Sunday, June 28, 2009
Buckminster Fuller and Maharishi Maheshi Yogi - Symposium on the Science of Creative Intelligence 1971
Friday, June 26, 2009
Love
Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection and attachment. The word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure ("I loved that meal") to intense interpersonal attraction ("I love my boyfriend"). This diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, even compared to other emotional states.
Love is an extremely powerful emotion; it can be irresistible and people are often bound to pursue their love interests. Love is a major theme in literature, poetry, and film.
As an abstract concept, love usually refers to a deep, ineffable feeling of tenderly caring for another person. Even this limited conception of love, however, encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the nonsexual emotional closeness of familial and platonic love to the profound oneness or devotion of religious love. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Refrigeration Without Electricity
Mohammed Bah Abba made a really cool invention, which won a Rolex Award of $100,000 –a refrigerator than runs without electricity. Here's how it works. You take a smaller pot and put it inside a larger pot. Fill the space in between them with wet sand, and cover the top with a wet cloth. When the water evaporates, it pulls the heat out with it, making the inside cold. It's a natural, cheap, easy-to-make refrigerator.
Evaporative fridges are a relatively well-tested, proven, low-tech approach to cooling. They can cool produce, food and beverages at about 15-20 C below ambient temperatures. They are most appropriate in hot, dry (not humid) climates
http://www.off-grid.net/2008/05/24/low-energy-refrigeration/
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Wisdom of Sharing - Stone Soup
There are many variations on the story of stone soup, but they all involve a traveler coming into a town beset by famine. The inhabitants try to discourage the traveler from staying, fearing he wants them to give him food. They tell him in no uncertain terms that there’s no food anywhere to be found. The traveler explains that he doesn’t need any food and that, in fact, he was planning to make a soup to share with all of them. The villagers watch suspiciously as he builds a fire and fills a cauldron with water. With great ceremony, he pulls a stone from a bag, dropping the stone into the pot of water. He sniffs the brew extravagantly and exclaims how delicious stone soup is. As the villagers begin to show interest, he mentions how good the soup would be with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brings out a cabbage to share. This episode repeats itself until the soup has cabbage, carrots, onions, and beets—indeed, a substantial soup that feeds everyone in the village.
This story addresses the human tendency to hoard in times of deprivation. When resources are scarce, we pull back and put all of our energy into self-preservation. We isolate ourselves and shut out others. As the story of stone soup reveals, in doing so, we often deprive ourselves and everyone else of a feast. This metaphor plays out beyond the realm of food. We hoard ideas, love, and energy, thinking we will be richer if we keep to them to ourselves, when in truth we make the world, and ourselves, poorer whenever we greedily stockpile our reserves. The traveler was able to see that the villagers were holding back, and he had the genius to draw them out and inspire them to give, thus creating a spread that none of them could have created alone.
Are you like one of the villagers, holding back? If you come forward and share your gifts, you will inspire others to do the same. The reward is a banquet that can nourish many.
http://www.dailyom.com/
THE SEVEN MAIN CHAKRAS AND THEIR PLACEMENT ALONG THE SPINE
This deep red chakra grounds and connects us to the earth. When our root chakra is open, we feel a sense of belonging. We deserve to be here and to be happy. This chakra focuses on our needs. Basic needs like food, shelter, and water are necessary in order for this chakra to feel balanced. Beyond that, we can use food (both “real” food and all of the things that feed us that don’t come on our plate) in our lives to help us feel more present in our bodies.
Earth, Physical identity, oriented to self-
Located at the base of the spine, this Chakra forms our foundation. It represents the element earth, and is therefore related to our survival instincts, and to our sense of grounding and connection to our bodies and the physical plane.Ideally this Chakra brings us health, prosperity, security, and dynamic presence.
