Greetings and salutations to the first installment of Tales From The Third Eye! If youre already laughing at the thought of magical crystals and saging your house to cleanse negativity then I dont think this article is for you. I advise you to stay though, learn something, and let these words guide you. Maybe you will begin your spiritual journey too.

The topics discussed in this article come from personal knowledge gained on my own spiritual journey, from the community of spiritual individuals I surround myself with, the books I consume, basic research, and from the experiences I have embraced.

The topics are brief, but stay tuned because the articles to come will discuss each topic and other related subjects with a deeper understanding to help those who are seeking guidance for their body, mind, and spirit. From the Violet Child herself, I am learning every day.

Todays lesson?

15 Things to Know About a Spiritual Awakening!

Raise Your Vibration

Everything in the Universecontains energy that vibrates on different frequencies, including solid objects and you and me. According to Cassandra Sturdy, weare a being that is made up of different energy levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Each of these levels has a vibrational frequency, which combine to create your overall vibration of being. When youre low, youll know. When youre high, youre in flow.

Sometimes stuff happens, so the shift can happen. What matters in any situation is how you handle it. Since my spiritual awakening, when faced with negativity, I do two things: distance myself and raise my vibration. Im not hiding from the negativity in my life, I will face it head on. However, I find it beneficial for myself to not surround myself with people or places that lower my vibration.

Learning how to raise my vibration in lifes many sticky situations feels like a superpower. It feels like you cannot be touched. Raising your vibration can help you in your hardest times and even the smallest, most superficial situations. You learn to just not care what people are saying and think about you, because the ones who do arent on your same frequency. Youre untouchable. This superpower has allowed me to freely express myself without caring what other people think. Since I have begun surrounding myself around more wandering, loving souls, I dont worry about those on the outside. Being on a higher frequency allows you to live in a bubble that isnt busting anytime soon.

The Law of Attraction

The power of manifestation is a powerful life hack that anyone is capable of experiencing. The Secret? The law of attraction.

Its simple. What you emit, you will receive. The universe will conspire to give you what you ask for. If you continuously have negative thoughts, you will receive negativity in return. But, if you keep a positive outlook on life, its bound to be returned. This change of outlook on life works almost immediately with serious results. Positive outcomes in life manifest faster and faster the more you apply positive affirmations, and it all begins with changing how you think.

Truthfully, this has changed my entire life. Once I began emitting positivity into my thinking and actions, I saw a shift. When I began thinking I can do anything I put my mind to things happened. Opportunities I was reaching for began trickling my way. My dreams dont seem so far away these days. Im not where I want to be yet, but Im aware that I can make it happen with a positive mindset. Negativity will destroy your soul and inner peace.

Living By The Moon

I was recently with a friend who told me her life gets extremely messy whenever the moon is full. Living by the moon is beneficial at times, but can be roughif you dont know how to stay in control.

Tuning your spirit into the lunar cycles is allowing yourself to take a natural process of growth in your day-to-day life. You are now understanding the rhythm of life the chaos, the new beginnings, the beauty that is offered.

Each cycle is a new period of growth. One cycle youre a seedling, the next youre sprouting, and the following youre a beautiful flower. Living by the moon is a natural evolution opportunity. Each cycle is an unfolding of life, allowing us to live in the present. The moon allows us to understand the powerful transitions happening in our lives.

As shown above, each cycle serves as a new period of growth and it is wise to take advantage of the experiences you can obtain. According to Moon Phase Astrology by Raven Kaldera, the following is how you can live by the light of the moon.

So why do so many people fear the full moon?

Energy is the highest on the full moon. Those who live by the moon often experience weird moments such as strangers coming up to them more often, drama, and negative emotions.

As for the details tune in for future articles.

Ridding Bad Vibes

It is human nature to care what others are saying and think about you. However, how you handle the bad vibes you are receiving is entirely up to you. Since my spiritual awakening, I let more and more things brush off my shoulder and will just raise my vibration instead.

If raising your vibration isnt enough, there are plenty of ways to rid the negative energy clogging your life. Here are just a few suggestions

Spirituality Doesnt Mean Being Happy All The Time

There is a common disbelief that someone who is spiritual is supposed to be happy every single second of the day. This is associated with the hippy stereotype. However, being happy versus being positive is very different. Being spiritual means experiencing every single emotion in the human existence because every single emotion serves a purpose and has its lessons. Nicole Tustin explains, when you attempt to only be happy, you are blocking out all the lessons and knowledge that comes to you when you fully embrace the other emotions. These other emotions include sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, and so much more. Do not suppress these sensations, they are beautiful, and could come out at a later time in life causing a deal of trouble.

You will not fully experience life as a human being if you dont take on the depth of emotion. On your spiritual journey, you must honor and consent to the other emotions, so they can teachyou something valuable that you need at the current phase of life youre meeting.

Being a spiritual person doesnt mean faking happiness for other people. There is community in sharing your emotions and thoughts with other spiritual people and allowing yourself to manifest these emotions into something greater in life.

Let It Go & Ride The Wave

I was once told that despite how loving and open you are with someone, people can only meet you as deeply as theyve met themselves. Ive had my fair share of hardships, maybe too many, but each has served as a valuable life lesson. It has taught me that rising above in every situation, has positive results for myself. All in all, I have learned it is easier to take negativity with a grain of salt. Nowadays, when someone does me wrong, I try to nod my head and continue on. Im no longer forced to have interactions with people, like I was in high school for example. If I dont vibe with someone, I dont have to be friends with them or surround myself with them. Even if someone doesnt apologize to me, I forgive them. If I cant forgive, I cant live a peaceful life. Though this notion is hard sometimes, I have found my life to be more beautiful and free when I let things go and ride the wave, because after all, that is what life is; an ongoing wave of ups and downs.

Crystal Lovin

Crystals can help you heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet, they do so much more than just heal. The more you learn about crystals, the more effective and beneficial they become.

Everyone is intrigued by crystals and gemstones.. The precious stones are prized and bring light into thousands of lives. Though valued for their beauty, each stone has a sacred meaning, properties, and are extremely powerful.

Crystals demand attention and respect from their seekers. Most people dedicate a day to cleansing their crystals and meditating with them to tune their energy into them. Crystals are efficient transmitters of energy, and neglecting to charge, cleanse, and attune into them will result in no benefits. Though some crystals are self-cleansing, most require attention to do their regular work of ridding negative energy and bringing light into your life.

Though each crystal has its own unique properties; there is one for every quality you are seeking. Whether to bring or release, crystals are beneficial to those who accept their energy. Love, happiness, inner peace, courage, depression, anxiety, denial, good luck, forgiveness, laziness, passion, self-esteem you name it.

According to The Crystal Bible, crystals work through resonance and vibration, rebalancing the biomagnetic sheath that surrounds and interpenetrates the physical body and activating linkage points to the chakras that regulate the bodys vibrational stasis.

Meditation is Essential

Meditation, no matter the time or day, will lift your mood. Not only is it scientifically proven that it is healthy for you to do, it is spiritually, emotionally, and mentally benefiting ifpracticed everyday.

Personally, I like to lay down when I meditate because then I am the most relaxed. In the beginning, I enjoyed using guided meditation videos on Youtube, but I shy away from it now and will listen to relaxing music instead with headphones!

Meditation does change your brain, your everyday mindset, and your spirit. It takes your mind off the past and future and tunes you into right now.

Through meditation, I have gained so many great spiritual influences. My intuitionis stronger, I can sense energies easier (especially negative vibes), and I can tune into other peoples emotions.

Some people think mediation is just saying ommm over and over. That is a form of mediation, but I like to use the technique of focusing mostly on breathing and pulling myself into the now. I observe my body and thoughts. I accept my emotions and situations, and then I let them go with an open heart.

Advanced techniques include using mantras and mala beads.

For beginners, I truly do suggest using guided mediation videos and music to help create a peaceful space for you to tune into your mediation.

Theres Power In Now

The only moment that you ever get is the now. In order to live in the now you have to desert your analytical mind, self, and the ego.

I was given the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle by a friend and it truly helped shape my profound outlook on time, thinking, and brought spiritual enlightenment as promised.

In the normal, mind-identified or unenlightened state of consciousness, the power and creative potential that lie concealed in the Now are completely obscured by psychological time. You cannot find yourself by going into the past. You can find yourself by coming into the present. Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be. The Power of Now

For more on this phenomenon, I recommend reading Tolle.

Balancing Your Chakras

Chakras are wheels of energy at the main seven points in our body. Nicole Tustin explains in Chakras For Beginners, our bodies as rivers and the energy flows through them. Each chakra is a swirling pool of energy. When there is a blockage keeping the energy flow moving freely, bad sensations occur. Energy can come in and out of your chakras and it is up to you on how you care for them.

There are over 88,000 chakras in our body and aurora, but there are only seven main chakras that run up and down our spine.

There are many ways to clear your chakras. What works for me, might not work for you, and vise versa. You can practice meditation, yoga, positive affirmations, using creativity, reiki therapy, essential oils, crystals, and connecting to the Earth, to keep your chakras in balance.

Reading Energy as an Empath

Ah, the power of being an empath a blessing and a curse at the same time.

According to The Empath Universe, an empath is someone who has the power to feel and manipulate the emotions of others. Empaths often have mood-swings, or are classified as bi-polar, but its simply the emotions of others around you. You are often one that people turn to for guidance, for your uncanny ability to make people feel better, to reduce their anger or depression. The bad side is that you tend to often feel others emotions and confuse them as your own, and act upon them accordingly, confusing and possibly scaring or angering others.

Being a highly intuitive empath is an ocean of motion. Vibrations from others energies come to you left and right, and you cant seem to hide from it no matter what you do. An empath truly feels what others are feeling we are absorbing the emotions we interact with. Being with a group of people, it is easy to tell who is lying, who is upset, who is judging you, who is faking kindness, and so forth. It is hard being in a room with a lot of tension. Energy does not lie to an empath. Continuously, I have said my feelings for a person based on the energy I received, only for it to turn out true. Empaths rely on the energy they receive from others and trust it fondly. We have a knack at being right about people and situations.

Empaths are very emotional and often labeled as sensitive. I grewup in a family with tough females; as an empath lacking thick skin, my sensitivity often falls asan insult. However, I embrace being able to feel things at a deeper level than others, because it does have its benefits.

Empaths crave solitude to recharge and get away from the flood of sensations. Empathstend to have depression and anxiety due to the weight of emotions they are continuously fed hence the curse part of being an empath. But, as I mentioned, it is also a blessing.

We have a lot of soul and plenty love to offer. By absorbing others energies, we are able to filter and manifest others sadness and frustrations and emit our own heart-felt emotions in return. Being an empath means being able to send love to others when they need it the most and that is an astonishing superpower to possess.

Ideologies Will Divide Us

Judgement, politics, religion they are all ideologies that only divide us. Naturally as a spiritual individual and thriving journalist, these topics interest me deeply. That is one part of the spiritual awakening you begin questioning ideologies immensely. These questions may never get answered until we slip into the big sleep, but that is one of the most stunning parts about being on the spiritual journey you get to explore these deep thoughts. To others, you may appear strange, crazy or even on drugs but just know, you arent alone in this bottomless realization of life. There are people everywhere raising their vibrations and working to make this world beautiful for all.

Personally, I dont stand with a political party because I can see and understand opinions on each side. That is part of being an empath being able to step into others shoes. However, socially, dont be confused, I stand with every human being.

As for religion, I am not Christian, I am not Buddhist, I am not anything. I believe wherever we came from, we derived from the same source, and we manifested together. I believe in searching for your identity by yourself freely.

I believe there is something greater than us, but for now, I dont know. I respect all religions because I would hope I am respected for my beliefs.

Luckily, this spiritual journey has allowed me to explore ideologies without standing with them. As Ziggy Marley said, love is my religion!

Social Media? Find You In Nature

Social media is to socializing as reality TV is to reality Nahko

Disconnecting is the greatest feeling in the world. I still use my social media pages and have debated deleting them altogether unremittingly. Due to my career path, social media is essential. However my intake on social media has gone down significantly. I choose wisely on who I follow and who I allow into my personal life do we actually interact in real life? Does this person really care about me? Sometimes Ill take weekly breaks and they help change my mindset. Its nice to get away from the superficial side of things. However, I do think social media can be used for great causes.

This is a part of the spiritual awakening you start becoming aware of what you are feeding your mind and spirit. So I began thinking, who are we really? This is why and when I turn to nature.

When I need to be grounded, I turn to nature always. I enjoy walking barefoot, whether its in the grass, soil, or sand there is an energy benefit to it. Earthing is a real process I advise everyone to take advantage of. When walking in soil barefoot, you will absorb negatively charged electrons which ultimately balance positively charged free radicals, according to an integrative cardiologist Stephen Sinatra.

Being outside charges yourself, just like it would with your crystals, the energy from the sun soaks into your skin and renews you. The oxygen, free space, and being surrounded by plants is critical if you want to connect to the universe and yourself. Why else do you think people get the winter blues? Nature is your best friend!

Creativity For Recharging

Music is your special friend, dance on fire as it intends The Doors

You can thank the Lizard King himself for that one.

When Im feeling out of touch with my own energy and soul, I solemnly turn to creativity. One of my favorite ways to recharge is by listening to music. I have always felt music is essential for a healthy mindset. No matter what my mood is, if I put my favorite songs on, Im instantly feeling better, especially if dancing is included.

Another form of creativity I take on is if you havent noticed writing! Ive been a storyteller before I could even put words into sentences. First I would draw to tell stories, then I would write, and eventually they turned into notebooks upon notebooks filled from front to back, every corner, scribbled with words. It was a passion I was born with; a love of mine I am fortunate enough to be turning into a career. I never had to question what I was going to do with my life because my soul already inquired the answers. Creativity is something very keen to me.

Another thing I like to turn to when Im feeling the blues, is painting. Im not a Van Gough, but something about making art makes me feel very relaxed and at peace. It takes my mind somewhere else all my energy is placed into the canvas in front of me.

No matter what interests you, any form of creativity is an abundant way to recharge your body, mind, and spirit.

The Universe Speaks To You

Synchronicities I cannot stress this enough. Since my awakening, I experience synchronicities multiple times a day. Honestly while writing this article, I have encountered multiple synchronicities which leads me to believe this is a sign from the Universe that writing this message is beneficial for not only me, butfor others seeking guidance.

Synchronicities are coincidences that appears significantly connected but have no apparent casual relation. These moments are dreamlike realities and when the universe openly reveals them to us, it is a sign that you are on the right path. Synchronicities can be something as simple as seeing the same number over and over again, or having a specific song stuck in your head then hearing it in the store or in your car. It is hard to understand and appreciate these little discoveries until you experience the realm for yourself.

Synchronicities happen a lot to people who are undergoing a spiritual awakening because the individual is waking up to the universe, specifically the dreamlike nature of our world. These moments should not be taken lightly they demand our partaking, you cannot simply sit by and be unaffected. You will know when you experience a synchronicity and you will not question it. They will transform you on a cellular level because they seep into your consciousness, a part of you that is now awakened.

For more information about synchronicities and how the Universe speaks to you I shall save for another time. In the meantime, I advise you to read up on Carl Jung and his work on synchronicities (which is so magnificent he spent 20 years studying them until releasing a book about them!)

There are many attributions that come along with a spiritual awakening, but the following fifteen topics are what I found most critical to discuss.

Continued here:

15 Things To Know About a Spiritual Awakening - UWM Post

An hour of relaxation can be hard to schedule for today's busy adult, but many do so at the Tahlequah Public Library.

On the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, locals meet up for "Inside the Lines: Adult Coloring Group."

The favorite children's activity now has adults trying their best to stay within the lines, but in the end, it's the calming benefits of coloring that bring residents to the table.

Elizabeth Wood, who attended Wednesday, labeled the time as a getaway from the large family she has back home.

"I love them, but everyone needs time to themselves now and then," she said. "It's also nice to catch up with my friend and just get an hour of quiet time."

Wood's friend, May Rigsby, joined the group, and said it reminded her of her teaching days.

"I taught school for many years," she said. "I used to color with the kids, and now I've realized that I miss it."

The group offers adults coloring utensils, a canvas and relaxing background music. Tom Mooney, a volunteer at the library, picked music for Wednesday meant to calm people during one of their most stressful times: childbirth.

"I was looking for something slow and relaxing," Mooney said, smiling. "So, childbirth music."

Mooney said he can feel childish while working on a coloring book, and it's not a bad way to spend an hour.

Wanda Corn, also on hand to relax, said the quiet setting, in addition to the soothing music, blocks out the rest of the world. That's a common sentiment in the group, as Pam Elkins feels the same.

"It takes away a lot things that are going on in my life," Elkins said. "This is the only place it's just me and I don't have to deal with the problems I have in the outside world. It just helps me, because I do have a lot of health problems and it gets me out of my house and lets me interact with other people. We all end up finding someone and start chatting. It's just fun to do."

The group is called Inside the Lines, but that type of restriction doesn't fly with the adults at the group on Wednesday. Elkins said she often tends to color over the lines.

"There's no one really there to tell you, 'no, don't do that color,' or 'do this,'" she said. "Once we step out the doors, we have to go back to world like everybody else who has problems. When we're in here, this is my freedom. I get to relax, color and I don't have to worry about anything."

Get involved

The next Inside the Lines is April 25, 6 p.m. For more Tahlequah Public Library events, visit the library's Facebook page.

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Grown-ups find relaxation with coloring - Tahlequah Daily Press

Bradenton Herald

These puppies deserve the best; now they have it Bradenton Herald Inside the whelping room where mother dogs give birth, speakers send out gentle sounds of relaxing music. Every puppy activity area has access to fresh water fixtures and to an outside play area. Everything in this building is for education and ... and more »

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These puppies deserve the best; now they have it - Bradenton Herald

New York Times

One Artist's Melancholy Look at Missing African-American Women New York Times Once she took her first pass, she would come back and listen to softer, more relaxing music, like Billie Holiday's. Then Ms. Hinkle would take calligraphy pens to add color and texture to faces, curves, breasts and hair. It was her way of providing the ...

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One Artist's Melancholy Look at Missing African-American Women - New York Times

A Central Michigan University graduate student from Midland is helping to investigate whether meditation can help people change their perceived personal space.

A Central Michigan University graduate student from Midland is helping to investigate whether meditation can help people change their perceived personal space.

CMU students researching effects of meditation on personal space perceptions

A Central Michigan University graduate student from Midland is helping to investigate whether meditation can help people change their perceived personal space.

The research has the potential to help people overcome conditions such as claustrophobia and social anxieties as well as improve athletic performance. Nathan Houle, a sophomore psychology major and religion minor from Midland, and Jessica LaLone, a senior psychology and Spanish major from Auburn Hills, are co-leading the research project.

A lot of the meditation Ive worked with manipulates the sense of the body in space, Houle said. With the meditation, we focus our attention on peoples visualization, and there isnt a lot of research being done in this area.

The student research team is working under the direction of experimental psychology faculty members Emily Bloesch and Chris Davoli. Students conduct their research using a pool of participants who are tested on their relation to objects in front of them and then are retested on the same objects following several meditation sessions.

Whenever I meditate I know my perception shifts in many ways, so learning specifics about this interested me, LaLone said. This research is beneficial for many reasons; however, the reason that excites me the most is that we could discover if meditation helps us expand both the mental and physical space around us.

Project development began in October, and pilot testing started in February. Members of the research team hope to test at least 60 students this semester, said researcher Valencia Smith, a senior psychology major and family studies minor from Detroit.

Its going to take some time to pull the information together and analyze it, but we are very encouraged by what were seeing initially, she said.

As faculty members and researchers, Bloesch and Davoli concentrate on the recently developed concept of embodied cognition, which theorizes that peoples cognition goes beyond the brain and is shaped by peoples positioning in space.

The brain is responsible for motor skills and reacting to outside influences, but how people understand and respond to situations is directly connected to the physical capacity of their bodies, Bloesch said. For example, people judge hills to be steeper when theyre wearing a heavy backpack because it would take more effort to climb to the top.

The brain isnt out there on its own its set in the body, which is the only way we can navigate the environment, she said. What we do with our body changes the way we see the world.

Davoli and Bloesch had presented to the students the broad idea of studying meditation and body space, based on recent findings showing the relationship between meditation and other forms of cognition. The idea for researching the impact meditation has on peoples visualization of the space around them was entirely developed by the students, Davoli said.

A couple of the students came to them with the idea to compare the effect of different types of meditation on body space and introduced them to the meditation app and website headspace.com that helps to provide meditative insights for the research.

This is a project that the students built from the ground up, he said. The students connected with Headspace administrators, and through our relationship with the organization, we get experimental control and ecological validity for the research.

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CMU students researching effects of meditation on personal space - Midland Daily News

A free Heartfulness Meditation workshop will be held 2 to 4 p.m. April 23 in the Assembly Room at the A.K. Smiley Public Library, 125 W. Vine St., Redlands.

According to Shitij Mehta, who will lead the workshop, Heartfulness Meditation is a simple and natural path of heart-centered wellness that fosters balance, peace and well-being.

The introductory practices include a relaxation exercise and a Heartfulness Meditation.

This approach to wellness centers on using the heart to guide people on their journey to personal development and inner enrichment, according to Mehta. By focusing attention on the heart, people gradually learn to regulate the mind while exploring the secrets of the heart, according to Mehta.

