Congress created the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in 1986, and it became effective on January 1, 1987. Since that time, new Federal civilian employees who have retirement coverage are covered by FERS.

FERS is a retirement plan that provides benefits from three different sources: a Basic Benefit Plan, Social Securityand the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Two of the three parts of FERS (Social Security and the TSP) can go with you to your next job if you leave the Federal Government before retirement. The Basic Benefit and Social Security parts of FERS require you to pay your share each pay period. Your agency withholds the cost of the Basic Benefit and Social Security from your pay as payroll deductions. Your agency pays its part too. Then, after you retire, you receive annuity payments each month for the rest of your life.

The TSP part of FERS is an account that your agency automatically sets up for you. Each pay period your agency deposits into your account amount equal to 1% of the basic pay you earn for the pay period. You can also make your own contributions to your TSP account and your agency will also make a matching contribution. These contributions are tax-deferred. The Thrift Savings Plan is administered by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.

For more information about TSP, see their website. See the SSA website for more information about the Social Security portion of your retirement benefit. This website covers the Federal Employees Retirement System. Through the menu links on the left, you can find information about the following FERS retirement topics:

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FERS Information

Faculty and staff who have been rehired after retiring from The Ohio State University are eligible for the following programs.

Faculty (75% FTE or greater) As a faculty returning retiree, you are automatically enrolled in STRS and pay into the STRS Money Purchase Plan (Link). You may also have access to the ARP if you were never previously offered enrollment in the ARP prior to your retirement. If you were in the ARP and were rehired less than 365 days from retirement, you will automatically be re-enrolled in the ARP. Returning retirees also have access to supplemental retirement plans.

Faculty (less than 75% FTE) As a faculty returning retiree, you are automatically enrolled in STRS and pay into the STRS Money Purchase Plan. Returning retirees also have access to supplemental retirement plans.

Staff (75% FTE or greater) As a staff returning retiree, you are automatically enrolled in OPERS. You may also have access to the ARP if you were never offered enrollment in the ARP prior to your retirement. Returning retirees also have access to supplemental retirement plans.

Staff (less than 75% FTE) As a staff returning retiree, you are automatically enrolled in OPERS and pay into the OPERS Money Purchase Plan(Link). Returning retirees also have access to supplemental retirement plans.

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Retirement Overview - Human Resources at Ohio State

It's not what you eat. It's when and what you eat. It's not how well you exercise. It's when and how well you exercise. Description of the Problem

So-called "sleep disorders" such as jet lag and narcolepsy destroy the circadian rhythms. For normal people, the disturbance is temporary. If you take care, the body's natural clock eventually gets back on track. Unfortunately for narcoleptics, the disturbance can be chronic.

Hypothalamus. Narcoleptics don't have the normal regulatory functions of the hypothalamus. This structure resides above the brain stem, at the base of the brain. The hypothalamus controls time-related body functions such as body temperature, thirst, hunger, and wakefulness. Even sex drive comes under the jurisdiction of this peanut-size region of the brain.

Not sleep disorders. Jet lag and narcolepsy aren't really sleep disorders. Since the hypothalamus serves an overall regulatory function, throwing it out of kilter can cause many problems. Only some of these problems relate to sleep. Fact: Sleep and wakefulness aren't as distinct from one another as we once thought.

Symptoms. At right are symptoms that we've observed in narcoleptics. (Fortunately, not all symptoms occur at the same time.) Many of the same symptoms are common in normal individuals with jet lag, flu, or hangover. While these three disorders aren't equivalent, they share a time-shift or phase-lag component. That is, they all upset the body's circadian clock.

Phase lag. In the case of flu, a virus causes the main damage. Yet while fighting the virus, the body is likely to stop tracking its normal dayparts. As with narcolepsy, when timekeeping goes awry, the disorder takes on a phasal dimension. So many aspects of our existence depend on synchronization with daily internal schedules: For example, sleep-wake cycles, hunger, regular bowel movements, body temperature and more. After some malady upsets the circadian clock, the clock loses sync. The whole body falls out of homeostasis. Normal day and night routines might proceed, but they lose coordination, or occur at inappropriate times. We mentioned four examples of phase-lag disorders. Many other common ailments might also reset the clock. For example, perimenopause, including dizziness, nausea, indigestion and food craving.

The Wakeup Diet is the first program that deals with narcolepsy's chronobiology. Like diets by Drs. Charles Ehret1 and Sidney Baker2, the Wakeup Diet can also relieve jet lag. The Wakeup Diet has three goals...

The idea behind the program is this: The subconscious brain programs sleep, hunger and activity level. This internal program isn't set in stone. Instead, it's merely a default. You can alter the program by systematically varying resting, eating and exercise behaviors. There are other salient programming methods, such as avoiding certain emotions, including sadness. Now you can build a new program that provides sleep, hunger and activity level matching behaviors of everybody else. This program, the Wakeup Diet, also tends to synchronize the internal organs and the immune system to one another. Result: Homeostasis. A stronger, more healthy, better performing body and mind. Athletes in training follow a parallel method. They demonstrate what excellent results are possible.

