Aura

All posts in the Aura category

Inner Peace…Achievable?

Published 20/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

11058410_874782469245934_133459147530909624_n

Achieving ‘Inner Peace’…What!, with all I have going on in my life, what with work, the kids, extra hours trying to learn new things, taking the kids to gym, dance, swimming lessons, looking after the dog, cat and goldfish, ego talking constantly to me to do better, work faster, loose weight etc…Chance would be a fine thing!……Does this or some of it resonate with you?

Well, if it does; then you can achieve ‘Inner Peace’ but you have to make the effort to achieve it, it wont just happen overnight. You need to set yourself up to learn, you need to dedicate time each and every day to meditate, if only for a few minutes…’No excuses, don’t put it off until tomorrow, because as you well know, ‘Tomorrow, never comes‘!

When I first started meditation, i found it hard, i always felt as though I was doing something wrong, everyone i knew or met that meditated looked so calm, they all said how they could go into a deep, calm and reflective space where they connected with themselves, this may be in a garden, or by the ocean, on a mountain top, in a fantasy playground, floating on a cloud etc but for me all I could get was thoughts springing into my mind, thoughts about work, my vacation, children, what i needed to do later that day, i could hear the children, the phone, car horns blaring… but no inner peace. I could not feel the calmness that all my friends were experiencing…So I thought, ‘maybe there is something wrong with me’, or do they really experience that or are they just saying that to make me feel inadequate, perhaps they are also experiencing what I am but don’t really want to tell me!  🙂 Well, I stuck at it, at first for 5 minutes a day, then i tried 5 minutes twice per day, then after a few days i realised i was becoming more calm so i extended to 10 minutes, then twice per day and on and on it went, now I can easily achieve 1 or more hours and these sessions flash by like they were only minutes, i go into a deep quiet place but I am always aware, i can hear all that is going on around me, i feel the touch of the dogs wagging tail, the sounds are still there but now i can control them, i label my thoughts as ‘Thoughts’ and sounds as ‘sounds’ and i welcome connections from my heart, my soul and anyone else that wants to connect with me….I have over time started to achieve inner peace, it is a place of joy, of smiles, of reflection, a place where i can connect to my self, where i can spend quality time with myself, where i can feel my body, be aware of my health and all that ails me and concentrate for once on ‘Me’

Meditation is available to everyone, young or old, rich or poor and it costs you nothing, only time….and in my humble opinion…’Time well spent’ 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend my friends

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Transforming Anger into Loving Kindness

Published 18/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

My Dear Friends,

Do you have trouble with anger, or does your mind raise levels of hatred towards others? If so, then this short video from Mingyur Rinpoche may be useful for you and help you become aware of your anger, hatred and turn them into feelings of compassion and loving kindness.

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Energy, Darkness and Light, Positive and Negative

Published 17/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

ca7312e3cf556bfd6881b053e15d7df3

A dear Chinese friend of mine asked me to explain ‘Energy’ to another Chinese friend last night…..’Wow’ ! I thought, how do I explain that one’ in one easy sentence 😦

I was slightly lucky because just at that moment these two lovely Chinese ladies were being harassed a little by a foreigner who was a little drunk, very loud, argumentative, highly non-empathetic and downright arrogant…I therefore had the perfect way to explain ‘Energy’ to this young lady who is going through some severe relationship problems at the moment. She had come out for the evening to meet with her friend in order to gain some help and hopefully some advice regarding her problems. I was just a bystander being asked to help, so here is what I said to this young lady…

‘Energy’, is something that some of us can feel but others cannot! You called your friend and asked her to meet you this evening in order for her to listen to your relationship troubles and hopefully help you with her advice, you called her because you trust her, she is quietly spoken, friendly and she listens to you, she will not judge you and she will hold your hand and be there for you, her ‘Energy’ is calm and you feel comfortable sharing these intimate problems with her, right? She nodded and said yes, I feel she can really help me :)…

I then turned to this foreigner and said to her, he is the opposite of your friend, you turn your back to him, your shoulders are rounded away from him, your head is down and you try to be as far away from him as possible, he is loud, he is aggressive, he is pushy towards you, he invades your personal space and only thinks of himself, you feel insecure and threatened by him, right? She nodded and said yes!…

His energy is bad, it is dark, it is forceful and he wants to control you, can you see the difference?…She immediately nodded her head and said yes with a smile, I said this is ‘Energy’… 🙂 and the difference between positive (happy) and negative (dark, threatening)

