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Change is difficult for many people. Often times our whole identity is wrapped up in what we’ve learned as children will work for us when dealing with people, allowing us to survive, thrive and fit in. While some people have had to learn to thrive in the midst of change and learned to be adaptable by being open to new ideas and embracing change, many others have had to fight for survival and every table-scrap that came their way. Behavior is learned and it takes work to unlearn and dismantle these old beliefs.

The truth of the matter is that win-win is always possible. When you are able to see beyond the ego and recognize the abundance that is available, people, minds, and ideas come together and can create amazing changes that improve the current scenarios for many, many people. When you work with people who have this abundant and generous attitude, you are uplifted, the team soars, and amazing energy and creativity is unleashed. This is much harder to do, to sustain, and to elevate within others when you encounter individuals driven by the thought of scarcity and competition.

People like Steve Jobs are visionaries that have sought to bring about such shifts in society and in business. One thing I’ve learned along the way is that it is often better to take the high road. This isn’t about judging others as wrong or seeing yourself as better than others. This is about recognizing your truth as to how you wish to BE in the world. Don’t compromise your integrity. Don’t get caught up in the competition. See the vision, see the outcome, feel the purpose and passion you’re driven to offer the world, and give it freely. We all die. You can’t take anything from this life with you. So give what you have to offer the world. What is not given is lost forever.

If your goal is to truly bring about a positive change and serve others, how it is accomplished becomes less important and seeing it accomplished becomes more important. While it may be a blow to your ego when others criticize your inspiration, or someone takes the credit for something you’ve introduced, holding fast to the benefits for everyone will often soften the sting. You do need to pick and choose those places where you’ll offer yourself, the key is to evaluate whether it is serving a common good. When you’re getting compensated for your contributions, gratitude would serve you spirit of peace. If you continually feel abused and stomped on, maybe it is time to move on to a more collaborative team, as well as a more receptive and appreciative audience.

Knowing that you are accomplishing your purpose and living your passion will be reward. In time, it will be recognized. Imposters will eventually be seen and heart & soul will always outlast the mind & ego. Along the way, through the journey that is your life and career, you will need to hold fast to the true inner qualities and nature of the brilliance that is you. Don’t allow these negative experiences to become something that undermines your value. You are not the negative experience. Often times, the negativity we experience from others, is more a reflection of them and less about who you are.

We all have different lenses, different gifts, different wiring, and different experiences. Difference is not something to be judged, it is a gift of diversity that brings the pieces of the puzzle of life together and creates a society, a solution, a technology, etc., together for the benefit of us all. Don’t doubt yourself when others cannot see the vision you see. Keep true, keep your intentions, and you will attract the right support, the right people, and the right opportunities. Lower the ego and aim high the vision.

Best wishes, Lee

Make a Difference

Lee Down is a Professional Coach, Trainer/Facilitator, Speaker, & Writer of One Man Can Human Capital Development that focuses on relationships, the key foundation to success in business and life. With more than 15 years professional experience and a thirst for truth and understanding, he focuses on the human spirit and human capacity.

Working with clients, he facilitates the breaking down of beliefs, barriers or obstacles that bring clients forward on their journey of discovery with spirit, energy, abundance, passion and purpose, integrating the mind and body experience. Working with business, he brings visionary leadership and relationship skills to the forefront that witnesses an empowered culture evolve and develop directly impacting the improvement to the bottom-line.

The Great Saint Arya Bodhidarma is the greatest teacher of meditation of the past. He meditated for nine years in a cave in China before he found his successor to carry on the Lineage of Tao according to Tao of Heaven. The questions were asked by serious meditators and below the answers explained by him:

Q1: How can a person know whether he has made progress in his meditation and can meditation be practised anywhere and anytime?

Ans: Meditation is the practice of stillness of the mind and one may try at any place. If one finds that the mind is less and less clouded like a cup of water, then one has made progress on stillness. Do not be over-anxious or too excited at seeing certain things, but let a calm mind progress with practice. As one moves on, one will see different stages. If in doubt, seek the necessary clarification. If illusion is too great, evil may get the better of you. Therefore stillness must first be achieved before practising in any other way.

