Posted on

planting the seeds

Monitoring ourselves is a good idea when listening to the nightly news, reading mainstream newspapers and magazines, watching tv, talking about and listening to problems – ours and others, surfing the internet, and when choosing movies and books. When we’re not diligent about monitoring what we’re subjecting ourselves to we’re inviting our energy to be zapped causing low vibrations, and a day that won’t serve us well. A lot of what’s out there keeps us focused on nonsensical and negative things that plant seeds of discontentment. Those kind of seeds have a way of showing up at any time, and when we’re not watching, we’re captured, captivated, and affected whether we know it or not.

Removing ourselves for as long as it takes to restore our vision of what we want our life to be paves the way for a healthier life for ourselves and others. Our life is a gift. We have an imagination; it’s also a gift, and we can use it and not let it use us. We have intuition and it’s our friend, e.g. we could be with someone who seems perfectly okay, however, somehow we feel drained when with that person. It happens, we need to step away and ask (our intuition) what’s going on. When we listen to it we encourage it to respond to us; it wants to help and it will if we let it.

Every so often I put on a disc from the 15-part series of the extraordinary documentary A HISTORY OF BRITAIN by the award-winning historian, Simon Schama. It reminds that in the course of history people come and go, situations don’t stay the same, and throughout the ages certain people want what they want no matter the cost. It’s a heavy history lesson this documentary, and to me it indirectly teaches that in this day and age we can make our life a work of art and not hand it over willy nilly to outside influences.

* * * * * * *

“I gazed in the river’s direction. The Nile! What magic lies in that name? Twice every day the priests of Egypt had to bathe their bodies in its waters in order to preserve their purity, and twice every night. In India the Brahamin priests do the same thing today, for the same purpose; save that they pour the waters of the Ganges or Godivari over themselves, and save that they do not disturb their nights. Both Egyptions and Indians had the same theory – that man picks up an invisible personal magnetism from his contact and intercourse with other persons, and that frequent washings were neessary to get rid of these acquired influences, which might so often be undesirable, if not worse.” page 200
A Search In Secret Egypt by Paul Brunton
www.paulbrunton.org

“Do you know the meditations of our poet Rumi? He has written that there is no reason for fear. It is our imagination that blocks us just as a wooden bolt holds the door.”

“The deeper the self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenomenal flux.” – Swami Sri Yukteswar

“Faith dares the soul to go further than it can see.” William Clarke

“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott

Posted on

the healing power of balanced emotions and coincidence-?

Recently while in Virginia I found two books of mine tucked away in a box that’s now in Michael’s and Alicia’s new attic. Twelve years have passed since the books were packed away, along with others. The Healing Power of Balanced Emotions by Dr. Frederick Bailes was bought at Science of Mind in 1991 at 14 East 48th Street in NYC. I smile when looking at the book because highlighting and underlining have taken over its pages worn by frequent readings.

The other book Coincidence-? was written by a British author Margaret Gordon Moore in 1948. It was found in a used bookshop and its simplicity speaks to anyone interested in spiritual matters. The author was intelligent, well-heeled, wise, and wonderfully interested in the kind of stories that are of a spiritual nature, and tend to be difficult for many people to believe. Those who believe though appear to benefit greatly. In the Preface of her book she wrote: “Many people have written asking for another book like Things I can’t Explain. It is not possible to repeat such personal experiences. There were others, but, although of exceeding interest, not yet to be made public. So I have collected the incidents in this book, which are true and well authenticated, changing names and places except where I have the kind permission of friends to give their real ones.”

Some books in the market place relating to matters that are not mainstream are wordy and complicated. These two books are a reminder that it doesn’t have to be this way. We just need a little prodding from people having a solid spiritual core to remind us that in this world there is so much more than meets the eye – we just need eyes to see and ears to hear.