From that moment on, she opened up to her friend and to me and we were able to connect to her problems, the arrogant guy got the message and left us alone and at the end of the evening she went home feeling happier and carried with her a little love and positive energy from us both 🙂

images

Remember my friends, ‘the darkness cannot prevail if you turn on the light’ 🙂

Namaste my friends

With Love

Always

Mark

Time To let Go, Start Living Your Life and Be Free

Published 16/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

21a627d029a2659d756052e36601e074

I have read and also written many posts regarding ‘Letting Go’, letting go of the past, breaking free from the chains that bind you down and hold you back from enjoying your life and reaching your full potential. These chains, shackles from the past can be of different sorts, they can be relationships, family, work based, life experiences, traumatic events, abuse etc but in the end they are all the same in their effect on your life. Never a day goes by without your mind relating to these past events or experiences, or thinking about ways in which you can change the past, re-connect with the person who grieves you, wishing they would be loving towards you, these experiences conjure up many awful thoughts and bad memories in your mind, they take over your life and effect everything you try to do. For the majority of us we push on with our lives and hope we will feel better, we try to mend the past through the things we try to do in the ‘now’ and also plan things for the future that we hope will take away the pain and make amends for these past experiences which have had so much of a negative effect on our life.

I too have had my own fair share of burdens in this life time, and I’m sure many others in previous lives too, I try to think positively most of the time (highlight on ‘most’ 🙂 ) but those nagging memories just come back time and time again, they continue to bring our morale down and control our lives in the ‘Now’….

So,…’Now’ is the time to take a real stance, it’s time to let go once and for all, to break the chains that shackle us down, that tie our wings to our bodies and restrict our flight.

e3d59f540418b99dfd175a27794f860a

We need to smile at the experience, the memory, at a picture of the person or re-connect to the past event and say goodbye, to wish them well and give thanks for the good things we now have in our lives, for all the love we have ‘right now’ and for all the love that is waiting for us on the other side of this experience, we need to break free from these chains, spread our wings and ‘FLY’ move on to pastures green, to a new life of positive possibilities, to live our lives as they should be lived without the burden and weight of these past events…’Now’ is where we should and need to be, always ‘Now’

If you are struggling with the past and need any help breaking free of these chains that hold you back, please reach out and I will be there for you, my sword at the ready breaking those chains that tie your wings my friends…

Concepts collection - Cutting the chain

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

I Have Nothing to Write About Today…So Here’s My Post Anyway!

Published 14/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

1150414_561743850560131_1602734256_n

Well, the weekend is here again and I’m a little stuck for words, my mind is blank and I’m having difficulty thinking of ideas for inspirational posts! I guess it’s the old ‘writers block’, maybe my meditations are taking me to the point of total relaxation where absolutely nothing seems to pass through my mind…. or, maybe I just don’t have anything much to say!

This feeling of empty-ness worries me, I feel I owe you a post and when I cannot think of a subject to write about I do start to worry and I become a little anxious!…will I loose followers?, what will my friends think when I don’t post for a day?… and the anxiety becomes even worse if I don’t post for more than one day…

But then I relax and let my fingers do the walking, I introduced them to the keyboard and like magic they began to type, nothing in this post so far anyway has come from my mind, my fingers have just flowed around the keyboard doing a magical dance on the keys and this is what you’re reading right now…I have no idea of the theme, I have no idea what the title of this post will be and where the post will end up…I guess its just a few rambling words to you all, my blogging friends, friends from all around the world, friends of different races, religions, gender and age..but friends you are and I would miss not having you all in my life, you give me strength, you give me pleasure and sometimes I get to feel a sense of happiness when I hear that I have managed to help one of you get through a difficult time in your life.

For me blogging is not about finding followers, it’s not really about spirituality (although spirituality and my spiritual journey are very important to me), faith or religion…In my case its just the words and feelings from me, nothing special, just my thoughts on any given day, on any subject that I feel will bring you some joy, a post that may help you overcome a fear, guide you to a solution to a problem or maybe a video or music post that will bring a smile to your face.

Now, while I’m writing this post I too feel a sense of joy, because the words flowing from my finger tips are saying what is inside my heart, no thought has gone into these words and no pattern has been put together of the structure or the outcome, but the words are as I said from my heart, and to me that’s a great thing because I honestly believe that if we; as humans used our hearts to their full capacity of loving kindness each and every day, we would live in a world filled with love and peace…I know I cannot bring about world peace on my own through this humble blog but I do know that I can bring about change, I can make you smile, I can bring joy and a little happiness to your life even if only for the briefest moment in time, but time is the essence, time has no meaning so that smile that you have on your face right now is a blessing from God and hopefully brought to you from the words or pictures that I send you 🙂

So in essence I guess this post is about happiness, it is about loving kindness, it is about bringing about change in our lives, it is about helping others, it is about my own spiritual journey, it is about living life in the now, it is about caring, it is about humanity, it is about giving…….