Q2: Why are there so many types of meditation and how effective are they?

Ans: Why are there so many roads? All lead to a centralized place. The distance and the lighting are different, but all will still lead to the same destination that one wishes to go. But one should not try too many roads at one go or one will lose time. Concentrate on one and be familiar with this very road. Then you will know all its corners and pits.

Q3: What is the prayer for one to meditate?

Ans: Prayers to most people are merely to steady the heart and to feel the protection of the above. If the heart is pure, where will evil come from? One is his own protector and must not always be too dependant. Just like a man who is dying, if he begins to pray, does that mean he will not die?

Q4: When I sit down, close my eyes and stay calm, I tend to see a purple light. May I know whether it is an illusion or a true light. If it is a true light, what is the significance?

Ans: The brilliant light with its beauty can be seen by all. All beings see the light but it depends on whether one knows how to make good use of this light. In a room brightly lit up, upon closing the eyes, one may think that he sees light, but actually it is merely the light seen through the eyelids. Just as one closes the eyes when looking at the Sun, a bright red light seems to fall into sight. As all humans have an inborn nature, all will be able to see this guiding light. If one wishes to seek further into this, try to concentrate on the light that you see with every effort and try to centralize this light together and one day you will feel its presence.

Q5: During meditation, sometimes I feel some movement of heat inside my body. May I know why it is so and whether it is good or bad?

Ans: Meditation does not only aim at controlling the mind to a stillness stage. The breathing that takes place during meditation may control the vitality (Chi). As it moves along the meridian point one may feel certain jerking of the flesh, but when the concentration is not on the breathing, one may not easily feel the movement of the vitality.

Q6: Why are there many images distracting one’s mind when one starts to meditate?

Ans: Human, human, even without meditation, your mind is already obstructed by many objects. If a person can really be free from greed, hatred and delusion then man will be free. Objects do not obstruct you but your own illusion is doing the work.

Q7: When a person is in deep meditation, will his body be attacked by evil spirit?

Ans: Whether a person is in deep meditation or not, the evils are always working around him. Given the chance, he will be pulled back. A person who can enter into a deep meditation, has attained stillness to a certain degree. The Heavenly Being dwells in a pure heart and anything can dwell instead in an unsteady heart.

In the teachings of Tao of Heaven, all men are Buddhas and they have the seed, but the seed has not taken root and that is why men are not Buddhas. If one wishes the seed to take root, work hard at it. Cultivate the right seed and plant it in the right soil. Look after it well and let it bloom and it is called the Attainment of Tao.

Author: T.A Chew

T.A Chew, during his practice of Buddhism in 1993 to 1995, spent at least five hours a day on meditation. Upon initiation of Tao and at the end of 1995, Master JiGong joked with him that if there is 36 hours a day, he will meditate 36 hours a day, but he cannot even save one person back to Heaven. Be like Goddess of Mercy, start saving people by propagating Tao. Website: http://www.white-sun.com

Have you ever wondered why you feel an instant attraction to certain people? These intense reactions are pre-determined by a powerful astrological principle commonly known as horoscopes.

The daily horoscopes not only list the Zodiac signs for each month but also each signs’ distinctive personality type. The fact is that conflict in a relationship often arises when two incompatible personality types are in disagreement. The Zodiac sign’s listed in your daily horoscopes can be used as a guide to understanding the innate qualities and personality traits of your partner.

And that’s not all…the twelve Zodiac signs listed in the horoscopes are actually divided into four separate categories know as Elements. These four natural elements; Fire, Air, Earth and Water houses at least three of the twelve Zodiac signs.

Now the first element Fire, houses the signs Sagittarius, Aries and Leo. The individual personality traits are action-oriented and vibrant. What does this mean for you? Well, look to add different levels of spontaneity to your relationship.

Air, the second element houses the signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. With inquisitive and innovative personality traitsopen and honest discussions about relationship issues are satisfying. Best of all their curious nature are a welcome addition to spicing up any relationship.