Timed diet and exercise are the two main parts of the Wakeup Diet. Followers practice both every day. By itself, neither component works adequately. Unregulated phasal disorders are too powerful for a half-baked approach. On the other hand, the body responds to strong, chronobiological cues. A properly timed diet plus exercise produce satisfing results.

The element of timing makes this program unique. Each part of the program follows a fixed schedule that repeats every day. That is, the time of day (daypart) determines activity level and eating behavior. Timing of exercise and meals is essential. Without proper timing, good nutrition and exercise alone are ineffective. Sleep times and sleep duration must also adhere to the schedule.

No temporary fixes. The program is strategic and not tactical. For this reason, the Wakeup Diet forbids temporary "fixes," such as snacking to "increase the blood sugar." The cost of temporary "fixes" is sleep or cataplexy attacks. Avoiding such fixes drives the body toward stable performance. Here are some examples of forbidden substances and behaviors...

1. Dr. Charles F. Ehret & Lynne Waller Scanlon. Overcoming Jet Lag. (New York: Berkley Books, 1983).

2. Sidney MacDonald Baker, M.D. The Circadian Prescription. (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2000).

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Wakeup Diet: Diet & exercise therapy for narcolepsy & jet ...

Osho or Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was born in 1931 in Central India. He was a charismatic and gifted speaker who became the leader of a worldwide new spiritual movement. It is said that at the age of 21 he attained enlightenment or Samadhi. At the time he was studying philosophy at the University of Saugar. On receiving a masters degree he taught philosophy at the University of Jabalpur for nine years. As well as teaching philosophy he also began to attract disciples to follow his own eclectic mix of philosophy and religion. In 1966 he decided to leave his teaching post and give full attention to his role as spiritual Master.

In 1970 he settled for a while in Mumbai. He began initiating disciples (known as neo-sannyasins) and took on the role of a spiritual teacher. In his discourses, he reinterpreted writings of religious traditions, mystics and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 he moved with his disciples to Pune, India. Here he established a new ashram in a comfortable setting of 6 acres. In 1980 he was attacked by a Hindu fundamentalist who disagreed with Oshos unconventional stance on religion and spirituality. It is said that due to police incompetence the assailant was never convicted.

In 1981, Osho relocated to the United States and his followers established an intentional community, later known as Rajneeshpuram, in the state of Oregon. Within a year the leadership of the commune became embroiled in a conflict with local residents, primarily over land use, which was marked by hostility on both sides. Osho's large collection of Rolls-Royce automobiles was also notorious. The Oregon commune collapsed in 1985 when the news spread that some members of the commune had committed a number of serious crimes, including a bioterror attack (food contamination) on the citizens of The Dalles.

Osho was arrested shortly afterwards and charged with immigration violations. He was deported from the United States in accordance with a plea bargain. Twenty-one countries denied him entry, causing Osho to travel the world before returning to Pune, where he died in 1990. His ashram is today known as the Osho International Meditation Resort. His syncretic teachings emphasize the importance of meditation, awareness, love, celebration, creativity and humour qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialisation. His teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.

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Osho Talks - Top Documentary Films

By Leo Babauta

This article is a list of tips and tricks that, if used in combination, are a nearly sure way to achieve your goals.

Achieving goals is not a matter of having discipline. Its a matter of motivating yourself, and keeping your focus on your goal. Follow these tips, or any combination of them that works for you, and you should have the motivation and focus you need.

Here they are:

1. Chart Your Progress. Recently I posted about how I created a chart to track my progress with each of my goals. This chart is not just for information purposes, for me to look back and see how Im doing. Its to motivate me to keep up with my goals. If Im diligent about checking my chart every day, and marking dots or xs, then I will want to make sure I fill it with dots. I will think to myself, I better do this today if I want to mark a dot. Well, thats a small motivation, but it helps, trust me. Some people prefer to use gold stars. Others have a training log, which works just as well. Or try Joes Goals. However you do it, track your progress, and allow yourself a bit of pride each time you give yourself a good mark.

Now, you will have some bad marks on your chart. Thats OK. Dont let a few bad marks stop you from continuing. Strive instead to get the good marks next time.

2. Hold Yourself Back. When I start with a new exercise program, or any new goal really, I am rarin to go. I am full of excitement, and my enthusiasm knows no boundaries. Nor does my sense of self-limitation. I think I can do anything. Its not long before I learn that I do have limitations, and my enthusiasm begins to wane.

Well, a great motivator that Ive learned is that when you have so much energy at the beginning of a program, and want to go all out HOLD BACK. Dont let yourself do everything you want to do. Only let yourself do 50-75 percent of what you want to do. And plan out a course of action where you slowly increase over time. For example, if I want to go running, I might think I can run 3 miles at first. But instead of letting myself do that, I start by only running a mile. When Im doing that mile, Ill be telling myself that I can do more! But I dont let myself. After that workout, Ill be looking forward to the next workout, when Ill let myself do 1.5 miles. I keep that energy reined in, harness it, so that I can ride it even further.

3. Join an online (or off-line) group to help keep you focused and motivated. When I started to run, more than a year ago, I joined a few different forums, at different times, on different sites, such as Mens Health (the Belly-Off Runners Club), Runners World, Cool Running, and the running group at About.com. I did the same when I was quitting smoking.

Each time I joined a forum, it helped keep me on track. Not only did I meet a bunch of other people who were either going through what I was going through or who had already been through it, I would report my progress (and failures) as I went along. They were there for great advice, for moral support, to help keep me going when I wanted to stop.

4. Post a picture of your goal someplace visible near your desk or on your refrigerator, for example. Visualizing your goal, exactly how you think it will be when youve achieved it, whether its financial goals like traveling to Rome or building a dream house, or physical goals like finishing a marathon or getting a flat stomach, is a great motivator and one of the best ways of actualizing your goals.

Find a magazine photo or a picture online and post it somewhere where you can see it not only daily, but hourly if possible. Put it as your desktop photo, or your home page. Use the power of your visual sense to keep you focused on your goal. Because that focus is what will keep you motivated over the long term once you lose focus, you lose motivation, so having something to keep bringing your focus back to your goal will help keep that motivation.

5. Get a workout partner or goal buddy. Staying motivated on your own is tough. But if you find someone with similar goals (running, dieting, finances, etc.), see if theyd like to partner with you. Or partner with your spouse, sibling or best friend on whatever goals theyre trying to achieve. You dont have to be going after the same goals as long as you are both pushing and encouraging each other to succeed.

6. Just get started. There are some days when you dont feel like heading out the door for a run, or figuring out your budget, or whatever it is youre supposed to do that day for your goal. Well, instead of thinking about how hard it is, and how long it will take, tell yourself that you just have to start.

I have a rule (not an original one) that I just have to put on my running shoes and close the door behind me. After that, it all flows naturally. Its when youre sitting in your house, thinking about running and feeling tired, that it seems hard. Once you start, it is never as hard as you thought it would be. This tip works for me every time.

7. Make it a pleasure. One reason we might put off something that will help us achieve our goal, such as exercise for example, is because it seems like hard work. Well, this might be true, but the key is to find a way to make it fun or pleasurable. If your goal activity becomes a treat, you actually look forward to it. And thats a good thing.

8. Give it time, be patient. I know, this is easier said than done. But the problem with many of us is that we expect quick results. When you think about your goals, think long term. If you want to lose weight, you may see some quick initial losses, but it will take a long time to lose the rest. If you want to run a marathon, you wont be able to do it overnight. If you dont see the results you want soon, dont give up give it time. In the meantime, be happy with your progress so far, and with your ability to stick with your goals. The results will come if you give it time.

9. Break it into smaller, mini goals. Sometimes large or longer-term goals can be overwhelming. After a couple weeks, we may lose motivation, because we still have several months or a year or more left to accomplish the goal. Its hard to maintain motivation for a single goal for such a long time. Solution: have smaller goals along the way.

10. Reward yourself. Often. And not just for longer-term goals, either. Above, I talked about breaking larger goals into smaller, mini goals. Well, each of those mini goals should have a reward attached to it. Make a list of your goals, with mini goals, and next to each, write down an appropriate reward. By appropriate, I mean 1) its proportionate to the size of the goal (dont reward going on a 1-mile run with a luxury cruise in the Bahamas); and 2) it doesnt ruin your goal if you are trying to lose weight, dont reward a day of healthy eating with a dessert binge. Its self-defeating.

11. Find inspiration, on a daily basis. Inspiration is one of the best motivators, and it can be found everywhere. Every day, seek inspiration, and it will help sustain motivation over the long term. Sources of inspiration can include: blogs, online success stories, forums, friends and family, magazines, books, quotes, music, photos, people you meet.

12. Get a coach or take a class. These will motivate you to at least show up, and to take action. It can be applied to any goal. This might be one of the more expensive ways of motivating yourself, but it works. And if you do some research, you might find some cheap classes in your area, or you might know a friend who will provide coaching or counseling for free.

13. Have powerful reasons. Write them down. Know your reasons. Give them some thought and write them down. If you have loved ones, and you are doing it for them, that is more powerful than just doing it for self-interest. Doing it for yourself is good too, but you should do it for something that you REALLY REALLY want to happen, for really good reasons.

14. Become aware of your urges to quit, and be prepared for them. We all have urges to stop, but they are mostly unconscious. One of the most powerful things you can do is to start being more conscious of those urges. A good exercise is to go through the day with a little piece of paper and put a tally mark for each time you get an urge. It simply makes you aware of the urges. Then have a plan for when those urges hit, and plan for it beforehand, and write down your plan, because once those urges hit, you will not feel like coming up with a plan.