* * * * * * *

“Man’s study of the universe is revealing that there are laws upon laws, and laws within laws. Beyond and behind the physical principles which have given man all his inventions lies a great realm of spiritual law ‘in which we live and move and have our being.’ Man has been so busy making himself a more comfortable animal that he has neglected a systematic study of these spiritual laws. Only recently has any serious effort been made to understand them. Yet they are closest to us, operate constantly within us, and are most vital to our happiness and well-being.” – The Healing Power of Balanced Emotions by Dr. Frederick Bailes

“Bodies come and go and are made to clothe the spirit during its schooling, its sojourn, its imprisonment on earth.”

“When this is really understood, all values change. Men and women then become minds and souls.”

“Nothing material can possibly be eternal.”

“You have free will, and only you will be responsible for your choice and its effects on yourself and others.”
– Coincidences-? by Margaret Gordon Moore

Posted on

A Philosophers Notes – A great new site for spiritual expansion

I happened to come across a new site that I think is really worth taking a look at www.philosophersnotes.com

The “Chief Philosopher” of the site, the very well-spoken and positive professional, Brian Johnson, has put together a website with pdf synopsis’/mp3 audio clips and a plethora of other sections geared to providing information gleaned from 100 personal growth books. Johnson picked the 100 books mentioned, which date from history to present day, that he had found to be most influential. Many of the titles such as “The Four Agreements” and “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” are very recognizable, and Johnson’s clean breakdowns act as effective guides in highlighting key points. The nice thing about the breakdowns, is that they don’t act as replacements for the books, in fact, Johnson usually begins by saying something similar to “You must read this book,” or “Only read this book if you want to change your life.”
Think of it as sort of a book club/school for personal growth.

In addition to the book sections, Johnson provides individual segments on energy, courage, and more. The goal being to create a strong personal core for success in all parts of your life. There are also “Blissations,” subliminal messages you can have personally made for you. When it’s bedtime, check out the meditating sleep noise, such as ocean sounds (I am a fan). I’m glad to have come across this website. I think it’s a great boost during the day and a good way to see a glimpse at a number of powerful books, we may not have discovered on our own.

Have you used the site? We’d be interested in hearing your feedback, too!

Posted on

trains

On a very HOT and HUMID 99 degree day last month the train I was scheduled to take was 90 minutes late. The three Amtrak employees at the counter couldn’t agree on the reason it was late or exactly when it was coming. Okay.

And so the train came and we ticket holders lined up and followed a uniformed person to a particular car where a conductor waited to give us our assigned seat number. After everyone was settled in, I realized it was COLD! in the train. I looked at the the woman across from me bundled in a blanket, and noticed that other passengers were wearing hooded sweatshirts. When the conductor passed by again I asked the reason for such a COLD train. She said it was frigid (that word didn’t help any) because there’s a flaw in the design, the thermometer was put outside the train. Okay.

Then she announced the reason for the train’s lateness. She said it had to move very slowly coming from Florida because when it’s an extremely hot day, a fire could start on the tracks. We’ll continue at a slow pace, she said. Okay.

I brought no lunch, so I went to the snack bar car hoping that the food had improved since the last time I ordered food on an Amtrak train. There was a limited sandwich selection, I chose the one that might have possibilities. The woman behind the counter said because of customer complaints she put all those sandwiches away. Okay.

The snack bar car was full, maybe because it was warmer there than anywhere else (warmer, not warm). Finally I returned to the COLD car. When the conductor passed I asked whether there was any place on the train warmer than the car we’re in now? She said I could try to find that place when we reached Washington. Okay.

The woman sitting behind me tapped my shoulder and asked if I’d like to wear her sweatshirt and scarf. She had on a jacket. I am forever grateful to her because after mentally scanning my suitcase, I accepted that it held nothing to warm a body.

As we approached Washington, the conductor announced, “If you get off this train and go upstairs, remember one thing: the train didn’t leave you; you left the train.” She repeated this many times. And so I concluded that quite a few people are left behind. There was at least a 45 minute wait in DC while the train changed from diesel to electric. The train is completely stopped, lights are off, passengers are walking on the platform, or standing inside – there’s plenty of time to do nothing during the wait. Time to leave DC.

Finally, my stop. The conductor sings as she says goodbye. And as I walk from the train to the station a tad bit hungry and a little cold, thinking that it could have been an awfully unpleasant train ride. That didn’t happen though because of a very witty conductor who never let up, and, I’ll generalize and say, the best group of fellow passengers anywhere.

