweetest when the night is darkest. And for most of us death is the most terrifying fact of life. Death makes us afraid. We feel so helpless and alone.

Of course, "the valley of the shadow of death" refers to more than the actual experiences of physical death. It has been translated, "the glen of gloom." It might refer to every hard and terrifying experience of life.

The Basque Sheepherder describes an actual Valley of the Shadow of Death in Palestine. It leads from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and is a very narrow and dangerous pathway through the mountain range. The path is rough, and there is danger that a sheep may fall at any moment to its death.

It is a forbidding journey that one dreads to take. But the sheep is not afraid. Why? Because the shepherd is with it.

And so come those dark places in life through which we are compelled to pass. Death is one. Disappointment is another. Loneliness is another. Phobias, compulsions, obsessions, and reliving traumatic experiences fill us with fear.

If you feel you are in "the valley of the shadow," get off to a quiet place. Quit struggling for a little while. Forget the many details. Stop your mind for a little while from hurrying on to the morrow and to next year and beyond.

Just stop, become still and quiet, and in the midst of your "glen of gloom" you will feel a strange and marvelous presence more powerfully than you have ever felt it before. Many have felt that presence-they have heard the nightingale sing in the darkness.

Wherever my pathway leads, I will not be afraid, "for thou art with me." There is power in His presence. Countless multitudes have ridden themselves of their fear knowing that eternal truth.
Excerpted from: God's Psychiatry by Charles L. Allen

God Provides us strength against life's storms
Where is your faith? (Luke 8:25).

If the devil has another name, it is Fear. He strives to enter our minds and put a fear in us that is a living thing. It nags us. Nauseates us-literally makes us sick. Follows us. Torments us.

Jesus dealt with fear by pointing to faith as the answer. In the height of the storm on Galilee, His disciples were overcome with fear. Then they asked Him a question that only increased their doubts and fears: "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"

Jesus did not withdraw from the human stream, from the misery and the torments that we pass through. He developed a way of life, a rhythm of a time to seed and harvest; a faith in God as the source of supply and a relationship with God that gave Him strength on the inside so that when He was in these problems He could rest, He could have a calmness of spirit.

After Jesus calmed the storm, He asked the disciples, "Where is your faith? Why were you so afraid?" He was saying, 'Look, the very faith I have in My Father you can have. The very fact that I was able to find strength to relax and be strong in this storm means that you can find that same strength. You don't have to be afraid. Why are you so fearful when you can have this relationship with God, when you can open up yourself and give and expect a miracle? Where is your faith?"

Our feelings will lie to us. In life we are dealing with reality, not just feelings. When we analyze the problem of fear, nine times out of ten we find that we are guilty of wrong believing. We are believing that God doesn't care what happens to us. This is what Satan, "the father of lies' would have us believe. Faith and fear both come from our believing. Wrong believing brings fear. Right believing brings faith.

Excerpted From: Oral Roberts' Favorite Healing Scriptures

Action Steps

Kenneth W. Caine and Brian P. Kaufmann in their book 'Prayer, Faith and Healing' suggested several actions you can take to face and manage fear.

Use reasonable precautions.

If you are fearful of crime, take practical steps to improve security at home and when we travel. This helps prevent crime. It also makes us feel better. Even small steps, such as leaving the light on at night, help soothe fears considerably following traumatic experiences.

Seek help.

Fears can develop into debilitating phobias if left unchecked. Seek professional help if you are having a hard time handling your fears. When fear becomes immobilizing or interferes with your normal functions, it's time to seek counseling.

Face fear head on.

A fear faced is often a fear defeated.

An old saying goes, "Boats are safe anchored in the harbor, but that's not what boats are made for."

A person was frightened of speaking in front of groups. Her boss asked her to make a presentation at a staff meeting. When she stood up, she realized that she was nervous, and said so. Her throat was dry, and she took a drink of water. Then she began. Acknowledging her fears and focusing momentarily on something else-getting a drink of water-helped her through the moment. The next time she spoke, she wasn't quite so nervous.

The young woman had prayed to Jesus before the meeting, asking directly for His help in dealing with her fear.

Accentuate the positive.

The Apostle Paul in his letters in the bible wrote frequently of the need to focus on the good things in life, not the bad. "Whatever is true," he wrote to the Philippians, "whatever is honorable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

To turn your mind away from your fear, make a list of pleasant thoughts and memories and add to it regularly. When you are tempted to start dwelling on something negative, you will have something that's good and true to put in your minds to replace it with.

Turn off sources of bad news.

The evening news is often full of stories about crime, horror, and terrorism. Following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers, the US television showed the image of the planes attacking the world trade center repeatedly followed by the image of the towers collapsing. Exposure to this type of news and images are unsettling to many. Studies of television viewers show that people who spent lot of time watching television perceive a more violent world.

When you are overwhelmed by what you are seeing on the TV, turn off the TV. If you don't want to turn it off, close your eyes, or think of pleasant things.

Keep your spirituality strong.