15. Make it a rule never to skip two days in a row. This rule takes into account our natural tendency to miss days now and then. We are not perfect. So, you missed one day now the second day is upon you and you are feeling lazy tell yourself NO! You will not miss two days in a row! Zen Habits says so! And just get started. Youll thank yourself later.

16. Visualize your goal clearly, on a daily basis, for at least 5-10 minutes. Visualize your successful outcome in great detail. Close your eyes, and think about exactly how your successful outcome will look, will feel, will smell and taste and sound like. Where are you when you become successful? How do you look? What are you wearing? Form as clear a mental picture as possible. Now heres the next key: do it every day. For at least a few minutes each day. This is the only way to keep that motivation going over a long period of time.

17. Keep a daily journal of your goal. If you are consistent about keeping a journal, it can be a great motivator. A journal should have not only what you did for the day, but your thoughts about how it went, how you felt, what mistakes you made, what you could do to improve. To be consistent about keeping a journal, do it right after you do your goal task each day. Make keeping a journal a sensory pleasure.

18. Create a friendly, mutually-supportive competition. We are all competitive in nature, at least a little. Some more than others. Take advantage of this part of our human nature by using it to fuel your goals. If you have a workout partner or goal buddy, youve got all you need for a friendly competition. See who can log more miles, or save more dollars, each week or month. See who can do more pushups or pullups. See who can lose the most weight or have the best abs or lose the most inches on their waist. Make sure the goals are weighted so that the competition is fairly equal. And mutually support each other in your goals.

19. Make a big public commitment. Be fully committed. This will do the trick every time. Create a blog and announce to the world that you are going to achieve a certain goal by a certain date. Commit yourself to the hilt.

20. Always think positive. Monitor your thoughts. Be aware of your self-talk. We all talk to ourselves, a lot, but we are not always aware of these thoughts. Start listening. If you hear negative thoughts, stop them, push them out, and replace them with positive thoughts. Positive thinking can be amazingly powerful.

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Top 20 Motivation Tips : zen habits

Most of us live out our lives in the world of time, in the memories of past and anticipation of future. Only rarely do we touch the timeless dimension of the present-in moments of sudden beauty, or a sudden danger, in meeting with the lover or with the surprise of the unexpected. Very few people step out of the world of time and mind, its ambitions and competitiveness, and begin to live in the world of timeless. And of those who do, only a few have attempted to share their experience. LaoTzu, Buddha, Bodhidharma, . or more recently, George Gurdjieff, Raman Maharshi, J. Krishnamurti- they are thought by their contemporaries to be eccentrics or mad man; after their death they are called Philosophers. And in time they become legends- not flesh-and-blood human beings, but perhaps mythological representations of our collective wish to go beyond the smallness and trivia, meaninglessness of our everyday life Osho is one who has discovered the door to living His life in timeless dimension of the present He has called Himself a true existentialist and he has devoted his life to provoking others to seek the same door, to step out of the world of past and future and discover for themselves the world of eternity. Osho was born in Kuchwada, Madya Prades, India on December 11, 1931. From His earliest childhood , he was a rebellious and independent spirit, insisting on experiencing the truth for Himself rather than acquirng the knowledge and beliefs given by others. After His enlightenment at the age of 21, Osho completed His academic studies and spent several years teaching philosophy at the University of Jabalpur. Meanwhile, He traveled throughout India giving talks, challenging orthodox religious leaders in public debate, questioning traditional beliefs, and meeting people form all walks of life. He read extensively, everything he could find to broaden his understanding of the belief systems and psychology of contemporary man. By the late 1960s Osho had begun to develop his unique Dynamic Mediation techniques. Modern man, he said, is so burdened with the out-mooded traditions of and the anxieties of modern-day living that he must go through deep cleansing process before he can hope to discover the thoughtless, relaxed state of meditation. In the early 1970s, the first westerners began to hear of Osho. By 1974, a commune had been established around Him in Poona, India, and the trickle of visitors from the West was soon to become a flood. In the course of His work Osho had spoken on virtually every aspect of development of human consciousness. He has distilled the essence of what is significant to the spiritual quest of the contemporary man, based not on intellectual understanding, but tested against his own existantial experience. He belongs to no tradition- I am a beginning of a totally new religious consciousness , he says. Please dont connect me with the past-it is not even worth remembering. His talks to disciples and seeks from all over the world have been published in more than 600 volumes, and translated to over 30 languages. Osho left his body on Jan 19th, 1990 His commune in Nepal continues to be the spiritual growth center attracting many international visitors who come to participate in its meditation or just to experience being in Buddha field.

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OSHO | Osho Tapoban: An International Commune And Forest ...

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose really liked it 4.00 avg rating 96,499 ratings published 2005 100 editions Want to Read saving

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Eckhart Tolle (Author of A New Earth)

When someone engages in a behavior thats a problem, the reason they do it is irrelevant. If we try too hard to understand the behavior, before long well find ourselves excusing it and eventually enabling it.

Ive recently completed a series of articles on the types of behavior frequently displayed by persons with disturbed characters. Those behaviors interfere with the process of healthy socialization and also frequently serve as mechanisms to manipulate and impression-manage others. (See Understanding the Dysfunctional Tactics of Disturbed Characters.)

In a new series of articles, well be discussing the keys to empowering oneself not only in relationships with disturbed characters, but in all social interactions. The principal secrets of personal empowerment are twofold:

Once the main principals are grasped, there are specific methods or tools a person can employ to keep from being taken advantage of in relationships with unscrupulous characters. Several articles to come will take a look at each of these tools of empowerment and how to apply them in everyday situations.

In previous articles, Ive mentioned how one of the most problematic legacies of traditional psychology is the notion that peoples behavior is motivated most of the time by their fears and insecurities and that they are not often consciously aware of their emotional issues. Most of us are familiar with the tenets of traditional psychology. So, when somebody does something unnerving we almost always try to understand it by asking ourselves what need, fear, or insecurity underlies it. Worst of all, often the leap is made from understanding the behavior to inadvertently excusing it or enabling it.

The single most important empowerment tool is to accept no excuses for hurtful, harmful, or inappropriate behavior. Once a person stops trying to explain or understand a behavior and simply sets a limit to no no longer accept it, everything begins to change. Learning to correctly identify and label the various problem behaviors that disturbed characters frequently display as well as learning how to respond to those behaviors is equally empowering.

So, we begin the process of empowerment by accepting no excuses. When someone engages in a behavior thats a problem, the reason they do it is irrelevant. If we try too hard to understand the behavior, before long well find ourselves excusing it and eventually enabling it. If a behavior is wrong, it needs to be corrected, purely and simply. And we need to hold one another accountable. Its the only way to stem the stunningly rising tide of character disturbance in our culture. We complete the process of empowerment by learning how to conduct ourselves in a wide variety of situations in which persons of deficient or disturbed characters may throw a host of problem behaviors at us. By recognizing their tactics, labeling them correctly, responding to them effectively, and holding the disturbed character accountable for change, anyone can learn the secrets of not being taken advantage of or exploited.

Accepting no excuses is the first and cardinal rule, but there are many others. Well explore them all in upcoming posts.

Would you like to join the discussion on The Secrets of Personal Empowerment?

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The Secrets of Personal Empowerment

[AyurvedaandAstrology][AdvancedCourse][AdvancedTechniques][Diploma][YogasandAstrology][Yoga'sandAstrology]

Beginners Course Vedic Astrology

One feature of Vedic Astrology, also called Jyotish that makes it different from Western Astrology is the importance of yogas. Yogas are planetary combinations that result in a certain effect. In the Vedic ancient scriptures many such planetary combinations are described. In Vedic astrology, no chart analysis is complete without checking the chart thoroughly for yogas and assessing their effects.

In this article I will show the use of yogas (planetary combinations) that are indicative for spiritual development according to Vedic Astrology.

This is being done on the basis of the chart of the Indian guru Osho.

Many yogas that have to do with spiritual development have a rather strange character.

At first sight they seem to indicate something bad. However, if we look deeper and analyse the yogas more in detail more often than not something bad seems to turn out into something good. In the chart of a spiritual person we often find indications of problems in daily life. However, more often than not these problems have been the main source of spiritual wisdom. In addition a spiritual person may have problems with accepting the conventional rules designed by society. This is clearly the case with Osho.

Below you see the Vedic chart of Osho. The numbers after the name of the signs are the astrological houses. Below these names of the houses the planets are mentioned that are located in certain houses. These houses are parts of the Vedic astrological chart that gives insight into certain circumstances. For example according to Vedic Astrology the third house is the house of energy/initiatives, the eighth house is the house of death of the ego/transformations and the eleventh house is the house of gains.

To get a feeling for this let us analyse one house out of Osho's Vedic chart.

In the case of Osho the sign of Cancer falls in the third house in which Jupiter is placed. Therefore his initiatives and energy are influenced by Jupiter. This is a good thing since Jupiter is the most important benefic (good planet) in Vedic Astrology. In Osho's case the result is better than normal because Jupiter is in Cancer, which is a sign where Jupiter feels very good and is exalted. Therefore Jupiter will deliver outstanding results.

Rahu R. 9.03

Ascendant 19.12

Jupiter R. 29.44

Mars 8.09 Mercury D 13.29 Venus 19.18 Moon 22.37 Saturn 28.34

Sun 25.36

Ketu R. 9.03

1. Four or more planets in one house gives a sannyassi yoga.

In the chart of Osho we see five planets in one house. These planets are in the occult eighth house: one of the houses of moksha (spiritual liberation). Although this pile up of planets in his eighth house is the cause of many difficult events in his life it is also indicative of spirituality. It gives a so called sannyassi yoga.

His rather non conventional approach is also seen by these eighth house planets.

The eighth house is a part of the chart that has to do with transformation, psychology and death of the ego.

The yoga is in the sign of Sagittarius. The planet that belong to Sagittarius is Jupiter. We say that Jupiter is the dispositor of the planets in the sign Sagittarius and therefore has a lot of influence on how the yoga will surface.

In the case of Osho this sannyassi yoga is made exceptionally strong by the fact that the dispositor of the planets that make the yoga (Jupiter) is in the sign Cancer, where it is exalted and is stationary (it has 7% of its normal speed). This makes it more powerful.

The situation of the lord of the sign in which a yoga takes place (this is called the dispositor) is important in assessing the outcome of a yoga. For a yoga to have special effects there must be something remarkable about the planets that have to do with the yoga. In this case the fact that the dispositor, which is Jupiter, is exalted and stationary gave dramatic effects.

It is interesting to note that in the navamsa, which is the Vedic astrological chart of the soul, of Osho Jupiter (whose Sanskrit name is Guru) is in his own sign (Pisces) conjunct mokshakaraka Ketu.

Some astrologers may say that Jupiter is weak because it is in the last degree of a sign. If a planet is in the last degree of a sign this means the planet is in extreme old age. This is a good way to describe the soul of an enlightened person since he has come to the end of the cycle of birth and rebirth and therefore can be considered to be of extremely old age. Therefore this can be seen as a sign of wisdom and not just as a sign of weakness.

In the Vedic chart of Osho Jupiter is atmakaraka and therefore the indicator of the soul.

That planets who are in extremely old or young age are not necessarily weak can also be seen in the chart of Bill Clinton, who has Jupiter in the first degree of a sign (in extremely young age), yet who became president during Jupiter dasa. His wisdom was of a fairly immature (young) nature (Jupiter in young age). It was certainly not the more mature wisdom of a sage.

Another remarkable fact is that Jupiter is on the degree of the ascendant (of course in another sign). This means that Jupiter is right on the Most Effective Point of the third house (the house of courage). If a planet conjuncts or aspects the Most Effective Point of a certain house (the ascendant degree shifted to that house) it strongly influences that house. From this position in the third house it aspects the Most Effective Points of the houses 7 (relationships) and 11 (gains and hopes for the future).

This means that Jupiter and the eighth house (Jupiter is of course lord of the eighth) strongly influences the entire chart. Since the eighth house is bad for mundane matters this indicates many troubles at the mundane level, but since the eighth is a moksha house and Jupiter is the planet of religion it is good for spiritual development.

2. How Ketu turns out to be a Raja Yoga Karaka

Rahu and Ketu are shadow planets. They are not real planets but are points where the orbit of the Moon crosses the orbit of the Sun. Eclipses can only happen when Rahu and/or Ketu are in the vicinity of the Sun and Moon.

In most cases in Vedic astrology the nodes, Rahu and Ketu, are regarded as first rate malefics (planets that normally give bad effects) .

However under certain circumstances they turn out to be Raja Yoga Karakas which turn them into factors that can do good in the chart. This occurs when:

It is possible that case 1 occurs twice in a chart (simply because when Rahu is in a kendra house Ketu will be in a kendrahouse too), with case 2 that is not possible.

The reason that Rahu or Ketu become Raja Yoga karakas in the cases 1 and 2 is that just as in the case of an ordinary Raja Yoga in the cases 1 and 2 they absorb both male (kendra) and female (trikona) energy.

In the Vedic chart of Osho Ketu is located in the fifth house, a trikonahouse. Saturn, lord of the tenth, a kendra house aspects this Ketu. Therefore Ketu becomes a Raja Yoga Karaka.

It is interesting to see that Saturn is a Raja Yoga planet on its own, since it is lord of the ninth and tenth house. Saturn is the planet of spiritual discipline and aspects Ketu from the house of esoteric sciences. In addition Saturn participates in the sannyassi Yoga. Therefore seen from a spiritual point of view in this chart Ketu as Raja Yoga Karaka is powerful.

However, because Saturn is the planet of pain and aspects Ketu from the most difficult house of the chart (the eighth) this yoga was also the cause of troubles on a mundane level.

It is interesting that we see the same pattern as under 1. What is good for spiritual matters caused havoc on the mundane level.

3. How a shakata (cart) yoga can become a mukata (crown) yoga.

A shakata yoga is present if Jupiter is in a dushtana house (6,8 or 12th house) from the Moon. This yoga indicates a difficult life. It also indicates fluctuating fortunes. The fortune of someone with a shakata yoga fluctuates like a cartwheel.

However, sometimes according to Vedic Astrology a Shakata Yoga is transformed into a mukata yoga.