There’s something about train traveling that’s soothing. I’ve noticed that passengers come on trains with their own kind of feeling, and the feeling depends on the place where they’re boarding. For instance, some people who board at Penn Station in Manhattan tend to bring into the train a rather tense energy. It’s not until they’ve settled in, loosened their clothing, taken out a laptop, magazine, book, notepad, reclined their seat to rest, or taken out a snack quickly bought that that nervous energy slowly dissipates, and they can breathe a sign of relief.

Ticket please.

Posted on

harry

Daughter Emi fell in love with a man whom she met at the Staten Island Film Festival, and she hasn’t stopped talking about him since. He’s even on her phone screen saver. I can’t blame her; he’s the kind of person it’s easy to fall for. Harry is his name and he’s an actor and singer, among other things. Did you recognize him in the photo? He’s starred in a number of movies and has certain hit songs that tend to repeat over and over again in one’s head upon hearing them.

At the Staten Island Film Festival he spoke about the documentary, Sing Your Song, which tells the story of his life. Emi listened with rapt attention. There’s no doubt that family and friends will be coerced into watching it – more than once, I’m betting. That’s fine though; he’s created an amazing life and the film has to be a wonderful one.

It seems though that Harry has his own life to live, and Emi will have to move on without him. I know we’ll have to let her pine away til she realizes that some things, well, let’s just say, are just not to be in this lifetime. It’ll be easy to know when the moving on happens because the photo of Harry on her phone’s screen saver will be replaced by a picture of a lovable animal, or a beautiful mountain, or maybe an inspiring quotation, or perhaps a new boyfriend having Harry’s grace, his style.

In the meantime, we’ll listen to Emi talk about Harry, and we’ll wait.

Posted on

a balancing act . . .

When mind body spirit thwart any attempts to gather more information on vitamins, veggies, fruits, herbs, to eat meat, to not eat meat, toxins, potent spices good for the body, healings, qi gong, yoga, meditation, spiritual workshops, inspirational movies, great books, informative magazine articles, the Earth, the Universe, etc. it’s simply saying let’s think about other things. This happens when lethargy sets in regarding things that are ever so fascinating. The idea is to listen, clear the mind, renew, and head for fun and relaxation. After all mind body spirit know when it’s time for a balancing act. Do you agree that this probably holds true for just about anything?

First though the three websites listed below are too good to overlook today.

www.walterstarcke.com

www.mariatrebenherbs.com

www.wildmind.org

Enjoy this hot and humid day any way you can, well, within reason 🙂

Posted on

kristin zambucka, the mana keepers

The world is a neutral place Kristin Zambucka wrote in her wonderful book The Mana Keepers. Neutral, I like that, I said to myself. Other writers have used different words to get the same message across to us, and since we mirror whatever’s going on within ourselves, a variety of writers are necessary for all the different ways we humans have of perceiving life.

The people who write in this fashion are trying to tell us that moment by moment, consciously or unconsciously, our thoughts are creating our life. And when we wrap our mind securely around this thought it’s an Aha! moment. And then what? -the mind asks, and it thinks of the responsibility associated with getting this thought into motion. Where to begin? -it wonders while all along wanting things to stay the same. Too late! There’s no pretending in this matter; it’s the right time and the seed is planted.

And so a new show is being created, and as it develops it gets more exciting. Although sometimes there’s a desire to close the show because it takes too much effort to keep it going. But the nagger within insists on continuing because it knows that eventually it’ll be a hit.

The time to be lazy and sloppy, well, alas, it’s over, because once this thought is deeply heard, the within becomes unrelenting in its desire to unfold, and the voice within haunts with the words: moment by moment, consciously or unconsciously, our thoughts are creating our life.

