Spiritually Empower Yourself To Attain Success
Spiritually Empower Yourself To Attain Success |
- Spiritually Empower Yourself To Attain Success
- Yoga For Meditation
- Five Lies Personal Development Gurus Like to Tell
- Spiritual Meditation is the Road to Serenity
- Free online yoga - Is it safe?
- Can Hot Yoga Lose Your Weight Faster?
- Hidden Factors of Buddhist Symbols
- The fifth aggregate
- Early Morning Spiritual Consciousness Spirituality Inspiration - 1/3/2012
- Finding a Yoga Teacher Training Program
- “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.” George Orwell
- Norristown Area teacher recalls long road to recovery
- Head Turning Bracelets for Fashion Conscious Collectors
- Managing Stress From Another World
- Forget standing in the cold waiting for a New Year taxi – relax and enjoy the fireworks!
- What is a yoga retreat?
- "Nothing" is my spiritual resolution for the New Year
- Conquering Your Stress
- What You Can Achieve Through The Power Of Subconscious Mind
- Norristown Area teacher recalls long road to recovery
- Effects of stress and its regulation
- Yoga Music 101 - Relaxation At It's Finest
- New Year Trivia Quiz
- Business-Minded Spirituality
- Attaining Full Success Through Spiritual Empowerment
| Spiritually Empower Yourself To Attain Success Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:05 PM PST Article by Patric Chan Copyright (c) 2011 Patric Chan Spiritual empowerment can greatly affect your life and wellness in a positive manner. It is an integral part of self improvement that will help you achieve success and a feeling of freedom in every aspect of your life. That is why when it comes to adverse conditions in your life, you have to be prepared to conquer each one of these negative vibes and be happy and contented ultimately. Significance of Spiritual Empowerment Nowadays, most people are usually dissatisfied as a result of the challenges that is part and package of modern day living. In worst cases, they think of committing suicide because they can't deal with the existing situation anymore. This is why spiritual empowerment can guide people in searching for the right path. Moreover, they are able to see who they really are and what the true meaning of life is. Positive actions can be taken as a consequence of attaining spiritual enlightenment. Well, you don't have to be part of a religion just to attain spiritual empowerment. The one thing you must do is to be consciously aware and figure out the things that would make you happy. You also have to be sensitive enough towards other's feelings to balance all aspects in your life. Enrich Your Spirit Enriching ones spirit is to get to know one's self. Determine your capabilities, limitations and your role in life. This way, you will be able to get to know yourself and do the things that will improve your well being. This is a success secret that will ultimately lead you to achieve success. You also need to have an understanding of the things that surround you. Know the things that you could do in your community to improve your capabilities and spiritual enlightenment at the same time. This means that you also have to share the things that you have learned with others. This will make life easier because you know you have shared the wonderful things that are happening to you. Spiritual Empowerment - alternati! ve metho ds Besides these empowering techniques, you can even include methods that involve your body and mind. A few of these are: Reiki - Reiki is a Japanese process that helps lessen your stress. It also helps relax your mind and body through mind concentration. A number of its principles are: *Do not worry *Do not be angry *Be grateful *Be kind to others * Work with integrity Yoga - Originated in India, this type of spiritual empowerment involves physical and mental disciplines. Yoga practices state that you must meditate using postures that will illuminate your well being and to attain the state of Moksha. Moksha is a stage in Yoga where you gain freedom from your worldly sufferings. Practicing will give you peace and calmness. Using these methods, you can attain spiritual empowerment. However, the best way to gain empowerment is to get it done by yourself. Although other methods can help you, it is better to do spiritual coaching by yourself. Forget the negative aspects in your life and concentrate on the things that will make you happy and satisfied. Life is inevitable. However, you must dedicate yourself to making your life more useful instead of always making mistakes. Learn these and you will surely gain spiritual empowerment. About the AuthorPatric Chan is the founder of successandlife.com, a Web 2.0 self improvement website where everyone can add their own articles and content on it for free. He is also giving away 2 of his best Success Secrets Videos at SuccessTrace.com. Siddha Tradition: The Secrets To Super Consciousness - Nithyananda Morning Satsang (2 Dec 2010) 
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| Posted: 03 Jan 2012 12:03 PM PST Article by Lisa Michaels Are you the creative backbone of your organization? Or are you the multi-tasking family person who is frequently out of breath? You have something in common with millions of other beautiful people who are just in time or behind time for most things in life that have to be done, usually at the expense of things that they always wanted to do. If you are part of the knowledgeable percentage of people who have made an invaluable investment in yoga for meditation, then you are halfway through the solution for unwanted stress and wasted time. If you have time or stress problems you may want to take up yoga and or the meditation side of yoga. The purpose of life, when simplified, translates into a quest for happiness. And happiness is about balance and fulfillment. That is the true human nature. However, in our journey through life, our body accumulates toxins and oxidants, our minds get overcrowded with unwanted prejudices and emotional garbage and our smiles becomes more difficult to share. Enter yoga: an effortless, scientific and powerful discipline of general wellness that "yokes the body and mind" into harmony with each other and with the subtle environment. The effects of meditation for yoga are stupendous. Yoga originated millenniums ago in India-the spiritual heartland of the world and that yoga has been received because of the benefits it offers for self-realization. Due to the time tested methods passed down from the great Yoga Masters, yoga has reached into the hearts and homes of people even in today's modern world. From relieving chronic physical ailments and emotional stresses, to simplifying the concepts of life, and awakening that spark of creativity and providing extra life force energy, yoga is creating waves of sensation in physical, emotional and mental well-being, and is recommended for just about anyone who wishes to take the plunge from mediocrity to excellence. After all, only a healthy body and a stress-free mind can incubate personal and professional br! eakthrou ghs. What were less known until recently by the general western populace were the effects of amalgamating meditation with yoga, without which the true potency of yoga remains untapped. Meditation is the art of letting go of negative emotions and physical blocks by suspending the five senses and experiencing the subtle energy (prana) in the present moment. The body and mind thus bounce back with enormous energy, rejuvenated with a calm dynamism that is critical in today's living. Yoga for meditation complements both yoga and meditation. Yoga trains the body for more agility, flushes out toxins by cleansing the system. This prepares the body to be receptive to the benefits of meditation. Meditation mandates a certain degree of stillness in the body for the subtle life force or prana to flow to all the channels (nadis) of the subtle body, and thus rejuvenate the glands and strengthen intuition. And yoga instills this much-needed stillness in body, and equanimity in mind, for meditation to happen effortlessly. Yoga teaches simple postures called asanas that attend to all limbs of the body. The asanas attend to both over-stressed and under-used body parts, and improve the flow of oxygen to those parts. Yoga is performed in tangent with a set of breathing exercises called pranayamas that ensure that the muscles get adequate oxygen when training. Pranayama also increases the lung capacity, the importance of which cannot be over-emphasized when knowing that most individuals today use only thirty per cent of lung capacity! With pranayama, there is that much more oxygen going into our lungs, which means that much more life force is going into the cells of our body and brain, and that much more productivity can be achieved without compromising our natural peace of mind. Pranayama helps makes yoga an effortless and enjoyable experience. Yoga for meditation starts with meditation by settling down in a comfortable posture, preferably the cross legged lotus posture. With attention on the breath, and a! wareness of sounds around, meditation is about gradually moving inwards towards the thoughts in the mind and emotions, pleasant or unpleasant. It is about accepting situations as they are which is extremely important for our peace of mind, in today's less tolerant world. Having anchored this equanimity of mind, and rid the mind of negative impressions, one can rest deeper through meditation and let go of hurt feelings or trauma. The five senses are also rejuvenated as a result of this and we can work and play better after mediation. Yoga for meditation is the journey from conflict to harmony, from comfort zones into courage zones, from the worldly clutter outside to the balance and bliss inside each one of us. In short, it broadens our vision for our future and deepens our roots in happiness. Lisa Michaels is a yoga expert. For a free 10 part mini course on Meditation for Yoga please visit http://yogatraininganswers.com/ About the AuthorLisa Michaels is a yoga expert. For a free 10 part mini course on Meditation for Yoga please visit http://yogatraininganswers.com/ Prosperity Mantra Mudra Meditation Technique 
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| Five Lies Personal Development Gurus Like to Tell Posted: 03 Jan 2012 12:02 PM PST  Personal development gurus tell some impressive lies in order to sell their products. That's right. Lies. These convenient little falsehoods are effective motivators because they play on primal human needs and emotions. Shouldn't people who promote personal growth for a living be uncommonly straightforward in their marketing? Sadly, this is far from true, even among the popular names in the field. The good news is that once you understand these, you are free to grow and develop in realistic ways.
