Monthly Archives: March 2011

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Do You Need an Experienced Meditation Teacher?

March 31, 2011 4:35 am \

Meditation By the LakeThese days every Tom, Dick, and Harry – and even Eloise – blogs about how to meditate.

They read a book and try out a few sessions.  Suddenly they are an “expert”.  Some even mix and match and make up their own meditations.  Then they present you with “10 Easy Steps to a Brilliant Meditation” or the like.

I don’t mean to be overly harsh.  I know people have good intentions, but do they really have the necessary experience to guide you effectively?

Their blog post might give you a good start on meditation.  Their instructions may help you to some degree, but they won’t necessarily take into account what meditation really is.  They often don’t provide a gradual path for coming to know your own mind.  And, they may be useless when you meet challenges in your meditation attempts, which will indeed occur.

Meditation is simple in one sense.  Anyone can learn to meditate and it will help you enormously.  Calmness, clarity, happiness, and freedom are some of the many positives you are likely to experience from meditation.  You can also gain improvements in blood pressure, a reduction in pain or stress, and a number of other health benefits.  Meditation has the power to bring so much comfort and ease into your life.

Nuances in Meditation

But bear in mind, there are many nuances in mediation.  There are many subtle levels of mind.  Ego is mischievous in its attempts to deter you from calm abiding and clear seeing.

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Posted in: Mindfulness & Awareness, Personal Development \ Tagged: ,

Why Sadness is the Key to True Happiness

March 26, 2011 10:54 pm \

tree-silhouette-at-nightThe other night I felt overcome by sadness as I reflected upon all the suffering of this world.

In many ways, I have a perfect life.  Nevertheless, a part of me will always be sad as long as there is suffering in this world.

Life is bittersweet.  And that’s OK with me.  Happiness without sadness would not be complete…as long as suffering persists.

I sat with the feelings of sadness, gazing at the dark night sky.  I didn’t try to push them away.  Quite the contrary, I felt empowered by them.

Usually, we want to move away from sadness as quickly as possible.

We’re encouraged to divert ourselves from the emotion by engaging in physical activity, imagining pleasant and relaxing experiences, or looking for humor in a situation that makes us sad.  Some people, who are naturally empathetic, have decided to protect themselves from sadness and other untoward emotions by not watching the news.  I can understand why.  There’s even a danger of becoming hardened and developing “compassion fatigue” in the face of overwhelming tragedy like the recent disasters in Japan.

But I say, let your heart be broken into a million pieces.  You will be all the better for it.  Here’s why.

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Posted in: Compelling Questions, Personal Development, True Happiness \ Tagged: , , ,

10 Important Ways to Prepare for a Natural Disaster

March 22, 2011 4:30 am \

Are you prepared for a natural disaster?

I live on an island with an active volcano.  It would be foolish not to prepare.  But, I haven’t done so.  Have you?

Even though we’ve had two tsunami warnings and two small (4.5 and 4.9) earthquakes in the last year, until the disaster in Japan, my mind did not turn to disaster preparedness.

Thailand, Katrina, Haiti, Queensland, Christchurch, Japan.  Disasters seem to be happening in rapid succession.  It’s possible more are on the way.  We don’t need to panic.  But, it’s clear we need to prepare.

10 Basic Tips to Prepare for a Disaster

So how do you prepare for a disaster?  This is what I’ve learned from my recent research.

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Posted in: Eco-Friendly, Health & Wellness \ Tagged: , ,