* * * * * * *

“Our remedies in ourselves do lie which we ascribe to heaven.” – Shakespeare

“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” – Otto Rank

“Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance.”
– As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

“We choose our joys and sorrows before we experience them.” – Kahlil Gibran

“. . . We have underestimated ourselves tragically. We are sadly mistaken when we see ourselves as merely temporary bodies instead of timeless spirit; as separate suffering selves instead of blissful Buddhas; as meaningless blobs of matter instead of blessed children of God.”
– Essential Spirituality by Roger Walsh

“All day long the thoughts that occupy your mind, your secret place as Jesus called it, are molding your destiny for good or evil, in fact, the truth is that the whole of our life’s experience is but the outer expression of inner thought.”
– From the Pen of Emmet Fox

“You may be surprised at what seclusion with God will do for your mind, body and soul. . . . Through the portals of silence the healing sun of wisdom and peace will shine upon you.”
– Paramahansa Yogananda

Posted on

body mind spirit

There’s an excellent seemingly endless stream of information on how to heal body, mind, and spirit, and keep the balance, and the information is utterly exciting. With that in mind I strolled into a bookstore and checked out the July/August 2011 issue of Ode Magazine. For Intelligent Optimists is written on the cover of Ode. Therefore, keeping an open mind on all that’s offered to the reader in any given issue is part of the enjoyment of reading Ode. It usually reports on people who are thinking outside the box, people who excuse themselves from the every day way of thinking so that they’re able to implement exciting changes in the area of their expertise. There are a lot of magazines out there, and month after month a lot of magazines offer the same kind of articles – different words and pictures, but the same. Ode is not the same.

What to read first? – is always the question. Ahh, let’s begin with biophotons . . . “faint light waves emitted by cells, to help the body heal.” The article features Johan Boswinkel who “believes Biophoton Treatment – healing with light – ‘should become primary healthcare.’ ” It’s a Wow! story by editor-in-chief, Jurriaan Kamp, and anyone having thoughts about how to treat a particular health problem might want to read the article beginning on page 27. Discoveries pertaining to body, mind, and spirit, and the possibilities for healings that they present, are causing us to stretch our imaginations and open ourselves to the Universe’s offerings way beyond the way we once perceived things.
www.odemagazine.com
www.biontology.com

In that same issue is a wonderful article about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar by Ursula Sautter on the need to “spiritualize politics, socialize business and secularize religion.” He talks about laughter, meditation, and, something that’s of great importance to all of us during the day, breathing deeply and powerfully. The not-to-be-missed articles go on and on in Ode.
www.ravishankar.org

When there’s a newspaper, magazine, or book about Feng Shui in sight of someone, I’ve noticed that people will pick it up and begin reading; most of us find Feng Shui a fascinating topic. In Qi The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health & Fitness magazine Spring 2011 there’s an article by James Frank Loretta called The Hidden Energies Behind Feng Shui. It’s the 5th in a series of reprints from his book with the same title. I think that anyone remotely interested in Feng Shui will be glued to the article. And the book, well, I just might have to get it.
www.quantumfengshui.org

One other consideration before wishing you all an extraordinary day is this, on page 3 of Qi magazine: “A 1,800-year old Chinese herbal remedy for an upset stomach may boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy while reducing its side effects, according to a study conducted by researchers from Yale University and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.” The herbal remedy is “known traditionally” as Huang Qin Tang.
www..qi-journal.com

Ahh, the wonder of it all!

Y’all have an extraordinary day now.

* * * * * * *
“He built an instrument that can measure disturbances in the body and correct them. Using that instrument, he and the hundreds of people he has trained in the past 20 years have helped thousands of people banish serious diseases and troublesome ailments.” – Standing in the Light by Jurriaan Kamp

“DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE Sri Sri Ravi Shankar developed a simple but effective breathing technique, the Sudarshan Kriya. ‘it dissolves the deeper stresses in our bodies and cleanses the system from the inside,’ he says, ‘A stress-free mind and a disease-free body are the birthright of every human being.’ Regular practice reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol and the stress indicator lactic acid.”
-Celebrate harmony in diversity by Ursula Sautter

