Salutations To Our Mother Earth

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Wrinkle FREE!

Avocados: Loaded with Vitamin E, that rejuvenates the skin, they also contain antioxidants that get rid of toxic build-up and have a softening, smoothening effect on your skin. Eat them raw or make dips that go well with party snacks.

Almonds and other nuts/seeds: Make it a habit to pop a handful of nuts and seeds everyday. You can take your pick from walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia, pistachio nuts, all of which are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids that give your skin its lustre.


Aloe Vera: Get rid of your wrinkles with this natural alternative to Botox. It increases collagen production and keeps skin young looking and plump. Eat it fresh (scrape only the inside gel) or mix with fruits. The perfect combo.


Barley: Whether you eat it for breakfast or as a thickening agent for your soups, it's one cereal that's a must-have because not only is it high in fibre, but also helps metabolise fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates.


Beans and lentils: Stock your kitchen larder with chickpeas, soybeans, peas and different kinds of lentils. They will help you cut cholesterol and fill up on antioxidants, folic acid and potassium.


Chillies / bell peppers: The spicier, the better! Not only do they contain anti-oxidants, but are rich in Vitamin C and can burn fat reserves. So you can do without strenuous exercises and instead sweat it out on the dining table!


Garlic and onions: Yes, they smell, but the benefits are many such as helping the liver eliminate toxins and carcinogens. And besides, they add a lot of flavour to healthy pastas and soups.


Sprouts: Eat them as salads with your meals or make pastes/dips out of them and team with a plateful of raw veggies. They're a great source of protein and Vitamin C and works at developing your immune system.


Wheat grass: If you don't know where to buy it everyday, just grow a potted plant on your windowsill. Drink one glass of wheat grass juice daily or powder it and add to rotis. They have greater levels of nutrients than green leafy vegetables and also help cholesterol, blood pressure and develop immunity.


Yoghurt: Bacteria that are good for you are what creamy yoghurt contains and the calcium can help in maintaining a svelte figure. Make shakes, eat straight from the pack or add to curries, it's high on taste too.


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Healing Music

Healing Yourself with Sound

Sound healing has been known since ancient times as one of the simplest and most effective ways to bring balance and calm to your entire being. This wonderful excerpt gives step-by-step instructions for making a series of sounds that can align your body, mind, and spirit. No fancy equipment or expensive ingredients are needed here, just you and your voice.
Even if you can’t carry a tune in a paper bag, this method can make you feel better, clearer, and calmer in just a few minutes.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: "Chakras" are energy centers located along the center of the body that correspond to major glandular systems.
All sounds should be made softly and gently, for no more than five minutes each.

1. Begin with an “UH” sound (as in the word “huh”) that is the very deepest sound you can make. Focus your attention on the base chakra, located at the base of the spine. If you would like to add a color visualization to this exercise, use the color red. The sound you make can be very soft and gentle. It does not have to be loud. Close your eyes while you are making this sound. Become aware of where the sound is resonating in your body. The sound will always resonate in your throat, but become aware of where else that sound is resonating. Now visualize the sound resonating at the base of your spine and in your reproductive area. Feel the sound vibrating the area and, as it does, become aware that the energy center associated with that area is also resonating, becoming balanced and aligned. Make this “UH” sound for a minute or two, or however long you feel comfortable. We suggest that you do this for no more than five minutes.

2. Now focus your attention on the second chakra, located about three inches below the navel. The vowel sound for this chakra is “OOO” (as in the word “you”). A color that will compliment a visualization for this sound is orange. Begin to tone an “OOO” sound, making it a little less deep and a bit higher in pitch than the last sound. Close your eyes and become aware of where the sound is resonating in your body. Now focus your attention on the second chakra and project the sound there. Experience this energy center balancing and aligning with the other charkas. Make this “OOO” sound for a minute or two.

3. The sound for the navel chakra, located at the navel area and several inches above, is “OH” (as in the word “go”). Yellow will compliment your visualization. Begin to tone a very soft and gentle “OH” sound, that is beginning to fall in the mid range of your voice. This sound should be higher than the last sound. Become aware of where that sound is resonating in your body. Now focus your attention on the navel and solar plexus area and focus the sound there. As the sound resonates this area, experience this energy center balancing and aligning with the other chakras.

4. The vowel sound for the heart chakra, located in the middle of the chest, to the right of our physical heart, is “AH” (as in the word “father”). “AH” is often a sound we make when we are in love and the heart chakra is the center associated with love. If you wish to add a color to compliment this sound, use green. Begin to tone a soft and gentle mid-range “AH” sound, higher in pitch than the last sound. Become aware of where the sound is resonating in your body. Now focus your attention on your heart chakra and project the sound there. As you resonate the heart chakra with sound, experience this energy center balancing and aligning with the other chakras.

5. The vowel sound for the throat chakra, located at the throat, is “EYE (as in the word “I”). A color to compliment this sound is blue. Begin to tone a soft and gentle “EYE” sound which is still higher in pitch than the last sounds. Become aware of where the sound is resonating in your body. Now focus your attention on the throat chakra and project sound there. As the sound resonates the throat chakra, experience this energy center balancing and aligning with the other chakras.

6. The vowel sound for the third eye, located in the forehead between the two eyes and slightly above them, is “AYE” (as in the word “say”). A color that works well with this sound is indigo. Begin to tone a soft and gentle “AYE” sound higher in pitch than the last sounds. Close your eyes while making this sound and become aware of where that sound is resonating in your body. Now focus your attention on this chakra and project the sound to that area. As the sound resonates the third eye, experience this energy center aligning and balancing with your other chakras.

7. The vowel sound for the crown chakra, located a the top of the head, is the very highest “EEE” (as in the word “me”) sound that you can create. A color that is used here is purple. Begin to tone the highest “EEE” sound that it is possible for you to make. Make this sound soft and gentle. Close your eyes and become aware of where that sound is resonating in your body. Now focus your attention on your crown center, and begin to project sound there. As the sound resonates the crown chakra, experience this energy center balancing ad aligning with the other chakras.

At the completion of this exercise, you may feel light-headed. We suggest you sit in a state of meditation and enjoy this experience. Are there any images or thoughts which are coming to you in this state? Take adequate time when you have completed this exercise for processing the experience you have had with sounding the charkas in this manner. What did you feel like before you began this exercise? What do you feel like now that you have completed it? If you wish to ground the energy that you have moved up from the root chakra to the crown chakra, tone the deepest “UH” sound you can make.

Free Tips For Using Music for Transformation
& Healing.

