My Dear Friends,
I was blessed to be drawn to this wonderful video poem by Jamie Dunmore, his message is clear as he speaks to the world as a ‘Human Being’ asking us a simple question…What Will You Do?
Please take the time to watch this wonderful short video and please share with your networks because it is indeed ‘Time For Change’
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
The One Word That Can Change The Way You Look At Life
Mark Denicola
The Oxford English Dictionary has a definition for over 170,000 words that are currently in use. Each of these words, some more often than others, we use to communicate thoughts, ideas, feelings, emotions and so much more on a daily basis. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compilation of invented words, created by John Koenig, that take language to an even more profound level. This video narrated, written, directed, edited and coined by John Koenig introduces us to one word that will give you an even greater appreciation for the world that we live in and the life that you live.
Sonder – n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
(The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows)
When you really think about it the human experience can be quite the profound thing to behold. To think that we each inhabit a body, live in a small part of this massive world and have the ability to create both individually and collectively is quite the realization. That being the case, it can be pretty easy to get fully caught up in our own life, especially since it is the only one that we are consistently a part of and play the starring role in. This video reminds us of the very cool fact that in addition to playing the lead in our own life story we also play the supporting, recurring, day player and even background role in the lives of thousands of others.
Aside from this realization, in my opinion being flat out cool to think of, it’s also a great reminder of the respect that each and everyone of us on this planet deserves. Just as our own life can become so overwhelming at times, so can the life of the person you shared a bus ride with and played nothing more than a background role in. Let’s all keep this in mind when we interact or even just find ourselves inclined to pass judgment upon others. We can never know the full story of everyone we meet, but we can know that their life story is just as real and challenging as ours can be at times, and they therefore deserve the same level of respect that we all like to receive.
The next time you find yourself out in a busy place or crowded area remind yourself of the primary message that this video delivered. To stop for a moment and think that you unknowingly but simultaneously are playing a role in the lives of everyone currently around you can be quite the thing to realize and appreciate.
Time for thought my friends 🙂
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My eyes are closed and I’m safe and sound
Safe inside my own private world
My senses on high alert
As I commence my daily meditation
The sound of silence fills my ears
My breath slow and deep
My chest rising and falling
In synch with the beat of my heart
My back straight and my legs crossed
I sit and gaze into nothingness
My hands at rest upon my thighs
As I slowly enter my world of calm
My Garden of Eden, my tranquil place
I walk amongst friends here with nothing to fear
The light is bright and the sounds of happiness abound
The softness of the grass as my feet kiss the ground
Children at play, their laughter fills the air
The sounds of birds in song, fish splashing in the tranquil pools
The fresh mountain breeze rustles the leaves on the trees
Perfection on earth as Mother Earth intended
Smiles and Joy are for everyone here
No pressure, no stress, no competition allowed
Only compassion, peace and love
Humanity and nature living together as one
One Earth, One Humanity, One Love
In my world everyone is allowed
No chains, no suffering, no hunger
Only Love, One Love, Unconditional Love
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Learn to eradicate one thought at a time until you reach inner peace. Meditation and mindfulness are so much a part of my life 🙏
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Feeling Lost and Alone
Some days my heart is lost, lost in its own special world
Wandering about in its own state of emptiness
The feeling of loss like a deep abyss
As tears well up in my eyes, my heart misses a beat
My body not in control, my emotions running wild
My mind conjuring up many things; sad but true, the magician of my life
The skin on my face is weighted by bad experience
And my brow takes the strain of the world
I sit alone with memories of old flashing through my mind
Children playing, happiness and joy, my family, my loved ones, my life perfection
Then the arguments, the rage, the tears, the pain and the disappointments of life
Forever etched deeply in my mind
The need to break free from this torment, so difficult to do, broken hearts and minds are left behind
Cutting the chains that anchored me to so much pain, the abuse, the humiliation
The tears of sadness, the screams of rage, still echo in my heart
Each day I remember, each day I cry, and each day I wish the pain will end
People move on and change their lives, hiding their guilt and passing the blame
My heart knows the truth, my soul to bear; my memories forever remain
But as each day dawns, a new start, a new life, a chance to break free, forever
So from behind the mask a tear falls but outside a smile is free
My prayers are for life, for love, for happiness and compassion for all
No one to blame only me
The pain for a reason, bringing me understanding and experience to my heart
Meditation for the mind taking me closer to understanding…..me
As the tears of mother earth wash the pebbles in a stream since the dawn of time
So to do my tears, cleansing my soul, washing away my pain
Step by step, day by day
Getting stronger, living life, breaking free
Holding out a hand in kindness, brings kindness in return
A smile begets a smile
Love brings love
Today is a new day, my heart beating a new love of life and for me
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Angels Wings
Silently I sit, my eyes closed and my mind at rest
Counting my breaths, deeper and deeper I go
Back to myself and into myself
Awareness on my body, in my body
As I count my breaths
The air enters my nose and raises my chest, filling my lungs as it goes
Life’s great gift of oxygen fueling my body, one breath at a time
Noises are muted like the press on a remote
Sensations are acute and I’m in touch with my soul
My childhood flashing through my mind like a video on fast-forward
Smiles of joy, happiness, pain, distress and anxiety abound
I walk deeper and deeper along the pathway to my soul searching for my inner self
Where am I, what am I
So many doors alongside my pathway, which one shall I choose
This one feels right! I reach out towards the door handle
Slowly opening the door, the light is bright, cascading out towards me
Beautiful light, white and gold, brighter and brighter as I enter the room
Inside the room, my heart beating faster, where am I now, what will I find?
