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I suppose its not really that awareness and realization arent important, but rather that they arent things we can cling to. We dont want to attach to them. The Heart Sutra tells us that even the path isnt worth clinging to. The Emptiness teachings arent telling us that nothing exists so much as that theres nothing for us to hold on to.

When we meditate on Emptiness we arent meditating with a technique. We are simply trying to open our minds, to make them open to dwelling in the void.

It seems hard to grasp concepts like Emptiness at first. It definitely isnt our usual way of perceiving the world. But as we develop our awareness and mindfulness practices, it starts to get a little easier. When we develop awareness and start to loosen our attachment to the self, the mind that focuses on I-Me-Mine all the time, then we can start to understand Emptiness a little better.

Excerpt from:

Emptiness and Meditation - Patheos (blog)

If someone had told me that I would be writing an article on meditation and money a few years ago, I probably would have looked at them weirdly, laughed and posted about them on social media.

And theres the thing. If youre into rapid self development, you look back and see a completely different version of yourself.

Take facebooks on this day post that whisks you back three years and you think to yourself did I really post that?. Yep, been there a few times.

Heck, my king Charles cavalier puppy is even called Buddha. I never thought I would own a dog, let alone name it after a spiritual teacher.

So lets wind back a few years. I think its important to put this post into context for you so that you really understand that I truly do mean it when I say I believe you can meditate your way to millions, and potentially into a Ferrari.Actually, that shot was taken on my black 458 in La Jolla, California. I thought it was quite fitting for this post.

Lets wind back to 2012. I was in a pretty tough place in my life. I had about $50k worth of debt, much of which was linked to gambling and drugs. Iwas really living two lives.

I had been a personal trainer since 2005. By day I was helping people get fit, and by the weekend, a DJ and crazy party-goer. My life was on autopilot, and I was really unaware of what I was doing to myself and to the people around me.

The turning point was one Christmas. I had been out partying heavily on xmas eve and was due to be at my sisters house at 11am on xmas day. I had been popping pills and a cocktail of all sorts of drugs that night. I was a mess that morning.

I looked in the mirror, and my eyes were bulging. I was still high. I turned up at my sisters house, spent a few minutes talking and ended up in my nephews bed on Christmas day unable to operate.

I left that day completely ashamed of myself. About a month later, I had a massive calling to basically sort my shit out.

The key turning point was me packing my bags and moving away from where I had been brought upExeter, United Kingdomand moving to Bristol, UK.

I changed my environment, and this started to help me. But I still had a lot of issues. My beliefs, my thoughts, my identity, didnt match who I knew I was deep inside. I had to figure it out, and meditation was going to play a huge role in my success.

Just like in Joseph Cambells famous heros journey, mentors played a huge role in my success and in kick starting my spiritual and emotional growth.

With $50k of debt, I had about $7,0000 left available on one more cardI had 7 maxed outand I handed over $5000, the first part of of a $30,000 investment that I had no idea how I would pay. But I was to make every single payment without fail.

This investment really helped me to find my strength in business, and I started to work with personal trainers to get more clients, leverage their time and market themselves. I started to get amazing results.

But, at this time, while I was making more and more money, I was still drinking and otherwiseself sabotaging. Iwas deeply unhappy.

This is where I made a key decision. I committed to reinvest about 20% of what I generated back into me.

One of the toughest decisions I made was to invest in Tony RobbinsPlatinum Partnership. This would allow me to hang out with Tony in more intimate settings, one of which being India, the home of meditation and spiritual development.

At the time, this was a $65,000 investment, plus travel and trip costs, so comes out to about $150,000, especially if you are flying business classwhich I had decided to do for long haul trips to get more work done and be more productive or sleep!

While I had been meditating for some time prior to this move, it was the trip to India and a post event trip to the Oneness University that really opened my eyes into a whole new dimension of spiritual growth.

Here I was to experience and really start to go deep within myselfto start clearing out past issues that had led me to self sabotage, and to create a destructive lifestyle. I didnt want to generate new financial strength and then go and mess it all up.

As the layers started to be pulled back, I started to grow as a man. I started making meditation a daily non negotiable practice, and the results in my business started to show.

Because I was more centered, more calm, I started to make better decisions. I started to make quicker decisions. I started to tap into my intuition.

I would meditate and then come up with product ideas and blog content. When I was stressed, I would meditate and ask quality questions to remove blocks.

