Food for thought

Cosmic Shower

2011-06-19T15:02:00.003-04:00

You are and have everything you could possibly want, as long as you recognize your true potential.

You are not a diamond in the rough. You are perfect multifaceted radiant indestructible diamond.

Erroneous beliefs, acquired through indoctrination, like smog, create layer upon and layer of grime that needs to be washed away to allow the radiance to shine through.

Working through the beliefs works, but takes times. To help wash away the accumulated muck, an excellent visualization exercise is to take a “cosmic shower.”

Every day while in the shower, imagine that the water is washing away more than the body, that a “cosmic shower” is cleansing your energy field. Each day as the dirt is lifted the diamond within you appears more and more brilliant. Each day you notice that the strength in you begins to seep forth into everything you do. Anger and anxieties subside, chores become easier to do and as your confidence grows, joy becomes a constant in your life.

ENJOY!

Words

2010-08-24T13:22:00.003-04:00

Behaviour is dictated by thoughts.
Thoughts are composed of a series of words.
Words are part of the illusion created by residents of this plane of existence.
Words carry images which imprint the psyche, and therefore affect the world.

It is essential to examine the meaning of words and begin to change our vocabulary in order to change our lives.

For instance it is better to consider than to judge. It is better to consider and respond than to judge and react.

What do the words you use say about you?

Something to think about

2010-08-24T13:08:00.000-04:00

“ One’s own thought is one’s own world. What a person thinks is what he becomes.” - Hindu text from the Maitri Upanishad, nearly 3,000 years old.

“ We are shaped by our thoughts. We become what we think.” - Buddha writes in the Dhammapada, c 500 BC.

"Cogito Ergo Sum" ("I think, therefore I am.") - René Descartes (1596-1650)

Sages, philosophers, psychiatrists, and ordinary folk have said it for millennia, “Be careful of what you think”.

Sigmund Freud recognized years ago that thoughts, manifested by behaviour, are founded in the belief system. His opinion of the necessity to understand our beliefs gave birth to the psychoanalytic process, where adults spent years in analysis, seeking the root cause of their beliefs, by attempting to remember and dissect their childhood.

Some theories suggest that the foetus is able to sense the world while still in the womb. While that idea may be disputed, the fact that infants start to formulate their opinion of the world, as soon as they leave the birth canal is not. Language is not necessary to imprint the psyche.

The beliefs that make up how we perceive the world are firmly established by the age of three. As our intellect develops, our set of beliefs modify slightly, nonetheless we will always view the world according to the colour of own personal lenses. The colour instilled by the original beliefs.

What are our options? Is it sitting on the analyst’s couch, a la Woody Allen the only way to improve our lives? Or, do we continue to blame our parents for their lack of parental skills?

Or, do we assume responsibility for our lives and refuse to be driven by unknown forces in our subconscious?

Ancient sayings were right we are what we think, because thoughts generate actions; actions have consequences; which generate thoughts, which generate actions ad infinitum.

To improve our lives we must change the patterns of behaviour. By making a conscious effort to change our thoughts, we are taking a pro-active approach, which, can effect an immediate change in behaviour. The secondary benefit is that as we attempt to reprogram ourselves to change old unwanted behaviours with new, it becomes easier to identify the belief that fueled the thought.

Once implanted beliefs surface, they can be challenged, by holding them to the light of the present, and their validity assessed. Either saved or discarded.

Without being able to shed the light of the present on set beliefs, adults will continue to behave like children, not being aware of the forces that drive them.

Exercises

1. Whenever you find yourself repeating an old behaviour, ask yourself, why, what is the belief behind the behaviour.

2. When overwhelmed by negative or oppressive thoughts, remind yourself:

I am the master of my thoughts!

Sex not a moral issue

2009-03-13T17:46:00.003-04:00

Societies prodded by religious views continue to insist sex is a moral issue.

Sex is a physiological function like urinating and defecating. Bladder and bowel movements whenever and wherever the urge arises are not possible. For hygienic health reasons, control must be exercised.

Similarly, since multiple indiscriminate sexual relationships can be emotionally and physically devastating, wisdom dictates that sexual impulses be curbed.