Some days I sit and cry a little, I care passionately about our world, I care passionately about humanity, I care passionately about the environment and I wonder what more I can do to help those in need! Those tears then lead to meditation when I connect to my heart and I realise I can do more, do something simple, bring a smile to someones face, give thanks for what I have in my life and I feel good again, this feeling then brings about action…actions can be simple, they can be small and they can cost you nothing… but these actions will and do make a difference to someone or something in our world…so when ever you feel down…just stop…meditate, connect with your heart, give thanks for your life and give thanks for all you have in your life…this will lead you to open your eyes with a fresh view which will bring about change and you will do good, you will help someone, you will share a smile..and on and on the circle of loving kindness will go…

from me to you,

from you to someone,

from them to someone else

and on and on the love gets shared:)

Blessings of Love, unconditional Love

11

 

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Hugs For Free Today :)

Published 11/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

hugs

Go on, you know you want one…Reach out, close your eyes and feel the warmth of my hug, my arms around you, comforting you. It comes to you with my love and best wishes for a wonderful day filled with happiness, joy and peace wherever you are in this world 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Your Self Reflection Manifesto, Food For Thought!

Published 09/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

selfreflection1

A few questions for you my Dear Friends!

 

Do you need any help answering any of these questions?

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Touching base with your Heart & Trusting your Intuition

Published 06/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

018-Self-Reflection-1280x1024

Touching base with your heart and your soul, easy?…… No!….Achievable?…Yes! 🙂

Our lives are so full of madness…time, the clock, rushing here, rushing there, eating while watching tv, reading the news, checking and responding to emails….working, parenting, relationships,’…their up’s and down’s…children and our fear for their future, challenges at work, career prospects, learning, financial difficulties….Is it all doom and gloom?….Only if you let it be!

I too have been a victim of all these things, my life has been filled with education, doing better, achieving more, working hard, working harder, working more hours, doing more of everything, wanting more of everything, buying for the sake of buying, mounting debt problems, children, the worries of being a parent, relationship challenges, divorce, grieving for the loss of loved ones, changing careers, re-educating myself, starting again, fighting to survive, living on the breadline, finding new love, emerging from the flames, being born again, awakening to the realities of life, becoming aware of what is important in life, caring from the heart, wanting to see change in our world, fighting for change, being frustrated that I cannot do enough, or make change happen overnight…an on; and on the cycle goes….So now what?…Where am I and what does the future hold?

Should I give up, should I buckle down and follow the pack, work every hour god sends, chase the dreams of others, or follow my heart, live in the ‘now’, do as ‘I’; my soul, my higher self wants?….

A dilemma felt by many….., choices…which way to go?…

The choice is yours, either be controlled or be in control….

I choose life, I choose to live in the now, to work in ‘Mindfulness’ of the other sometimes more important things in my life, for my family, for our future, for humanity, for our environment, for Mother Earth, for others less fortunate than I, I choose to serve for the betterment of my self, for my soul. My heart is now free, free to choose which way to go, I listen to my heart, I trust my intuition, I listen with Empathy to others with the intent to understand, and I place my feet firmly down on my own spiritual pathway, the journey which leads me through life with a smile; not a burden of weight placed upon my shoulders by others who want to control my destiny.

Be ‘Mindful’ my dear friends, live your life according to your own destiny, allow yourself the luxury right to enjoy your life to the full, take time out for yourself, connect with your heart and soul through meditation, free your mind from the distractions of modern life, see life as it really is and start enjoying each and every day to the full, see the blueness of the sky or if your sky is grey; see the blueness of the sky up above the clouds, watch the sun rise and set, see the smiles of the children around you , reconnect with your inner child, smile, always smile and breathe….just breathe 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

 

Love, She Keeps Me Warm

Published 05/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

My Dear Friends,

Love….It is in everyone, sometimes we just need to find it….Love, has no limits and it does not discriminate….’Love Is’

I Can’t change even if I tried, even if I wanted to…Love, She keeps me warm 🙂

My Heart does not see race

Love has no age limit

Love has no gender

Love has no disability

Love is Love

Love has no race

Our family is no less than any other family

Love has no religion

We have universal love

Namaste with Love

Always
Mark

Weekend, Time to Reflect on Life & Recharge Batteries

Published 07/11/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

IMG_5634.JPG

Take time out this weekend to connect with nature, breathe in the fresh air and breath out love to our planet and if you have time meditate, connect with your inner soul, with your heart and give thanks for your life:)

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Oneness

Published 04/11/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

 

BiVbx0zCcAAN9UQ

Oneness, When you look into another’s eyes and all you see is yourself!

The realisation that we are all one in the same, we are all created from source, we are all part of the 5 master elements Pancha Mahabhuta (Sanskrit)meaning Pancha (5) Maha (Master) and Bhuta (Element) = Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth, these 5 principle elements of intelligence underlie all of creation, they make up everything within our bodies and everything outside our bodies.

Once we understand these 5 elements we can start to feel the presence of others and notice the connections between all beings, the feeling of ‘Oneness’ is a wonderful thing, it opens our eyes to the world and allows our hearts to connect with others.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Don’t Waste Your Life, Care About The Right Things!

Published 29/10/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

 

Take a moment to watch and listen to this short video…The reality of your life is now!

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

Contemplation and Peace On Earth

Published 13/10/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

IMG_5351

 

I lit an incense stick this morning

In memory of loved ones lost

To my higher self

To God, The Buddha and the Angels

 

Kuan Yin, Lao Tzu and Confucius 

Ascended Masters and Family members

Were all present in my prayers

As I sat in quiet contemplation, at peace with myself

 

Giving silent thanks for all I have in my life

To my family, my friends and my colleagues

My love, my compassion and my gratefulness

Unconditional thanks and love for all

 

The sweet heady smell of incense wafts through my room

As I sit and give praise to all

To Mother Earth, The Environment and Humanity

And May the God’s give us Peace on Earth.

 

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Seeing The Humour In Our Predicament

Published 28/09/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

images-3 images-1 images-2 imgres-1 How-Laughter-Improves-Your-Memory imgres images

 

“If it were not laughed at, it would not be sufficient to be Tao.” – Lao Tzu,Tao Te Ching

Did you ever have a bad day? Everything seems to go wrong and you are completely lost in anger, frustration and self-pity. It gets worse and worse, until the final moment when, say, you have just missed the last bus. There is some critical point where it gets so bad the absurdity of it all overwhelms you and you can do nothing but laugh. At that moment you uplevel your predicament, you see the cosmic joke in your own suffering.

Meditation, because of the space it allows around events, gives you the chance to see the humor of your predicament. Awareness of the passing show of one’s own life allows a lightness to enter it where only a moment before there was heaviness.

Humor puts things in perspective. There are many levels of humor – there is a humor of survival, a humor of sex and gratification, a humor connected with power. Beyond all these there is a humor that is filled with compassion. It is reflected in the tiny upturn in the mouth of the Buddha, for he sees the humor in the universal predicament: all beings are lost in illusion, yet he knows that they will awaken from that illusion for they are, at heart, already enlightened. He knows that what seems so hard to them is from another perspective their own path to liberation.

Often the perspectives about yourself and the universe that you arrive at through meditation make you want to giggle or laugh. This giggle is without malice. It’s a cosmic giggle, one that I identify with my guru, Maharaj-ji. For his giggle was not of this world. It was not a social or personality giggle, but rather a cosmic chuckle, the delight in the fun of it all. His giggle was from the plane that gives us the term “lila,” the divine dance of life.

– Ram Dass

 

A DAY WITHOUT LAUGHTER IS A WASTED DAY!

Namaste with Love My Friends

Always

Mark

Peace – Make Love Not War- Call To Arms

Published 25/09/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

Together we can make a change to our world

Love Is The Answer My Friends

Namaste With Love
Always
Mark

Do You Still Love Yourself, Do You Need a Reminder of How Great You Are?

Published 15/09/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

img_0863

Some days, I’m not so sure!
I wake up and start my day, I amble out of bed
Feeling tired, lethargic and grumpy
More sleep needed maybe, more time to rest, to lie dormant and be; just me!

coffee-espresso-international-space-station

A pick me up coffee to raise my spirits, its heady smell and strong taste slapping me awake like a hand to my face
Or does it help suppress my mind, control my senses and take away my creativity
Breakfast…Oh no, that’s for wimps, no time for that in my busy life
Off to the bathroom for me instead, the slow walk to that place of awakening

images

The mirror lies before me, standing proud and tall the size of my wall, no place to hide
I’m naked for my eyes to see, Ohh a sight for sore eyes and not for the faint at heart
Too much fat hiding my chin, my eyes are red and sleepy, lids wanting to close and sleep once again
Plenty of excess around my middle, my arms my hips, my rear, it appeared overnight, I think!