Stones: Ruby, Bloodstone, Hematite
Element: Earth
Body Part(s): Adrenal Glands, associated with survival (fight or flight) instincts
This calming orange wheel goes round in our lower abdomen, right below the navel. This chakra is associated with health, pleasure, feelings, and sexuality. When the sacral chakra is balanced, we feel abundant, we know that we are deserving of pleasure in all areas of our lives. It is this chakra that helps us feel free to let our emotions flow through our lives, taking them as they come and knowing that they will pass, knowing that just as emotions are fluid, so is life. When we are able to find ways to accept and express our emotions, then we are able to keep our emotional, as well as physical, bodies healthy.
Water, Emotional identity, oriented to self-
The second Chakra, located in the abdomen, lower back, and sexual organs, is related to the element water, and to emotions and sexuality. It connects us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement. Ideally this Chakra brings us fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fullfillment and the ability to accept change.
Stones: Carnelian, Tiger’s Eye, Onyx
Element: Water
Body Part(s): Testicles, Ovaries, in charge of sexual development
This bright yellow ball of fire heats up our personal sense of power. Located at the solar plexus, this chakra helps to center us. It is our power center where we develop our autonomy and sense of self. When this chakra is open, we feel worthy of all that life has to offer us. We realize the power we possess to create the life of our dreams is already alive inside of us. When we harness the energy of the solar plexus chakra, we find the strength to conquer our dreams and goals.
Fire, Ego identity, oriented to self-defination
This Chakra is known as the power Chakra, located in the solar plexes. It rules our personal power, will, and autonomy, as well as our metabolism. When healthy, this Chakra brings us energy, effectiveness, spontaneity, and non-dominating power.
Stones: Topaz, Citrine, Amber
Element: Fire
Body Part(s): Pancreas, controls digestion
Our heart center creates balance in our lives. When we move into our heart chakra, we feel love and compassion toward ourselves. Once we have learned to be kind to ourselves, then we are able to extend that kindness to others. The heart chakra allows us to live our lives from an understanding, considerate, and peaceful place. It connects us to others, our surroundings, and the universe. When we tap into our heart chakra, love radiates around us and out into the world.
Air, Social identity, oriented to self-acceptance
This Chakra is called the heart Chakra and is the middle Chakra in a system of seven. It is related to Love and is the integrator of oppisites in the psyche : mind and body, male and female, persona and shadow, ego and unity. A healthy fourth Chakra allows us to love deeply, feel compasion, have a deep sense of Peace and centeredness.
Stones: Rose Quartz, Diamond, Peridot
Element: Air
Body Part(s): Thymus, helps build immune system
The blue of this energy center spins its truth in our throat, helping us to be authentic in the way we live our lives. The throat chakra is where we communicate, where we are able to openly share our life perspective. Part of speaking truthfully involves carefully considering our words and the effect they will have once they have been spoken, causing us to consciously choose what we say to others. This, however, does not mean that we bottle our words up inside. It means that we try to look at all perspectives and find a respectful way to present our voice. Be clear, ask for what you want.
Sound, Creative identity, oriented to self-expression
This is the Chakra located in the throat and is thus related to communication and creativity.
Stones: Turquoise, Blue Agate, Aquamarine
Element: Sound
Body Part(s): Thyroid, controls metabolism
The violet light of this chakra makes its mark on our forehead, between the eyebrows and slightly above. This is where we see, where our inner eye lives. When we have an important decision to make or are feeling uncertain in our lives, it helps to focus on the third eye and to seek guidance. Everything we need to know is inside of us. Each one of us has all of the answers to all of the questions that we ask. What we need to do is slow down, take some time out, listen and trust in our own wisdom.
Light, Archetypal identity, oriented to self-reflection
This Chakra is known as the brow Chakra or third eye center. It is related to the act of seeing, both physically and intuitively. As such it opens our psychic faculties and our understanding of archetypal levels. When healthy it allows us to see cleary, in effect, letting us see " the big picture."