Pay attention to your spiritual life. It will help you tide over the difficult times. Keep up regularly on prayer, worship, fellowship, and service.

A lot of our insecurities come from an unspoken awareness that we've veered off the path from God or from our inner fear that we're not living as we're called to live. Being strong spiritually, means that we feel that we are walking where we are meant to walk, and that we are being watched and protected by God. There's enormous security in that feeling.

Participate in community activities.

Spirituality allows us to being part of communities such as church. Communities can provide their members opportunities for mutual cooperation and support. Community is an important element of our spiritual security blanket. We can do much to allay our fears if we wrap ourselves tightly in a network of believers by attending services regularly, participating in church social activities, and doing volunteer service. Studies conducted in Duke University in the US has shown that church activities provided health benefits.

PRAYER AND HEALING: FUTURE

Michael Lerner, author of ‘Choices in Healing’ makes the following predictions for the future:

• As physicians become increasingly comfortable with nonlocality as a legitimate concept in science, they will begin to use nonlocal interventions purposefully in both diagnosis and therapy. This will open the door widely to an Era of "nonlocal medicine" and will change the face of the profession. Nonlocal medicine will reject neither technological, mechanistic, Era I-type approaches, nor mind-body, Era II-type therapies, but will subsume them. The result will be a medicine that is both more effective and more humane, a medicine that works better and feels better.

• As nonlocal concepts find a home in medical science, prayer will become recognized as a potent force in medicine and will become incorporated into the mainstream.

• The use of prayer will become the standard in scientific medical practice in most medical communities.

• So pervasive will its use become that not to recommend the use of prayer as an integral part of medical care will one day constitute medical malpractice.

• The nonlocal nature of consciousness will be acknowledged in mainstream science because of conclusive evidence affirming it. It will become increasingly recognized that consciousness can do things the brain cannot.

• A new picture of human consciousness will emerge. No longer will it be considered an exclusive byproduct of the brain, destined to die with the body.

• The recognition that there is some aspect of the human psyche that is genuinely nonlocal will lead to a transformation of our ideas of who we are. We will see that this nonlocal aspect of ourselves cannot die-for, if nonlocal, it is infinite in space and time, and thus omnipresent and immortal by implication.

• This soul-like quality of human beings will no longer be just an assertion of religions, to be accepted only through blind faith; it will be considered a legitimate implication of rational, empirical science.

• The recognition of a soul-like quality of consciousness-by science on the one hand and by religion on the other-will constitute a bridge between these two domains. This point of contact will help heal the bitter divisions between these two camps. No longer will people feel compelled to choose between them in ordering their lives. At long last science and religion will stand side by side in a complementary way, neither attempting to usurp the other.

• With the recognition that there is an innately nonlocal part of us that cannot die, the goals of medicine will be transformed. We shall come to realize that our intrinsic nonlocality constitutes an ever-present, Radical Cure-immortality-for the Big Disease, physical death.

• This recognition will not prohibit us from trying to eradicate illness, increase longevity, and prolong life; we may continue to do so if we so choose. But if so we shall no longer be acting out of desperation and fear of ultimate destruction at the moment of death. Rather we shall do so out of wisdom, recalling always that the most essential part of us cannot die, even in principle.

• This understanding may lead to a transformation in the way we pray. No longer will we pray incessantly for things, such as our health, but our prayers will be predominantly prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving-our proper response on realizing that the world, at heart, is more glorious, benevolent, and friendlier than we have recently supposed.

The Steps In Divine Healing

Donald Demaray, author of ‘How Are You Praying? A Manual on the Practice of Prayer’ shares these steps to obtain divine gift of healing:

1. Relax:
The first step to healing is relaxation. The body is "forgotten" in order to permit the mind to center upon God and his great power.

2. Be Cleansed:
The whole person, including the conscious and subconscious mind, must be purified so that God’s healing power can course through the seeker.

3. Seek Clarification of God’s Will:
Ask God what precisely is needed for healing to occur. In response, God will make his will clear.

4. Expect Healing:
This means that you actually believe that God has heard the prayer and will answer it. The posture is active faith; half faith will not do.

5. Relinquish Yourself:
Hand your life, without reservation, into God’s hands. In this phase of prayer, the seeker’s recaptured health is given over to God for his holy purposes, for his glory, for his kingdom.

6. Begin Living The Promise:
Extend your hands to receive the promised gift. Start to live and act in the strength of the health-giving power received. There is nothing left now but to thank God.

Benefits of Prayer

Kenneth Cooper, author of ‘it’s Better to Believe’, says that having deep personal convictions and values can do wonders for almost every aspect of your physical and emotional well-being. He listed several specific enhancements to health that have been linked to firm, inner commitments to moral principles, social values, God, or even oneself.