These helpful free tips show how to listen to music for transformation and healing. This free information reveals secrets to support recovery, meditation and spiritual growth through music healing. All music can be healing especially when it is played in sequence using the entrainment principle.

The following information gives you guidelines on creating your own healing music sequence, even if you do not play an instrument! However, for your convenience, you may wish to use music that has already been created for this purpose.

1 Select Appropriate Music.
Most of us choose music that we “like” but will this give us the best results? In fact, often the music we are least attracted to will have the greatest benefit (when played in the right sequence). Let’s say you are very angry. So your first instinct is to put on some really angry music. Does it really help, or does it kind of perpetuate how you feel? Yet, on the other hand if you play some light and happy music, by comparison to how you are currently feeling, it will probably make you feel angrier! As you see, selecting music is not a simple one-shot process.

2 Consider Music Sequencing.
Sometimes it is necessary to first choose music that totally matches your current mood rather than the mood you wish to acquire. Consider arranging a series of different musical compositions in sequence that are customized just for your needs. For example, if you are dealing with depression, select a composition which represents depression in its extreme form, to you. Follow this with one that is only mildly depressing. Then select a neutral composition, and end with a composition which is clearly uplifting and motivating. Listening to music in a sequence like this allows for your current stress level or mood to be first honored and then to be gradually transformed.

3 Speakers Are Ideal.
It is ideal to listen to the music through speakers rather than headphones so that the cells of the body themselves may “listen” to the sound.

4 Prepare Yourself to Listen.
Take off your shoes. Stand relaxed, sit or lie down and breathe.

5 Listen All the Way Through.
It is preferable to listen to the musical composition all the way through, without interruption. This allows for the optimum response to the transformation process.

6 Foreground, Not Background.
We all have the tendency to use music for the background of other activities. Try developing the technique of just listening to the music, not doing anything else. This way, you will get the best benefit.

7 Your Response is What is Important.
It is through your response that the emotional/cellular memory may be released. Do not think that you have to just stay still and concentrate on the music! In fact, if the music inspires you to get up and do something or your mind begins to wander, allow, allow, allow! Allow all responses without judgment. On the other hand, do not begin listening to the music while you are already doing other unrelated activities. The important thing is to let the music embrace you totally.

8 Listen Actively, Not Passively.
Allow the music to reach your inner feeling, and respond freely to it. Everyone has a different manner of expression. You may experience visual images, thoughts, movement, an intensification of emotion, physical vibrations, sleep, or nothing at all.

9 Observe Mind/Body Connection.
A lot of research has been done recently showing that there is a definite connection between the mind and the body. (Actually this refers to the emotions too but it sounds succinct to say “mind/body.”) Even though music healing is often related to relaxation and emotional issues, there is the likelihood that this indirectly could have a benefit on physical illnesses as well.

10 Enjoy the Silence!
When the music stops, it is suggested that you bask in the silence for many moments. This will help integrate the feelings.

Tips provided By Howard Richman & Healing Yourself with Sound - Adapted from Healing Sounds by Jonathan Goldman (Inner Traditions, 2002).


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Burmese riot police attack monks

This is totally insane! Shown here, a shot uploaded to Flickr yesterday by "gmhembree" -- "A monk bleeds from his head where he was beaten during the clash with police. This is on U Thaung Po road, east of Shwedagon." More photos here, and a search for "Burma" plus "monk" yields more.

Go to the BBC website to read more about what's going on.

Om Shanti, Om Shanti

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Myanmar government imposes curfews against Buddhist Monks

The military government banned assemblies of more than five people and imposed curfews in Myanmar's two largest cities on Tuesday, after thousands of Buddhist monks and sympathizers defied orders to stay out of politics and protested once again.

Read the full article here

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Mantra, Chanting and Positive Affirmations

Many people in today's rushed Western society have taken up the practice of repeating mantras or positive affirmations as part of an effort to focus the mind, to meditate or to calm and destress themselves. Chanting is the process of repeating a mantra or positive affirmation either aloud or silently, with the number of times being dependent on the time or the tool used (mala, rosary, etc). Chanting can be quite beneficial during meditation, while driving, washing dishes or other tasks that don't require constant focus or if one finds oneself in a situation where emotion is quickly leaving joy and happiness for anger or sadness.

There lies a perceived difference among people between mantra and positive affirmation. A mantra is a religious or mystical syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language, and varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra. A positive affirmation is a word or phrase that evokes a positive state in a person, such as the word "love" or "peace" or the sentance "I am strong and beautiful".

Beyond being sacred sounds and having millenia of strength of use behind them, Sanskrit (or Buddhist, etc) mantras also have the benefit of being foreign, thus they normally do not have a negative belief already attached to them.

For instance, if one is using "I am divine" as a positive affirmation that phrase, repeated long enough, will "re-wire" the brain and the sub-conscious will begin to believe it - it will become truth. But if one's subconscious, or subjective mind, hears "I am divine" and starts to go off on a tangent about how I cannot be divine because I yelled today and I'm always yelling, etc, etc, then the phrase has negative beliefs deeply ingrained and will, in essence, backfire on the user.

One often has little idea how deeply ingrained or hidden negative beliefs are, so using a Sanskrit mantra like "Om Namah Shivaya", meaning I bow with respect to the divine (in me and in the universe), can often be more beneficial as it does not have any negative beliefs attached to it. But the bottom line remains: use what you feel works the best for you. Experiment with both during meditation or while driving and see what resonates with you. Once you find the phrase that works best it will become a valuable tool for you to find your way to inner joy and happiness - santosha.

Mantra History
Mantra is from the sanskrit root "man"- to think, and "tra"- to liberate; thus, to liberate from thought. Mantras are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words or vibrations that instill one-pointed concentration in a person. Mantras originated in the Vedic religion of India, later becoming an essential part of the Hindu tradition and a customary practice within Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. The use of mantras is now widespread throughout various spiritual movements which are based on, or off-shoots of, the practices in the earlier Eastern religions.

Mantras have two components of primary importance - Meaning and Sound. First is the actual meaning of the word or words and the second is the effective sound (vibration).

Aum: The most basic mantra is Aum (or Om), which in Hinduism is known as the "pranava mantra," the source of all mantras and the first sound/vibration created, as the universe is sound. For this reason, Aum is considered to be the most fundamental and powerful mantra, and thus is prefixed and suffixed to all Hindu prayers. While some mantras may invoke individual Gods or principles, the most fundamental mantras, like Aum, ultimately focus on the One reality. A very common mantra is formed by taking a deity's name. Called Nama japa and saluting it in such a manner: "Aum namah ------" or "Aum Jai (Hail!) ------" or several such permutations. One of the most common is Aum namah Shivaya (Aum I bow to Lord Shiva, considered to be the One Holy Diety / God).