Stones: Sapphire, Tanzanite, Lapis Lazuli
Element: Light
Body Part(s): Pituitary Gland, influences growth and hormones
Bright white light glows at the top of our head, radiating upward, reaching its rays out into the world beyond us. When we are grounded in our bodies, we are able to accept the ever-changing world that moves around us. Once we have accepted that change, we can work on building a strong sense of self, knowing that we deserve to fulfill our dreams. Having learned to love ourselves, we can then let that love move beyond the boundaries of our self and enter into our interactions with others. When we know how to love ourselves and others, then we are able to speak our truth from a place of integrity and respect for all involved in the conversation. When we are able to openly be honest, we can then go inside and listen quietly to our inner voice, which guides us. Going inside, we discover that though it often seems we are alone in this journey of life, we are really connected to everything. The white light radiates out from our crown and blends into the rest of the light that flows from all other beings. We are all one.
Thought,
This is the crown Chakra that relates to consiousness as pure awareness. It is our connection to the greater world beyond , to a timeless, spaceless place of all-
Stones: Amethyst, Alexandrite
Element: Thought
Body Part(s): Pineal Gland, regulates natural body rhythms
CHAKRAS AND ASPECTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Chakras are energy centers that run from the base of your spine out the top, or crown, of your head. The word chakra is a Sanskrit word, meaning wheel or disc. There are seven major chakras, each a circular wheel of light spinning in your energetic system, associated with certain body parts, a color, stone, element, and function. By learning to tune into the energy of your chakras, you can begin to embrace the fullness of who you truly are.
Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel, or vortex, and it refers to each of the seven energy centers of which our consciousness, our energy system, is composed.
These chakras, or energy centers, function as pumps or valves, regulating the flow of energy through our energy system. The functioning of the chakras reflects decisions we make concerning how we choose to respond to conditions in our life. We open and close these valves when we decide what to think, and what to feel, and through which perceptual filter we choose to experience the world around us.
The chakras are not physical. They are aspects of consciousness in the same way that the auras are aspects of consciousness. The chakras are more dense than the auras, but not as dense as the physical body. They interact with the physical body through two major vehicles, the endocrine system and the nervous system. Each of the seven chakras is associated with one of the seven endocrine glands, and also with a group of nerves called a plexus. Thus, each chakra can be associated with particular parts of the body and particular functions within the body controlled by that plexus or that endocrine gland associated with that chakra.
All of your senses, all of your perceptions, all of your possible states of awareness, everything it is possible for you to experience, can be divided into seven categories. Each category can be associated with a particular chakra. Thus, the chakras represent not only particular parts of your physical body, but also particular parts of your consciousness.
When you feel tension in your consciousness, you feel it in the chakra associated with that part of your consciousness experiencing the stress, and in the parts of the physical body associated with that chakra. Where you feel the stress depends upon why you feel the stress. The tension in the chakra is detected by the nerves of the plexus associated with that chakra, and transmitted to the parts of the body controlled by that plexus. When the tension continues over a period of time, or to a particular level of intensity, the person creates a symptom on the physical level.
The symptom speaks a language that reflects the idea that we each create our reality, and the metaphoric significance of the symptom becomes apparent when the symptom is described from that point of view. Thus, rather than saying, "I can't see," the person would describe it as keeping themselves from seeing something. "I can't walk," means the person has been keeping themselves from walking away from a situation in which they are unhappy. And so on.
The symptom served to communicate to the person through their body what they had been doing to themselves in their consciousness. When the person changes something about their way of being, getting the message communicated by the symptom, the symptom has no further reason for being, and it can be released, according to whatever the person allows themselves to believe is possible.
Understanding the chakras allows you to understand the relationship between your consciousness and your body, and to thus see your body as a map of your consciousness. It gives you a better understanding of yourself and those around you.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
16 Year Old Discovers Microb That Eats Plastic
http://www.mnn.com/technology/research-innovations/blogs/boy-discovers-microbe-that-eats-plastic
Fri, Jun 12 2009 at 2:26 AM EST
It's not your average science fair when the 16-year-old winner manages to solve a global waste crisis. But such was the case at last month's May's Canadian Science Fair in Waterloo, Ontario, where Daniel Burd, a high school student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, presented his research on microorganisms that can rapidly biodegrade plastic.