The fertile element Earth houses the signs Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus. The personality traits are task-oriented and savvy. Gentle nurturing will relax the tendency of Earth to hold back feelings in a relationship.

A cooling mist, Water the final element houses the signs Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio. Water has a keen understanding of people’s needs and a patient temperament. Even better is the high level of confidence and satisfaction manifested in its relationships.

There you have it…the four elements that houses’ the twelve signs of your daily horoscopes. Discover the personality traits of your partner by exploring your horoscopesembrace them. Use them to add intense passion to your relationship. You’ll be glad you did!

Copyright 2005 - James Hall

James Hall is happily married and thoroughly enjoys writing about relationships. His site http://www.a1-online-dating.com is a dating guide to finding lasting love on the web.

Usually we spend our free time doing various things; reading, watching movies, using the computer, playing the guitar, meditating, cooking… The empty spaces in a day are soon filled with small activities, amusements, things that pass the time more often than enrich it. The mind is engaged, all the time. Always there is a focal point for the mind, something for attention to flicker towards. Always there are things to distract us, to keep us moving.

Meditation is prescribed as a countermeasure to this constant activity. There, the mind is allowed to relax. Thoughts can make their own way out, and, when one spends a lot of time meditating, over a long period, there can be strong positive effects. But even when meditating, sitting on a cushion for the sole purpose of calming the mind, there can be a purpose. The mind is engaged there, too. There is a direction to this meditation, just as there is to every other activity.

But think of this: Who first discovered meditation? Who was the first person to meditate? And this person, was she doing it for the purpose of attaining enlightenment? Of course not. There was no one to tell her about enlightenment, no one to tell her about God or spirituality. Maybe she did not have a reason to meditate. Maybe she just did it, spontaneously and innocently. And think of this: Did it have the same effect on her that it has on one of us today?

When we sit down to meditate, we do not do it spontaneously. We do it because we have been told it is good for us, because we have been told it will lead us to enlightenment.

Maybe it will. But of what importance is the spontaneity of meditation? Of what importance is our motivation to meditate?

Abundance is a life style, a way of living your life. It
isn’t something you buy now and then or pull down from the
cupboard, dust off and use once or twice, and then return to
the cupboard.

Abundance is a philosophy, it appears in your physiology,
your value system, and carries its own set of beliefs. You
walk with, sleep with it, bath with it, feel with it, and
need to maintain and take care of it as well.

Its not walk around with “S” for sap on your forehead
either. It’s a knowing that you’re perfect in your present
moment, that what you have right now was most likely based
on choices you made yesterday and what you needed to learn
in order to be in the prefect moment now. Yet not seen as
right or wrong but let go of those judgments and embrace
with a brightness that you can change with just a single
choice right now.

Abundance doesn’t always require money. Many people live
with all that money can buy yet live empty inside.
Abundance begins inside with some main self-ingredients,
like love, care, kindness, and gentleness, thoughtfulness
and compassion. Abundance is a state of being. It radiates
outward. It shines like the sun among the many moons I the
world. It’s being the sun with discernment and love for the
gift of this being.

Being from the brightness of abundance doesn’t allow the
darkness to appear or be in the path unless a choice to
allow it to. The true state of abundance doesn’t have room
for lies or games normally played. The space is too full of
abundance. This may be a challenge because we still need to
shine for others to see.

Progressing into abundance, a transition, requires courage.
It is driven by the feeling of knowing of its possibility
and seeing the little spots and allowing them to grow
bigger. Making them consistent choices and removing all
else, that doesn’t fuel that being.

Abundance is seeing people for their gifts and not what they
lack or could be. Seeing all things for their gifts and not
what they lack.

Start by knowing what your abundances are, fill that space
with you, and be fully present from that state of being.
Your profession of choice is telling you this already.
Examples: Coaches have an abundance of knowing and
possibilities. That is their gift. Consultants and
customer service professionals have the abundance of
success, practicality, in common. Administrative Assistants
and Virtual Assistants have an abundance of coordination and
time management. Abundance is all around you, and all
within. See what it is, love yourself for what it is, not
what you’re missing, or what that can be better. But for
what is, at this present moment.