Mantra Japa means repetition of mantra, and has become an established practice. It involves repetition of a mantra over and over again, usually in cycles of auspicious numbers (in multiples of three), the most popular being 108. For this reason, Hindu malas (bead necklaces) developed, containing 108 beads and a head bead (sometimes referred to as the 'meru', or 'guru' bead). One performing japa using his/her fingers counts each bead as he/she repeats the chosen mantra. Having reached 108 repetitions, if he/she wishes to continue another cycle of mantras, one must turn the mala around without crossing the head bead and repeat.

It is said that through japa one attains one-pointedness, or extreme focus, on the chosen deity or principal idea of the mantra. The vibrations and sounds of the mantra are considered extremely important, and thus reverberations of the sound are supposed to awaken the prana (chi or spiritual life force) and even stimulate chakras (energy centers within the body) according to many Hindu schools of thought.

History of Mantra in Other Traditions
Transcendental Meditation, also known simply as 'TM', uses what the group refers to as 'simple mantras' - as a meditative focus. They believe the practice can result in a number of material benefits such as relaxation, reduced stress, better health, better self image; but it can also benefit the world by reducing violence and crime, and generally improve quality of life. The founder was well versed in Hindu tradition, but TM attempts to separate itself from that tradition these days. Simple two-syllable mantras are used.

Mantra practice has also been enthusiastically taken up by various New Age groups and individuals, although this is typically out of context, and from the point of view of a genuine Hindu or Buddhist practitioner lacks depth. The mere repetition of syllables can have a calming effect on the mind, but the traditionalist would argue that mantra can be an effective way of changing the level of one's consciousness when approached in traditional way.

Some forms of Jewish meditation use mantras, although they do not call them by that name. Hasidic Jews sing phrases from the Hebrew Bible over and over, in a form of rhythmic chant, often accompanied by drumming on the table. They also use wordless sacred meditation tunes called niggunim, which are revealed through the higher consciousness of the Rebbes (Hasidic leaders). This practice is done to achieve deveikut which means "cleaving (holding on) to God."

In the Islamic Sufi tradition, chants of the 99 Names of Allah are popular invocations of attributes as are the names of the Prophet.

In Christianity, repetitive prayer using prayer beads such as a rosary includes well known mantras such as the Our Father and Hail Mary. A form of Christian meditation was taught by Dom John Main that involves the silent repetition of a mantra.

Mantra history information excerpted from Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia.


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The world is an illusion

Your eyes vs your brain...
If your brain works.. this will be neat !
This is another example of an amazing illusion!!! The last sentence is so true.

If your eyes follow the movement of the rotating pink dot, the dots will remain only one color, pink.

However if you stare at the black " + " in the center, the moving dot turns to green.

Now, concentrate on the black " + " in the center of the picture. After a short period, all the pink dots will slowly disappear, and you will only see only a single green dot rotating.

It's amazing how our brain works. There really is no green dot , and the pink ones really don't disappear. This should be proof enough, we don't always see what we think we see. ? ?

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Spread The Love

Let It Flow
Be Here Now

Love Yourself & One Another

Breathe deep and put the mind to rest...

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The Religion Of Love

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Yoga By Swami Ramdev

Swami Ramdev was born as Ramkishan Yadav in Alipur, Mahendragarh district of Indian state of Haryana. He attended school through the 8th grade in Shahjadpur. Thereafter, he joined a yogic monastery (gurukul) in Khanpur village to study Sanskrit and Yoga. Eventually, he renounced worldly life and entered into Sanyas (monastic living) - taking the name Swami Ramdev.

Then he went to Jind district and joined the Kalva gurukul and later imparted free Yoga training to villagers across Haryana. It is said that he travelled the Himalayas for several years before he settled in Haridwar. He discovered several medicinal plants in the Himalayas which he uses in treating his patients. Swami Ramdev started relentless efforts to popularise Yoga in 1995 with the establishment of Divya Yoga Mandir Trust, along with Acharya Karamveer and Acharya Balkrishna.

Swami Ramdev has taught several aspects of traditional Indian scriptures such as Ashtadhyayee, Mahabhashya and Upanishads along with six systems of Indian Philosophy in various Gurukuls (traditional Indian systems of education). He has helped establish Gurukuls in Kishangarh, Ghashera, and Mahendragarh in India. He has also founded the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust which has built several institutions. In addition to helping people learn about Yoga and spirituality, these institutions also provide a comprehensive facility that promotes the practice of Ayurveda - the traditional system of holistic medicine developed in India.

He teaches Pranayama which is a series of techniques for breath control that were developed as a part of the ancient Indian system of Yoga. Heretofore, these techniques were often thought of as being esoteric and complex and portrayed as being unsuitable for lay people. Consequently, their use was often limited to advanced practitioners of Yoga and undertaken only under the strict supervision of an experienced teacher. Swamiji has worked diligently to break these barriers and help make the practice of Pranayama achievable by the ordinary layperson.

He has devised a set of six simple Pranayama breathing exercises which are as following:-

1. Bhastrika Pranayam
2. Kapal Bhati Pranayam
3. Baharya Pranayam
4. Anulom Vilom Pranayam
5. Bhramri Pranayam
6. Udgeeth Pranayam

Bhastrika Pranayama

Blower in Sankrita is called as Bhastrika. Hence exhalation of breath forcibly and quickly is the main feature of Bhastrika Pranayama. One should inhale and exhale breath like a blower. It is in a way a combination of Kapalbhati and Vjjayi. Among all the Kumbhakaras, this Pranayama is considered the best.

Method

Sit in Padmasana and Siddhasana stretch your head, neck and back. Put your hands in lap or on the knees. Inhale and exhale rapidly your or five times like a blower. Similarily contract and expand the lungs. A peculiar rusting sound will be produced during the practice of this Pranayama. But the performer must practice this Pranayama rapidly and without stopping even once. At the completion of one cycle (Avartana) the performer must inhale breath as deeply as possible and retain it as long as possible. Ultimately exhale as much breath as possible. Thus a cycle (Avartana) of Bhastrika completes. After resting a while, perform another cycle of this Pranayama. Perform three cycles of the Pranayama in a go. If not possible, perform only single cycle. Perform this Pranayama twice-once in morning and evening each in winters, and only once a day in summers.

Duration : 2 mins atleast. 5 mins max.

Benefits

-With the practice of Bhastrika, swelling of the throat is corrected, appetite is kindled and the cough is removed. Diseases of the nose and chest like asthma, tuberculosis etc. are also corrected.