The more I did this, the more I would be raw on social media, and this started connecting me with my audience. I started to become the go-to guy in the fitness business mentoring space in the UK and then it started to go globally.

One of the big shifts I made was starting to touch more and more about mindset and its importance in generatingresults.This would then create more and more powerful case studies.

My meditation practice went from using apps like Calm and Headspaceboth great beginner appsto going deep really quickly and using my state shifts to create shifts in others.

At one event in the UK, I had a large part of a room breaking down in tears and creating breakthroughs through a guided meditation. During this meditation, I asked questions around forgiveness, mission and purpose. This, to me, was hugely fulfilling .

I think that there are a lot of entrepreneurs out there who are disconnected from themselves, and thats why i found it hugely useful for me to master meditation to help my business and my mission.

Its an integral part of my life, my business and my mission and its certainly generated millions of dollar0s in business. I can safely say that my business would not be where it is today if it wasnt for meditation.

Today, my daily meditation practice changes depending on what I have going on in my life.

Now I meditate and get myself to a place where I feel the feelings of already owning the things I want and helping the people I want to help.

Theres so much talk about money and meditation on their own, but few conversations about how to marry both together so that you can be more connected to your business and financially benefit.

As we grow spiritually, we have a great opportunity to take our business to the next level, and its my secret weapon. If you make it a daily, non-negotiable routine, im pretty certain it will have the same results for you too!Opinions expressed here by Contributors are their own.

Simon Lovell is a former personal trainer, TV presenter, speaker, best selling diet author and founder of The Fitpreneurs, a heroic business and self development program for personal trainers which he grew from zero to $1million in 18 months. He also helps high level entrepreneurs get into alignment. Simon is calls himself a spiritual hustler and his sidekick Buddha is his spaniel puppy. Hes hung out with the likes of Tony Robbins at west end shows and drunk Pussy Vodka with Richard Branson in a hot tub on his private island.

Published May 31, 2017

Here is the original post:

How to Meditate Your Way to Millions - Influencive

Maya Lewis, WUSA 12:27 PM. EDT May 30, 2017

(Photo: Hero Images, Custom)

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) - This years National Day of Meditation falls on the most despised day of the work week, hump day.

If you need an extra push to make it through the week, try adding some of these easy meditation techniques into your daily routine:

Mindfulness

This technique includes monitoring the idle thoughts that cross your mind. To do so, find a quiet spot to sit with your eyes closed, and let your usual thoughts float through your mind. Instead of getting stuck on one thought, let your mind race and come back to whats important. Take note of what you find yourself thinking of often. Some people pair mindfulness with concentration meditation.

Concentration Meditation

Find an open place to stare at an object (candles are pretty popular), or even your feet as you walk to lunch. Experts agree that by choosing one object to focus on, you become more in tune with intricate sensations throughout your body. Its also a great way to let your thoughts race.

Visualization

This one you can do just about anywhere. Take a couple moments to visualize your idealized job, vacation, home or future. Focusing on this picture serves as a moment of clarity and motivation.

Mantra

Repeat words or phrases to yourself daily to produce a sense of calmness and focus. You can choose a quote thats important to you, or one of the abundance of Sanskrit mantras available online.

Controlled breathing

Several experts name this technique as one of the best for beginners. Once in a comfortable position, begin to take deep breaths while observing the motions and sensations of air moving through your lungs. Controlling and observing your breath gives you a sense of focus.

2017 WUSA-TV

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5 meditation techniques you can do at your desk - W*USA 9

HomeTourismMultimillion naira cultural-tourism Art Gallery emerges in Osogbo

Wale-Ojo Lanre Tourism

Culturaltourism activities which seem to be at the lowest ebb in Osun State will soon aim skywards going by the reflection of opinions of artists who converged on Osogbo in preparation for the inauguration of the fondest Art Gallery in the South West of the country.

The seven cultural artists who met on Saturday in Osogbo under the leadership of Yinka Fabayo, Curator-In-Chef, Genesis Art Gallery revealed We are committed to the resuscitation and rejuvenation of the pristine Osogbo Art culture which lured the spirit of Ulli Bier and late Susan Wenger and others to the town and state. We are propelled by that inner conviction that what led to the Mbari Mbayo Club are still here only crying for proper direction and packaging.

Mr Fabayo said we have set our hands on the plough of reactivation of the cultural aura of Osogbo, we are going to institute a chain of cultural-tourism activities planted on the fundamentals of the various forms of arts works and perception . Those authentic, natural, inspirational and grassroots arts which once made Osogbo the second tourists destination in Nigeria.

He revealed the first step in this direction will be the opening of the multimillion naira Genesis Art Gallery which is a multi-disciplinary complex of threestorey solely constructed for the expression of the Art.

Mr Fabayo disclosed the inauguration ceremony will not be business as usual, but an inauguration which will accentuate and stoke the real motive of the Art excercise, Osogbo Cultural Art Risorgimento.

Nigeria should tap cultural festivals for tourism economy Gani Adams

Saving LAUTECH from collapse

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Multimillion naira cultural-tourism Art Gallery emerges in Osogbo - NIGERIAN TRIBUNE (press release) (blog)

For those who are still looking to get in shape for the summer, but may not be able to do the harder workouts, theres water aerobics.

It is offered in two places in town, one is at the YMCA on the Eagle Way and the other is in Baptist Health Occupational Medicine on Clinic Drive.

For Baptist Health, they offer classes at noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday all year round. Its in a heated pool, which is at around 90 degrees. Britteny Richardson, exercise physiologist and instructor of the class, said anyone can join at any time.

She added they are looking for another instructor so they can add evening classes to the schedule.

To join, they can either get a class pass, which is like a punch card that allows up to 12 classes. Anyone interested can also because a member, which costs $20 a month after a $50 entry fee. That gives the user full access to the pool when its open along with any classes in the pool and the walking track. Or someone can pay $8 a class.

The sessions last about 45 minutes long, she explained, and they try to target all of the muscle groups.

We dont do a whole lot of cardio, because its so hot, she explained.

She uses dumbbells for the core muscles and have Silversneaker Splash class on Fridays, which is when they use a kick board. That will work a lot on the arms and legs.

Most of the class will be held in the water thats only three to five feet deep. There will also be some work at the end of the session in the deeper water, which goes to 8 feet, but those who cant swim can either skip on that part or use floatation devices. She added many of her students cant swim.

Richardson recommended this kind of exercise for those who have arthritis, joint problems or recently was released from treatment.

She explained this kind of workout gives this who cant work out on land an opportunity to still do it just in the water.

This also helps with balance, because Richardson does do some exercises to help with that. The heated water also helps relax the muscles as they work. It will still be a hard workout because Richardson likes to challenge her students. She said the sore muscles may not be felt during the class, but the students will feel it afterward or the next day.

She would stay up on the side of the pool and out of the water while instructing. That is so she can monitor her students easily in case they are doing something wrong.

For more information, call the center at 270 707-3390.

As for the YMCA, classes began Tuesday. Water aerobics instructor Carolyn Altman explained her morning classes use resistance, dumbbells and noodles. Her class also has no music playing, which is helpful for those who dont like music playing while they workout.

Classes are 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. t 5:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday. Jenny Rush is the afternoon instructor, who will play music.

Altman said everyone would benefit from water aerobics and is available for all ages.

The classes are held in the outside pool and will be canceled for bad weather, such as thunder and lightening.

To join, a YMCA membership is needed. Pricing can be viewed on the YMCAs website.

The rest is here:

YMCA and Baptist Health offers water aerobics classes - Hopkinsville Kentucky New Era

VACAVILLE Music floated out from Andrews Park on Sunday, a peppy tune that drew people out to dance. More people sat in chairs they brought from home, some ate a little lunch and drank a margarita in the sun at the Fiesta Days Hispanic Day celebration.

Steve and Wendy Perry of Vacaville found a quiet spot beneath a tree to have some cotton candy and listen to the music.

Its such a nice day to get out, she said.

They didnt make it to the parade those days are over since their children are grown but they came out to have a relaxing day of food and music.

I like the mariachi band, Steve Perry said.

I was craving a corn dog, his wife said. The first thing I saw when we walked in was the corn dog booth.

Up the way from the couple were a group of college students from the University of California, Davis. Brandon Findling is working on his thesis and set up a small area with a couple of wooden couches, a coffee table on top of a rug and a bookshelf. Its a public space project.

Its a place for people to hang out and relax, he said. Its a way for people to meet each other.

