This guide provides over a dozen self awareness activities and exercises to increase emotional intelligence and strengthen your self-leadership abilities.

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In Ancient Greece, at the front courtyard at Delphi, the former shrine to the oracle Pythia, there was an inscription:

It translates to know thyself, a famous aphorism often attributed to Socrates or Plato.

What does it mean to know oneself?

At first glance, we might discount this phrase as rhetoric.Sure, I know myself, you might lament.I know who I am.On closer examination, however, we cant be so certain.

Do we knowwhywe behave the way we do?What drives our decisions? How do we really feel about ourselves and the people in our lives?How do we really feel about ourselves and the people in our lives?

As Ralph Ellison said, When I discover who I am, Ill be free.

While awareness is knowing whats happening around you, self-awareness is knowing what youre experiencing.

Self-awarenessis the ability to know what we are doing as we do itandunderstand why we are doing it.

Consciousness is another word for self-awareness. Psychologist Anthony Stevens explains inPrivate Myths:

Consciousness enables individuals to monitor what is going on, to be aware of the nature and quality of events as they occur, and to perceive their meaning.

If we are not consciousness, we are unconscious. When we are unconscious, we lack self-awareness.

A large body of research shows the extraordinary range of unconscious biases and blind spots humans have.

Behavioral Economist Daniel Kahneman, author of the bestsellerThinking, Fast and Slow, shows that despite our confidence in our self-knowledge, we are usually wrong.

As it turns out, we arent as self-aware as we might think.

Self-awareness is the foundation for emotional intelligence,self-leadership, and mature adulthood.

With it, we can grow and develop. Without it, we are like a leaf riding a wind current.

Self-awareness is a skill. In any skill, learning goes throughfour primary stages. The first stage isunconscious incompetence. When we start something new, we arent aware of how poor we are at it.

Try to play a melody on an instrument youve never played before, and youll know how unconscious incompetence feels.

It is because of the discomfort this incompetence brings that we often avoid learning new things. Learning self-awareness requires the same discomfort.

As such, most people go through life without developing self-awareness.

Yet, self-awareness is a foundational skill essential to anyone interested in authenticpersonal development.

The key to developing self-awareness is the same as with building any skill: you need to the right methods combined with consistent practice.

Thankfully, there are many self-awareness activities and exercises designed to increase our sensitivity to whats going on inside us.

When most people talk about knowing thyself, they are referring to their mind.

Our cultural bias since the Age of Enlightenment (the 1700s) has been for toward reason, logic, and cognition.

But thats only part of the story.

We can section the brain into three parts: neocortex, limbic system, and basal ganglia.

The neocortex is the thinking or learning brain. It controls language, thought, and reasoning.

Much of the information in the neocortex isconscious, meaning we can draw on it at will.

The limbic system is the emotional center. It stores value judgments we make and memories of behaviors that produce positive and negative experiences.

Information from the limbic system is largelysubconscious. That is, this information is just below the surface of our awareness.

The basal ganglia is at the root of the brain. This is our instinctual center. Information travels from our gut to this primitive region without going through the other brain regions.

Information from the basal ganglia is mostlyunconscious. We generally cant access this information.

Brain Region.

NeocortexLimbic SystemBasal Ganglia

Function.

ThoughtsEmotionsInstincts

Process

MostlyConsciousSubconsciousUnconscious

To build self-awareness, we must strengthen our conscious connection toall threebrain regions.

Different self awarenessactivities strengthen connections in various brain regions.

See also:How to Decalcify Your Pineal Gland (Its an important step in building greater self-awareness)

And:A Beginners Guide to Using Nootropics to Access Your Brains Potential

Most attempts to develop self-awareness fail because they only target the neocortex (thoughts, beliefs, biases).

Our goal is to become more conscious of whats driving our behavior.

To accomplish this, we need to increase our sensitivity to our emotions and instinctsthe information we rarely access with our conscious mind.

Then, we can explore our thoughts, beliefs, and biases with greater results.

Before we do any self awareness activities, we mustfind our center.