-Diseases caused by imbalance of wind, cough and bile (Vata, Cough and Pitta) are also corrected by this Pranayama.

-If no other means to warm the body is available, it can be heated with the help of this Pranayama.

-Pores of Sushumna nerve are opened by Bhastrika.

Kapal Bhati Pranayama

Kapal is a Sanskrit word that means skull, while Bhati means lighting or glowing. Thus Kapalbhati is such a kind of Pranayama, practicing which the skull begins to glow.

Method

Sit down in Padmasana or Siddhasana. Rest both of your hands on the knees, and close the eyes. Now like the blower of a blacksmith, begin to perform Puraka and Rechaka (inhaling and exhaling of breath). This exercise must be performed laboriously. There is no Kumbhaka or holding of breath stage. Inhalation and exhalation of breath play the all important role. Your nerves will reverberate in this exercise and you will sweat profusely. It is an extremely powerful exercise performing which all of your cells, neurons and nerves vibrate rapidly. In the beginning, exhale only once per second. Increasing your speed slowly then exhale twice per second. Initially practice a cycle of ten exhalations. Increase the number of exhalation slowly.

Duration : Start with 30 times or 1 min. increase upto 5 mins min. upto 10 mins max.

Benefits

Kapalbhati clears your skull, respiratory tract and the sinus.

Destroying the cough that clogs the trachia Kapalbhati leads to the cure of asthma.

By practice of Kapalbhati, air cells in the lungs receive ample amount life giving oxygen, hence germs of diseases like tuberculosis cannot harm them.

Carbon dioxide The gaseous waste of respiration process is exhaled out in large amount thus purifying the blood.

This process also activates the heart and enhance the capacity of the respiratory system, circulation system and digestive system.

Tips : heart and high BP patients, and weak people do it slowly.

Bhramri Pranayam

Procedure : Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee.
Duration : 10 mins
Benefits : tension, hypertension, high BP, heart, heart blockage, paralysis, migraine pain, confidence, concentration

Detailed Procedure

Breathe in till your lungs are full of air. Close your ears with both the thumbs and eyes with the middle fingers of your hands on respective sides with little pressure. Press forehead with both the index fingers lightly. Close both the eyes. Then press eyes and nose bridge from the sides with the remaining fingers. Concentrate your mind on Ajna Chakra (between eye-brows) . Close your mouth. Begin slowly exhaling, making humming sound of a bee, while reciting “OM” mentally. Repeat the exercise 11 to 21 times according to your capacity.

Shiva Sankalpa (Vow) at the time of performing Bhramari Pranayama:
This Pranayama should be done with the thought that your individual consciousness merges with the divine cosmic consciousness. Your mind should be full of the thought that divine bliss is descending on you, that deep divine wisdom fills your entire being. Exercising this Pranayama with such thought will endow you with divine light and you will be able to meditate effortlessly.

Benefits:

With the practice of this Pranayama the mind becomes steady. It is beneficial in conditions like mental tension, agitation, high blood pressure, heart disease etc. It is also useful for meditation.

Baharya Pranayam

Procedure : Breathe air out, touch chin to chest, squeeze stomach completely and hold for a while. then release chin, breathe in slowly.
Duration : 3 times to 5 times normally. max upto 11 times. and extremely max upto 21 times (in winters).
Benefits : stomach(udar), hernia, urinal, uterus
Tips : not for heart and high BP patients

Anulom Vilom Pranayama

It is a yoga breath control technique.

Procedure : Close your eyes. Hold your right nasal with thumb, breathe in from left. Now open right nasal and close left nasal with middle and ring finger and breathe out from right nasal. Now breathe in from right nasal. Now close right nasal and open left and breathe out and in from left nasal and so on.

Duration : At least 5 mins. To get maximum benefits, one should do this pranayama 250-500 times a day.

Benefits : Heart, high BP, heart blockage, vat-cuf-pit, arthritis, cartilage, bent ligaments, sinual fluid reduced, parkinson, paralysis, neural related, depression, migraine pain, asthma, sinus, allergy

Tips : Breathe into lungs not to stomach because no organ in stomach absorbs oxygen. Do not hurry. Do it slowly. Rest whenever needed (in any pranayam).

Udgeeth Pranayam

Procedure : Breathe in deeply, and chant 'Om'kar. OOOOOOm ( long O and small m )
Duration : 10 mins or more
Benefits : meditation

Details

"Omkar Japa" (Muttering the mantra “OM”)

After performance of the six Pranayamas mentioned here above concentrate your mind on the respiration and meditate on the sacred mantra “OM”. God has fashioned the shape of our brows like OM. This body and the universal cosmic body are filled with this mantra. It is not the figure or expression of any individual thing, but it is divine energy, which regulates the entire functioning of the universe. With every act of breathing in and breathing out, mentally go on repeating the mantra “OM”. The speed of respiration should be so slow and subtle that you yourself also may not be aware of its sound, even if a piece of cotton is placed in front of the nostril it should not move by the effect of the air exhaled out. Slowly practice and make the duration of one inhalation and exhalation to one minute. Likewise, try to visualize the breath inside the body. Initially the breath can be felt only in the nostrils but gradually it will be felt deep inside. In this way, visualizing the breath and continuous chanting of ‘OM’ will lead to Dhyana automatically. Your mind will develop a feeling of concentration and your body will be filled with the feeling of OM. The Gayatri Mantra from the Vedas can also be chanted meaningfully along with Pranayama. This way the Sadhaka can attain the joyful stage of Samadhi by going through the various visualizations of god and supreme powers. Also if this is practiced at bedtime, one will get peaceful sleep without any perverted dreams etc.

Information provided by www.yogahealthcare.org

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Wholeness - Wellness

Wellness is . . . an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful existence. — National Wellness Institute

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote:
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate.... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.


What are our best ideas? What inspires us? What are our mental models? What patterns, concepts, forms, and frameworks support well-being for everyone? What mental models focus on building the good, rather than fighting the bad? What increases the light?
Current theory and research suggests that intellectual, emotional and social processes and personal growth are inextricably linked. This means that health and wellness are connected to learning.
If one imagines each aspect as a spoke on a wheel, Wellness helps a person extend the physical, social, occupational, and intellectual aspects out as far as they can be developed and practiced. Therefore, a wellness mindset seeks to grow in each dimension, not just one, so that the wheel rolls smoothly."
- National Wellness Conference

Spiritual
Individual level: Purpose, values, intuition, virtues, spirit, inspiration, love, honor, service, wisdom, truthfulness, faith, caring, courage, kindness, trustworthiness
Community level: Spiritual gatherings, meditation, houses of worship, religious organizations, inspiration

Intellectual
Individual level: Mind, thinking, memory, analysis and synthesis, imagination, intelligence, learning, knowing, reading, writing, communication, education
Community level: Educational institutions, libraries, bookstores, places to have conversations, media (newspapers, television, films, etc.)