This occurs when Jupiter is in the eighth or sixth from the Moon and in its own or exaltation sign. A mukuta is a crown in the form of a crescent. The crescent is a symbol for knowledge of spiritual teachings

An interesting feature is that Jupiter and the Moon are in each others signs. This gives a strong connection between the Moon and Jupiter, which to some extent can make up for the difficulties indicated by the shakata uoga. Indeed, an exchange is an intense relationship between planets whose effect are comparable to those of a conjunction. Therefore this gives effects which are comparable to those of a gaja kesari yoga. A gaja kesari yoga is formed when the Moon and Jupiter are conjunct (or in a kendra to eachother). It gives wisdom.

I believe that not all the effects of the shakata yoga are cancelled, because Oshos life was full of difficult events and indeed his luck fluctuated. However, the mukuta yoga is also clearly visible.

Again we see the same pattern as under 1 and 2. Something bad turns out to be something good as far as spiritual development is concerned.

4. Dushtana lords in other dushtana houses.

A rather odd type of yoga is the vipareeta raja yoga. This yoga occurs when the lords of other dushtana houses (6,8,12) occupy other dushtana houses. It can bring benefics often due to a mishap. In Oshos chart the lords of both the sixth and twelfth are in the eighth house.

A vipareeta yoga that occurs in the eighth house is called a sarala yoga (straight yoga). This yoga gives a long life span, fearlessness, makes one prosperous, the person will overcome enemies and be well known.

In Oshos case the yoga is both tainted and strong:

It is tainted because for a pure vipareeta yoga to occur there should be no influences of other houselords on the planets that participate in the yoga. Obviously in Oshos case because of the pile up of planets in the eighth there are many other houselords that influence the planets involved in the vipareeta yoga. This is the reason why this cannot be called a pure vipareeta yoga.

It is strong and therefore could be called a Vipareeta Raja Yoga because it involves not one but two lords of dushtana houses and the dispositor of the yoga making planets (Guru) is exalted.

If we look at Oshos life he did not have a long life span because he died in January 1990. However, he was well known, did not have fear and did overcome his enemies.

In his life we can see both the problems (expelled from many countries, other problems of all kinds) and the benefits (being well known, fearlessness) which are typical for vipareeta yogas. Again something bad (certain houselords in the eighth) turned out to be something good (effects that belong to a vipareeta yoga).

CONCLUSION

The goal of this article has been to show how seemingly bad placements can have good results. In the case of Osho the problems seem to have focussed on the mundane level, yet the benefits were of a spiritual nature.

Osho was a non conventional master, who clearly stepped outside the framework of tradition. This is shown in the importance of the eighth house in his chart. In the long term the gurus that will be remembered will be the gurus that explore new avenues and step outside tradition, although that may be shocking for many people.

Spiritual development rarely comes wrapped in easy looking patterns. It pays to look deeper than the surface when exploring a chart. What lies below the surface may be more powerful than a person realises as has been shown by looking beyond the surface of Oshos chart according to Vedic Astrology.

Roeland de Looff

This article is on an advanced level. For more information about the Basic course Vedic Astrology click here. This is a course in which you learn Vedic Astrology on the basis of your own chart.

Other pages on this site

Hindu lunar zodiac,Vedic online store, Vedic astrological email course ,The Dirah team , Burmese astrology or Mahabote ,Links to Jyotish sites, Vedic astrological software, Balinese astrology, Tibetan astrology, Astronomy and astrology , Dirah diploma professional training program in Vedic astrology , Order your Vedic chart with interpretive texts , Ayurveda and Vedic astrology , Yogas and Vedic astrology , Jyotish quantitative astrology: Shadbala , Vedic astrological compatibility techniques , Advanced Course for Jyotish , Advanced Techniques for Jyotish , Vedic horary astrology or Muhurta , Nakshatras in chart interpretation , Primer astrological course for beginners , Personal Predictions.

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The yogas of enlightenment: a Vedic astrological analysis ...

Youve got the personal development itch once again.

You know the feeling. Maybe you want to be more productive, finally tackle that goal of yours, or start waking up earlier.

So you go to Google or your favorite personal development blogs. Maybe if you still havent found what youre looking for you try searching for a Youtube video or ask your Facebook friends if they know of any good sites.

And thats it. Youve exhausted your resources and dont know where else to look.

Sometimes you find what you need, but you still have a sense that theres got to be more. That you dont know what you dont know.

And thats where you get stuck. Wanting more, but just not knowing where to find it.

Today I hope to change that by sharing with you 22 of the killer personal development resources youre missing out on.

I know, you thought Reddit was just for gamers, atheists, and students but thats a misconception. If you search deep enough youll find several subreddits for anyone who wants to grow personally. For starters, you can check out: r/selfimprovement, r/getmotivated, r/iwanttolearn, r/lifeprotips, r/productivity, r/zenhabits and r/selfhelp.

Mindbloom.com is a nifty personal development web application. Think of it as a social network for your personal development. You create a tree with branches representing the elements of your life you want to work on. It encourages you to nurture your tree through inspiration (sun) and action (water). Theres a lot built into this tool, so go check it out if youre curious.