Less Depression, Smoking, And Alcohol Abuse

In a study of more than five hundred African-American men conducted by Wayne State University in Detroit, significant correlation between the participants' religious involvement and their health. The researchers identified a number of indicators of true religious commitment, including overall religiosity and church attendance. They found these were linked to various beneficial health effects, such as less depression, little or no smoking, and infrequency of alcohol consumption.
(Source: November 1994 issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association)

Healthier Mothers And Babies

Maternity patients with a strong religious commitment, and their newborns, who were studied at the Department of Family Medicine, East Carolina University, had fewer medical complications than maternity patients without a religious affiliation.

(Source: November 1994 issue of Southern Medical Journal)

Protection From Colon And Rectal Cancer

In an Australian study of patients with cancer of the colon or rectum, 715 cancer patients were compared with 727 "controls" without cancer.

The researchers found that the respondents who saw themselves as most religious were less likely to have cancer than those who were not as religious. In other words, self-perceived "religiousness" was a statistically significant protective factor against the disease!

Another interesting finding in this study was that self-reported or perceived religiousness was associated with median survival times of sixty-two months. In contrast, those patients who reported themselves as "non-religious" had a median survival time of only fifty-two months.

(Source: November 1993 issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine)

Improved Coping With Breast Cancer

A number of studies have associated a deep religious faith with an ability to cope more effectively with cancer, including breast cancer.

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio published a study about the impact of deep faith on the condition of women with breast cancer. They found that with a group of Anglo-American patients, "intrinsic religiousness" was a strong predictor of spiritual well-being and hope- both of which are important factors for successfully coping with cancer.

(Source: Oncologocial Nurse's Forum, September 1993)

A Healthier Emotional Balance

A study at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, ranked participating young men and women as high, medium, or low in the quality of their personal religious commitment. Those in the high religious category, regardless of their religious denomination, scored highest for self-esteem, emotional maturity, and nondepression.

(Source: June 1993 issue of Psychological Reports)

Lower Blood Pressure, Healthier Cardiovascular System And Reduced Stress

A commitment to maintain significant social ties, including marriage and religious community involvements -and a willingness to act on such commitments-can have tremendous beneficial effects on health.

A study on this issue, involving more than 1,100 healthy men and women aged seventy to seventy-nine, was reported by Yale epidemiologist Lisa Berkman at a January 1995 meeting of the American Medical Association. She confirmed that strong emotional support and social ties can help lower blood pressure and enhance survival after a heart attack.

Berkman also found that significant social ties, including close friendships and family relationships, improved the levels in the brain of the chemicals norepinephrine and cortisol, which have been associated with excessive stress.

Stronger Marriage Ties

Religious compatibility between spouses at the time of marriage has a large influence on marital stability. A study, conducted by E. L. Lehrer and C. U Chiswick of the Economics Department of the University of Illinois at Chicago, also found that spouses of different faiths generally break up more often than those with a common faith.

(Source: August 1993 issue of the journal Demography)

A commitment to a meaningful marriage-rather than just cohabiting with a partner or remaining single-has also been linked in scientific studies to some specific health benefits. Researchers from the University of Chicago found that divorced men had twice the rate of alcohol abuse as married men. Divorced women also had more problems with alcohol than their married counterparts. Other researchers reported that those who live together before marriage have higher divorce rates, are more likely to be sexually disloyal, and are generally less happy than married couples.

(Source: Conferences of the Population Association of America, April 1995)

DailyOm – A New Approach
August 16, 2010


A New Approach


Taking a Break from What You Are Doing

Sometimes we need to step back from what occupies our minds and take a break much like touching the reset button.


Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in our thoughts that we wind up going round in round in circles, finding it difficult to concentrate on things and, because we are so distracted, not really accomplishing much. There may be signals—mental, emotional, and physical—that tell us we need to slow down and relax. Since we are so involved in things that are external to us, however, we may easily overlook what is really going on inside of us. It is during these times that we need to step back from the things that occupy our minds and take time out to connect with our inner self, giving our minds, bodies, and spirits the time they need to reenergize and heal.

At first it may seem that by taking a break we may not be as productive as we would initially like. In reality, a healthy period of rest is something that gives us a real sense of the unlimited nature of our true potential.

Spending a couple of minutes walking outside, doing a few yoga poses, meditating, or simply becoming attuned to the rising and falling of our breath enables us to let go of our worries. This act brings our focus back to the things that are truly essential for us, such as our sense of oneness with the universe and our inner peace and well-being. As we begin to get in touch with this part of ourselves, we will find that our usual everyday troubles and worries become less critical and that we not only have much more room in our lives to really reflect on the issues that mean the most to us, but we are also able bring to all the situations we encounter a much more positive and healthy outlook.

Giving ourselves respite from our daily concerns is like giving a gift to ourselves. By stepping away from the problems that seem to saturate our thoughts, we lessen the weight of our troubles and instead become more receptive to the wisdom and answers the universe has to offer us.

DailyOm – Beyond Counting Blessings
August 13, 2010


Beyond Counting Blessings



Being Truly Thankful


In a deep state of gratitude we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself.


Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.

It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.

We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Tuning in to our breath and making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances.