Spirituality | Wellness | Happiness

Yoga DVD Best Beginner Kundalini Yoga DVD Here it is the final part of the Free Yoga DVD that I was converting to online videos and uploading for you all to enjoy and learn from. As you will recall this is a DVD of a live Kundalini Yoga class taught by me and was filled with some of the best yoga exercises and poses for beginners to do. In the previous articles of this series, I presented the other parts of this DVD and explained the exercises contained in them in some detail. Although, for your convenience, in this article I have included all the parts of this DVD, please do read the respective articles if you need additional details on the exercises being taught. This DVD series is designed to give you a flavor of a complete Kundalini Yoga class, and it also teaches many fundamental yoga techniques, incorporating which can greatly enhance your personal practice. Some of the most important yoga bandhas (locks), mudras (hand positions) and pranaya...

We cannot even imagine the complex forces behind every event that occurs in our lives. Theres a conspiracy of coincidences that weaves the web of karma or destiny and creates an individuals personal lifemine, or yours. Usually we see only cause-and-effect relationships: This causes that, which causes this, which causes thatlinear trajectories. Yet beneath the surface, something else is happening. Invisible to us is a whole web of connections. As it becomes apparent, we see how our intentions are woven into this web, which is much more context-bound, much more relational, much more holistic, much more nurturing than our surface experience.Very often we fall into ruts in our lives; we maintain the same routines and act in the same manner predictably day after day after day. We set our minds on a certain course of action, and simply proceed. How can miracles happen if we march mindlessly, unthinking and unaware, through our lives?Coincidences are like road flares, calling our attent...

The demands of juggling career, family, and more can take a toll on a person's health and well-being. Now, 68 pages of tips for preventative self-care are available in the new Kindle ebook, Self-Care: Living a Healthy Life through Massage, Somatics, Exercise, Stress Management, and More. Author and massage therapist Carol Wiley debunks the myth that aches and pains have to be a part of the aging process. The ebook outlines a variety of ways people can take care of themselves and promote their own well-being, so that each person can find an approach that works for them. Wiley explains that neglecting oneself damages both a person's physical and emotional health in the long run (and by extension the lives of people close to the person). When people neglect their needs, they send a message to their body and mind that they are not as important as other things. People who ignore their body too long may find themselves not only with aches and pains but also with serious health issues...

Separating illusion from reality doesnt usually happen all at once. What we experience as reality changes in different stages of consciousness. For those who decide to renounce the world completely, its possible to leap directly toward the goal. But even then there is no guarantee that perception has actually shifted.A person may enter a monastery because the Church deems that a holy life. But if old perceptions get dragged through the door, the monastery holds the same traps as the material world: Ego.Jesus wanted his disciples to come into union with God. Any other life was steeped in illusion. Ego keeps that illusion strong because I, me, and mine is so rooted in worldly affairs. The most worthwhile life is spent discovering your spiritual core and building your existence on it. If you do that, you will be first in the eyes of God even if you are last in the eyes of the world.If you can perceive the light within, you will gain its fullness. But if you are blind to it, you w...

I want to get as much philosophical mileage as possible out of the colonoscopy I had a few days ago. After all, I had to sacrifice eating solid food for almost two days. That isn't exactly a major ascetic accomplishment -- certainly not Gandhi'an -- but since I'm a vegetarian habituated to frequent food browsing, the colonoscopy prep period was a shock to my culinary system. This wasn't the most interesting part of the procedure, though. Just as with the colonoscopy I had two years ago (a benign polyp was found, and the prep wasn't perfect, so the doctor wanted me to have a repeat colonoscopy fairly soon), I found the effects of the sedative intriguing and thought-provoking. After I came back to normal consciousness, of course. During the colonoscopy itself, I was pretty much dead to the world. Which raises the First Big Question. If, as so many people believe, our core reality is spiritual rather than physical; if the essence of "me" is soul rather than ...