         Read More @ Source The Buddha part 1/13 - PBS documentary 
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| Spiritual Meditation is the Road to Serenity Posted: 03 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST Article by Jasongonce001 "Your Soul Will Never Turn You Down": Message from a Spirit Guide 
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| Free online yoga - Is it safe? Posted: 03 Jan 2012 10:00 AM PST Article by Roy Kruse Free online yoga – Is it safe? Yoga nowadays is very in demand especially the newest free online free yoga. Yoga practice and exercise can be learned in school. There are a lot of yoga schools all over the world. Before, yoga was only applied and practice in India but now, looks like it has evolved. Almost all the people in the world know the word yoga although there are some who don't have a clear picture of it. Yoga for the many people is an exercise and a means to concentrate with the mind and soul. It is a great advantage that free online yoga was offered to the people. They say that the web is the easiest way to gain, search and acquire knowledge. Almost everything is learned from the web and it is no wonder why the people get hooked on it. Free online yoga chooses no one in particular. Everyone is a candidate in learning yoga. All you need to do is to have your own computer and get hooked on to it. If you want to learn from the basics, the net has the resources on how to learn it the easy way. As long as you know how to understand and read, you are capable of learning yoga. It is an amazing breakthrough that yoga is taught in the web. Free online yoga saves you from going to a yoga class. It saves your time, money and effort. Plus, you can freely do it at home without any one looking at you if that is what you prefer. If you want to have the free online yoga, there are some certain requirements that you need. Now you will wonder if free online yoga is really advantageous. If it is, then why are all the people going to schools and bringing their mats on their backpack if they can acquire it at home. Of course not everybody has their own personal computer. If you have a computer, it's as easy as connecting to the web and browsing the net. There are a lot of web sites that offered free online yoga. You can search from a variety of sites and be sure not to leave off any. Some sites that offer free online yoga will only ! ask you to register. You will just have to fill up some important information like your state address, name, age and gender. These information is important in giving you the information you need. The age is something they need to consider because not all practices are suitable for all ages. For example for the older ones, they cannot perform a lot of stretching and bending. This is important why you should fill up correct information. In choosing the best site to have your online free yoga, you should make sure that the things they teach you are all correct because some yoga practices can lead to disaster and disorders. There are some sites that do not really teach the right and recommended yoga. They just want to be part of the trend that is why they imitate the original sites. Practicing the wrong yoga poses and positions entail a lot of risk in your health. So this thing must be handled properly. Although free online yoga is displayed on the net, it does not mean that you have to trust it easily. About the Author Roy Kruse operates a website promoting Home Study Courses on How to start a business from home. For secrets on how multi millionaires started their business from home GO TO http://www.incomeroute.com. free marketing products, visit: http://www.internetmarketing.incomeroute.com For your FREE weekly newsletter of how to start a buiness from home GO TO http://www.incomeroute.com Single Parenting go to http://www.yoga.incomeroute.com 
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| Can Hot Yoga Lose Your Weight Faster? Posted: 03 Jan 2012 09:01 AM PST Article by Ali Khan Yoga Breathing for beginners 
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| Hidden Factors of Buddhist Symbols Posted: 03 Jan 2012 08:14 AM PST Article by Justin As we all are aware of the fact behind the Buddhist Tours is that an Indian prince left the opulence of his royal palace in search of truth of life. He meditated for long years and then finally after attaining enlightenment, he became Lord Buddha. He is well known for his principles of truth. Earlier, there were no Buddhist statues; instead, they used images that symbolize the Buddha, such as lotus, the Wheel of the Law, the Bodhi tree and the Buddha's footprints. However, slowly and eventually these were considered important and were used frequently, especially in Sri Lanka and Thailand that are considered as the Theravada Buddhist countries. With the increasing popularity of Buddhism and more and more people visiting to Buddhist destinations, the Buddhism symbolism were enriched with cultures it came in contact with. This was majorly seen in Tibet, which has developed a rich symbolic tradition. Eight Auspicious Symbols are the central symbols of Tibetan Buddhism, also known as Ashtamangala in Sanskrit. Apart from it, Wheels of Life is another important symbol of Tibetan, representing universe. Stupas are also symbol of Buddhism generally representing the enlightened mind of Buddha, the shape of stupas represents the five elements of life as such, the square base represents earth, the round dome is for water, the cone-shape is fire, the canopy is air, and the volume of the stupa is space. Triple Gem is another symbol you will notice while you are on Buddhist Tours. It represents the core of Buddhism made up of three pillars names as dharma and Sangha (monks and nuns). It is believed that without his teaching there would have been no big difference, moreover, no spiritual community would have existed. You can explore many other hidden factors apart from symbols related to Buddhism while you travel to the holy destination of Buddhism. About the AuthorAuthor is an eminent and experienced Content Writer in Travel & Tourism related topics. Author has written several articles on Buddhist Tours and Buddhist destinations etc. Currently, Author is rendering service for Go Heritage India Journeys. 
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| Posted: 03 Jan 2012 08:02 AM PST Of the fifth skandha, vijñâna, it is consciousness which is always conscious of something other than itself. Even if we go as far as believing that we can be conscious of being conscious, which to be accurate is self-consciousness, we have only reached a condition whereby our consciousness is conscious of being other than itself. In other words, we are conscious of abstract consciousness. Clinging to skandha consciousness is a profound state of delusion which naturally enters into the spiritual life; which has to be overcome (in the Surangama Sutra it leads to ten false enlightenments). Gautama's awakening had nothing whatsoever to do with being conscious of being conscious, or the same, realizing abstract self-consciousness. We also need to be reminded that skandha consciousness, the fifth aggregate, belongs to Mara the Evil One. It is consciousness which is caught up in the world of samsara. It has no means for pursuing and realizing pure Mind.