Emotional
Individual level: Feelings, serenity, joy, happiness, love, concern, security, safety, fear, anger, anxiety, pain, grief, sadness, stress, balance
Community level: friends and family, neighborhoods, a culture of care and respect, nurturing and welcoming places to gather, therapists and support groups

Physical
Individual level: Body care, hygiene, nutrition, exercise, weight, sex, vision, hearing, coordination, strength, endurance, gracefulness, speed
Community level: Health care resources (practitioners and facilities), recreation programs, walking and biking trails, a healthy environment, sources of healthy food and water

Social
Individual level: Relationships, family, friends, loved ones
Community level: Neighborhood, the social order, governance, community, civic activity, organizations, clubs, places to gather, activities

Cultural
Individual level: Arts, media, communication, mores, traditions, “roots,” diversity, race, tribe, region, nationality, language, religion, gender, age
Community level: Arts and cultural organizations, historical societies, community arts, cultural gatherings and events, foods, clothing, housing styles

Occupational
Individual level: Career, work, job, employment, vocation, training, homemaking, parenting, interests, talents, abilities, credentials
Community level: Worksites, career centers and counselors, job training programs, learn & serve programs, volunteer programs, educational institutions

Material and Financial
Individual level: Food, clothing, housing, transportation, resource management skills, income
Community level: Financial institutions and businesses, consumer education (purchasing, selling, banking, credit, retirement), income support programs, public assistance (heat, food, clothing, etc.), home ownership programs, shelters, transportation systems

Environmental
Individual level: surroundings, comfort, sound, odors, lighting, aesthetics
Community level: Air, water, soil, climate, conservation, weather, flora and fauna


We hope the following information helps to heal your mind, body and souls=Well Being.

So let's all try this out! For the sake of self preservation... Make some solitude time, bring out the inner child and get creative and colourful by implementing your own Slice of Life Chart it does not have to replicate the one above, this is a guideline.

The information above has been recycled and provided by the following
National Wellness Institute
www.kitchentable.consulting.net
Yorktown Schools.
(((Thankyou)))


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Nutritionists: Soda making Americans drink themselves fat

There's a great article printed on CNN about how soda is really what is making Americans fat. I'm so glad I stopped drinking that crap back in 1992.

Story highlights include:

Soft drinks contribute 10 percent of the calories in the American diet
Center for Science in the Public Interest: Soda is "quintessential junk food"
CSPI wants obesity warning labels on the sides of soda cans
Scientists: Body reacts differently to liquid calories than solid food

Do your body a favor, read the article here and decide for yourself if you should stop.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Cyphering and recycling the positive message from: Inner & Outer peace (G-rated)
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Raja Yoga meditation

Try to experience the stillness of mind of being a peaceful soul as other thoughts emerge in the mind do not judge or focus on them but repeat ………… I am a peaceful soul …………. I am a peaceful soul ………… My mind is filled with peace ………….. I radiate peace to the world …………… I feel the gentle waves of peace flowing across my mind ……….. As these peaceful thoughts emerge in my mind I feel the stillness and silence envelopes my mind …………….. I am the peaceful soul …… I am a peaceful loving soul ………… My mind feels light and free from worries ……….. I realize my real nature is peace ………. Peaceful thoughts flow through the mind and I feel the self becoming light …………………. I am a being of light shining like a star ………………….. I radiate peace and light to the world …………………. The light and peace envelopes me and the waves of peace and light shine like a lighthouse……………………………………… This is the wonderful journey of self discovery.


Raja Yoga Meditation philosophy

The basis for attaining an experience in raja yoga meditation in to understand the self and the mind. The human mind is the most creative, powerful and wonderful “instrument” we possess.

Using this energy called mind we have been able to search the deepest oceans, send humans to the moon and scan the molecular fabric of the building blocks of nature. But have we found our true self? We have become the most educated and civilized society in our history, but are we civil towards each other?

The soul has three main faculties; the mind or consciousness, the intellect and the subconscious.

Thoughts flow from the sub conscious mind to the conscious mind. Feelings and emotions form in accordance with the montage of thoughts flowing in the mind. Therefore our state of mind at any given moment is determined by the thoughts in our consciousness, and also with the feelings that we associate with those thoughts. Since our sub consciousness contains all our previous thoughts and experiences, it is necessary to selectively control the flow of thoughts that emerges from the sub conscious mind.

The intellect is the controller which is used to discriminate so that only positive and benevolent thoughts flow into our mind. With meditation or deep contemplation, the individual is able to strengthen and sharpen the intellect. The end result is a constant state of well being. If we are able to understand the self as the source of energy that creates our feelings, then the following will become our aims.

Become aware of our state of mind and of the thoughts that flows into the mind from our subconscious. Strengthen the intellect so that the individual can discriminate and thereby only allow positive and peaceful thoughts to flow into the mind. Through this process of self development the individual develops more control over the mind.

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Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Chickens

1. ‘Bird Brain’ Is a Compliment

Several recent studies have shown that chickens are bright animals, able to solve complex problems, demonstrate self-control, and worry about the future. Chickens are smarter than cats or dogs and even do some things that have not yet been seen in mammals other than primates. Dr. Chris Evans, who studies animal behavior and communication at Macquarie University in Australia, says, As a trick at conferences, I sometimes list these attributes, without mentioning chickens, and people think I’m talking about monkeys. Dr. John Webster of Bristol University found that chickens are capable of understanding cause and effect and that when chickens learn something new, they pass on that knowledge (i.e., they have what scientists call culture). How does your IQ compare to that of a chicken?

2. All Drugged Up

Quite simply, chickens are the most abused animals on the planet. Chickens raised for their flesh are packed by the thousands into massive sheds. They are fed large amounts of antibiotics and drugs to keep them alive in conditions that would otherwise kill them. The antibiotics make chickens grow so large, so fast that they often become crippled under their own weight. This reckless use of antibiotics also makes drugs less effective for treating humans by speeding up the development of drug-resistant bacteria. Learn more about the overuse of antibiotics in chickens.

3. Scalded to Death

Only seven weeks after they are born, chickens are crowded onto trucks that transport them to the slaughterhouse. Tens of millions of chickens have their wings and legs broken in the process every year. They are trucked through all weather extremes, sometimes over hundreds of miles, without any food or water. At slaughter, chickens are hung upside-down and have their throats slit, and they are often scalded to death in defeathering tanks. Watch undercover footage of chickens who are mutilated and scalded to death at a Tyson slaughterhouse.