Finding Inner Wisdom

2008-04-05T11:35:00.003-04:00

Nirvana. Ecstasy. Bliss. Inner Peace. Contentment

No matter what we call it, we all want it.

Abraham Maslow referred to self-realization; the general populace equates it to maturity.

Maturity in this context is different from aging, and can occur at any age. Maturity is a combination of experience, wisdom, and freedom.

Experience is gained by repetition of the trials and tribulations of daily life.

Wisdom happens when experience is successful in teaching us to see the world in new ways. Usually simpler ways. Things that appeared complex and onerous suddenly seem easy. We realize our mind was playing tricks on us. Life flows smoothly when we refrain from creating webs that we eventually fall into and become trapped in. It takes courage to turn experience into wisdom.

Wisdom leads to freedom. Yes, wisdom gives us the freedom to be daring; freedom to dance to our music; in more practical terms, freedom to stop worrying about what other people think; freedom to follow our hearts.

The greatest disservice that parents, friends, society as a whole can do to a human being is to propagate customs and traditions through the reinforcement of gender roles and morals that no longer apply.

Using modes of transportation as a comparison, the concept becomes clear: modern societies have come a long way since the horse and buggy and the sail and row boats, today travel is faster and safer either by car, aeroplane, or huge floating hotels fueled by their own generators. Unless for religious reasons, very few people would opt to use a horse and buggy as the sole means of getting from one place to another.

In order to find inner peace, it is necessary to break free of the constraints of the past and view life in a whole new way. This idea might appear rebellious, as freedom has been tainted by disorder and chaos. Since anarchy has become synonymous with freedom, it is essential to emphasize that it is not anarchy that is being advocated but rather “responsible freedom”.

Changing your thoughts can change your life. Any type of change requires change in thinking which requires determination. It is at this point that most of us get stuck.

How does one change an apparently involuntary function of the brain?

The brain is powered by electro-chemical impulses. The predominant neurotransmitters cruising through the brain determine our moods. For example an imbalance in norepinephrine and serotonin is one of the causes of anxiety disorders including separation anxiety. The make up of chemicals keeps us on a treadmill, moving but not getting anywhere, the proverbial “vicious cycle”. Hence, the wide use of drugs and alcohol to change the chemical make up of the brain.

Artificial mind altering substances are just one way of affecting the chemical process, diet and exercise, change in routine, for instance, are also effective.

Understanding the process of life differently is another way to get out of the “rut”. There is no universal reward and punishment system. Life is a series of actions and consequences where everything has an emotional price. The questions you should be asking are:

1. Am I getting enough return for my investment? In other words are you getting more pleasant or unpleasant results from your actions?

2. How much am I willing to pay for my indulgences?

Instead of popping a pill at the same time everyday, take time to STOP, go within, question the beliefs that keep you repeating actions that lead to unpleasant consequences.

Find and let yourself be guided by your inner wisdom!

“What’s love got to do with it?”

2008-01-09T15:21:00.001-05:00

If marriages are meant, expected in fact, to last until death, why is it that today, many marriages do not last past the honeymoon?

To answer that question we have to look at the original meaning and purpose of marriage, in contrast with present societal mores.

Today’s adults are not equipped, mentally or emotionally, to deal with the consequences of lifestyle changes that have taken place.

Throughout history marriage was seen as an irrevocable contract between two families, for social, economic and reproductive purposes. Marriage was inevitable, dissolution impossible.

Familial ties were binding, not essentially out of love, but out of necessity. The family unit provided a safe haven for the members, ensuring that material and physical needs were met. In times of crisis, the family served as a support system.

The elder members of the family passed on the customs and traditions orally from generation to generation and made all the rules. There was no refuge for the non-conforming.

As in most cultures, not all, inheritances were passed on through male descendants; chastity for womyn became an important rule. If womyn were allowed multiple partnerships, paternity could not be determined; succession of property would be negatively affected.

Times changed. Advances in technology altered the way people lived as well as the way information was disseminated. The human scene was transformed forever.

The Kinsey Reports published in 1948 and 1953 had a tremendous impact on sexuality. The two volumes, “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male” and “Sexual Behavior in the Human Female” revealed that homosexuality and adultery were more prevalent than generally believed and accepted.