The Way of the Natural Therapist by Leisa Millar and James Ketub Golding (editors) consolidates inspirational, personal stories from over 20 experienced natural therapists to reveal how to achieve longevity and balance as a therapist. "As a growing number of people turn to natural therapies for their health and wellbeing, natural therapists face many challenges from working in a healthcare system where people want outcomes to be achieved quickly and with minimal personal effort," says Millar and Golding. "The key to wellness lies in ongoing self-responsibility and self-care, and in the modern world therapists themselves need to practise what they preach." Through this book, Millar and Golding give readers a unique perspective of more than 250 years of collective wisdom from therapists practising a range of modalities including naturopathy, acupuncture, massage, kinesiology, yoga, homeopathy, counselling, reiki and meditation. "The beautiful and touching stories...

We in the West (not the wild west, but Western culture) are obsessed with ourselves. "I've got to find my true self," people say. Self-development is a big industry, featuring countless workshops, books, lectures, and such. We're big on autonomy, independence, finding our own way in life, not marching to the beat of someone else's drummer. Other cultures, such as those in East Asia, are quite different. To a much greater degree than self-absorbed Americans and Europeans, they view the self as including family, community, and societal relationships. Such is the message of an interesting Philosophy Talk podcast that I finished listening to this afternoon. " Different Cultures, Different Selves " featured Hazel Marcus, a cultural psychologist. (Wikipedia has a short overview if, like me, you aren't sure what cultural psychology is all about.) Since I was a member of an India-based spiritual organization for many years, and so got quite a bit of exposu...

Meditation Certification Program Reviews Best Online Meditation Certification Program The Meditation Teacher Training and Certification Program has now been online for a little over a year and over this time I have received a ton of incredible feedback regarding the course from the graduating students. This feedback and the reviews have been one of the most rewarding aspects of running this program, and was a key element in inspiring me to create the Online Yoga Teachers Training program as well. So today I want to share with you all a small sample of the testimonials and reviews from the graduating students. As you will see from the feedback, the program delivers on its promise to not just help you transform your life, but also help you to become a successful meditation teacher and instructor. I have picked testimonials from different students to reflect the broad range of benefits of the training program. I hope these reviews give you more insight into what the certification progra...

The value of an epiphany doesnt lie just in some new or exciting insight. You might be walking down the street and pass a stranger. Your eyes meet, and for some reason there is a connection. It isnt sexual or romantic or even a suspicion that this person could mean something in your life.Instead, the epiphany is that you are that stranger your experience merges with his. Call this a feeling or a thought, it doesnt matter which its the sudden expansion that counts. You are flung outside your narrow boundaries, if only for a moment, and that makes all the difference.You have tasted a hidden dimension. Compared to the habit of shutting yourself behind the walls of ego, this new dimension feels freer and lighter. You have a sense that your body cant contain you anymore.Another example: When you watch a young child who is playing with complete focus yet totally carefree, its hard not to feel a tug. Doesnt the childs innocence seem palpable at that moment? Cant you feel in yoursel...

This just in: Dr. Greszczyszyn released powerful, advanced and detailed eCourses on Advanced Kriya Yoga. Special instruction on Kriya Pranayama, meditation, advanced work using tantra, mudras, postures and ways to manifest higher powers, divinity and realizations of siddhis commonly known as spiritual powers have been released in Advanced Kriya eCourses. In the eCourses you will have initiation into advanced kriyas from a direct disciple of Babaji Nagaraj (Mahavatar Babaji). Kriyas come from a variety of kriyas chosen specifically by Babaji from Levels 3-6 of the 7 advanced levels of Babaji's Kriya. It is Dr. Andrew Greszczyszyn's mission to release and teach advanced kriyas to all kriyabans and non kriyabans who want to advance Samadhi, become better manifestors, attain siddhis, and develop Soruba Samadhi--the gateway to immortality, incorruptibility and an ageless golden body formed of light. For more information on these powerful, breakthrough special eCourses, visit Dr. Gre...