Be in a state of abundance of what you already have. I
guarantee they are there, it always is. Buried but there.
Breathe them in as if they are the air you breathe because
they are yours. Let go of anything that isn’t abundant for
the time being. Name the shoe boxes in your closet with
your gifts of abundance; pull from them every morning if
needed. Know they are there.

Learning to trust in your own abundance is required. Who
else can you more than yourself? No one. When you begin to
be within your own space of abundance whatever you need will
appear whenever you need it. That’s just the way the higher
powers set this universe up to work. Trust the universal
energy. The knowing of it all will humble you to its power
yet let the brightness of you shine everywhere it needs to.
Just by being from a state of abundance, it is being you.

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Coach, specializes
in infoproduct development. Newsletters and additional
articles available: http://www.abundancecenter.com
blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

I often wonder why people seem reluctant to smile these days. It costs nothing to smile so come on people lets start looking a bit happier. This article is all about this and about having a more positive outlook on life which will bring positive results.

I am somebody who used to always think in a negative way, I have now managed to stop this and my life has improved no end. I now like to be around positive people, as these people tend to be more successful and happier. In my opinion there are too many people who are always moaning and groaning and are seemingly depressed.

Growing up I had many things to be negative about, I had a stutter, I have a bald patch, I was overweight and am also quite short for a male at five foot four. I was one of the ones who walked around in a depressed state and I used to feel sorry for myself. Even when I write about it now, I laugh about how stupid I used to be.

I realised early into my twenties that I needed to change my approach to life. I was quite fortunate in that I had a friend at the company I worked for, who was to prove an inspiration to me. His name was Stuart, and even though this may seem cruel, Stuart did not have a lot going for him. I won’t go into details but lets just say even with the problems I felt I had, I was not jealous of him. I became quite good friends with Stuart and we would regularly have lunch together. I would meet him in the canteen at 1pm and would be waiting in my gloomy state of mind, with my gloomy face, for him to arrive. Arrive he certianly did, always with a beaming smile on his face. This always amazed me as I could never understand what he had to be happy about. We would sit down and talk whilst eating our lunch and he never had a negative word to say. When he talked, he talked with passion, about his work and interests. One day it dawned on me, if Stuart (who from what I know of him, seemingly has nothing going for him) can always be positive, happy and smiling, why can’t I?

This was the beginning of my new outlook on life. An era of being positive, appreciating what I have got and more than anything else, plenty of smiles. I now am happy with my weight, height, bald patch and am proud to say I have now overcome my stutter.

Stephen Hill has a number of websites including:

stuttering
therapy

alternative health treatments

lasik surgery

“MEDITATE”

.. focus one’s mind for a time for relaxation or spiritual purposes/think carefully about…

As I suspect you already know, this is easier said than done. However once mastered this will make for a most amazing pasttime, and remains without a doubt a worthy pursuit. It is with this in mind that I have decided to create this meditation course, which will step by step show you how to meditate and with the help of some exercises and aids.

To this end you will also find that this course has been developed to enable beginners (and advanced as refresher/and perhaps a slightly different perspective) without much effort to start almost instantly enjoying the benefits of meditation, which could be numerous including :

• Better physical health
• Better mental health and abilities
• Less stress
• Better sleeping habits
• And of course could also include personal spiritual growth, even if not philosophically associated.
• And many more not mentioned here….

Step 1

So as a start I would suggest that we begin with a fairly important aspect of meditation. An aspect which will have an impact on your meditations in the future :

SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

Whilst most teachers will insist that you take up a lotus position, I have found that there is very little limitation to potential positions which are suitable for meditation at this level. Essentially three things to consider:

• It must be a position in which you would be able to sit (or stand) for at least 5-10 minutes, and with reasonable comfort, ensuring that you reduce discomfort, and following fidgeting to a minimum.
• It must be in a place where you will not be disturbed for the duration of your meditation. {there is little as unpleasant as being rudely awakened in the middle of a meditation session.}
• It must be a comfortable position, but a position which is not conducive to sleep. eg. trying to meditate lying down on your bed, is the easiest way to fall asleep rather than meditate.