4. They Don’t Even Get a Lawyer

The billions of chickens killed each year are not protected by a single federal law the Humane Slaughter Act exempts birds, even though there are more than 55 times as many chickens slaughtered each year as pigs and cows combined! Chickens raised for their flesh have their sensitive beaks cut off with a hot blade without any painkillers. These intelligent animals spend their entire lives in filthy sheds with tens of thousands of other birds, each getting about as much space as a sheet of paper, where intense crowding and confinement lead to outbreaks of disease. If factory-farm owners treated cats and dogs like they treat chickens, they would go to jail for cruelty to animals. Learn more about the routine abuse of chickens in factory farms.

5. Do You Want Poop With That?

A USDA study found that more than 99 percent of broiler chicken carcasses sold in stores had detectable levels of E. coli, indicating fecal contamination. In other words, if you’re eating chicken flesh, you’re almost certainly eating poop. Consumer Reports states there are 1.1 million or more Americans sickened each year by undercooked, tainted chicken. Chicken flesh is also loaded with dangerous levels of arsenic, which can cause cancer, dementia, neurological problems, and other ailments in humans. Men’s Health magazine recently ranked supermarket chicken number one in their list of the 10 Dirtiest Foods because of the high rate of bacterial contamination. Learn more about how eating chicken and meat puts your health at risk.

6. Lose the Fat, Avoid the Flu

Both the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization say that if the avian flu virus spreads to the United States, it could be caught simply by eating undercooked chicken flesh or eggs, eating food prepared on the same cutting board as infected meat or eggs, or even touching eggshells contaminated with the disease. Chicken flesh and eggs are packed with cholesterol a 3-ounce piece of skinless chicken breast meat has as much cholesterol as beef, and just one egg has nearly three times as much! This cholesterol, along with a high intake of animal fats, blocks arteries and causes heart disease. Vegan foods, on the other hand, are all cholesterol-free and much lower in fat!

7. The Most Dangerous Factory Job in America

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, slaughterhouse workers are more than three times more likely to suffer injuries while working than workers in other manufacturing jobs, and they suffer a rate of repetitive stress injury that is 35 times higher than that in other manufacturing jobs. The industry refuses to make working conditions safer by slowing line speeds or buying appropriate safety gear, which amounts to what Human Rights Watch calls systematic human rights violations embedded in meat and poultry industry employment. Big chicken companies such as Tyson and Perdue also exploit contract factory-farm operators, whom Auburn University economist Robert Taylor calls serfs with a mortgage. Contract factory farmers are forced to foot the bill for building and maintaining massive factory farms, which puts them deeply into debt and can drive them to financial ruin if their company cancels future contracts with them. Learn why Human Rights Watch calls meat-packing the most dangerous factory job in America.

8. Motherly Love

In a natural setting, a hen will cluck to her chicks before they even hatch while she sits on the eggs in her nest. They peep back to her and to each other through their shells. In factory farms, eggs are taken from the mother as soon as they are laid and put in large incubators a chick will never meet his or her parents. Hens prefer to have private nests hidden from predators and will often go without food or water in order to obtain a private nest. This demonstrates the fact that hens will sacrifice their own comfort if it means protecting their chicks. Learn more about the personalities of these interesting animals.

9. Chicken Sh*t

Raising 9 billion chickens in factory farms each year produces enormous amounts of excrement. Oregon State University agriculture professor Peter Cheeke says that factory farming amounts to a frontal assault on the environment, which leads to widespread fecal ground and water pollution. Because chickens are fed massive amounts of drugs, hormones, and pesticides, these chemicals are also found in high concentrations in their feces, which means that fecal pollution from chicken farms is especially disastrous for the environment. In West Virginia and Maryland, for example, scientists have recently discovered that male fish are growing ovaries, and they suspect that this freakish deformity is the result of factory-farm runoff from drug-laden chicken feces. Learn more about factory farming’s toll on the Earth.

10. Better Than the Original

Do you like the taste of chicken flesh but don’t like the suffering? No problem try some of the fantastic alternatives now available, such as Boca Chik’n Nuggets, Gardenburger’s Meatless Buffalo Chicken Wings, and Yves Veggie Chicken Burgers. These super-tasty foods are high in protein, cruelty- and cholesterol- free, and available at your local supermarket. Instead of eggs, try tofu scramble, whip up some vegan French toast, or check out our egg-free baking tips.



The following info was provided by Go Veg, which is owned by Peta. You should go check out their site for loads of great info on the benefits of going veg. Start feeling and looking great again.

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Unity is Divinity

The teachings of Rama, Buddha, Mohammed or Jesus are meant for the emancipation of maan. No religion preaches violence or harm to anybody, some evil minded people misinterpret sacred teachings and indulge in wicked deeds. All the noble souls taught good things, they did not preach hatred.God never tells anybody to kill others.

-Baba

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The Best Medicine for ever!!!

Nothing heals better - emotionally - biochemically - physically and mentally than love. The ultimate healing from love comes with union/reunion of self.

Love....we search, hunger, pray for this too-often elusive emotion. When we experience it, we revel in the bliss love elicits and bask in the warmth that blankets us with caring, gratitude, comfort, and a sense of all-around well being. Little have we known that this wonderful feeling we call love does, indeed, create well-being. In fact, feeling love sets forth a complex series of events within our bodies that generally bring about better health.

A distinction must be made between "falling in love" and "being in love" or feeling love in general. Simply defined, falling in love is part of the initial stage of a relationship, in which we feel strong passionate feelings of attraction, both emotional and physical, to another person. If we are fortunate, this stage leads to being in love, a deeper devotion and affection, which may develop and deepen over time. Feeling love is much like being in love. However, we can feel love for someone who is not a romantic partner; in fact, we more often feel love without being "in love." We frequently extend the more general kind of love to relatives, friends, even pets.

Numerous studies prove that love does, indeed, improve our health. These studies look at love not only in the context of male-female primary relationships, such as marriage, but also in the context of a person's general social support and connection to others. In other words, these studies examine both relationships where participants are "in love" and those in which we feel love for someone.

Love is a positive high frequency energy which can heal and help us overcome many obstacles and appear to heal. To watch a person who is ill fall in love - is often like watching a miracle. It is more about mind over matter. When you are in love you feel infallible. You walk fly. You would never create an illness or allow anything detrimental into your energies as you want to remain on that high forever.