“Our civilization prides itself on having subdued Nature. We move mountains and clear forests with no real intelligent design, without regard for the age old balance of Yin and Yang, without awareness of the principles of the ancient wind and water science: ‘For example, the presence of mountains reduces the incidence of strong winds which blow topsoil away, exposing barren rock and sand on which nothing will grow, while the mountain, in addition to shielding from the wind, also brings precipitation which nourishes life.’ ” -The Hidden Energies Behind Feng Shui by James Frank Loretta

“. . . there is now a growing interest among Western researchers in uncovering new applications of traditional healing techniques, from herbalism to acupuncture to yoga. This shift is based in part on the realization that traditional medical practices have been healing people far longer than Western medicine has.”
-Chinese Herbs Proven to Help Halt Cancer. page 3, 6 Qi

Posted on

florence scovel shinn

Every so often I think about Florence Scovel Shinn (1871 – 1940). She was an artist living in New York, who became a metaphysical teacher, lecturer, and writer. Her book The Game of Life and How To Play It has sold millions of copies worldwide. If that subject is calling to you, her book could be a wonderful beginning for exploring and building a foundation. Many exciting and excellent books abound on this topic, and we have to start somewhere. However, it’s easy to be confused in a bookshop when facing many books and finding that nothing is calling to you. That’s when The Game of Life and How to Play It could jump start the process.

A long time ago I read something by Florense SS that has remained close to my heart. The following words are not verbatim, but the message is the same: We can’t change anyone; we actually have no right to change anyone. We can change ourselves though, and when we change, everything around us changes.

Over and over again I read the words: “We’re all connected,” therefore, by raising our consciousness, we help raise the mass consciousness. Imagine that!

* * * * * * *

“So many people are leading such complicated lives because they are trying to think things out instead of ‘intuiting’ the way out.” – Florence Scovel Shinn

“To live intuitively is to live fourth-dimensionally.” – Claude Bragdon

“I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to, remembering something my guru once said – that you should never give yourself a chance to fall apart because, when you do, it becomes a tendency and it happens over and over again. You must practice staying strong, instead.” – Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love, page 137

“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves, otherwise we harden.” – Johann W. Goethe

“When you sell a man a book you don’t just sell him paper, ink and glue, you sell him a whole new life! There’s heaven and earth in a real book. The real purpose of books is to inspire the mind to do its own thinking!” -Christopher Morely

“Often fear stands between man and his perfect self-expression. Stage-fright has hampered many a genius. This may be overcome by the spoken word, or treatment. The individual then loses all self-consciousness, and feels simply that s/he is a channel for Infinite Intelligence to express Itself through.”
– Florence Scovel Shinn

Posted on

thinking about bees and thinking about skin

Finally an answer to the puzzle of why bees are dying off in developed Western countries. After many scientific studies it’s been realized that “one group of agricultural toxins – neonicotinoid pesticides – is a major contributor to their rapid demise.” It’s good to know that bees are returning to the four European countries that have banned these products. Check out the websites urging us to help save the bees.
Thank you, www.NaRichmond.com for the information.

and thinking about skin:

Parabens or any ingredient that ends with this word – affects hormones

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) – toxic contaminant

Sodium lauryl, or laureth, sulfate – contaminant that may cause skin damage

Triclosan and triclocarban antibacterials – present potential thyroid concerns

Triethanolamine (TEA) – contaminant that may trigger allergies

Dimethylol Dimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin and Imidazolidinyl urea – preservatives that release formaldehyde

Fragrance and dyes – may cause allergies or cancer and affect the nervous system

Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone – preservatives that may cause allergies and affect the nervous system (Phew! Need to watch the spelling of those words).

The following website will guide us in learning about products that won’t harm our skin:
CosmeticsDatabase.com

* * * * * * *

“The situations, circumstances, events and relationships that you encounter in your life are a reflection of the state of consciousness you are in. The world is a mirror. If you are anchored in your nonlocal self the whole world is available to you.” – Deepak Chopra, The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire

“All the greatest beings who have ever strolled through the Earth’s gardens have been people of transcendent faith. Every one of them had a tranquil attitude and a calm belief in the helpful powers of invisible forces. These forces are always available to everyone!” – David Wolfe, The Sunfood Diet Success System