For the sake of ease, I have found that simply sitting fairly upright in a normal chair is fairly suitable. It is OK for the chair to have armrests and soft cushioning as this will likely increase the comfort level by just enough to keep you going. If the chair has no armrests of course you could simply rest your hands in your lap.

Of course you are welcome to attempt a lotus position, as this will likely eventually prove to be a suitable position, however I have found that not only is it a difficult position to take for normal folk, but unless you are a seasoned meditator, you are likely to find that you get distracting aches in places which will force you to fidget

To avoid this I have found that a partial lotus (only crossing one foot over your leg, and the other underneath, or one foot accross and the other not totally underneath) with back support makes for a comfortable position for most meditations.

Again I must state that it remains unimportant whether or not your are able to sit in this position or not, and at this stage I would suggest that you can give up perfection for comfort, as this will have very little (if any) impact on the success of your meditations…

Oh.. and do not be afraid to stop reading to try find a comfortable position right now…

Step 2

The next step is at least as important as the first step. Fortunately this is not a difficult step, and with some help I believe you will be able to master this very quickly :

PREPARING TO MEDITATE

Whilst there are many techniques with which to do this, I have found that for me there is only one way. TAKE A BREATH

If this is applied correctly you will find that within seconds you will get your body relaxed, and in a fit state to start your meditation. In fact I would go as far as saying that I use this technique in preparation of every meditation that I attempt, and with perfect success every time.

Another useful benefit of applying this correctly is the fact that it immediately starts to focus and relax your mind, which makes it that much easier to get into your meditation without distraction. And no matter how long or how short your meditation, starting with this will get your there quickly and with little fuss.

“How do I apply this correctly?…

Taking preparatory breaths are easy enough and requires only that you are able to count (and do not hesitate to practice this as your read it) :

• Taking a deep breath in. Do this over a count of 4. (about 1 second apart, or as is comfortable for you, trying to get as close to 1 second per count as possible). Also while taking the in breath imagine you are breathing in calm, relaxing, healing energy with the air.
• Then hold your breath for 16 counts.
• Then emtpy your lungs slowly over 8 counts. And while you breath out imagine you are blowing out stress and illness and discomfort with the air that you are blowing out.
• Repeat this at least three times, after which your should be pretty ready to start with your meditation. If however you sense that your mind is still racing and you are not relaxed yet, you could do this as many times as you feel the need to. Please take note that whilst this form of breathing exercise does not hold any real danger to you, if you feel dizzy it is better to stop and try again later.

Step 3

Now is where you actually start to meditate. Your body and mind is prepared to start meditation, (and yet your mind keeps on wandering…).

Essentially it is now time for you to start “thinking carefully about something…”.

This unfortunately is where most students falter, and the primary reason for this is simply that the question always comes up. “WHAT DO I HAVE TO MEDITATE ABOUT?…”. “WHAT DO I DO NOW”.

Of course there are many answers to this question however I have found that few of them will be of any real use to you, so I will offer you a little from my experience :

What most teachers will omit to teach, or tell you, is that objectively, to get the best benefit from your meditation, you have to figure out first what you consider worth the effort, and then meditate on that.

That of course does not mean that you can not go for the clearing of your mind meditation where you think about nothing. This you will find is rather on the difficult side however, and most seasoned meditators battle with this.

So to start meditating you would rather want to find a subject or topic to meditate on {think about}. These could include things like :

• Relaxing & destressing
• Just for fun
• Your health
• In preparation for a difficult task (eg. interview for a new job, first date…)
• Some problem in your life
• Some problem at work
• Some spiritual pursuit
• Things like astral projection
• And many many more….