Training in Heartfulness Meditation takes the focus and attention from the mind to the heart, according to Mehta. People feel a relief from stress and anxiety as they begin to experience life through the serenity of their hearts. Heartfulness Meditation fosters healthier and more positive relationships by increasing ones capacity for empathy, joy and love, according to Mehta.

Heartfulness Meditation gives people an opportunity to discover their inner selves and their connection with the whole of life, according to Mehta.

The workshop is offered free of charge through the Heartfulness Institute, a nonprofit organization.

Heartfulness welcomes people from all secular and faith backgrounds.

Source: A.K. Smiley Public Library

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Try a Heartfulness Meditation workshop at the AK Smiley Public Library - Redlands Daily Facts

TheAmerican poet Allen Ginsberg once wrote, The suffering itself is not so bad; its the resentment against suffering that is the real pain.

This week, a reader sent me an e-mail describing her frustrations with meditation. As a woman in a highly-competitive industry, she decided to try the practice as a means to be more productive and keep myself sharp.

Anyone who has tried meditating will likely recall the first few attempts being laden with frustrations. I remember the first time I tried formal meditation. I had recently read the resolve of Buddha who, prior to his enlightenment, declared, Let my skin and sinews and bones dry up, together with all the flesh and blood of my body. I welcome it. But I will not move from this spot until I have attained the supreme and final wisdom.

Buoyed by such unyielding determination, I began to meditate to control the mind and clear it of all thoughts and lasted a grand total of five minutes before I gave up, concluding that meditation obviously doesnt work.

Fast forward some 15 years later and the frustrations still pay a visit, although thankfully they are less potent than they used to be. Its easier to stay in their company, allowing them to have their say without getting caught up in the performance.

One of the main stumbling blocks of meditation is having expectations. In a culture that places a high premium on getting things done, making progress and achieving success, its counterintuitive to engage in the non-doing of meditation without feeling like youre wasting time, or that you have to do something in order to reap the benefits.

In the case of wanting to be more productive and have more of an edge, our ego is driving the desire for us to want more, have more, to gain more this is its primary purpose: its never satisfied with what we achieve; nothing is good enough, and so it leaves us in a constant state of wanting.

Eckhart Tolle, in his book A New Earth, writes, No ego can last for long without the need for more. Therefore, wanting keeps the ego alive much more than having. The ego wants to want more than it wants to have. And so the shallow satisfaction of having is always replaced by more wanting.

The first thing we should note when meditating is that there is no competition in the practice: we dont compete against ourselves, we dont compete against our colleagues, our bosses or anyone else to whom we might compare ourselves. When we are fixated on wanting something from our meditation, we will never get it.

Instead, we should aim to rest in the awareness of the moment. In our meditation, we feel the sensation of the breath, a feeling in the body, or recite some words mentally, and we simply be with whatever comes into our conscious awareness. Theres no agenda and no judging if we do judge a thought or a feeling, we just note it and let it go. We dont even judge our reactions.

Frustration in meditation is greatly reduced when we practise without feeling the need to achieve. By just doing the practice regularly, the benefits will come over time. It might sound simplistic or a little too easy, but thats exactly how progress in meditation is made.

In losing our expectations, we plant the seeds of non-judgmental remove in our minds. Theres no unnecessary rejection, desire or zoning out; were fully aware of whatever arises. Its akin to people-watching in a coffee shop: we see whats there, but we merely observe with interest.

Resting in awareness, we work with the mind to reduce excessive thinking; when we reduce excessive thinking, we become more focused; and when we become more focused, we are able to concentrate and be fully aware of what were doing. This is how meditation helps with productivity and performance. It doesnt give us a magic solution, it simply centres the mind and lessens the distractions that lead our minds wandering off into the past or the future.

Having said that, it can be difficult to quieten the voice that says, Youre wasting your time when you should be doing something important If this is the case for you, then being able to keep company with that voice without getting caught up in its story becomes part of your practice.

Meditation is done neither to achieve a particular goal nor to rid ourselves of some unpleasant thought or feeling. It wont solve our problems or hand us a prize at the end of the session. Instead, it cultivates the ability within us to stop acting blindly as were prone to do.

Through meditation we tune into life, engage with whats there and use the resources at hand that allow us to deal effectively with whatever situations arise. Rather than losing our minds in the turbulence of life, meditation is the anchor that helps us to make sense of everything we experience.