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| Early Morning Spiritual Consciousness Spirituality Inspiration - 1/3/2012 Posted: 03 Jan 2012 07:02 AM PST  "Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." ~Lao Tzu  Technorati Tags: Buddha Buddhist Buddhism Meditation Dharma      Read More @ Source 
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| Finding a Yoga Teacher Training Program Posted: 03 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST Article by Harton Bialie Yoga For Beginners 
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| “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.” George Orwell Posted: 03 Jan 2012 06:04 AM PST
The Buddha himself used the image of his teaching being a path. One of his key teachings is the Eightfold Path (aṭṭhaṅgika magga), and in a famous teaching he explained that he was like an explorer who had beaten a path to an ancient city that had been lost in the jungle, and has come back to lead others along the path to see his discovery for themselves. It's a venerable image. The problem isn't the image itself, but how we relate to it. How long is this path?The thing that strikes me as a problem with the path metaphor could be expressed in a question: how long do we think the path is? In the Buddha's day, people would often get enlightened very quickly. In some cases they just had to hear a phrase, and insight would arise. In some cases it would take longer — perhaps some years of practice. But it was doable. Even people living householder lifestyles would get enlightened without too much difficulty. I'm not aware of examples of householders getting enlightened immediately, but there were, according to the scriptures, thousands of lay followers who attained the first level of enlightenment, and many hundreds who were just short of full awakening. The path was short. In the case of those who got enlightened immediately, it wasn't so such a path as a single step. The later Mahāyāna teachings tended to elevate enlightenment in order to glorify the Buddha's attainment and inspire faith. The bigger his attainment, the greater the spiritual hero we was, right? And the greater a spiritual hero he was, the more inspiring he was? The problem was that they started talking in terms of the path to awakening stretching over an uncountable number of lifetimes. Sure, this was meant to inspire us, but if you believe enlightenment is unattainable in this very lifetime, what's the chance that it's actually going to happen? If you think it's going to take thousands of lifetimes to get enlightened, it's probably not going to happen to you in this life. Not next year. And certainly not right now, in this very moment. An alternative to the "path" metaphorSo what's the alternative to thinking of enlightenment as being at the end of a long, long path? You could think of it as being at the end of a short path: that's pretty much what the Buddha seemed to have in mind. Or you use a different metaphor, and think of awakening as being right here, right now, but you're not seeing it because you're looking at your experience the wrong way. It's like one of those "Magic Eye" 3D pictures from the 1990s that looks like a mess of squiggles and images fragments, until you let your eyes refocus in just the right way, and suddenly there's a stereoscopic image right there in front of you. In a way, the image has been there all along, but you weren't looking in the right way. Maybe at certain points you didn't believe that you could ever see the image. Maybe you started to doubt there was anything there. But if you persist then — boom! — there it is. Our spiritual cognitive distortionsThere are a couple of Buddhist teachings that I think relate to this metaphor of the image that's right in front of us, but unseen. One of these is the "Four Vipallāsas." The word vipallāsa means "inversion, perversion, derangement, corruption, distortion." It's similar to what psychologists nowadays call a "cognitive distortion." These four vipallāsas — or "spiritual cognitive distortions" — are that we see things that are impermanent as being permanent, see things that are sources of pain as being sources of happiness, see things that are lacking in inherent selfhood as having inherent selfhood, and see things that are ugly as being attractive. Here's the interesting thing: it's not as if impermanence, for example, is hidden from us. We just don't see it. It's right in front of us, all the time, but our minds don't seem to be equipped to notice it. In fact, I've noticed that Buddhists often like to talk about impermanence more than actually observe it. So it's happening right now. Anything you notice is changing. When you notice your body you may think "Oh, there's my body" but actually all you're noticing is an ever-changing pattern of sensation. There's no "body" there that you can perceive. Right now you're reading these words. What you're seeing is constantly changing. What's in your mind is constantly changing. Everything in your mind is constantly changing. Try looking for something in your experience that doesn't change. Having any luck? You say that the coffee cup in front of you isn't changing? But you don't ever experience a "coffee cup." You have sense impressions of a coffee cup, and those sense impressions are in constant flux. Your eyes are jittering around all the time, because the receptors in your retinas stop responding if they're exposed to the same stimulus for more than a fraction of a second. If your eye was frozen in place you'd literally be blind. The only reason you can perceive anything is because of change — impermanence. So change, non-self, etc., are there all the time. We just need to pay attention. Look. Look right now. Everything you're experiencing is changing. Keep looking. Eventually, as with the Magic Eye pictures, you'll see what's been there all along. Not seeing the wood for the treesI said there were a couple of teachings relating to not seeing what's in front of us. The vipallāsas constitute one such teaching. The third fetter of "sīlabbata-parāmāsa," usually translated as "dependence on rites and rituals," is another. This is one of the three fetters that we break when we attain stream-entry, the first level of enlightenment. The first fetter is straightforward — it's when we no longer believe that we have a permanent, unchanging self. We keep observing that our experience is changing all the time, and eventually it clicks — that's all there is. There's just change. The second fetter is doubt. Until we experience the breaking of the first fetter, there's always some kind of doubt that it's even possible. We may doubt that we can do it. (Sure, other people can see these Magic Eye pictures, but I can't.) Or we may doubt that there's a picture there. ("It's a trick," we say, as we stare hopelessly and the jumbled image.) Once we've seen that the separate and permanent self we've always taken for granted is an illusion, and once we've realized that it's true that everything in our experience — everything! — is a constant flux, we feel a surge of confidence. We've stepped out of illusion, we know that the Buddha's teaching is right, and we have confidence that further progress is possible. Actually, it's inevitable. But that third fetter — "dependence on rites and rituals" — what's that got to do with anything? First it's not a very good translation. "Sīla" is ethics, and "vata" (the second part of sīlabbata) is a religious duty, or observance, or spiritual practice. This is referring to the problem of our getting caught up in spiritual practices so that they become a hindrance to enlightenment, rather than a means to realizing enlightenment. Enlightenment is right here, right nowOne of the most striking aspects of the experience of stream entry is a feeling of immediacy. When we have that perceptual shift and realize that what we've thought of as our "self" (permanent, unchanging, separate) is nothing more than a constellation of constantly changing events, it also strikes us that this is "obvious." It's right in front of our nose. It's been in front of our nose our whole lives. But we just haven't noticed. Even the spiritual practices (sīla and vata) that we've been engaged with have sometimes prevented us from seeing the truth. We've been talking about impermanence, but not looking at it. We've been studying the path rather than walking it. Sometimes perhaps we've been walking the path, but haven't wanted to stray too far, because it's safe staying with the known. So I suggest that sometimes, at least, we forget about the metaphor of the path, and instead think of enlightenment as being right here, right now. It's just a question of recognizing what's really going on — of allowing ourselves to see the impermanence that permeates every one of our experiences. We just need to look, and keep looking, until we see the obvious that's sitting right in front of our noses. Related posts:
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| Norristown Area teacher recalls long road to recovery Posted: 03 Jan 2012 05:02 AM PST LIMERICK — In the drama that defined Kristi Morrisroe Hertzog's life at the beginning of the year, it's 2011's closing chapter with the happiest of endings that most people will probably remember — including Kristi and her husband Dave. Read more...  Read More @ Source Pema Chodron: Smile at Fear - A Reservoir of Trust 
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| Head Turning Bracelets for Fashion Conscious Collectors Posted: 03 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST | |||
| Managing Stress From Another World Posted: 03 Jan 2012 04:00 AM PST Article by Roy Thomsitt Modern stress is habitual, and is something that the vast majority of Americans and Britons succumb to in their material driven lives. Whether mildly or overwhelmingly, stress will cast its powers across most of us at some stage in our lives, often increasingly as we get sucked into a pattern of working and living that gradually strips us of our individuality.Stress reduction has therefore become a "necessary" antidote industry. We may console ourselves by saying that our lives are fast paced; that this is what modern living is all about and we must pursue it frenetically; that people in those poor countries which have not adopted the Anglo-American way are just backward and will catch on eventually. But that is not just a consolation; it is both an illusion and a denial, and helps stress reduction in no way at all.It is an illusion first of all that the average consumer has a fast paced life. A commuter may sit in a train twice a day, to and from their place of work; that train may move at a fast pace, but the commuter does not. They just sit there, their minds going over the same themes as always; last night's tv, tonight's tv, wishing they could have had another hour's sleep or wishing they were already home and tucked up for the night's slumber, or the day's boredom at work behind them or before them. Drowned in tedium and repetition, the vacuum left in their daily lives is gradually filled with stress, as if it had a supporting role in their existence.A tiring and repetitious daily routine can be a breeding ground for discontent and unhappiness, the real reasons for modern stress. If that routine is full of creativity, and control over one's own actions, then it may not be a source of stress at all, or discontent. If, however, the individual is suppressed, then it can be a very different story. Most people are employees, whose lives are dictated by those above them and with no or little scope to think and do for themselves. They are particularly vulnerable to modern stress.Caught up in the m! odern wa y of life, it is very easy to lose connection with yourself as an individual, for your individuality can be suppressed from all sides. I am sure I am not alone in having experienced that. I had lived the zombie like existence for over 20 years, and despite the fact that I had some very stimulating jobs, I had, almost unknowingly, lost track of life as it should be. Then in 1995, I packed it all in and started my own business, and started the long haul to win back my individuality. But it was 1998 before I started to fully appreciate again what having control over your own life really meant. The 20 plus years were a blur; where had I been all that time?One of the problems with modern stress is that it becomes a focus, along side the focus on purely material things such as the "need" to have a new car, a new house, the best clothes, the best tv and so on. Modern stress is a consumer product in itself, part of the material razzmatazz, that keeps the consumer in his or her place: a consumer, not a doer or a thinker; someone who plays by the rules and spends and borrows and spends and borrows to relieve themselves of the tedium and chase the shadow of achievement. Not real achievement; just its shadow.That is not to say, though, that there is no relief from stress in the Anglo-American world. Those who are able to escape back to the real world now and again, and who can exercise sufficient self control regularly enough, will find that stress relatively easy to keep under control.So how do we get to this other world, where we can manage our stress? There are portals all around you. Anything that will take your mind away from the self focus is a portal into this other world. Spending time with your children, and seeing life through their eyes for a while every day; the joy of discovery and play; but not as a drain upon your resources, and not as a part of your tedium. Spending time appreciating the wonders around you, the joys of nature, the little miracles that are within a short distance of where you stand or! sit. Sp ending time travelling, helping others, seeing the true misery of people who are under the real stress caused by extreme poverty and disease, not the packaged consumer stress that we tend to think of.This "other world" is a world of perspective. It is a world you used to know, but have somehow lost through lack of time. Yet, there was never any lack of time; that was an illusion too. This "other world" is also a world where you make the choices, consciously, not have them dictated to you by employers or weariness. A few simple choices each day can distract you enough to bring some relief to consumer induced stress. Fill the vacuum with your choices, and stress will not find such an easy way in. About the AuthorThis stress reduction article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of http://www.routes-to-self-improvement.com/ManagingStress.htm How to Reduce Stress by Dealing With Anger 
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| Forget standing in the cold waiting for a New Year taxi – relax and enjoy the fireworks! Posted: 03 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST Article by Alan Trotter The things that come to mind for most people when you mention going out to enjoy yourself on New Year's Eve are long queues for taxis, impossibly expensive drinks and packed dance floors where people spill their beer over you all evening. It's not that surprising then that so many wonder why they should bother going out at all to celebrate the New Year. In fact these days a lot of people looking to save money because of the recession decide to either stay at home or go around to friends' houses. If you do fancy a change of scenery however, there is another option, and you won't need to start looking for a taxi! If you're in the mood to party but don't fancy traipsing around a city centre, then why not consider heading to one of the UK's leading seaside resorts for the New Year. Not only are you guaranteed to find stunning scenery, you'll also be treated to wonderful food, a huge range of activities to keep you entertained and a New Year's Eve party that can't be beat. If it is a family-friendly party you are looking for then look no further than the UK's leading holiday parks. You can relax in complete comfort during the day and then get your glad rags on for a wonderful evening's entertainment, capped off with a huge confettiblast at midnight and a fireworks display to welcome in the New Year. You won't be short of things to do before or after the New Year celebrations either. For children, there will be everything from fun swimming sessions to messy time events and shows featuring favourites such as Thomas the Tank Engine and Fireman Sam. Older children might want to try their hand at activities such as fencing or spend time at the funfair, while older teens might want to dance away the night at a silent disco or hear X Factor finalist Stacey Solomon in concert. Understandably you will want to make sure you get the cheapest possible price when booking a holiday over the Christmas break and that is why it makes the most sense to go onto the internet and find the best dea! ls. Why not have a browse today and see if spending this New Year at a leading UK resort will put a smile on the faces of your close and most dearly beloved family members. About the AuthorGo online today and find the cheapest New Years Eve breaks at leading UK holiday parks and ensure you welcome in 2012 in style. 