Two world wars taught womyn that they could survive on their own. They could work, make a living, and raise children. The advent of the birth control pill in late 1950’s gave womyn total control over their reproductive system. The 60’s became known as the decade of the “sexual revolution”. Womyn were free to enjoy and express their sexuality without fear of unwanted pregnancies.

We live in a world of confusion, inner conflict, and turmoil, yet we are not ready to recognize that the dynamics of marriage have changed. It is hard to imagine that it was only in western cultures of the 20th century that the notion of “romantic marriage” became pervasive. Marriage has become a “relationship” with the component of “love” as its main ingredient. The problem is that love is transitory and relationships require hard work to maintain.

The situation is aggravated since working on a relationship, demands working on the self. Most individuals do not have the courage to face the demons lurking within, thus are reluctant to examine old constraining mental precepts. Yet, it is only when we become stronger and more confident as individuals that relationships will blossom.

Prayer

2008-01-05T11:28:00.000-05:00

I trust in the Divine,
In the Divine I trust.

I know
All will be
As it should be,

I trust in the Divine,
In the Divine, I trust.

How to Change Unwanted Patterns of Behaviour

2007-12-16T14:21:00.000-05:00

Solution: Fake It Until You Make It - One Step At a Time

1. Accept. It took time to acquire whatever pattern of behaviour you are trying to eliminate; it is going to take time to change it.

2. Fake. Make time every day, even if it is just for a minute or two to start, increasingly slowly with time, to practice the new behaviour, practice makes perfect.

A Seasonal Message

2007-12-14T09:15:00.001-05:00

Traditionally one of the major holidays at this time of year is Christmas. As not everyone is of the same faith, allow me to put forth a brief explanation of the significance of the date chosen, as well as a suggestion that will hopefully enhance the lives of all those who chose to consider it.

December 25th was decreed as the official date of Jesus’ birth by Pope Julian, in 345 C.E., under the auspices of a newly converted Roman Empire. Yet, since the earliest civilizations, major religious festivals, in all beliefs, have taken place in late autumn, early winter.

The timing followed the course of nature. Late autumn being a time to give thanks for the harvest, the winter a time of rest with rebirth in the spring.

The date for the revelry known as the Roman Saturnalia and pagan festival of Yule, both celebrating the winter solstice, coincided with the birth of the Mithras the Persian god said to have been born on December 25. Mithraism a rival to Christianity, had reached Rome c 67 B.C.E. Pope Julian, cleverly appropriated these dates. There can be no argument that it is easier to get people to follow established patterns, than to acquire new ones.

For two millennia the historical Jesus has been the cause of wars rooted on religious intolerance. Today, the debate rages on as to whether Jesus actually existed. In my opinion it is essential that we stop emphasizing the messenger and focus on the message.

Be it two thousand years old, or five thousand if we accept as evidence the Egyptian myth the message, similarly believed by most religions of the world, is that every human being carries within a “Spark” of Divine Manifestation.

Accepting that a “Divine Spark” joins all human beings, frees us to overlook physical and intellectual differences and realize that we are all derive from the same “Source”.

With that principle in common we can use nature as a model, and look at this time of year, as a time to shed the old branches that draw on our resources. Let go of old grudges forgive those whom you believe have grieved you; forgive yourself for having allowed unkind feelings and thoughts to steer you away from compassion and love.

Use the time between now and Spring to reflect inwardly and strengthen your inner “Spark”, allow the Light from Within to shine BRIGHTLY!
BLESSINGS

Mind Power Healing – Fact or Myth?

2007-12-06T11:48:00.000-05:00

Do miracles happen? Can we create miracles in our daily lives?

Of course we can!

The trick is learning how. It is not hard really, it is just a matter of believing. Hey, there’s the rub!

What are the three things real estate agents consider important?:

Location, Location, Location

Similarly there are three key essentials in mind power healing:

Intent, Intent, Intent

You must have the “will” to heal the self or to assist in healing others. Without intent no amount of positive thinking or intervention will work.

Doctor’s know that!

They call it the “will to live”. Why is it that some patients recover from what appeared to have been a fatal disease, while other succumb to a simple illness? It is all due to the person’s intentions and willingness to heal.

Let us look at healing.

Healing is not the same as curing!

Curing is the process of eliminating disease from the body.