This probably still has you a little baffled. “HOW DO I MEDITATE TO RELAX AND DESTRESS”. Well I can assure you that sitting there and thinking “I have to relax and destress” over and over again will not do the trick. Rather than focussing on trying to relax, think about the place that you feel safe and calm in and go there in your mind. Going there will also keep you going for a little while, making it possible for you to stay in this meditative state for a time. Now if you want to stay in this place a little longer start to focus on details of this place in your mind (eg. if your place is a meadow, take a closer look at the flowers that are growing there, or look at the bird flying by, and pay attention. Look at the sky, and try to identify images in the cloud formations. etc…).

Following this will likely make it possible for you to stay in meditation longer, and by the time you awaken from your meditation, you will probably feel very relaxed.

Another example of a fun meditation to do would be the elevator meditation. Essentially all you have to do is after completing your meditation preparation, in your mind’s eye, get in an elevator. Select any button, and feel the elevator start moving, watch the counter move, and when the elevator doors open, look outside to see if there is anything. If there is nothing go back into the elevator, and select another floor. Do this until you reach a place where you feel comfortable getting off the elevator, and where there is something to see. Once you are there look at the details. Sense them, smell them , hear them, see them, taste them… You are likely to find this a very pleasant experience. When you are done and you want to stop, just get back in the elevator, and go back to where you started. After that awaken slowly and comfortably. Chances are you will feel the experiences of the meditation lingering. An amazing feeling….

Go ahead, do one….

Step 4

MAKING IT A LITTLE EASIER

As suggested before, one of the most difficult aspects of meditation, and especially for beginners, is the ability to focus your mind for a period long enough to actually get benefit from a meditation.

And whilst there are many reasons for this, the most prevalent would be a wandering mind, added to the lack of ability to concentrate long enough on one thought to derive significant benefit from this.

Fortunately practice will make perfect, and as you start and progress on your meditation journey you will find that your skills increase and your results with this. I suspect however that you are looking for an easier way to do this than to simply try and concentrate. And happily I am pleased to say that there is a way :

DIVERSION

Essentially giving your mind something to focus on which is external from yourself, and which does not require any major effort on your part to control. And whilst this is really just a trick, it works well and with almost instant benefit to you as meditator. And before you know it, you will be able to focus your mind for long periods of time, without any help.

Of course there is nothing that stops you from trying to do this on your own, and without assistance, however you are likely to find this difficult at best, as being human, and living a normal life will likely make it very easy for your mind to wander.

So to divert my mind I have found the use of guided meditations (diversion of your mind) to be incredibly valuable, and for many reasons. The most important of which includes the simple fact that instead of trying to concentrate your mind (and curb those ever wandering thoughts) you have to simply follow the meditation, which is guaranteed to get to a better and quicker result, simply because you will not likely be tempted by other thoughts which do not follow the meditation.

Sadly this is another place for students of meditation to get stuck. “Which meditation do I use?…”, “I do not want some philosophy shoved down my throat with the meditation…” and I suspect that you could come up with a few more reasons why this is not normally acceptable. What one has to remember is that despite the difficulties you may have with this form of meditation, the technique is fantastic, even if the meditation is unsuitable for you.

So to keep things simple you can write and record your own meditations, which will suit exactly your needs. It is easier than you think…

Simply follow the formats of a few of the meditations, already quoted in this article as well as the basic suggestions and there is little that you can really do wrong…

So go ahead and try it….. (Thats how I started)

Pieter Heydenrych is a Rieki master who has created a resource at http://www.letsmeditate.net dedicated to teaching non religiously affiliated meditation to all who wishes to learn it.

In Practical Spirituality and Anger I, we spoke of doing Tang Lin, a Tibetan form of meditation, not to get rid of anger, but to transform it. Through the practice of Tang Lin you can take your anger, experience it completely, and then use it’s energy to strengthen your positive behavior. In many other practices you try to get rid of the anger. This doesn’t usually happen because one of the natural reactions to what goes on in our lives is often anger. It’s only natural.

If you are put down at the job, if you are assaulted on the street, if you see injustice, or if someone is continually rude to you—putting you down just because they can, you become angry. It would be a bit odd not to get angry when you can justifiably do so. The psychological name for not displaying the correct feelings at the correct time is an affective disorder. That’s why this form of meditation does not remove anger, it channels into something more positive.