Centering must always be the first step because it increases our attention.

Attention is essential for learning, understanding and developing in any area.

For a powerful and simple practice you can use each day to access your Center quickly and consistently, see out my program, The Mastery Method: Activate Your Higher Potential. (You can listen to afree sample on the page.)

Of the many types of meditation, mindfulness has become the most popular in the West largely because of theresearchconducted on how this form of meditation affects the brain. (See the work of neuroscientistRichard Davidsonand psychologistJon Kabat-Zinn.)

Mindfulness is a form of observational meditation where meditators place their awareness on a focal point. This point can be the breath (the process of breathing) or our thoughts, but it can also be on any information coming in through our five senses.

Developing thisobserving selfis the key to developing self-awareness.

The reason we arelargely unconscious to our behavior is that our egos actautonomously. We have no one monitoring our thoughts, feelings, actions, and behavior from moment to moment.

Through observational meditation, we create a space between the doer of actions, the thinker of thoughts, and the feeler of feelings.

Theobserving selfcan then monitor our thoughts, feelings, and actions with objectivity.

Its important to understand that we dont have this observing self unless we develop it. Without this inner observer, we cant develop self-awareness.

Abraham Maslow writes inToward a Psychology of Being:

Humans no longer have instincts in the animal sense, powerful, unmistakable inner voices which tell them unequivocally what to do, when, where, how and with whom. Authentic selfhood can be defined in part as being able to hear these impulse-voices within oneself, that is, to know what one really wants or doesnt want, what one is fit for and what one is not fit for, etc.

Reconnecting with our body/instincts is an integral part of developing self-awareness.

For anyone interested in developing self-awareness, I recommend exploring Tai Chi, Qigong, or Yoga.

The aim of these practices is to strengthen a body-mind connection.

Two particular self-awareness activities I recommend are:

These activities dont require a lot of time to get started, and you will develop greater awareness of your body right away.

Also, see my program, The Mastery Method.

Your personality is a collection of patterns. These patterns include thoughts, beliefs, worldviews, feelings, tendencies, and behaviors.

Our experiences and environment condition these patterns into us.

Most of these patterns lie below the surface of our awareness. By getting to know our personality, we bring these patterns into consciousness increasing our self-awareness.

Self-awareness activities for your personality include:

All of these activities and processes help you get to know your personality, improve intrapersonal intelligence, and build self-awareness.

According to John Whitmore, a pioneer in the coaching industry and author ofCoaching for Performance,

Building awareness, responsibility, and self-belief is the goal of a coach.

A primary way a coach helps their clients build awareness is by givingeffective feedback.

If youpractice shadow work, one thing many people notice is how much easier it is to observe other peoples shortcomings than your own.

In corporate environments, many organizations use 360-degree feedbacks, an assessment tool for providing employees with performance feedback from their supervisor and up to eight peers.

If you donthave a coach, you can ask a trusted friend questions like:

You can only ask these questions to a trusted confidante and from a place of openness.

Self-awareness is a skill that helps us monitor our behavior and to better understand our motives and ourselves.

Like any other skill, we can develop self-awareness with the right methods combined with consistent practice.

The stronger our observing self becomes, the more space we have between us and our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Most people fail to develop self-awareness because they dont get rooted in their bodies first.

We need to integrate the various regions of our brain that guide our instincts, feelings, and thoughts to increase our self-awareness.

By practicing a range of self-awareness activities and exercises, we can address our body, emotions, and thoughts. This integrated approach is the key to cultivating true self-awareness.

Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace)by Chade-Meng Tan

Paperback|Kindle|Audio

Chade-Meng Tan was one of the first engineers at Google. Years later, he helped launch the Search Inside Yourself Institute, a leadership program within Google. The program is a synthesis of the work of psychologists Jon Kabat-Zinn and Daniel Goleman, neuroscientist Richard Davidson, and others.

At its core,Search Inside Yourselfis a mind training program in emotional intelligence, the critical factor in outperforming leadership. Not only is this book an accessible, practical introduction to emotional intelligence with clear practices and methods, its also an excellent summary of dozens of other great personal development books rolled into one.

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQby Daniel Goleman

Paperback | Kindle| Audio

The reason Golemans book is still relevant over 20 years after becoming a bestseller is that no matter how many times were told that there are different kinds of intelligence, most people still equate intelligence with IQ and cognition.

But 20 years of research, especially in the business sector, has revealed that its emotional intelligence, not cognitive intelligence, that defines high performance and lasting success in business and life.

5 Transformative Methods to ACTIVATE Your Pineal Gland and Tap Into Your Superhuman Potential

Cultivate Self-Leadership to Master Your Behavior and Realize Your Leadership Potential

How to Decalcify Your Pineal Gland (And Why Its Really Important for Higher Mental Performance)

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15 Self Awareness Activities and Exercises for Emotional ...

George Bernard Shaw Quotes and Quotations

My opportunities were still there, nay, they multiplied tenfold; but the strength and youth to cope with them began to fail, and to need eking out with the shifty cunning of experience.

A man never tells you anything until you contradict him.

The test of a man or woman's breeding is how they behave in a quarrel.

I am a Millionaire. That is my religion.

All professions are a conspiracy against the country.

Self-denial is not a virtue, it is only the effect of prudence on rascality.

She had lost the art of conversation, but not, unfortunately, the power of speech.

You don't learn to hold your own in the world by standing on guard, but by attacking, and getting well hammered yourself.

The faults of the burglar are the qualities of the financier.

It is easy - terribly easy - to shake a man's faith in himself. To take advantage of that, to break a man's spirit is devil's work.

In Heaven an angel is nobody in particular.

As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.

You can lose a man like that by your own death, but not by his.

I am only a beer teetotaller, not a champagne teetotaller.

It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman despise him.

England and America are two countries separated by the same language.

An Englishman thinks he is moral when he is only uncomfortable.

Everything happens to everybody sooner or later if there is time enough.

Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience.

Martyrdom is the only way a man can become famous without ability.

Fashions, after all, are only induced epidemics.

There is no love sincerer than the love of food.

What is life but a series of inspired follies? The difficulty is to find them to do.

Beware of the man whose God is in the skies.

My only policy is to profess evil and do good.

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

The art of government is the organization of idolatry.

We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.

Hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated.

A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell.

Martyrdom - the only way in which a man can become famous without ability.

The savage bows down to idols of wood and stone, the civilized man to idols of flesh and blood.

The great advantage of a hotel is that it's a refuge from home life.

The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity.

I was taught when I was young that if people would only love one another, all would be well with the world. This seemed simple and very nice; but I found when I tried to put it in practice not only that other people were seldom lovable, but that I was not very lovable myself.

A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of Hell.

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap.

Love is a gross exaggeration of the difference between one person and everybody else.

You don't learn to hold your own by standing on guard, but by attacking, and getting well hammered yourself.

I enjoy convalescence. It is the part that makes the illness worthwhile.

Reminiscences make one feel so deliciously aged and sad.

One man who has a mind and knows it can always beat ten men who haven't and don't.

An election is a moral horror, as bad as a battle except for the blood; a mud bath for every soul concerned in it.

Morality is not respectability.

From Mozart I learnt to say important things in a conversational way.

Our laws make law impossible; our liberties destroy all freedom; our property is organized robbery; our morality an impudent hypocrisy; our wisdom is administered by inexperienced or mal-experienced dupes; our power wielded by cowards and weaklings; and our honour false in all its points. I am an enemy of the existing order for good reasons.

Parentage is a very important profession, but no test of fitness, for it is ever imposed in the interests of the Children.

The best brought-up children are those who have seen their parents as they are. Hypocrisy is not the parents' first duty.

The philosopher is Nature's pilot - and there you have our difference; to be in hell is to drift: to be in heaven is to steer.

He knows nothing; he thinks he knows everything - that clearly points to a political career.

Modern poverty is not the poverty that was blest in the Sermon on the Mount.