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| Posted: 03 Jan 2012 02:00 AM PST Article by Nellie Ford Yoga is fast becoming the most popular relaxation and fitness hobby in the western world. People who value the worth of good health are learning that yoga gives a wonderful outlet for relieving stress, as well as improving mental and physical health. Yoga is best practiced in a stress-free setting. We all know how challenging it can be to get away from stress in our modern world. Everyday concerns such as work, family, worries about money etc can make it almost impossible to find serenity in our lives. Attending your regular yoga class gives you a relief from the world for only a short hour or so. As soon as you leave, you're back into the strain of the 21st century. If this sounds just like your life, then contemplate taking a yoga retreat. A yoga retreat offers a casual setting far away from your routine fast-paced life. Yoga retreats are held in the most tranquil corners of the earth - places where you can re-connect with nature and with yourself. Imagine yourself standing calmly on a beach as the sun begins to peep over the rim of the earth. An hour of yoga practice and you are feeling great. And now it's just a short amble up the beach to a healthy, nutritious breakfast with a view over the ocean, followed by some gentle meditation and maybe a quick swim in the pool. Most yoga retreats will entail two guided yoga sessions per day, usually some meditation and discussion of philosophy and then the day is yours - explore the beauty of the world, and find yourself. If all you would like is a stress-free vacation away from work, a yoga retreat can give you an idea about how to relax and wind down like you never have before. If you want to take a yoga retreat to improve your yoga practice, a yoga retreat gives you with a tranquil atmosphere where you can concentrate on the art of yoga. At a yoga retreat you will encounter others who are dedicated to the art of yoga - yoga believers from all over the world. It is not unusual to leave a yoga retreat with a whole ! new coll ection of lifetime friendships. The retreat will become a place of community where people can get pleasure from yoga in a social atmosphere. You will find yourself in conversation with people ready to share their passion for yoga and its positive effects. The yoga teachers who lead the retreat will be ready to give special guidance to all participants, whether you are a beginner or a more practiced yogi. A yoga retreat gives you a rare chance to find peace without having to be concerned about the concerns of work and home. About the AuthorA range of yoga retreats in Fiji is held at Daku Resort in Savusavu in Fiji.Daku Resort is a beautiful little resort right on the water on Vanua Levu.Read more about yoga in Fiji at http://www.yogainfiji.com. 
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| "Nothing" is my spiritual resolution for the New Year Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:00 AM PST Yesterday some friends and I talked about our New Year's resolutions. The conversation didn't last long. We agreed there wasn't any point to making resolutions, since we never followed them. That partly explains why my resolution for making spiritual progress in 2012 is pithy: nothing. No resolution, guaranteed success. I'm really great at doing nothing. Some days that's my primary accomplishment. But I also have some semi-serious reasons for recommending nothing as a spiritual goal. See here and here. As quoted in the first-linked "here," this saying on a Japanese Zen scroll makes a lot of non-sensical sense. There is really nothing you must be. However, it helps to understand that fire burns, Recently I got an email from someone who wanted to know my opinion of an Indian guru. The guy is an initiate of the guru (Charan Singh) I was devoted to for about thirty years. Now he's got some doubts about his chosen spiritual path and is considering switching to a different guru. The guy said that he still believes a guru is needed for spiritual progress. I can sympathize with that attitude, since I felt that way myself for a long time. Now, though, I've arrived at a metaphysically sophisticated, yet wonderfully simple, approach to spirituality which is cogently and completely described by that single marvelous word: nothing. It's natural to aspire to understand reality more fully, to seek to improve ourselves, to yearn after cosmic truth. Problem is, there's no way to know what sort of truths, if any, lie outside of the laws of this physical universe. Religions, mystical practices, and spiritual teachings are all over the map in this regard. Monotheism. Polytheism. Dualism. Monism. Personal gods. Impersonal gods. Grace. Effort. Meditation. Prayer. Ritual. Devotion. Theology. Direct experience. So many ways. So little agreement between them. There's twenty major religions and thousands of discrete faiths. Who has the time or inclination to check out all of them? And how would someone know which are true and which are false. So I say, take the lazy way. Leave it up to Possible Spiritual Truth to find you, rather than you it. I do this every day. This is my spiritual practice: nothing. Every morning before I meditate I speak to Possible Spiritual Truth, even though I have no idea (1) whether such exists, (2) if it exists, whether it is conscious of me, and (3) if it is conscious of me, whether it is capable or desirous of communicating with me. "Hey, Possible Spiritual Truth, whoever or whatever you might be. Howz'it going? This is Brian. I'd like to know you, experience you, communicate with you. Assuming, of course, that you aren't an evil malevolent cruel force who wants to painfully put me in your soul-crushing grinder (assuming I have a soul). Since I have no idea where you are, what you are, or even if you are, you're going to have to do the reaching out. All I can do is say, hello, I'm here, ready for a visit." Then... I do nothing. I figure that if I lean in any direction, metaphysically speaking, I'm much more likely to head away from my potential good buddy, Possible Spiritual Truth, than toward him/her/it. So I try to stay centered on a comfortable cushion of nothing, "Nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to become." Have I gotten any response from Possible Spiritual Truth? Can't tell. Probably never will. If I don't know anything about this supernatural dude (or dudette), how could I know how that entity might communicate with me? It could be screaming in my ear right now, dictating every word of this blog post, controlling every movement of my typing fingers, and I wouldn't know it. I just like the notion that nothing could be the most spiritually significant something I'll ever not-do. Good Morning-Relaxing music 
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| Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:00 AM PST Article by Jeff Foster Let's talk about beating, winning... conquering stress instead of just managing your stress with some simple and easy to implement personal techniques. If stress is weighing heavily on you... many times it's because you never take the time for yourself to decompress. Yoga, Tai-Chi and other similar disciplines have been around and have been quite effective in relieving bottled up stress from within you body. These techniques not only help relax your thoughts, but they also help you to get into shape... being out of shape is a very prominent contributing factor in building stress. Even if these Far East disciplines aren't your cup of tea, consider taking some classes or get some information on the art of meditation. Meditation is very easy to learn, and has numerous benefits. Not only is this a great way to relax, it only takes but a few minutes a day for you to learn how to effectively drain the stress from your body. Learning the art of meditation and focus will help your mind move away from that which is causing your stress and teach you how to relax and stay relaxed. Even something as simple as engaging in deep breathing exercises can be an excellent step in the right stress reduction direction. Lessening the symptoms of stress is the first step in permanently curing the effects of stress on your both physically and mentally. Be sure to check your eating habits as well. Healthy eating habits can be very helpful in reducing how your body reacts to the daily grind and stresses. Do some research on diet and foods that help to raise the level of serotonin levels in your body. Be mindful that there are a lot 'pills' on the market that claim to do this; but are in fact quite worthless... so keep your focus on the foods you eat and your diet. As far as drugs and stress are concerned, there are some mild drugs such as sleeping aids that can assist you in getting a good night's sleep and be helpful on occasion. The risk with this approach is that you at the least be! come 'im mune' to the helpful effects... or worse... you develop a dependency on them... not so much in a narcotic sense but that you'll get into a habit of 'having' to take them. Other techniques such as aroma therapy or mood music have also proved helpful for many. These two techniques are basically the root of meditation in which you just take time to relax and change your focus from the stress agent. If these techniques work for you, then by all means they are worth using and certainly can no harm. And finally, if I haven't hit upon anything yet that you think will help pull that stress from your body... go get a good massage. Many times an underlying contributor to your stress can be muscular tension and soreness. Combine a massage in conjunction with some relaxing music and you may just find that this is the ticket. No matter what stress reduction program you implement, the key is to consistently give yourself the time of day for a stress break... a focus change... a mental vacation. If you do this, you'll soon find that you'll get better and more efficient at your stress breaks and you'll be able to more naturally relieve your stress. About the AuthorFor more important information on coping with and managing stress, be sure to visit www.0-stress.com where you will find advice and tips on stress the causes of stress, depression, phobias and much more. Take A Break Chair Massage 