NOTE: there are TWO high school students who discovered plastic-consuming microorganisms. The first was Daniel Burd (last year). The second was Tseng I-Ching (last month), a high school student in Taiwan.
Daniel had a thought it seems even the most esteemed PhDs hadn't considered. Plastic, one of the most indestructible of manufactured materials, does in fact eventually decompose. It takes 1,000 years but decompose it does, which means there must be microorganisms out there to do the decomposing.
Could those microorganisms be bred to do the job faster?
That was Daniel's question which he put to the test by a very simple and clever process of immersing ground plastic in a yeast solution that encourages microbial growth, and then isolating the most productive organisms.
The preliminary results were encouraging, so he kept at it, selecting out the most effective strains and interbreeding them. After several weeks of tweaking and optimizing temperatures Burd was achieved a 43 % degradation of plastic in six weeks, an almost inconceivable accomplishment.
With 500 billion plastic bags manufactured each year and a Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch that grows more expansive by the day, a low cost and nontoxic method for degrading plastic is the stuff of environmentalists' dreams and, I would hazard a guess, a pretty good start-up company as well.
NOTE: to the comment below. Yes there are certainly methods for decomposing plastic, but most are chemical in nature not organic, requiring high temperatures and chemical additives to cause the plasticizers to vaporize, for instance this patent on PVC extraction. There have been several successful bacteria based solutions developed at the Dept. of Biotechnology in Tottori, Japan as well as the Dept. of Microbiology at the National University of Ireland, but both apply only to styrene compounds.
It goes without saying that these discoveries need to be tested to ensure, for instance, that the bi-products of organic decomposition are not carcinogenic (as in the case with mammalian metabolism of styrene and benzene). The processing of plastics by these methods would also have to be contained in highly controlled environments. So, no, we're not talking about a magic panacea or a plastic-free paradise, but the innovative application of microorganisms to break down our most troublesome waste products is nevertheless a major scientific breakthrough.
ANOTHER NOTE: one of our readers pointed out a very interesting study in 2004 at the University of Wisconsin that isolated a fungus capable of biodegrading phenol-formaldehyde polymers previously thought to be non-biodegradable. Phenol polymers are produced at an annual rate of 2.2 million metric tons per year in the United States for many industrial and commercial applications including durable plastics.
Unified Field of Consciousness
By Adrian Nelson
The results of the experiments we have reviewed build a new picture of the interplay between consciousness and the physical world. Together the experiments build a composite image that describes the attributes of field consciousness. Emerging is a new model of mind and matter, one that revolutionises our understanding of our place in this world and our degree of agency in shaping it. We have seen that consciousness can extend out or reach into physical and biological systems to effect change. We have witnessed in the experiments of Rupert Sheldrake, Cleve Backster, William Tiller and others, the subtle dance of interconnectivi
Consciousness, surfaces through self-
Can the universe itself be viewed as analogous to a great evolving organism? Classical Darwinist theories of evolution state that all features of a biological system must perform some advantageous function to the organism. If this principle can be transferred to our analogy of a universal organism, consciousness itself may prove to perform some intrinsic function in the unfolding of the universe. The evidence of what is now a countless number of scientific, rigorously conducted psi experiments indicate that what we direct our attention and intention towards becomes more likely to manifest in the world. We can be confident that this at least is true.
But, we have been told by leading scientists that our universe is slowing down, gradually unravelling at the seams and descending into chaos. However when we look at the world and nature objectively, there is evidence everywhere that this is simply not the case. It is at this juncture that I offer a conceptual model that is in part intuitive yet alluded to by our interpretation of the research.
I postulate that the universe is evolving into greater states of complexity and coherence and that life and consciousness can be seen as latent within the underlying geometry of the unified field. This field evolves complex biological systems out of itself that through their physiology, emerges a measure of self awareness. An organism’s very inner subjectivity, whilst individualised as it rises through the filter of the body’s nervous system, is at its most discrete level, fundamentally one with the unified field.