What really flatters a man is that you think him worth flattery.

A great devotee of the gospel of getting on.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends upon the unreasonable man.

Reformers have the idea that change can be achieved by brute sanity.

Religion is a great force - the only real motive force in the world; but you must get at a man through his own religion, not through yours.

Christianity might be a good thing if anyone ever tried it.

I believe in the discipline of silence and could talk for hours about it.

Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn.

If the announcer can produce the impression that he is a gentleman, he may pronounce as he pleases.

He who can does. He who can't, teaches.

I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad.

England and America are two countries separated by the same language.

The secret of being miserable is to have leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not. The cure for it is occupation.

I work as my father drank.

When I was a young man I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures. I didn't want to be a failure, so I did ten times more work.

Never believe anything a writer tells you about himself. A man comes to believe in the end the lies he tells himself about himself.

My method is to take the utmost trouble to find the right thing to say, and then to say it with the utmost levity.

It's all that the young can do for the old, to shock them and keep them up to date.

If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.

Happiness and beauty are by-products. Folly is the direct pursuit of happiness and beauty.

The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not.

This is true joy of life-being used for a purpose that is recognized by yourself as a mighty one ... instead of being a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

Give a man health and a course to steer, and he'll never stop to trouble about whether he's happy or not.

We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.

The secret of being miserable is to have leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

The secret of forgiving everything is to understand nothing.

The man with a toothache thinks everyone happy whose teeth are sound. The poverty-stricken man makes the same mistake about the rich man.

We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.

The only service a friend can really render is to keep up your courage by holding up to you a mirror in which you can see a noble image of yourself.

Most people do not pray; they only beg.

Self-control is the quality that distinguishes the fittest to survive.

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. The people who get on in this world are they who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.

A day's work is a day's work, neither more nor less, and the man who does it needs a day's sustenance, a night's repose and due leisure, whether he be painter or ploughman.

A day's work is a day's work, neither more nor less, and the man who does it needs a day's sustenance, a night's repose and due leisure, whether he be painter or ploughman.

Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous.

When people shake their heads because we are living in a restless age, ask them how they would like to life in a stationary one, and do without change.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius.

If you go to heaven without being naturally qualified for it, you will not enjoy it there.

As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.

This is true joy of life-the being used for a purpose that is recognized by yourself as a right one, instead of being a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

Use your health, even to the point of wearing it out. That is what it is for. Spend all you have before you die; do not outlive yourself.

This is true joy of life-being used for a purpose that is recognized by yourself as a mighty one ... instead of being a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

Give a man health and a course to steer, and he'll never stop to trouble about whether he's happy or not.

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George Bernard Shaw - Famous Quotes and Authors

Specialties

Personal Performance Training & Rehabilitation specializes in adapting exercise, physical therapy, and massage therapy services to each individual client to help each person achieve optimal health and fitness.We offer individual exercise programs, small group exercise programs, personal training, physical therapy, and both therapeutic and relaxation massage therapy. Additionaly, our Founder, Doug Kleber, offers naturopathic medicine services.

Established in 1994.

Personal Performance is founded on the principal of providing clients education and training on whole body wellness through alternative methods of nutrition, fitness training and injury rehabilitation. Established in 1994 we have been providing superior training and rehabilitation techniques that produce consistent, progressive results. Our commitment is to provide progressive personalized service and instruction that treats the whole person and achieves optimal wellness.

Doug Kleber received his B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois. He is a Registered Kinesiotherapist and Certified Massage Therapist. Doug is a former All-American football player, collegiate baseball player and Pro NFL player. Doug's focus in working with athletes is on more than building strength; his treatments and training plans ensure that injured players are not only ready to get back into the game, but that they do so with sufficient strength and recovery to prevent future injury.

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Personal Performance - Trainers - 1804 N Lincoln Ave ...