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| What You Can Achieve Through The Power Of Subconscious Mind Posted: 03 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST Article by Cliff Yvon One thing that I have noticed after spending years watching how people interact with each other and to their surroundings are how the power of subconscious mind plays a huge role in what people can achieve. I, like many of you, once thought that the things that we are able to achieve are based on our upbringing and our individual personalities. However, this is not true at all, while our personalities and upbringing do play a role in what we are able to achieve, the power of the mind has the greatest effect. One of the biggest things in regards to the power of subconscious mind is our attitudes. Many people assume that we are born with a certain attitude and that is the same type of attitude we are going to have, as we get older. However, that assumption is wrong, although our personalities are determined at birth. When we are born, we have not had any influences from the outside, we are not constantly told that we cannot achieve something, so we simply try things out and have what one would call a can do attitude. It is not until we start to get older that we are influenced by outside factors, such as parents, caretakers, and teachers. Children that are in an environment that encourages them to explore and try new things often grow up with a positive attitude about themselves. Children that are constantly told no and aren't allowed to try out new things often have a bad attitude about themselves, they often suffer from low self-esteem. The mind stores all of the memories of your earliest days, which you are probably not even aware of everything that happened to you as a child. These stored memories affect your conscious mind without you even realizing it. Luckily, no matter what type of environment you grew up in through the power of subconscious mind you can change how you view yourself. Being able to change how you view yourself is one of the best things that you can achieve through the power of subconscious mind because it can change your entire life. By simply changing how you vi! ew yours elf you can go from a depressed person with no self-esteem to somebody who always views the world as a happy place and thinks very highly of themselves. The key to changing how you view yourself is using one of the numerous methods available to reprogram your subconscious mind. One of the best methods to use to unleash the power of the subconscious mind is positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are a great method to use no matter what you are trying to do because it will totally reprogram your subconscious mind. How positive affirmations work is you simply begin telling yourself positive things repeatedly. One of the reasons that positive affirmations work so well is because they are repetitious, which is how messages are imprinted into your subconscious. If you think about a person with low self-esteem, they have been constantly told that they are not good enough or they can't do certain things. It took years of hearing those words every day for that message to be imprinted on the subconscious mind. Now through using the same techniques but in a positive way that person can convince himself or herself that they can do something. Many people simply don't realize just how powerful the mind is. Through the power of your subconscious mind, you can quit smoking or even lose weight, if you want to achieve it you can. How this works is that when you reprogram your subconscious through positive affirmations, you are allowing your subconscious mind to replace the old damaged images, you are getting rid of those negative thoughts. However, at the same time you are also making the link between your subconscious and your conscious mind stronger, which is what really allows you to accomplish the goals you have set for yourself. Your subconscious mind can get you on the right path, but your conscious mind has to be used to help make the right decisions. About the AuthorCliff Yvon is passionate about the study of the subconscious mind and the significant impact it brings on personal development. He loves to share valuable resources about the power of subconscious mind. You can learn more on mind power by visiting him online at http://massivemindpower.com 
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| Norristown Area teacher recalls long road to recovery Posted: 03 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST LIMERICK — In the drama that defined Kristi Morrisroe Hertzog's life at the beginning of the year, it's 2011's closing chapter with the happiest of endings that most people will probably remember — including Kristi and her husband Dave. Read more... Read More @ Source Tibetan Chanting 祈请文 
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| Effects of stress and its regulation Posted: 02 Jan 2012 11:00 PM PST Article by Antony Parker The increasing trend of stress related illness is a great cause of anxiety for physicians according to the American Institute of Stress. From their own survey they have concluded that around seventy five to ninety percent of people visiting the doctor's chamber are suffering from stress related problems. The Institute of HeartMath in the US provides the patients suffering with stress related problems, certain stress reduction tools that help to keep them stress free. There are also many stress reduction methods that help one to be stress free and to cope up with the demands of their profession as well. Work out and fitness programs Time-management techniquesDiet-education courseStress can lead to bodily malfunctions like headaches, grouchy bowel disorder, food intake disorder, hypersensitivity, insomnia, back pain, recurrent cold and exhaustion to diseases like asthma, hypertension, diabetes, heart weakness and even many a times cancer. Stress happens across ages affecting men, women, children and even foetuses. Depending on the nature of each individual, stress reflects in their persona and health either very early in life or later. Research has suggested that stress can in point of fact amplify our exertion. Many a times not knowing the exact cause can heighten the intensity of the stress level in our system. Following are the common sources of stress: 1. Certain personal issues related to family, occupation, school, club, organization.2. Interpersonal concerns like relationships, rejection, and unceasing conflict.3. Individual behavioral problems like low self-esteem, fear of collapse, melancholy.4. Certain deep set issues like, unknown fear, issues of faith, need for approval. 5. Serious crisis like, death of a partner, divorce or even bankruptcy. To diminish the impact of stress on human body, the Institute of HeartMath provides with their patients some stress management tools and techniques. Quick Coherence TechniqueThis is a powerfu! l practi ce which helps one to refocus the sentiment, relating with the vigorous heart zone, resulting in stress release. The three easy steps of this technique are, 1. Heart Focus2. Heart Breathing3. Heart Feeling emWave Personal Stress RelieverThis is a scientifically valid technology that is designed to balance one's sentiment, mind, and body by generating heart coherence. This stress management tool monitors the heart beat patterns and designates the coherence level in real time with its bright LED display and aural response. Freeze-Frame TechniqueThis technique will help one to slow down the psychological and sentimental responses. Stress is less of adrenalin high as it is generally considered and more of an health eroding factor, negating growth and peace of mind. It depends on how we deal with it. With the right techniques however, it is a problem that can be easily overcome. About the AuthorAntony Parker a stress expert and writes for http://www.heartmath.org. He recommends you to visit the site for further information on stress management. Relaxing Piano Music - A Beautiful Soul - Nature Scenes 