Healing is the process of achieving a state of well-being regardless of the condition of the body. Nonetheless, healing can be used to help the body rid itself of the toxins and blockages that cause discomfort... i.e. disease.

Before we can talk about what we can do to help ourselves and others to heal, we have to understand how the body works and how the process of “mind power healing” affects the body.

When the battery dies in your car, one normally requests a boost. Why? To assist in the recharging of the battery so the car will run again.

Mind power healing works by boosting the energy level of the body. As an example, we draw from the Universal Energy Field normally in moments of reflection, prayer or mediation. During moments of intense concentration one is focused on the desired result. Thus, intent, focus and belief become the driving force that make miracles possible.

10 Easy Steps to Combat Winter Depression

2007-12-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

Sometimes without apparent reason, depression seems to take over. The best medicine is preventative. Looking after mental health is as essential as looking after physical health. A physically tired person will generally take a break. Rest replenishes the body’s energy. Exhaustion is released and the body feels better. The mind also needs to release the constant bombardment of stimulus, some pleasant, some not so pleasant, i.e. stress. Mind fitness is a prerequisite to maintaining a harmonious sense of well- being.

Help Yourself Feel Better, when depression hits, in 10 Easy Steps

Watch your diet. Eat “light”. Refrain from eating “heavy foods” which will make the body feel sluggish. Vegetables, fish etc. Studies have shown that depressed patients have a lower level of the natural amino acid tryptophan. This natural antidepressant can be found in bananas. Licorice is known to contains a natural MAO inhibitor (monoamine oxidase enzyme).

1. Get plenty of sleep. Ensure that your night’s sleep is undisturbed. If possible take a warm bath and drink a warm cup of tea before going to bed, camomile, passion flower, lemon balm are suggested. Burning incense, oils or scented candles prior to falling asleep can ensure a deep sleep. Recommended scents: marjoram, cedarwood, sandalwood, camomile.

2. Exercise. Depression responds to vigorous aerobic exercise rather than gentler types such as yoga. If going to an exercise class is not possible, a good exercise video can be used at home. 20 minutes a day is recommended but 10 minutes is better than nothing.

3. Seek Advice. Depression can be clinical, caused by hormonal deficiency, or environmental, caused by life situations. After ruling out medical causes for depression, seek friends or professionals who can offer different perspectives on life situations.

4. Dissect. The large picture always feels overwhelming. Break down the picture. Examine each area, i.e. life situation individually. Deal with one component at a time, as though tearing down a brick wall. (Good visualization exercise)

5. Contemplation. Meditation, visualization, affirmations are three essential methods of training your mind towards feeling better. Meditation does not have to done sitting cross legged staring into the infinite. A walk in the country contemplating the beauty of nature can be meditative. While in a totally relaxed state, either walking. sitting or lying down, visualize the depression lifting from the body. Affirm that your body’s natural state is healthy, and that it is achieving a healthier state second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year.... Create whatever personal affirmations are applicable to the situation.

6. Massage. A good invigorating massage or an aromatherapy massage can stimulate the lymphatic system, clearing the body of toxins. Reflexology, either hand or foot is also beneficial. The site for the pituitary, the “king” of the hormone producing glands, is found in the “middle back” of the toes, and in the hands in the middle of the upper fleshy part of the thumb.

7. Fragrances. Use aromatherapy blends in the bath, as mist sprays for room and pillow and as massage oils.

8. Ritualistic routine. Create a distracting routine or ritual. Find a convenient time of day in which to perform an enjoyable routine or ritual. Select a time that can remain constant for a reasonable period of time, i.e. ten to twelve weeks.

9. Supplements. Vitamin supplements, and tinctures such as valerian root and passion flower can be used, but not long term. St. Johnswort, Motherswort and Ginko are highly recommended. Ginseng and Kava Kava are also useful but side effects may include higher blood pressure and hyperactivity respectively.

10. Release anger. Frequently depression is anger turned within. If you let go depression can be eliminated. According to the Rev. Hanna Kroeger, pressing acupuncture points along the body’s meridians can help release blockages. Hold the following points for a few minutes: mid chin; tip of sternum; left side of knee.

Know thyself and stay happy.........

Are We Who We Think We Are

2007-12-03T11:54:00.000-05:00