Denise Austin: Retro Aerobics Cardio Workout is an upbeat, fat-burning cardio aerobics workout that is designed to kick start the metabolism and ignite your calorie-burning potential through a unique combination of 80's retro aerobic moves, and modern dance-inspired exercises that will take inches off of your waist and leave a smile on your face. Enjoy the classic flare in this quintessential workout with Iconic Fitness Expert, Denise Austin as she takes you through a series of fast-paced exercises that will burn fat, challenge the core, and tone the arms, legs, abs, butt, chest, shoulders, and obliques in this 10-minute segment from her "Burn Fat Fast Cardio Blast" Fitness DVD. Sculpt lean muscle and re-shape your body with one of this legendary trainer, right from your own living room. Denise's fun and inspiring instruction keeps you motivated all of the way to the end. You will need a towel and a bottle of water to complete this workout that is great for any skill level. Look and feel your best with BeFiT! For more target-toning workouts from Denise Austin, Click here: http://bit.ly/zPcRR7

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For full selection of great workouts like this one, visit the BeFit Channel on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/befit

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Denise Austin: Retro Aerobics Cardio Workout - YouTube

She had earlier sung and danced on the streets for spare change, taught aerobics, and served quesadillas at a food stand.

Before she began teaching aerobics, she was considerably overweight because she struggled with depression, which she managed to conquer by exercising.

Sometimes depicted as prissy and bossy around the flat, she was occasionally seen as a proponent of health-food, and she at one time ran an aerobics class.

At this time the county had just three health and fitness programs: blood pressure screenings performed by public health nurses, a tennis tournament and some aerobics classes.

There are no outdoor fields or gym, but physical education classes take place in a dance/aerobics room and well-equipped weight room.

Testosterone levels remained high only at the end of the training session with aerobic training followed by strength training, a phenomenon not seen with weight training done before aerobics.

While the playful balance and aerobics minigames have generally been praised as simple fun, criticism for the game is aimed at its limitations in offering a serious workout regime.

Athletic facilities include several dance studios, a wrestling gym, weight room, aerobics facility and large gymnasium, which can be separated into three smaller gyms.

Later, in the 1980s, the club added more facilities, such as an aerobics studio, volleyball and basketball courts, and additional exercise equipment.

Later she taught aerobics and cross training for seven years, and gradually made weight training a bigger part of her fitness regimen.

On the beach during the summer it offers various leisure activities and services, from toy library, health care, street market, free umbrellas, lifeguards, aerobics, etc.

Aerobics focus on activities that require more vigorous movement, and are divided into three distinct types: hula hooping, step aerobics, and jogging.

Over time water aerobics can lead to a reduction of blood pressure and resting heart rate, which will improve health overall.

The association also offers year round structured programs and activities including swimming lessons, aerobics classes, dances, dinners, and other group events.

The school also hosts aerobics and zumba classes, and is home to a public library and information center, both of which are open weekdays to the public.

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aerobics Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

Diamond Way Buddhist Center Denver belongs to an international non-profit network of over 600 lay Diamond Way Buddhist centers of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by Lama Ole Nydahl and under the spiritual guidance of H.H. the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Trinley Thaye Dorje.

Diamond Way Buddhism offers practical and effective methods to realize minds inherent richness for the benefit of all. With an accessible and modern style, it works with peoples confidence and desire, using every situation in life to develop fearlessness and joy. We always present a basic introduction for newcomers, and the meditations are guided in English.

Wednesdays at 7:30pm Introductory Talk and Public Meditation* Wednesday nights are excellent for newcomers. The 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month features a one-hour lecture.

Thursdays at 7:30pm Dharma Talk and Public Meditation

Fridays at 7:30pm Dharma Talk and Public Meditation

Our free public meditations are preceded by a brief 10min talk. Wednesday nights will be an introduction to Diamond Way Buddhism followed by meditation. This is a great night to come if you are new to Diamond Way Buddhism or Buddhism in general. Thursdays Dharma talk will discuss various topics on the basics of Buddhism.

Our main meditation practice on Wednesdays and Thursday is the Guru Yoga meditation on the 16th Karmapa. This guided meditation is in English and involves visualization and mantra recitation, allowing space, clarity and joy to naturally arise.