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| Yoga Music 101 - Relaxation At It's Finest Posted: 02 Jan 2012 10:00 PM PST Article by Joshua Killingsworth If someone calls the names Yanni, Dido, Ariel or Enya, does it make you think of yoga relaxation music? If you are a Westerner, it might. Not typically names one would associate with traditional yoga music, these artists have given many yoga practitioners modern alternatives for practicing an ancient art. When most people force themselves to slow down long enough to perform the series of postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques that have now come to be known as yoga, they realize there is a bit of a shift from the long-held Hindu practices. While they may indeed experience some form of enlightenment while engaged in yoga, the focus is on being fit - mentally and physically. Hindu sounds alone are calming. The reverent chants that have been a part of the Hindu practice since the origins of yoga in 1500 B.C. have been easily recognizable as a path to spiritual enlightenment. Those who are not familiar with Hindu practices, however, should not confuse it with yoga. The practice of yoga has no intent to lure converts to its coffers. As a more universal practice, yoga is now a fitness practice. The series of postures, which are not always easy to hold, make you more flexible and give you much more stamina and strength. An added benefit is the reduction of heart rate and blood pressure, which are known to help eliminate stress. A U.S. yoga practitioner would likely not go into a music outlet or type into an internet search engine names like Antion Vikram or Sat Katar. These names are not part of American mainstream culture. The sounds of these artists, though, are a mixture of traditional Hindu musical instruments (table, santoor, sitar, sarangi), mesmerizing chanting and lyrics that conjure reverence for most things holy. It is the music of the sacred and has been used to accompany Hindu ceremony for centuries. It is not the only choice for yoga, however. Contemporary practitioners of yoga can opt for a wider range of sounds. Their primary emphasis is on relaxati! on and s ometimes, that means combining different cultural elements than those that have always been used. The number of people practicing yoga in the U.S. has driven choice as a commodity. In its 2008 "Yoga in America" study, the Yoga Journal reports that more than 15.8 million people in the U.S. are practitioners of yoga. An estimated 18.3 million more people who do not practice confessed that they have the desire to practice. If those figures were not enough to drive the case for variety, the American economy boasts .7 billion a year on yoga products. A buying base that large has the power to demand what it chooses in product. As a result, alternative jazz, fusion and sound art, inspirational music, New Age and classical music have joined the yoga music trend. There is no narrow definition anymore of what makes for appropriate yoga relaxation music. The range of choices has forced the limits of this genre of music to be broadened, and in some cases, redefined. By necessity, yoga has had to become a versatile fitness art. No matter which artist the yoga practitioner chooses, the music comes in the language of relaxation, which needs no translation and is universal. About the AuthorYoga101.net Is The Home Of Yoga Yoga for Inspiration 
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| Posted: 02 Jan 2012 09:00 PM PST Article by Dimassimo Tommy New Year Trivia Quiz 1. Under which calendar is New Year's Day Jan. 1?A. Julian CalendarB. Gregorian CalendarC. Jewish CalendarD. Chinese CalendarE. All of the above B. Gregorian CalendarQQ: New Year's Day is the first day of the year, Jan. 1, in the Gregorian calendar. Traditionally the day has been observed as a religious feast, but in modern times the arrival of the New Year has also become an occasion for spirited celebration and the making of personal resolutions. 2. What calendar determines the date of the Chinese New Year?A. LunarB. SolarC. ChineseD. Zen A. LunarQQ: The Chinese New Year, traditionally based on the lunar calendar, is celebrated in many American cities with the roar of blazing firecrackers, dancing dragons made from papier m?ch? and cloth, and traditional music. 3. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the new year for what religion?A. MuslimB. ChristianC. BuddhistD. Jewish D. JewishQQ: Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew, "beginning of the year"), Jewish New Year, celebrated on the first and second days of the Jewish month of Tishri (falling in September or October) by Orthodox and Conservative Jews and on the first day alone by Reform Jews. It begins the observance of the Ten Penitential Days, a period ending with Yom Kippur that is the most solemn of the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as the High Holy Days. 4. Kwanzaa is a seven-day holiday that begins Dec. 26 and extends through Jan. 1. What does the word mean in Swahili?A. First fruitsB. First peopleC. First daysD. First dance A. First fruitsQQ: Kwanzaa, or matunda ya kwanza, is Swahili for "first fruits". This is an African American holiday observed by African communities throughout the world that celebrates family, community, and culture. Kwanzaa has its roots in the ancient African first-fruit harvest celebrations from which it takes its name. However, its modern history begins in 1966 when it was developed by African American scholar and activist Maulana Karenga! . 5. In the Middle Ages most European countries used the Julian calendar, so they observed New Year's Day when?A. Feb. 14thB. March 25thC. April 1stD. May 21st B. March 25thQQ: In the Middle Ages most European countries used the Julian calendar and observed New Year's Day on March 25, called Annunciation Day and celebrated as the occasion on which it was revealed to Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. 6. The name January is derived from the Roman god Janus. What is he the god of?A. Wine and grapesB. Babies and childbirthC. Clocks and calendarsD. Gates and doors D. Gates and doorsQQ: The name of the month is derived from Janus, the Roman god of gates and doors, and hence of openings and beginnings. January was the 11th month of the year in the ancient Roman calendar; in the 2nd century BC, however, it came to be regarded as the first month. On January 1 the Romans offered sacrifices to Janus so that he would bless the new year. 7. When to the practioners of Tibetan Buddhism celebrate New Year's?A. NeverB. JanuaryC. FebruaryD. March C. FebruaryQQ: Much of the ritual of Tibetan Buddhism is based on the esoteric mysticism of Tantra, devotions that involve both yoga and mantra, or a mystical formula, and ancient shamanistic practices. On special holidays the temples, shrines, and altars of the lamas are decorated with symbolic figures; milk, butter, tea, flour, and similar offerings are brought by the worshipers, animal sacrifices being strictly forbidden. Tibetan Buddhist religious festivals are numerous. The most notable are New Year's, celebrated in February and marking the commencement of spring 8. The Roman New Year festival was called the Calends, and people decorated their homes and gave each other gifts. In early times, the ancient Romans gave each other New Year's gifts of branches from sacred trees. Later they gave small items, such as nuts or coins, imprinted with pictures of what God?A. Julius CaesarB. Jesus ChristC. JanusD. Zeus C. JanusQQ: In! later y ears, they gave gold-covered nuts or coins imprinted with pictures of Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. January was named after Janus, who had two faces--one looking forward and the other looking backward. The Romans also brought gifts to the emperor. The emperors eventually began to demand such gifts. 9. What New Year's gift did ancient Persians give?A. MoneyB. EggsC. CakesD. Rugs B. EggsQQ: The ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, which symbolized productiveness. 10. In ancient Egypt what event dictated the timing of New Year's celebrations?A. Pharaoh's birthdayB. Flooding of NileC. Solar eclipseD. Exact alignment of stars with Great Pyramid B. Flooding of NileQQ: In ancient Egypt, New Year was celebrated at the time the River Nile flooded, which was near the end of September. The flooding of the Nile was very important because without it, the people would not have been able to grow crops in the dry desert. At New Year, statues of the god, Amon and his wife and son were taken up the Nile by boat. Singing, dancing, and feasting was done for a month, and then the statues were taken back to the temple. About the AuthorFor more infomation vist Ashbourne Self Catering or subscribe to Janice Lopey Lopexse's Blog to keep up to date on the latest news 