Romantic love can help us heal - but is it a quick fix - rarely permanent. As we know - the adrenaline high of falling in love does not last forever. The best love for healing - is balanced love with compassion, acceptance, and understanding.

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Tribute to 9/11 Victims

May they rest in peace....... Let us all take a few minutes out of our day today and meditate on light. Now spread this light to all living beings.
Chant: I am in the light,
The Light is in me,
I am the light.


Non Voilence....
Whether held as a moral philosophy or only employed as an action strategy, rejects the use of physical violence in efforts to attain social, economic or political change. As an alternative to both passive acceptance of oppression and armed struggle against it, nonviolence (also known as nonviolent resistance) offers a number of tactics for popular struggle ranging from education, to persuasion, to civil disobedience, to nonviolent direct action, to noncooperation with political, economic or social authorities.

Nonviolence has been a central concept in green political philosophy. It is included in the Global Greens Charter. Greens believe that society should reject the current patterns of violence and embrace nonviolence. Green Philosophy draws heavily on both Gandhi and the Quaker traditions, which advocate measures by which the escalation of violence can be avoided, while not cooperating with those who commit violence. These greens believe that the current patterns of violence are incompatible with a sustainable society because it uses up limited resources and many forms of violence, especially nuclear weapons, are damaging for the environment. Violence also diminishes one and the group.

Information exctracted from Wikipedia.

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Tribute To Green Queen

Dame Anita Roddick has died, aged 64, after suffering a major brain haemorrhage.

Anita RoddickThe Body Shop founder died just 24 hours after complaining of a headache.

She was rushed to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester on Sunday evening.

A statement released by her family said: "Gordon, Justine and Sam Roddick are very sad to announce that after suffering a major brain haemorrhage, Anita Roddick died at 6.30pm at the age of 64.

"Anita Roddick was admitted to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, close to her home, yesterday (Sunday) evening when she collapsed after complaining of a sudden headache."

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, said Dame Anita was an "incredible woman" who would be "sorely missed".

He said: "She was a amazing inspiration to those around her, not just in environmental and human rights issues, which were two of her passions.

"She was so ahead of her time when it came to issues of how business could be done in different ways, not just profit motivated but taking into account environmental issues.

"When you look at it today, and how every company claims to be green, she was living this decades ago. She was a true pioneer."

Dame Anita revealed in February this year she was carrying the hepatitis C virus.

She said she had been carrying it for more than three decades, but only found out two years ago after a blood test.

She made the announcement as she called for hepatitis C to be taken more seriously as a "public health challenge"

She said: "What I can say is that having hep C means that I live with a sharp sense of my own mortality, which in many ways makes life more vivid and immediate."

Provide By Sky News.

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Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Cows

1. Help Your Health by Leaving Cows Alone

Eating beef products, which are loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat, is a good way to increase both your waistline and your chances of developing impotence and diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and asthma. Research has shown that vegetarians are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease than are meat-eaters, and they have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat-eaters. Plus, meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegans are. Every time you eat animal-derived products, you’re also ingesting bacteria, antibiotics, dioxins, hormones, and a host of other substances, some toxic, that can accumulate in your body and remain there for years. Learn more about how consuming animal products affects your health.

2. Cows Are Too Nice to Eat

Cows are gentle, social animals. Each cow has the ability to recognize more than 100 other cows, and they form close friendships with members of their herd. Researchers report that cows grieve when their friends or family members die. Learn more about cows’ personalities and some of their amazing feats.

3. Even Cowboys Don’t Eat Cows Anymore

Clint Eastwood recently said, I try to stick to a vegan diet heavy on fruit, vegetables, tofu, and other soy products. Howard Lyman was a fourth-generation cattle rancher who became vegan after learning about the effects of factory farming he now tours the country promoting a vegetarian diet. Other tough guys who refuse to eat animals include hip-hop legends Andre 3000 and Mos Def, actors Tobey Maguire and Joaquin Phoenix, NFL superstar Ricky Williams, and Olympian Carl Lewis.

4. Hormones: It’s What’s for Dinner

To make cows grow at an unnaturally fast rate, the cattle industry implants them with pellets full of hormones. While low levels of naturally occurring hormones are found in various foods, many scientists are concerned that the artificial hormones injected into cows cause health problems in people who eat them. The Los Angeles Times reports that confidential industry reports have found extremely high levels of estradiol, a potent cancer-causing and gene-damaging estrogen, in meat products from cows treated with the hormone. According to the Times, [T]he amount of estradiol in two hamburgers eaten in one day by an 8-year-old boy could increase his total hormone levels by as much as 10% . .

5. Torture 101

Cattle are subjected to abuses that would warrant felony cruelty-to-animals charges if they were committed against dogs or cats. Cows have their horns sliced off; they are branded, which causes excruciating third-degree burns; and males are castrated. This is all done without any painkillers. They are injected full of hormones and confined to overcrowded, dusty feedlots for months. Then they are shipped without food or water to the slaughterhouse, where a metal rod is shot through their brains and they are hung upside-down and have their throats slit. Because line speeds are so fast, many of the animals are still conscious throughout the process. Learn more about cows in factory farms and slaughterhouses.

6. Stealing Food From the Poor

It is inefficient to grow grains and other feed crops for animals only a fraction of what we feed them is actually turned into flesh that humans can eat. The vast majority is used by the animal to live and grow. The highly respected Worldwatch Institute says, In a world where an estimated one in every six people goes hungry each day, the politics of meat consumption are increasingly heated, since meat production is an inefficient use of grain the grain is used more efficiently when consumed directly by humans. Continued growth in meat output is dependent on feeding grain to animals, creating competition for grain between affluent meat-eaters and the world’s poor. Learn how you can help fight world hunger by going vegetarian.

7. Amazing Escapes

Millions of cows are killed in slaughterhouses each year in the United States. The few who manage to escape pull off some amazing feats. A cow named Emily got away from a Massachusetts slaughterhouse, leapt over a 5-foot gate, and survived for several weeks in the woods during the New England winter before she was rescued. A pregnant cow named Suzie was being loaded onto a freighter when she ran back down the gangplank, leapt into the river, and swam across. She eluded capture before being rescued by PETA and taken to a sanctuary. And Molly, a cow from Montana, recently escaped, crossing the Missouri River before finally being caught. While all three of these cows touched their communities’ hearts so much that they were released to sanctuaries, the millions of nameless cows killed by the meat industry each year aren’t so lucky.