Lately, it seems there have been hundreds of eLearning websites popping up across the web. One of my favorites however is Udemy. The structure is clean, the classes are well organized, and the instructors are top-notch. Although they have plenty of academic courses available, there are a number of personal development ones worth checking out such as: How to Enjoy Work More, Discover The 1 Thing You Were Born to do in 5 Easy Steps, or Getting Things Done.

There are plenty of ways to motivate you to work out, but the app Gympact does something quite clever and unique. They hit you where it hurtsright in the wallet. The concept behind Gympact is that you set a monetary consequence for when you miss your work outs, typically a $1 or so. Then anytime you miss a work out you committed yourself to, you pay the fine. But it doesnt stop there. What if youre a good boy or girl and hit all of your workouts that week? Well friend, you get a share of all the slackers fines that week.

Okay, so plenty of you know Ted already, but do you remember the first day you discovered it? It was amazing right? If youve heard about TED but never checked it out, nows the time. Its inspiration on steroids.

Stumbleupon is another excellent resource for personal development. I recommend stumbling interests such as: self improvement, personal development, career planning, spirituality, productivity, or motivation.

This is the worlds bestselling, #1 Goals & Habits App on iTunes. It combines the book by the same name with a neat app that helps you track your goals and keep up with your progress.

Lumosity is your one stop shop for brain training. If you want to have an easier time remembering names, learning new subjects, or maintaining focus this is the place to hang out.

If you are a list person, this is a must have. Remember the Milk lets you manage your lists anywhere. It will send reminders to your email or text, sync to your calendar and more.

This one is a bit tricky since there are sooo many blogs out there dedicated to personal development. Thankfully, others have already done the research for you by listing posts and blogs to checkout.

Lifetick is a web application for tracking your goals and keeping you focused. Their status widgets, charts, and reports make this the dream app for any detail oriented goal-getters.

Speaking of goals, we all know the chance of completing them comes down to how good of a support group you have. 43 Things is just that. A community of goal minded people dedicated to helping each other reach their goals.

Have you ever been out in public shopping, watching a movie, or eating a burger when you were suddenly struck with a brilliant idea? You hope to hold onto it long enough to make it home where you can write it down, but by then youve moved on or forgotten it completely. Evernote is a handy app for recording written or audio notes on your phone or pc that you can take anywhere. All your ideas are stored in one place and its easy to use.

People are always surprised to learn Youtube is the worlds second largest search engine. But Pinterest works in a similar way. Just as you can search Google or Youtube for personal development content, you can do the same for Pinterest. Put in productivity, self-help or personal growth, and youll find hundreds of pictures, articles, and posters related to the topic.

If you like TED, this is another resource you should check out. 99u has a wide selection of videos delivered by scholars, leaders, and business men around the world on topics ranging from leadership to well-being.

The great thing about books is that there are always new ones coming out to help you with your personal development needs. Over the years, Lifehack has written a number of posts featuring their favorite book recommendations.

We Ask, You Answer: Productivity Books

Your Favorite Productivity Books

10 Inspirational Non-Fiction Books Worthy of Digital (or Actual) Bookshelves

Happytapper has created a virtual version of one of coachings favorite tools The Vision Board. Its an easy way to give yourself some quick inspiration and motivation wherever you are.

One of the things I look forward to every day is listening to podcasts on my way to work. Thankfully, there is a wide selection of excellent podcasts in the personal development arena. For starters you might check out Achieving Predictable Success, Great Work Interview

It took some time for me to warm up to Youtube. At first it was difficult to find quality videos on the subjects you were interested in, but thats not the case anymore. Even in the personal development world, there are many amazing Youtube channels and videos you can follow. Whether its classics like The Last Lecture or How to Have Your Best Year Ever or newer ongoing channels such as TedEd and ZeFrank theres something for everyone.

Lift is an app that visualizes your goals and progress while combining the support of your friends. Forbes wrote a nice piece on the app calling it probably the most affordable self-help product ever created. It relies on an interesting check-in system and helps you focus on taking single steps versus tackling a multitude of challenges all at once.

Ignite is a global event run by volunteers where speakers are given five minutes to talk about their ideas, passions, or interest on 20 slides for 15 seconds each. The format may seem rigid, but the presentations go quickly and you hear only the good stuff as a result. The best way to find videos put on by this organization is to either go to their website and search, or look up your local ignite organization on Youtube.

Live Happy is more than an iPhone app, its a happiness boosting positive psychology program. Based on the book, The How of Happiness, the app helps you carry out the concepts taught in the book. Things such as journaling, giving thanks, or savoring a beautiful moment.

I hope this list can help you get started. What personal development resources do you use?

Featured photo credit: rough structured illustration of a manvia Shutterstock

Set a goal for yourself

"I'm going to learn something new about my expertise every day."

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22 Killer Personal Development Resources You're ... - Lifehack