H.H. 16th KarmapaRangjung Rigpe Dorje

H.H. 17th KarmapaTrinlay Thaye Dorje

Lama Ole Nydahl &Hannah Nydahl

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Buddhism Denver - Diamond Way Buddhist Center Denver

Alexander C.N., et al. Treating and preventing alcohol, nicotine, and drug abuse through Transcendental Meditation: A review and statistical meta-analysis. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 13-87, 1994.

Aron E.N. and Aron A. The patterns of reduction of drug and alcohol use among Transcendental Meditation participants. Bulletin of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors 2: 28-33, 1983.

Clements G., et al. The use of the Transcendental Meditation programme in the prevention of drug abuse and in the treatment of drug-addicted persons. Bulletin on Narcotics 40(1): 5156, 1988.

Gelderloos P., et al. Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in preventing and treating substance misuse: A review. International Journal of the Addictions 26: 293325, 1991.

Gelderloos P., et al. Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in preventing and treating substance misuse: A review. International Journal of the Addictions 26: 293325, 1991.

Orme-Johnson D. W. Transcendental Meditation as an epidemiological approach to drug and alcohol abuse: Theory, research, and financial impact evaluation. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 11, 119-165, 1994.

Royer A. The role of the Transcendental Meditation technique in promoting smoking cessation: A longitudinal study. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 219-236, 1994.

Shafii M. et al. Meditation and marijuana. American Journal of Psychiatry 131: 60-63, 1974.

Shafii M. et al. Meditation and the prevention of alcohol abuse. American Journal of Psychiatry 132: 942-945, 1975.

Wallace R.K. et al. Decreased drug abuse with Transcendental Meditation: A study of 1,862 subjects. In Drug Abuse: Proceedings of the International Conference, ed. Chris J.D. Zarafonetis (Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger): 369-376, 1972.

Walton K. G., and Levitsky, D.A. A neuroendocrine mechanism for the reduction of drug use and addictions by Transcendental Meditation. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 89-117, 1994.

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New York City - Transcendental Meditation

In meditation we are constantly discovering who and what we are. Chgyam Trungpa

For over 40 years, the Shambhala Meditation Center has offered New Yorkers the opportunity to work with their minds and hearts through meditation. Our mission is to inspire an awake and compassionate society through personal and collective transformation.

We offer public meditation classes, mindfulness training workshops, and a wide range of teachings from the Shambhala Buddhist tradition. Come and sit with us.

Key Dates and Deadlines for those planning their 2018 Retreat Schedule:

Desung Training: Compassionate Care for CommunityApplication Deadline: Thursday, December 21st

Shambhala Training: The Complete PathThe Six-Month Curriculum begins Thursday, January 4th

Sacred Path: The Complete SeriesPre-requisite: Shambhala Training. See the 2018 Dates

Teaching Mindfulness: A 200-Hour CertificationApplication Deadline: Monday, January 29thMeditation in the City Retreat: The Winter WeekthunThis retreat is a pre-requisites for Enlightened Society Assembly, and takes place the week of February2ndEnlightened Society Assembly:Application Deadline: Thursday, May 25th

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Shambhala Meditation Center of New York

Posted 12/27/2017 by UHBlog

If you want to increase strength and agility, but are leery of traditional fitness classes, chair yoga may be the perfect fit. Ask us how low-impact and assisted exercises can improve your well-being.

You dont have to twist yourself into a pretzel or balance upside-down on one hand to reap the benefits of yoga, says yoga therapist and meditation instructor Dawn Miller, MA. Using a chair or other prop for support makes practicing yoga especially accessible to senior citizens or other folks with physical limitations.

Chair yoga doesnt necessarily mean that the participant is sitting the entire time, but the chair is there to provide additional support, Miller says. For example, you can place your fingertips or hands lightly on the back of a chair. It provides security and enhances confidence when working with balance.