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In meditation, leave your expectations behind - Star2.com

Seetha.Lakshmi

Bengaluru: He believes that it's up to us to live with a problem/situation in life or fight it. As an 8-year-old, Tibetan meditation master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche suffered from anxiety disorder. But he conquered it through meditation. The millionaire monk, who founded the Tergar Meditation Centres across the globe, was in Bengaluru to lead a session at the Srishti School of Design and Technology. He spoke to STOI about mind control, modern science and buddhism. Excerpts.

You have said the mind is like a crazy monkey... like stock market... uncontrollable with ups and downs every minute. But abandoning negativity is probably the toughest challenge in the times we live in. As a meditation master, what's your advice to people to stay positive?

It's all in the mind, isn't it? Everything is created there and ends there. When you look at the waves in the ocean, it's up to you---whether you can see the monsters or any other form. It's created in the mind. I know it's not easy to shut anxiety and emotions away. It took me five years to gain control through meditation. At the core of the Tergar meditation is the joy of living --- living with awareness. It's free and pure. It feels like space. Emotion is like a cloud. So meditating helps you connect with space and clear the cloud.

Neuro scientists have said brain function can be altered with continuous meditation. Can you explain?

Everyone has a baseline of happiness. It is difficult to change that. But neuro scientists have found that with meditation, the baseline can change. Money, fame and power do not change the baseline of happiness. You can win a lottery and feel happy for two years, but then the joy wanes away. You go back to feeling normal. Scientists have also disproved that if you are born unhappy, you will stay that way the rest of your life. But now, they have found that meditation can change that.

You have said there's not much difference between modern science and Buddhism...

Science is looking for truth and reality, and so is Buddhism. But the difference is, after discovering that, they don't know what to do with their discovery. But Buddhism has answers even after the discovery. One of them is meditation. Scientists today say time, atom and space. .. are all impermanent. We said that 2,500 years ago.

Tell us about the most unique experience you had during your wandering retreat.

I had no plan. I just left the Tergar Monastery in Bodhgaya, India, one day. I wanted to train myself to leave behind all my connections. But the days were not easy. I thought I would die. For three days, I just sat in a railway station before I went to Kushinagar; I was becoming sick and my body was giving up. I was feeling paralyzed. On the fifth day, after I left Bodhgaya, I just sat for five hours and meditated. I cannot explain the awareness I got during those hours. My mind had opened. There was new awareness in me. I felt so good. That was the most wonderful experience.

Do you see more people leaning towards spirituality and meditation today than probably what it was, say 10 or 15 years ago?

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Science has proved that meditation can improve quality of life: Buddhist master - Times of India

Vancouver Sun

BC voters open to meditation and Christian prayers in schools: Poll Vancouver Sun British Columbians were mixed on many spiritual issues, with 42 per cent believing mindfulness meditation should be allowed in public schools. Just 35 per cent opposed the meditative practice which teachers are increasingly teaching their public ... and more »

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BC voters open to meditation and Christian prayers in schools: Poll - Vancouver Sun

Brazil's Paulinho pictured during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in Montevideo on March 23, 2017 (AFP Photo/DANTE FERNANDEZ )

Beijing (AFP) - Brazilian international Paulinho was chastised Saturday by the Chinese football federation after promoting a betting company with a porn star -- two sectors banned in the communist country.

In the photographs online that have been an embarrassment for his Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, Paulinho, smiling and clutching a wad of cash, is shown standing next to a woman in a white bikini top and shorts.

According to the Chinese media, the woman with the former Tottenham player is Tsukasa Aoi, a Japanese adult film star.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has said they condemn these "illegal activities" and called for the Brazilian to "respect the rules" in a statement on their website.

Gambling and casinos are illegal in mainland China, as is the sale of pornographic films.

"As a professional player and role model to young players and the public, he needs to excercise self-discipline and be careful about his image and be a positive example," the federation said.

The body said Paulinho, 28, had never asked permission from his club to collaborate with a betting company.

"The club has already chastised the player and demanded he end his collaboration with the company immediately," they added.

Sina Sports, a Chinese website, cited an "assistant" to Paulinho as saying the footballer didn't know Tsukasa Aoi was an adult film star.

The Brazilian had done publicity for a betting company based in the Philippines and it was not supposed to be shown in China, it said.

Sina Sports said Paulinho is considering suing the company for broadcasting the images without his permission.

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Paulinho under fire in China over ads with porn star - Yahoo Sports