This process, if it can be seen as serving a function to the universe itself, might be described as the universe observing itself. I will from this juncture call this the experiential function of the observer.
The experiential function serves to communicate or feedback with the evolving ground state. Organisms evolve an individualised consciousness or an impression of separation because the experiential function cannot take place at the undifferentiate
As physicists have found as they attempt to measure quantum particles, their act of observation disturbs the particle from its original state. At this deeper level of reality, the subjective and objective are inseparable and the distinction between observer and the observed breaks down. Through their emergence from the unified field, the observer and the physical world exist on the same continuum like ripples and vortices upon the surface of the same body of water. The consciousness of the observer is therefore intrinsically entangled with its environment. This may be why experiments show that the direction of will or intention impacts a subtle change in behaviour of physical systems.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Manifesting New Realities
When you search in your life for what is wrong, you become blind to what is right, in those terms. Other events literally become invisible to you. Since basically past and future exist at once, you are at the same time dangerously constructing your future along the same lines.
You are not at the mercy of past beliefs, therefore. On the other hand, the sooner you begin to act upon new ones the better. Otherwise you are not trusting them in the present. If you are poor and want to have more money, and try to maintain a belief in abundance-while still faced with the fact of present poverty-you must in your reality make some symbolic move that shows you are willing to accept a change.
As foolish as it may sound, you should give some money away, or in whatever manner that suits you act as if you did have more money than you physically have. You must respond to your new beliefs, so that neurologically the new message gets across.
You perform habitually in certain manners as a result of your beliefs. Now if you willfully change some of those habits then you are also getting the message across. The initiative must come from you, and in the present. In a very real manner of speaking, this means changing your viewpoint, that particular perspective with which you view your past and present and imagine your future.
You create your own reality. PERIOD.
You must look within yourself for evidences of what you want in terms of positive experience. Examine your past with that in mind.
Imagine your future from the power point of the present.
In such a way at least you are not using the past to reinforce your limitations, or projecting them into the future. It is only natural to contrast what you want with what you have, and it is very easy to become discouraged in so doing, but looking for errors in the past will not help you. A correctly utilized five-minute period of time can be of great benefit, however. In this period concentrate upon the fact that the point of power is now.
Feel and dwell upon the certainty that your emotional, spiritual and psychic abilities are focused through the flesh, and for five minutes only direct all of your attention toward what you want. Use visualization or verbal thought-whatever comes most naturally to you; but for that period do not concentrate upon any lacks, just upon your desire. You are not a victim of life.
sETH
Body Balance - Masculine and Feminine
If you look in the mirror and view your profile from each side, you may notice that the two sides of your face are slightly different from one another. Additionally, your left hand is similar to but different from your right hand. In fact, these subtle differences pervade both sides of your entire body. Considering these differences in the context of the idea that the right side of your body is masculine and the left side feminine may shed some light on how balanced you are in relation to your masculine and feminine qualities...
Intuition, feelings, openness, and unselfishness govern the feminine side of our natures. The masculine side is characterized by logic, facts, systems, and self-interest. If you are giving too much to others to the detriment of yourself, your feminine side may be overactive and your right side may need strengthening, to speak up on your behalf, protecting and conserving your energy. If your life is too rigidly structured, your masculine aspect may be overactive; developing your feminine aspect will bring a more open-ended and creative approach...