This article will discuss the next step in the practice of Tang Lin. If you have been doing the first step since the last article the next one will be easy. This step takes you deeper into cleansing your body. First, notice how you feel while meditating. Are there tense areas in your body? Do you sense the body holding some type of emotion there? Can you sense anger, resentment, grief, or other emotions? If you can’t tell what’s making you tense, concentrate on the area and just let your face relax. The expression on your face will reflect the emotion.

Once you have it, imagine that you are inhaling the emotion, bringing it to the center of your body into an open sky, a large sun, a star, the hands of God, or whatever you would like to visualize, and dispersing it, or recycling it. Exhale the opposite emotion into the tense area. Continue until all the tense areas are relaxed and flexible. After you have finished breath deeply, relax and enjoy the feeling for a few minutes.

Next imagine that you are in a very small space like a closet or very small room.

In this small room you are being surrounded by your emotions, in this case anger. You are going to exchange the anger for the opposite emotion by bringing it into the center of your body, and by exhaling the opposite emotion into the small space. Continue this practice until you feel that the little space is cleansed of anger and filled with the opposite feeling. Do this for several minutes until the small room around you is completely filled with positive energy. Stay there as long as is comfortable breathing deeply and relaxing. When you feel finished you can do some other type of meditation, or just stop.

The same technique can be done during standing chi-kung meditation, while walking, or in the midst of anger producing situations. It doesn’t only have to be done sitting alone, but it does take time and practice to be able to do it well in other venues. The more you do it the better for you and for anyone around you. Try doing the meditation this way until we get to Practical Spirituality and Anger III. At that time we will give you the last step for Tang Lin, which is very powerful and the most difficult, but the most rewarding. Until then, keep applying these and other spiritual practices to the betterment of your life.

In times like these, in a modern world where stress usually gets the better of us, and where holding in and covering up emotions like anger only make us feel worse, it’s important to deal with our anger and other emotions quickly and completely. Covering them up usually leads to an explosion or to a serious stress related illness. I hope that this will be an affective and very helpful tool for you.

Dr. John Gilmore is a writer, spiritual director, martial artist, a healer and ordained Unitarian Universalist Minister living in Costa Rica. For more information or like materials, or to receive a free e-copy of On Being Loves Warrior by Kendall Ronin, visit http://www.dswellness.com.

“Psychic detectives” are people who claim to have special psychic powers, in order to assist, and have claimed to assist certain police and law enforcement agencies in theinvestigation and solving of crimes. The credibility of such claims cannot be ascertained since there is not much evidence to support them. However, the numerous stories regarding psychic detectives and psychic crime investigations circulating in newspapers, books, magazines and on the internet, have not failed to intrigue, and evoke the interests of both skeptics and enthusiasts of the paranormal.

Methods used:

Most of these people are self-proclaimed psychic detectives whose “contribution” to crime investigation is almost always voluntary. Their alleged abilities include postcognition - the supernatural perception of the past, psychometry - the paranormal divination of information based on reading the ‘aura’ of a place or object, and telepathy. They may also employ tarot reading, voodoo, numerology, séance and dowsing in their “psychic” investigations.

Responses from Law Enforcement Agencies:

Though there have been incidents where some police departments sought the help of psychics when all else fails, many law enforcement agencies, such as the LAPD, discard them and insist that they would never rely on frivolous activities like psychic readings when conducting routine crime investigations. This skepticism also extends to Scotland Yard’s official statements regarding psychics. An unfortunate “psychic detective”, who possesses information crucial to a crime investigation, may even be considered a suspect.

Other Responses:

Many supporters of psychic abilities believe that psychics do help solve crimes in many ways, and since psychic crime investigations have been performed for more than a century, credits should be given to them for their effort and achievements. However, majority of the people think otherwise. They consider psychic detectives and investigation only to be a form of trivial entertainment which should be never taken seriously. Vague evidences, self-promotion, and media hype have also furthered this skeptic opinion.