8. Filthy Air, Toxic Water

Factory farms and feedlots produce a staggering amount of feces that pollutes both the water and the air. Stored in massive lagoons, the manure seeps into nearby rivers and streams, killing fish and ruining the quality of the water. The feces also emit harmful chemicals and microorganisms into the air. Numerous studies and governmental reports have shown higher rates of miscarriages, respiratory problems, and neurological diseases among people who live near factory farms. Learn more about how factory farms are harming rural America.

9. It’s Mad to Eat Meat

Mad cow disease is already in the United States, and the U.S. government is not following World Health Organization recommendations for ensuring that it doesn’t spread. While Japan and all Europe countries have banned the feeding of animal protein to farmed animals, the practice continues across the board in the U.S. meat industry, which is just begging for a mad chicken, a mad pig, or some other variant of the disease in the U.S. meat supply. Because it takes years for the disease to show up in humans, there’s no way of knowing how many Americans have already been infected. Amazingly, the U.S. government still refuses to take the problem seriously. In 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) tested less than 1 percent of U.S. cows for the disease. Unbelievably, even though the third case of mad cow disease in the United States was found in 2006, the USDA announced that it is scaling back this testing.

10. It’s Easy to Be Kind

Leaving cows and other animals off your plate is easier than ever. You can now get tasty veggie burgers at numerous restaurants, including Burger King, Johnny Rockets, and Ruby Tuesday. Check out our favorite beef substitutes, all of which are delicious and cholesterol- and cruelty-free.


The following info was provided by Go Veg, which is owned by Peta. You should go check out their site for loads of great info on the benefits of going veg. Start feeling and looking great again.

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Positive thinking: Practice this stress management skill

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Overcome negative self-talk by recognizing it and practicing with some examples provided.

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic.

In fact, some studies show that these personality traits — optimism and pessimism — can affect how well you live and even how long you live.

* Stress: Unhealthy response to the pressures of life
* Emphysema

Living longer and happier through positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

* Decreased negative stress
* Greater resistance to catching the common cold
* A sense of well-being and improved health
* Reduced risk of coronary artery disease
* Easier breathing if you have certain lung diseases, such as emphysema
* Improved coping ability for women with high-risk pregnancies
* Better coping skills during hardships

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. But one theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body.
How positive thinking gives way to negative thinking

But what if your self-talk is mainly negative? That doesn't mean you're doomed to an unhappy life. Negative self-talk just means that your own misperceptions, lack of information and distorted ideas have overpowered your capacity for logic and reason.

Some common forms of negative and irrational self-talk include:

* Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.
* Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
* Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. You refuse to go out with friends for fear that you'll make a fool of yourself. Or one change in your daily routine leads you to think the entire day will be a disaster.
* Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you're a total failure.

You can learn positive thinking...

Instead of giving in to these kinds of negative self-talk, weed out misconceptions and irrational thinking and then challenge them with rational, positive thoughts. When you do this, your self-talk will gradually become realistic and self-affirming — you engage in positive thinking.

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it takes time and practice — you are creating a new habit, after all.

Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.

Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else.

Examples of typical negative self-talk and how you might apply a positive thinking twist include:
Negative self-talk Positive spin
I've never done it before. It's an opportunity to learn something new.
It's too complicated. I'll tackle it from a different angle.
I don't have the resources. Necessity is the mother of invention.
There's not enough time. Let's re-evaluate some priorities.
There's no way it will work. I can try to make it work.
It's too radical a change. Let's take a chance.
No one bothers to communicate with me. I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
I'm not going to get any better at this. I'll give it another try.
Practicing positive thinking every day

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will automatically contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you.

Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook. When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're able to handle everyday stress in a constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.
RELATED

* Self-esteem check: Too low, too high or just right?
* Self-esteem: Boost your self-image with these 5 steps
* Choose your response for greater stress relief

Provided By MayoClinic.com

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SUPREMACY OF DHARMA

Dharma or righteousness is the gateway to
God-vision. Righteousness is a means of climbing the
difficult steps of the spiritual path. Dharma
presupposes the knowledge of the truth. Divine life is
dharma.

A perfectly moral and ethical life is dharma. Dharma
is that which leads to the bliss of nirvana (the
immortal being). Dharma is the way in which you have
to divert your spiritual life to the supreme spiritual
end.

Dharma controls the pulse of a nation and of the
world. Dharma is what sustains a being in his
evolution. Dharma or righteousness is religion in the
highest sense of the term.

Dharma is the eternal law on which the universe
rests, and by which the universe is governed. Welfare
of mankind ultimately rests upon dharma. Righteousness
is the highest wealth. It is the rule of life. In
righteousness everything is established or rooted.

The main feature of dharma lies in refraining from
doing unto others what one would not do unto oneself.
Compassion, liberality, truthfulness, purity,
self-restraint and tolerance are the ingredients of
dharma. Tread the path of dharma and you will get
happiness along with freedom. You can secure the real
joy and glory of life.

That which helps you in your spiritual evolution is
right. That which obstructs and hinders your spiritual
evolution is wrong. That which leads to unity of self,
is right. That which leads to separation is wrong. To
do good to others, to serve and to help others, to
give joy to others, is right. To give pain to others,
to injure others, is wrong.

Do not do any act which injures another and makes
you feel ashamed to do it. Do as you would be done by.
Do unto others as you wish others to do unto you. This
is the secret of dharma. This is the secret essence of
karma yoga. This will lead you to the attainment of
eternal bliss.
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Famous Vegetarian Quote

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian."
- Paul McCartney



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About Buddha

Buddha is the title given to the founder of Buddhism, one of the world's great religions. It means Enlightened or Awakened One. The Buddha was Siddhartha Gautama. Another of his titles is Shakyamuni, which means "the wise man of the Shakya clan." Siddhartha Gautama was born near the town of Kapilavastu, in what is now Nepal. Gautama was from the warrior caste in Indian society. His father was Suddhodhana, a local ruler and prince of the Shakya people. His mother's name was Maya. She is often referred to as Mahamaya, or Great Maya.

Gautama meditated in a lotus (cross-legged) posture throughout the night, using the methods he had been taught. He overcame various obstacles and temptations, which had obstructed his path to enlightenment. The Buddha is said to have asked Mother Earth to bear witness to his worthiness to enlightenment. The tree under which Gautama was sitting when this happened came to be known as the bodhi or enlightenment tree, or Bo tree. Buddhists call the place of his enlightenment Bodh Gaya. It is in Bihar, India, and has become a center of Buddhist pilgrimage since the Buddha's death.

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Look To This Day

Listen to the exhortation of the dawn!
Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course, lies all its verities
And realities of our existence:
The Bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendor of beauty.
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today well lived makes every
Yesterday a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day!
Such is the salutation of the dawn.

Anonymous- Sanskrit Prayer

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