The ancient practice of yoga, which combines physical movement with conscientious breathing, began in India more than 5,000 years ago. Individuals who practice yoga may experience:

With some adaptations, just about anyone can practice yoga, Miller says. One of the most important things is the conscientious regulation of breathing as youre moving through poses. That translates across any format of yoga.

Miller points out several conditions that can benefit from the practice of chair yoga:

Miller recommends receiving instruction from a certified yoga teacher if youre new to the practice. Also, tell your instructor if you have:

Dawn Miller, MA is a certified yoga therapist, registered Viniyoga yoga teacher, Stress Management & Resilience Training (S.M.A.R.T) instructor and meditation instructor at University Hospitals Connor Integrative Health Network. You can request an appointment with Miller or any other health care provider online.

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Chair Yoga | "Better Living" Health Articles | MyUHCare ...

Our latest collection ofEckhart TollequotesonEveryday Power Blog. Eckhart Tolle is a philosopher, speaker and best-selling author best known for his books The Power of Now and A Brave New World.

1.) To end the misery that has afflicted the human condition for thousands of years, you have to start with yourself and take responsibility for your inner state at any given moment. That means now. Eckhart Tolle

2.) For what you do to others, you do to yourself.Eckhart Tolle

3.) Instead of asking what do I want from life? A more powerful question is, what does life want from me?Eckhart Tolle

4.) If there were nothing but thought in you, you wouldnt even know you are thinking. You would be like a dreamer who doesnt know he is dreaming. When you know you are dreaming, you are awake within the dream.Eckhart Tolle

5.) Nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being present now; and if the past cannot prevent you from being present now, what power does it have?Eckhart Tolle

6.) Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.Eckhart Tolle

7.) You cannot be both unhappy and fully present in the Now.Eckhart Tolle

8.) Whenever an answer, a solution, or a creative idea is needed, stop thinking for a moment by focusing attention on your inner energy field. When you resume thinking, it will be fresh and creative.Eckhart Tolle

9.) All the things that truly matter beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace arise from beyond the mind.Eckhart Tolle

10.) If I cannot live with myself, there must be two of me.Eckhart Tolle

11.) Thinking and consciousness are not synonymous. Thinking is only a small aspect of consciousness. Thought cannot exist without consciousness, but consciousness does not need thought.Eckhart Tolle

12.) Forget about your life situation and pay attention to your life. Your life situation exists in time. Your life is now. Your life situation is mind-stuff. Your life is real.Eckhart Tolle

13.) Not all thinking and all emotion are of the ego. They turn into ego only when you identify with them and they take you over completely, that is to say, when they become I.Eckhart Tolle

14.) Space has no existence. To exist literally means to stand out. You cannot understand space because it doesnt stand out. Although in itself it has no existence, it enables everything else to exist. Silence has no existence either, nor does the Unmanifested.Eckhart Tolle

15.) Always say yes to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say yes to life and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.Eckhart Tolle

16.) Why does the mind habitually deny or resist the Now? Because it cannot function and remain in control without time, which is past and future, so it perceives the timeless Now as threatening. Time and mind are in fact inseparable.Eckhart Tolle

17.) The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive. To put it more accurately, it is not so much that you use your mind wrongly you usually dont use it at all. It uses you. This is the disease. You believe that you are your mind. This is the delusion. The instrument has taken you over.Eckhart Tolle

18.) What a liberation to realize that the voice in my head is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that.Eckhart Tolle

19.) How is always more important than what. See if you can give much more attention to the doing than to the result that you want to achieve through it.Eckhart Tolle

20.) The secret of life is to die before you die and find that there is no death.Eckhart Tolle

21.) Being must be felt. It cant be thought.Eckhart Tolle

22.) The past has no power over the present moment.Eckhart Tolle

23.) Give up defining yourself to yourself or to others. You wont die. You will come to life. And dont be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so its their problem. Whenever you interact with people, dont be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.Eckhart Tolle

24.) Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.Eckhart Tolle

25.) Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.Eckhart Tolle

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25 Inspirational Eckhart Tolle Quotes About Life, Love and ...