The landscape architect major is graduating in a few weeks. This project is something he wants to incorporate into different communities after college. A space for people to feel like they are at home, take a book and read or meet new people.

People seem more comfortable when Im not here, Findling said.

He said he feels lucky that he is different than any other vendor at the Fiesta Days event.

Im helping people enjoy themselves, he said.

Fiesta Days will continue on Memorial Day with the carnival opening at 11 a.m., which will coincidewith a moment of silence for the veterans. Then the Mike Ward Band will play at 11:15 a.m., followed by the Charlie Wade Band, who play until 6:45 p.m.

Reach Susan Hiland at 427-6981 or [emailprotected]

See the rest here:

Fiesta Days celebrates with music - Fairfield Daily Republic

as the latest effort to progress vinyl music to todays technology-advanced audio world, the seed turntable delivers excellent quality output for not only analog sound but also for digital wireless streaming. the all-in-one, multi-functional system makes enjoying music relaxing, effortless and accessible for everyone, no matter what decades genre gets you dancing. enhancing a patented suspension design, 21-inch silk tweeter and 24-inch subwoofer, it produces a 70W high output in a smooth fashion, without the traditional crackles and pops associated with vinyls.

the music system is a stylish reinterpretation of traditional turntables all images and video courtesy of HYM seed audio

taking the system into the modern day, besides analog, the seed turntable by HYM seed audio delivers sound from WI-FI, bluetooth and internet streaming services, such as spotify. furthermore, it can also connect to devices via RCA, SPDIF and AUX cables, enabling many different mediums to play through the system. this results in a stylish design that combines the power of modern technology with the tactile music experience evoked by vinyls.

it enhances apatented suspension design that ensures smooth output from the vinyls

the seed turntable is currently seeking funding via the crowd-sourcing platform kickstarter. check out their campaign and the ways in which you can support ithere.

the all-in-one system connects to music devices via WI-FI, bluetooth and aux inputs

as well as great design, the seed turntable delivers great sound output

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all-in-one seed turntable pairs vinyl music with wireless streaming - Designboom

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The sky above Nottingham's luminarium may have been grey and boring - but inside the pop up attraction it was a different matter.

Bright colours and unusual patterns adorn the walls and ceiling of the art installation which opened at Nottingham Lakeside Arts in Highfields Park today. (May 29)

While children enjoyed the bouncy castle-type material in the luminarium, a walk-in sculpture which showcases "the wonder of light and colour", adults also revelled in the relaxing colours and music.

The exhibiton was created by Architects of Air, a Nottingham-based company who take their wondrous creations all over the world.

'Albesila' started being built in January, and was only completed earlier this month. It is entirely hand made and hand glued together, and consists of 27 "quadraxial eggs" ellipses and a grand dome with 288 stars.

Richard Bryant, of West Bridgford, visited the Luminarium with his eight-year-old son Reggie.

The youngster said: "It's really good. My favourite thing is the colours."

His father added: "This is the third or fourth time we've been now and we love it. It's a new one this year and it's very impressive. Reggie has found his way around it quite quickly but I keep getting lost! It's very tranquil though."

Sarah Atkinson, of Beeston, said: "I've come down with a couple of friends and our children. Mine is a little older now so I've been looking for a quiet spot to sit down. It's very relaxing.

"We've come for the last seven years and it's really nice. It's just the fact that there's a different chamber every year and as the children get older they enjoy it even more.

"It's something a bit different to do and it's made in Nottingham so it's good to support something so local."

Jon Gatt, exhibition manager, said: "We've been coming here for 10 years and as we are a Nottingham company we also get a great reaction from those who visit.

"The sculpture is hand-built and we start off building in 2D and then make it 3D, much like someone designing a dress would do. It works from the sunlight. So the natural light shines through the coloured patches created the light, while the opaque patches create the darkness.

"It's very photogenic and is great for families and children, which is why we always support this event at half term. But adults enjoy it too and many find it relaxing. They 'colour bathe' where they just lie on the floor and bask in the colours."

Alan Parkinson, founder and director of Architects of Air, and designer of the Albesila, added: "The public complete the creation of the luminarium by bringing themselves inside; by the way they inhabit the structure. It shouldn't be a solitary experience sharing the space, seeing how others move within it, how the light transforms them is intrinsic to the experience.