Maintaining harmony between the left side and the right side, the feminine and masculine, is a key to wholeness. We can foster awareness of our own relative state of balance by tuning in to our bodies. When you close your eyes and scan your body, what do you see? You may find that most of your ailments, from acne to muscle tension, occur on the left side of your body. This might indicate that your feminine aspect is out of balance in some way. Similarly, if you notice a lot of tension in your right shoulder, perhaps your masculine side is overtaxed or weakened. Just noticing an imbalance is the beginning of healing it. Some imbalances may be long-standing, and it may take time to bring your system into equilibrium. Remember to be gentle with yourself and listen to your body. Over time, doing this can guide you to a dynamic state of inner and outer balance...
http://www.dailyom.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Tree Magic
By Don McLeod
The Curative Properties of Trees
Taking a walk through nature is not only refreshing and energising, it can also be a healing experience thanks to the energy of trees. In the early years of mankind, trees were regarded as special beings, no doubt because of their size and majesty. Apart from being the home of animals and birds, trees were also thought to embody a spirit, and people would leave offerings to the spiritual presence that resided in the tree. In India, most local shrines are constructed under trees. Shamans of Native American and Europe believed that trees also possess curative powers. Different trees are said to have particular medicinal properties. The following is a brief list of trees and the healing qualities they are said to contain...
Ash: Brings peace of mind. Warts rubbed on the bark will be absorbed into the tree.
Beech: Reduces swellings and skin inflammations. Helps to balance mental health.
Birch: The bark helps to heal wounds and burns.
Cedar: Cleanses negative atmospheres.
Oak: Brings vitality and long life.
Sassafras: Eases problems with the digestive system. Burying money near the roots of a Sassafras tree brings prosperity.
Pine: A renewal of energy can be obtained by sitting under a pine.
Willow: Adds vital energy to the elderly and the sick. Smoke created from burning the wood of a willow tree can soothe and guide the souls of the dead.
How to Find Your Own Healing Tree
Here is a small ritual for finding your own personal healing tree. Enter a quiet park or forest that has a variety of trees. Stand quietly amongst the trees and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and release all thoughts from your mind. Then allow your consciousness to drop through your body, and to settle within your heart chakra. Now, with your eyes open, but unfocused, start walking through the trees. You should be able to feel the energy of each tree as you enter its aura. When you find an energy that feels right for you, mentally ask the tree for permission to physically make contact. If you then feel that it is all right to do so, approach the tree and place your back against it. Feel the energy of the tree resonating within you. Which one of your chakras does this tree seem to affect the most?
How to See a Tree's View of the World
You can also enhance your psychic perceptions of the world around you, by merging your consciousness with that of your healing tree. Allow your aura to merge with the tree's energy field, and with your eyes open, see the surroundings as if through the consciousness of the tree. A silvery glow will surround the area, and you will see the auras of other trees and plants. When you have finished this experiment, thank the tree for its participation, and move away from its energy field. Bring your consciousness up through your body and into your head, then take a few more deep breaths. Stamp your feet on the ground to bring yourself back to full conscious awareness.
Clearing Negativity with Trees
It is said that trees can also absorb negative energy from our bodies, without it doing the tree any harm. To clear yourself of negativity, find another tree that you are intuitively drawn to, and ask permission to give it the negative energy that you have unwittingly stored in your body. Trees can transform and use this energy for their own enhancement. To gather and release negativity from your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self, run the palm of your left hand from the top of your head, and down the right side of your body, visualising the collection of negativity into your hands. Do the same with your right hand on the left side of your body. Then rub your hands on the trunk of the tree, thereby releasing all the toxins that you have gathered. Also run your hands down the front and back of your body and pass this onto the tree as well. Do this three times, and when you are finished, thank the tree for taking the negative energy from you.
Trees are more than lumps of wood with leaves attached. Make the effort to walk through a national park or forest soon, and take visual notes of the variety that exists even within the same species of tree. By making the conscious effort to look closely at a tree trunk, you will be surprised at the myriad of patterns and colours that normally go unnoticed. Each tree has its own characteristics and personality. And by taking the time to attune to a few trees, you will be amazed at the different styles of energy that emanate from them. For your health's sake, hug a tree today!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Keep Knocking
Keep knocking and the joy inside will eventually open a window and look out to see who's there.
-Rumi
Psychic Protection
Constructively Dealing with Intuitive Empathy
by Judith Orloff MD @ drjudithorloff.com
How do you constructively deal with intuitive empathy? What practical methods can you employ to avoid becoming overamped or depleted? I'm going to present some strategies I use. Try them. See which appeal. One is not more preferable than another. Most important is if your choice works.