In our culture good sex is usually defined in terms of technique and performance. We overlook that sex is a creative act, which doesnt need to be critiqued or evaluated.Sex is creative when it produces a new feeling, insight, or experience. In this exercise some of these possibilities are explored. Look at the following list of experiences. Put a check by any you have had at least once during sex. These are suggestive phrases, to be interpreted as you wishyour own perception of bliss, carefreeness, playfulness, and so on is all you need to go by.Delighted laughter; sense of timelessness; ecstasy; warm flow in the heart; merging with partner; floating sensation, as if the body disappears; warmth or visible light flowing up the spine; loss of ego; carefreeness; playfulness; nonattachment to your performance; complete letting go; expansion; sense of wholeness, safety, belonging; blessings; bliss; acute awareness of self or surroundings; unbounded love; contentment; peace in the cente...

Shit! Along with a lot of other baby boomers, I bet, that was my instant reaction to the TIME magazine cover that shouted out "2045 The Year Man Becomes Immortal" at me when I opened the mailbox a few days ago. Those of us who were born a few years after the end of World War II would be pushing 100 by the time immortality could be ours. Even before I read the cover story , I figured that (1) almost certainly I'll be dead by 2045, and (2) even if I wasn't, living forever in a worn out body/brain wouldn't be very appealing. But last night I read about futurist Raymond Kurzweil's prediction of the coming Singularity, and what he's forecasting is quite different from our usual conception of immortality. The story, by Lev Grossman, starts with a definition of "singularity." The moment when technological change becomes so rapid and profound, it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. Well, that sounds interesting. I'd like to be aroun...

Laughing Buddha Meditation Buddha Meditation Video One of the meditations that readers have really enjoyed is Kundalini Yogas Smiling Buddha Meditation for Happiness and Joy. In this article I will provide an overview of this technique, but more importantly I will present a video demonstration of how to do this wonderful meditation. This is one of those unique meditations which requires you to smile throughout the practice and has as its main goal happiness. Often used to uplift people who are suffering, this is one of those fun meditations to do. As you will see in the video below, I quite enjoyed myself while making this video and needless to say it put me in quite a happy and joyous mood. I hope it does the same for you. The original article with all the details regarding this techniques is Smiling Buddha Meditation for Happiness . This video will become part of the Free Meditation Videos Collection here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga. It will...

The soul is the highest form of the self. It doesnt unfold biologically like a childs brain and behavior. But in other respects theres an undeniable similarity: The soul works beneath the surface, and when its work comes to fruition, consciousness shifts.Children have to participate in their own development, taking an active interest in exploring the world and finding out their own potential. In spiritual terms, the same holds true. The seeker must take an active interest in the souls unfolding, or the result will be inert.Thats why I find myself reluctant to use the word seeker, because it denies the spontaneity of inner growth while at the same time implying that the goal is outside the self. Seekers seem like hunters on a safari to capture the soul. The spiritual path isnt like that. The goal is within and ever present. Better to say that one is trying to uncover the true essence of the self.We have all loved at times, felt compassion, and risen to acts of selflessness. We k...

Women of Wisdom will be hosting a special workshop with Reverend Guo Cheen on the Science of the Feminine Mind. The presentation and circle discussion will be held February 19, 2011 from 5 to 6 PM at North Seattle Community College. "We now know that we can choose to be more empathetic or systematic. Breakthroughs in neuroscience show that we can change our brain circuits of emotion; we are capable of changing 'the source of the world's suffering [that] is the suffering mind.' Reverend Cheen Pioneering neuroscience research reveals more about how we shape our brain through our thinking and how our thinking can alter our brain. How do we take advantage of our right-brain thinking, the synapses between our brain hemispheres and our intuition to evoke compassion and compassionate action? Experiment with shifts in the now that allow us to experience and savor moments in a completely different light, and from that place lash out with keen compassion. To register for this w...