Famous “Psychic Detectives” and Cases:

The first documented case of a crime allegedly solved by a psychic detective was in 1845, when one clairvoyant brought to trail a suspect who consequently confessed to the crime. There is no proof that the clairvoyant had really solved the crime with her psychic abilities but this is the first official record to be documented.

One of the most well-known “psychic detectives” in the United States is Sylvia Browne of Kansas City, who’s been guest to popular interview shows such as Larry King Live and the Montel Williams Show. Her many works include predictions such as the claim that Bill Bradley would win the 2000 U.S. presidential election with the Reform Party coming in second, the “hiding in caves” of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, September 11, 2001 attacks etc. She has written a number of books including “Life on the Other Side”, and is the founder of the Society of Novus Spiritus.

Outside of the United States, Chico Xavier (Brazil) is a famous “psychic detective” whose supposedly transcription of a statement from a murder victim, in 1979, leading to the release of an innocent man and arrest of the real murderer, sparked renewed interests in psychic investigations.

http://psychics-live.com/ Psychics Live contains information and articles about psychics and discovering your psychic abilities.

It’s all in the mind- your mind.

It‘s not brought about in an instant by serene
surroundings,nor by the sound of soulful music,
nor the beauty of summer blooms.The most
luxurious surrounding can not fill an empty soul.
It’s like a vessel, the slightest crack will cause leaks,
it can never be filled. It is not whole.

You are a precious vessel. Be the first to acknowledge
this,and treasure it, and the rest of the world will agree
with you.

A troubled soul is a restless one. Ask yourself- what
is really troubling you? To stay in this state does not
help you to find answers. Worrying does not bring
answers. It tends to add confusion, incites fear
and obscures the possibility of a solution.

What you need is clarity, not more confusion. Do
you know what it is that clutters your mind and
troubles your soul? Can you spare some time for
a quiet moment? A time to step away from your
problems.

Perhaps you think too much, try too hard and get
disappointed too quickly. Or you give up too easily.
Think of balance and the virtue of temperance.

Are you being too hard on yourself? Each day that
passes by, surely there is one, just one
accomplishment that you could be pleased with.
One small blessing that warms your heart and
puts a smile on your face!

Learn to get away from all that is threatening, scary,
and downright stressful. Stress. It is the greatest
source of illness, relationship discord, and lack of
harmony and peace even with one’s self.

Negative vibrations tend to come uninvited, working
their way slowly, and then at your weakest moment,
overcome you! It can devastate you.

A bright and sunny morning to wake up to is a joy to
behold. Watch the diamonds twinkle and glimmer as
the sun rays hit the snow, or the gently flowing
waves of the lake. Ever notice the shy glint on a
leaf with the morning dew.

Inhale a deep breath of fresh air, yes, that is free. It
is comforting. Give yourself the gift of a quiet time, a
chance to empty your conscious mind of all the agonies
accumulating and congesting your mind.

Think of a traffic jam, vehicles are moving painfully slow.
It eats away at the nerves; it burns gas, and wastes away
precious time.

Many of us can relate to this. Think of steps you need
to take to avoid this waste of energy in your life.

Have Faith, find ways to meet your quiet self. Together,
you will find the inner wisdom to minimize the clutter
in your mind and find clarity to propel you to positive
way of thinking. Discover the wealth deep insight can
add to your life.

Give yourself a few minutes of tranquility, quieten
your mind, and just let go of the cares of today. No,
not in a bottle or a puff . Stare at the world around you,
staring can quieten the mind. Stare at the patch of blue
beyond, drift with the clouds. Fill your soul with the
breath of Life, warm your heart with all the blessings
Life has showered you with. Small blessings mean a lot.

Yesterday is past, but today matters. Take the moment
today to give yourself the luxury of tranquility. Release,
surrender all your worries, all your doubts, all your anger.
Trust that tomorrow is another day, a better day.

A moment of tranquility, away from the noise and
concerns of the day, a moment just for you and your
tranquil mind.

Bonnie Moss