Walk away. - Let's say you're chatting with a man you've just met at a conference and your energy starts bottoming out. Here's how to tell if you're being zapped: Don't hesitate to politely excuse yourself; move at least twenty feet from him (outside the range of his energy field). If you receive immediate relief, there's your answer. Most people are oblivious to how their energy impacts others. Even energy vampires--people who feed off your energy to compensate for a lack of their own--aren't generally intending to sap you yet still they do. Obnoxious or meek, vampires come in all forms. Watch out for them. For years, reluctant to hurt anyone's feelings, I needlessly endured these types of situations and suffered. How many of us are so loathe to appear rude that a raving maniac can be right in our face, and still we don't budge for fear of offending? Whenever possible--if your well-being feels at risk with an individual or group--give yourself permission to make a tactful and swift exit. In a spot, physically removing yourself is a sure quick solution.
Shield yourself. - A handy form of protection many people use, including healers with trying patients, involves visualizing an envelope of white light (or any color you feel imparts power) around your entire body. Think of it as a shield that blocks out negativity or physical discomfort but allows what's positive to filter in. For instance, your sister is on the rampage. She's about to blow up; you don't want her anger to shatter you. Now--take a deep breath, center yourself, engage your shield. Literally picture it forming a fail-safe barrier around you which deactivates anger. It simply can't get to you. Shielding is a deliberately defensive technique aimed at guarding your feelings, not repressing them. It works by establishing a perimeter of protection around you that functionally doesn't permit harm in.
Practice vulnerability. - One tenet of my spiritual practice is to remain as vulnerable as I can to everything; not to shield, the antithesis of defense. Some people prefer my strategy, some don't. Use it if it succeeds for you. Here's the premise behind this: if we solidify our bond to our inner self, we'll become centered enough not to need to defend at all. Thus, the best protection turns out to be no protection--a stance that initially alarmed me. It didn't seem possible I could do hands-on energy work with someone who had cancer or depression, for example, without absorbing their symptoms myself. But it was. What could be more liberating than to find I could hold my own and still remain open! Too often we're taught to equate vulnerability with weakness. Not so. I like being vulnerable and also strong. This disarms people. To me, the appeal of such an approach is that it's a non-fear-based way of living in the world. It requires that, increasingly, you harmonize with whatever you confront, let it flow through you, then recenter again, stabilized by your own resilience. Pace yourself. A vulnerable posture will feel safer the stronger you get. It is a choice and a life-long practice.
We can be more sensitive to some people's energy than others for two main reasons. One, that we feel a rapport with them so we're more open to picking up their vibes during stressful times. Two, we tend to be sapped by issues we haven't worked out in ourselves. For instance, if you have unresolved anxiety and a coworker is anxious, you're more likely to be thrown off by it. So do you best to work on your emotional issues so you're not so vulnerable to others who are going through similar things. I'm in psychotherapy for just that reason. I need to keep my energy high so I must deal with my own emotional issues so I'm not drained by others.
Meditate. - To cement your inner bond and hold your center in any situation, I recommend a daily practice of meditation where you focus on the spirit within. Doing so gets you into the habit of connecting with yourself. Start with a few minutes, then gradually increase the duration. The technique is simple: follow your breath and explore the silence. It is not void or empty; that's the mystery. As thoughts come, and they will, continue to refocus on your breath. Every inhalation. Every exhalation. The spaces between thoughts are where your spirit waits to be discovered. There is something real in there worth finding. My spirit feels like a core of head-to-toe warmth vertically aligned though the center of my body. Imbued in the warmth itself is an intelligence and intuitive responsiveness to my rhythms and questions. It speaks only truth, which resonates like a chiming in every cell. Silently become acquainted with your spirit. You can return to it to reinforce who you really are--not just the self you present to the world, but that part of you that is timeless. Make room to pursue it.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
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