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| Posted: 02 Jan 2012 08:00 PM PST Article by TheEmotionMachine At first the idea of business and spirituality together may seem contradictory. We are often told that businesses are only driven by the incentive to make more money, while spirituality entails abandoning this attachment to external goods and material wealth. With this attitude hanging over our head, how can a spiritual person ever expect to become a successful businessman? Under what conditions can one sell and still be righteous? To start, is there any place in this world that is outside of economic reality? Even the poorest of spiritual beggars must have some desire for clothing, food and shelter if he or she wants to survive. They need to "exchange" things for food, even if it is just a warm smile or a lesson in compassion. On the other hand, some of these spiritually-driven individuals make a virtue out of living from the bare minimum, a notion that the late Indian mystic Osho disagreed with strongly. Osho taught that material poverty was not a genuine spiritual value. Often referring to himself as the "rich man's guru." According to one excerpt from Wikipedia: "Osho had himself photographed wearing sumptuous clothing and hand-made watches, and while in Oregon drove a different Rolls-Royce each day - his followers reportedly wanted to buy him 365 of them, one for each day of the year. Publicity shots of the Rolls-Royces (93 in the end) were sent to the press. As a conscious display, they may have reflected both his enjoyment of wealth and his desire to provoke American sensibilities, much as he had enjoyed offending Indian sensibilities earlier." Although a complex character who loved to provoke others, Osho made it clear that he never mistook material wealth for spiritual gain. Money to him was just a tool. He says, "Money is a means. If you are happy and you have money, you will become more happy. If you are unhappy and you have money, you will become more unhappy - because what will you do with your money? Your money will enhance your pattern, whatsoever it! is." Although he was rarely one to hide his wealth, money did not define Osho. In fact many of the royalties he received from his work were often donated to local communes, including the 90+ Rolls Royces. In some ways Osho's teachings can even be seen to resemble the moral philosophy of Ayn Rand, who once said, "The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live." Osho was definitely one to enjoy himself and live. He saw no virtue in prolonging any kind of suffering, starting with his own. His way of life quickly became a quintessence of how one can take responsibility for themselves and enjoy life without any signs of guilt or fear. It is not money that is the root of all evil, but human greed itself that causes humans to do heinous acts for material and superficial gains. Money however can still be used as a tool for good, and even the acquisition of money, as long as the means are just, can often benefit society at large. The remainder of this article will touch upon business incentives that I feel also align themselves congruently with spiritual and moral imperatives. The Incentive To Provide Goods For Others First and foremost the purpose of a business is to provide goods for others. The owner may have the intentions of striking it rich, but if he neglects the needs and wants of society then he will have a tougher time selling his products. Sure, he or she may find ways to exploit the system and trick others into buying something they don't really desire, but this can be incredibly difficult to do and even if the business does succeed, they won't last long because their reputation will be quickly tarnished (this is assuming governments don't come in and bail them out for their mismanagement). Businesses are almost always better off if they try to provide something of value. Just look at individuals like Bill Gates from Microsoft and Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. Both of these companies have drastically helped to i! ncrease the standard of living of others. Nowadays almost everyone has experienced the luxury of a computer, as well as the low prices provided by enterprises like Wal-Mart. Be honest, in what ways have these corporate conglomerates benefited you? Businesses must know the demands of others if they want to continue to exist. Providing valuable goods to others at an affordable rate is a great way to benefit society at large. Often these endeavors can result in an alleviation of suffering, which is a primary objective to any spiritual practice. In the right hands, more money can mean a greater capacity to do good for others, especially when it is managed in productive ways. This is an aspect of business that should be celebrated more often. The Incentive To Treat Customers Right My economics teacher in high school once said that if someone has a bad experience with a company they are likely to tell the story to - on average - about 7 other people. I wasn't able to confirm this statistic (if anyone can help me that would be great!) but I think she was touching on a crucial point: businesses must treat customers at some sort of satisfactory level if they want their customers to keep coming back. If a business gets enough of a bad reputation, people will stop going, and the company will no longer be favorable in the public eye. Especially in industries where there is a lot of competition, it is in the company's best interest to win over their customers hearts and minds. It doesn't cost much to treat your customers with loyalty, care, and a bit of compassion - so if you are running a business it is in only in your own rational self-interest to make it assured that your customer's needs are being met, and they they enjoy pleasant experiences with your company. This doesn't just mean in the value of your product, but also in the value of your customer service and the overall human-to-human experience. This means their must be a certain culture to your company: What kind of friend are you to! your cl ients? Are you being genuine, superficial, or are you acting as if you just don't give a fuck at all? People aren't dumb - they can usually tell the difference! To read the rest of this article go here: Business-Minded Spirituality. About the AuthorSteven is a personal development blogger who practices what he preaches. Check out his personal development blog called The Emotion Machine. Eckhart Tolle on Being Yourself 
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| Attaining Full Success Through Spiritual Empowerment Posted: 02 Jan 2012 07:00 PM PST Article by Patric Chan Copyright (c) 2011 Patric Chan If you want to achieve success spiritual empowerment is probably the easiest to achieve. Every person has his own spiritual strength that can overcome any obstacle in life. However, people can get easily distracted by the difficulties that come along the way. Well, when you have positive energy inside you you may attain spiritual empowerment and attain success in the long run. When talking about spiritual empowerment, some associate this with religion. The truth is, it doesn't always need to be like that. You may also have this if you are happy and your consciousness is stimulated by the positive things that happen in your life. On the other hand, those people who are desperate in life might have suicidal tendencies and other bad vibes that lurk inside their mind and within their surroundings. This is where spiritual empowerment comes in where they need to possess the will to fight and carry on with their lives through the help of positive people around them. Besides this, they may realize that problems can't be solved when their mind and body is "disgruntled". This is when they will truly start to see the value of spiritual life since they could have seen within themselves, who they really are and the things they must do to become spiritually empowered and attain inner strength and enlightenment. This could only show that we need to empower ourselves by taking positive actions and pursuing the proper path in life. For this happen, here are some ways to spiritual empowerment. 1. Know thy self - Every person should always know their "self". This is vital since you should know your own limitations along with your full capabilities with regards to your role as a human being in this world. 2. Understanding your surroundings - It is also a good idea to be aware of your surroundings. This is for you to adjust and take necessary actions on which you are able to do since you may have the understanding that you should also be c! onnected to the things surrounding you to further improve your social being. 3. Prioritize - After you have full understanding on the things around you, you can actually cope make priorities in life. This way, everything will likely be easier as you know what is important and what needs to be tackled first. 4. Share - Your efforts to spiritual empowerment will probably be of no use if you don't share it to others. Share what you have learned on the way and spread the good things that can also happen to people who are around you. 5. Learn more - Learning is a continuous process. Meaning, it doesn't end there as you still have to be aware of the things that can help you improve more. It's possible to try to find better ways personal improvement and this is yet another part of spiritual empowerment. Live your life to the fullest and discover the approaches to spiritual empowerment. Also, you need to share this with other those who are also in need. You will only attain success if you think that you have done your best and you are calm and everything that surrounds you emits positive energy. About the AuthorPatric Chan is the founder of successandlife.com, a Web 2.0 personal improvement website where everyone can add their own articles and content on it for free. To learn how to achieve success, watch 2 of his best Success Formula Videos at SuccessTrace.com. 
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Metaphors can be traps. We can end up taking them too literally. The point of a metaphor is to help us see things more clearly ("time slips through our hands like sand" helps us connect something intangible and abstract, like time, to a physical experience, like sand trickling through our fingers). But sometimes metaphors mislead, and make it harder to see things clearly. The image of the path is one of those metaphors that can potentially trap and mislead us.
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