"I do what I do because when I go in the structures I experience the same thing now that I experienced 25 years ago when I built my first luminarium and that is the sense of being touched by the beauty of the phenomenon of light. It's a simple thing but I think a sense of wonder is a precious thing and worth sharing."

The luminarium is open until Sunday, from 11am until 5.15pm, except on Thursday, when an adult-only session is held from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. Entry costs 4.

Go here to see the original:

World of colour at Nottingham Luminarium lights up gloomy Bank Holiday - Nottingham Post

Google is offering a four-month free subscription on its music streaming service Google Play Music for new subscribers, allowing users to scan up to 50,000 songs from their music library.

Typically, Google offers a 90-day free trial when a user signs up, but the offer has been extended by one month, the Verge reported on Sunday.

Users can listen to custom radio stations on their computer or mobile device using Google Play Music service.

However, users who use the free service face ads on their app, unlike those subscribers who pay around $10.

Such users can also listen to over 35 million songs, download music to listen offline, and get access to YouTube Red.

Though Google has offered similar deals in the past, it was not clear how long the deal would remain active.

Google Play Music All Access was launched in April this year in India. The Music-streaming service allows user to stream songs from Google library without any restrictions. It allows users to search for music based on preferences like language, favourite artists and music directors. Users can even watch videos in the app. Users can also access the playlists created by app based one user's personal music taste.

" ...Google Play Music uses machine learning to figure out what music you like and then mixes in signals like location, activity, and the weather along with hand-picked playlists to personalize music for wherever you are and whenever you want tunes. When you opt in, we'll deliver personalized music based on why you are listening - relaxing at home, powering through at work, exploring new cities, and everything in between. Your workout music is front and center as you walk into the gym, a sunset soundtrack appears just as the sky goes pink, and tunes for focusing turn up at the library," notes the company's official blog.

Also Read: Google Play Music is late in India, but it is cheaper than Apple Music and others

"Google Play Music lets you stream music using minimal data on mobile. No connection? No problem. When you subscribe, you can enjoy offline listening, and be prepped with an offline playlist based on what you've listened to recently, even if you forgot to download them ahead of time. Enjoy a discounted subscription offer of 89 INR per month if you sign up within the first 45 days.

With IANS inputs

For more news from India Today, follow us on Twitter @IndiaTodayTech and on Facebook at facebook.com/indiatodaytech For news and videos in Hindi, go to AajTak.in. . .

Originally posted here:

Google Play Music is now free for 4 months - India Today

One of the great frauds of our time is the promiscuous use of organic as another form of virtue-signalling, and also of out-of-control marketing. I doubt there is any serious evidence of health differences between people who eat a diet rich in organic produce versus people who consume equal amounts of supposedly non-organic produce.

Where do people think supposedly non-organic carrots come froma Starfleet replicator? Yes, I get the idea that it refers to food produced without conventional fertilizers or pesticides, but by now it is well known that this kind of organic produce uses a lot more land than conventional non-organic agriculture, thus reducing the amount of land available for other natural uses, like habitat, or just lying fallow. How much more land? A lot.

The Journal of Cleaner Production has just published a study out of Germany that finds organic food uses up to 40 percent more land than conventional agriculture:

Carbon footprints and land use of conventional and organic diets in Germany

Abstract

Organically produced food is often considered more environmentally friendly than conventionally produced food, and Germany is one of the most important and rapidly growing markets for organic food in Europe. However, the carbon footprints and land use of organic diets, and how they compare to conventional diets, have not yet been quantified. Using food consumption data from the German National Nutrition Survey II, and carbon footprint and land-use data from life cycle assessment studies of conventional and organic food products, carbon footprints and land use of conventional and organic diets in Germany were calculated for three consumer categories: men, women and their combined unweighted average. Conventional diets are defined as the average diet of consumers who do not buy organic food products; organic diets are the average diets of consumers whose food purchases include a large share of organic food products. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use change are not included. The carbon footprints of the average conventional and organic diets are essentially equal (ca. 1250 CO2-eq cap1 year1), while the land use to provide food is ca. 40% greater in the organic diet (ca. 1900 and 2750m2 of land cap1 year1 in the conventional and organic diets, respectively).

And if you use that much more land for producing food, where are you going to put all the new windmills?

And dont forget: were all vegetarians, but some of us are content to let the cow or chicken do most of the work first.

Bonus reminder:

Read the original post:

Green Weenie of the Week: Organic Diets - Power Line (blog)