Is my hair receding even further, is that a spot on my face
I’m no teenager, where have they come from, maybe a memory of day’s gone bye
What’s that hair doing coming from my ears and nose, should it not be on my head
It wasn’t there yesterday, my body it would seem to be out of control

tumblr_mb3fwtOL6l1rtq0bfo1_500

A clean shave is what I need and into the shower I go
The fresh warm water cascading down upon my head
Awakening my body and my soul
Water cleansing, washing away my negativity, bringing life back to my body like rain to a seed

The towel meets my skin, rough and soft all at the same time
The water disappearing into the fabric, leaving my skin soft and dry
A splash of aftershave hits my jaw, awakens my senses to the sweet smell of summer
Stepping into my trousers, and a fresh shirt completes my attire

IMG_4131

Looking into the mirror a new man, a new day, a new opportunity
I love my self again, I’m happy in my skin, I’m proud of what I have achieved
I’m off to start a fresh day, out into our wonderful world, more people to help, more spirits to lift
Opening the door, the sun greets my face it awakens me to mother nature, warm and gentle welcoming me once again

Stepping down my steps I feel my breath, catching the fresh morning air
Feet touching the ground with a steady momentum, taking me on to more challenges in life
I hear the sounds of our world, the noise of the city, millions moving towards their day, but if I listen carefully there is so much more to hear

nomo

The quietness of nature, birds in song, the soft rustling of leaves as the gentle breeze passes through the trees
Mothers walking their children to school, grandparents exercising in the gardens their slow Tai Chi movements, bringing life to their aging bones
Ladies dancing under the trees, awakening their limbs and bringing smiles of joy to their faces

80455134-Thai_Chi

I am indeed grateful for all I have in my life
I have a gift, the gift of sight, the gift of sound, the gift of smell, and the gift of touch
The ability to realize all that is around me, the gift is LIFE itself
So easy to forget in our crazy non stop world, so easy to loose sight of what we have, So easy to fall into the hands of the media and follow their never ending tales of doom and gloom

I do love my life; I do love my world
I’m thankful and grateful for another day to share this gift with you

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

More Pictures From My Trip To France

Published 12/09/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

 

Hello again my dear friends,

Here are some more pictures from my recent trip to France, this time I’m going spiritual with images from the Plouray Sangha in Brittany, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa whom I had the pleasure of meeting in France and a beautiful range of stained glass windows and wall paintings in some Catholic Churches in Brittany. I do hope you like them?

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

15 16 17 18 32 33 19 20 21 23 24 25 22 26 27 28 29 30 31

In My Heart I No Longer Want To Be Better Than You!

Published 19/08/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

10371937_10152387267377702_7746056512707679877_n

In my heart of hearts,
I no longer want to be
Better than you
Smarter than you
Thinner than you
Prettier than you
Faster than you
Stronger than you
More accomplished than you
More creative than you
A better mother than you
A better friend than you
Better educated than you
ANYTHING more than you.

I want to walk this path
Side by side
In awe of who you are
In awe of what your gifts are
To see you only in love and light
With your beauty shining through
Just as you are.
And I want you to see me the same way.
For I really do love you
Just as you are.
I only thought I had to be better
In order for you to love me.

I drop this cloak of outshining at the gate.
It has been such a heavy burden,
An unnecessary burden
A self imposed burden.
Will you still love me
Being just as I am.
In my heart of hearts,
I know you will.

~ Katy Stevenson Wirth

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Remember To Share Your Love While You Still Can!

Published 09/08/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

We often forget to share our love with the people closest to us and regret it at the end if their days. Share your love while you still can my friends, reach out to your loved ones today, tell them you love them and leave them with a smile 😄❤️

IMG_4006-1.JPG

IMG_4012-0.GIF

#IAMPEACE Please Join The Global Meditation For Peace 8.8.14 12 Noon EST

Published 08/08/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

Bue8JuICYAENDrx

My Dear Friends

I will join Deepak Chopra, India Arie, Gabrielle Bernstein and hopefully millions of other beautiful souls in a Global Meditation For Peace, this event will take place on the 8th August 2014 at 12 Noon EST so for me that is Midnight same day (approx 13 hours from now), I will be there to pledge my support in meditation and feel the positive peaceful energy that this mass global meditation will bring to our world.

Please go to http://globalmeditation.chopra.com to register, this will give you the specifics of the event, a countdown timer, a short video etc

Namaste with Love and Peace

Always

Mark