All of us bring our needs to relationships, but they dont have to turn into attachment. Attachment is created when needs arent understood and faced.Needs you place on your partner never really get resolved; therefore even if your partner bends over backward to satisfy every need you have, the final outcome will be the same as if none of your needs were met: you will be left to confront why you have such needs. This why is answered by examining how you feel about being in separation, for the underlying anxiety of separation from God, spirit, and Self is what created need in the first place.When you heal separation, your needs will not reflect fear and insecurity.Relationship is meant to heal separation; therefore the proper attitude toward need is that you want to heal. However, in many relationships there is a confusing mismatch between what two people actually consider most important.How can neediness be healed when there is constant jockeying over what two people want? We have to...

The Dalai Lama's nephew, Jigme K. Norbu, famous for his long distance peace walks on behalf of the Tibetan cause, has been killed in Florida. He died during a 300-mile "Walk for Tibet," from St. Augustine to West Palm Beach, intended to raise awareness of the Tibetan struggle for independence. The Florida Highway Patrol said that the 45-year-old was hit by a Kia SUV at about 7:30pm local time on Monday on State Road A1A, which runs along the east coast. The location is in Flagler County, Florida about 10 miles from Flagler Beach, and 25 miles from St. Augustine. The Kia was driven by 31-year-old Keith R. ODell of Palm Coast, who had his two young children with him. ODell was not charged with the accident. Local reports said Norbu was walking on the west side of the road, which did not have a pavement and was not lit. There have been other fatalities of a similar nature at this same location. Norbu was a father of three, and normally lived in Bloomington, Indiana. ...

Metaphors are fun to play around with. Over on my other blog, I recently called the Oregon city where I live "a blandburger sandwiched between spicy Portland and Eugene." But Salem isn't really food. It's what it is: people, places, buildings, roads, parks, culture (and the lack thereof), plus so much else immediately cognizable stuff. Metaphors are a big step removed from the sort of reality that doesn't depend upon mentally connecting this , such as Salem, with that , such as the innards of a sandwich. I'm plugging away on reading a big thick book, "Philosophy in the Flesh," that I've previously blogged about here , here , and here . It's fairly dense, being more of a textbook than a title aimed at a general readership. Yet fascinating. The main point of the authors, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, is that concepts derived from bodily metaphors provide much, if not most, of the foundation for how we view the world. Consider the notion of ...

Inducing Altered States Naturally Higher Consciousness From time to time I share my experiences of altered states of consciousness and encounters with higher consciousness, as I hope these are a source of inspiration and insight for you. More often than not, such shifts in consciousness occur late at night and my experiences from yesterday, which are detailed below, were no exception. For those who wonder if married life obstructs ones spiritual growth, they should take heart from these accounts of altered states of consciousness as I am like Al Bundy, married with children . In fact, last evening I cuddled up with my two boys to help put them to sleep before retiring and getting some alone time to spend with my thoughts and Higher Consciousness. As I have expressed previously in the articles, Interpreting Spiritual Dreams and Enlightenment Experiences and Experience of Higher Consciousness and Divine Bliss , nighttime is a ripe opportunity for breaking through ones ordinary dualist...

Above is an image of southeast Tibet, acquired from space with the NASA/JPL Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR). The various colors assigned to the radar frequencies and polarizations are to map the distribution of different rock types. This is done so geologists can study formation and erosion of the Tibetan Plateau. The image was acquired on April 10, 1994, from the space shuttle Endeavour. The area covered is about 90 km miles east of Lhasa. North is toward the upper left. Once you climb down from space, this is how it looks on the ground. The area you see in this photograph is located in the "blue" area seen in the lower right corner of the NASA/JPL photo. Among other reasons, I am using these two images to dramatize the two different approaches to geomancy as it was practiced in Tibet. On the one hand, the Tibetans are borrowing a T'ang convention, and superimposing a "view from the stars" on the earth. On the other, th...