The hairs on my arms are raised to attention, anticipation of what I will find
My skin warmed by the light, my body feels calm, and my breathing is slower
I see something moving in the mist of the light, moving towards me, gracefully as if drifting on a cloud
From out of the light, a beautiful smile greets me, his hands take mine
Soft hands and comforting, I know I’m home, I’m safe, and I’m loved
In the arms of my angel, my guide, my protector in life
His wings surround me, covering my body, comforting me with God’s grace and love
All is well now, nothing to fear, no stress, no pressure, just love
We sit, my eyes closed and I submit to his goodness
His messages of wisdom come to me; his direction and guidance flow freely
More gifts of love, compassion and happiness received, my mind filled with unconditional love
We part with a smile and I’m on my way
Back to my life and another day
My Angel is with me,’Always’ watching my steps
Keeping me safe and loving me unconditionally
Namaste with love
Always
Mark
He who speaks
does not know
He who knows
does not speak
He who understands
does not preach
Temper your judgements and
your words
Smooth out your differences and
forgive disagreements
Dull your cleverness and
simplify your motives
Be open to the world as it
unfolds
Then, friendship and enmity
Profit and loss
Honor and disgrace
Will all be the same:
The world unfolding
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Quietness.
Rare perfection seems incomplete,
Yet does not decay
Rare abundance seems empty,
Yet does not fail
A rare truth seems contradictory;
Rare cleverness seems stupid;
Rare eloquence seems awkward.
As spring overcomes the cold,
And autumn overcomes the heat,
So do calm and quiet
overcome the world.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
I love this comment from Alan Watts and quotation by a Japanese Zen Master.
Think about it for a while 🙂
Namaste with Love
‘Always’
Mark
The ‘Guest House’ A fantastic way to think about our emotions and feelings. Welcome them into your life, don’t judge them for they may be coming to you for a reason!
Mindfulness and meditation practice allows us the valuable time to connect deeply with our inner self, to spend time with ourself and to listen to what is going on with our mind, body and soul. Lets take a quick look at emotions and feelings through the use of meditation and mindfulness and as Rumi says, ‘welcome them into our guesthouse’.
As we sit or lie and start our meditation, we close our eyes and relax our body, concentrate on our breath, in and out, in and out, we can take our time to bring our awareness to our breath, focussing our attention only on our breath, the feeling of our breath as it raises our stomach, inflates our chest or the coolness of the air entering through our nose, the key is to allow the time for our mind to become calm and concentrating on the breath certainly helps us do this, it may take you some time because you may; at the beginning get caught up with thoughts flashing into your mind, you will hear sounds which break your concentration, feel an itch, cough, hear your children playing, the phone ringing etc, but please take my word for it; with practice it gets easier 🙂 So, back to our breath, in and out, in and out, feel the cool air entering your nose, in and out, in and out, feel the air inflating your chest, be aware of the gap/time in -between the top of your in-breath and before the out=breath starts, then feel the air slowly leaving your lungs, moving up through your throat and up and out of your nose, in and out, in and out. If your mind starts to wander, don’t worry, its normal, just recognise the fact that it happened and bring your focus back to the breath, in and out, in and out.
As thoughts enter your mind place a label on them ‘thought’ or thinking’, you can label them more deeply if it help you like such as ‘ work’, ‘children’, chores’ or whatever helps, but try to regain your composure and bring your awareness back to your breath, in and out, in and out.
Emotions and feelings may arise like ‘Happiness’ or ‘Anxiety’, if they come; then accept them in, concentrate on your breath, in and out, in and out, what is ‘Happiness’ why are you feeling Happy? Concentrate on your breath and get acquainted with the emotion of’ happiness’, where did it come from and what are the feelings behind it, maybe your feeling so happy that you have given yourself some time for yourself, maybe your heart is telling you it loves you. This is your journey of discovery so enjoy the feeling. If ‘Anxiety arrives, then accept it too, why is it there, what made it arrive? Do you feel anxious because your spending valuable time on yourself? does that make you anxious? Are you anxious of not knowing the outcome? Are you anxious of time and wanting the session to end? Get acquainted with the emotion and allow it to come and to go.
Concentrate on your breath, in and out, in and out.
Also from Rumi as posted by Dr Victoria Lee
The purpose of emotion
A certain sufi tore his robe in grief,
and the tearing brought such relief….
his teacher understood the purity
of the action while others
just saw the jagged appearance.
If you want peace and purity
tear away the coverings.
This is the purpose of emoton, to let
a streaming beauty flow through you.
Call it spirit, elixir, or the original
agreement between yourself and God.
Opening into that gives peace, a song of
being empty,
pure silence.
In this poem, dear Rumi guides us once again toward deepening our spiritual experience. Stripping away the covering imposed by the false self is always the path. This means letting go of our attachment to the ideas we have about ourselves, as well as to the ideas others have about us. The most fundamental of these may be our limiting beliefs–I am incapable, the world is too harsh, I am too old, too young, too attached to obligations, too unable to feel anything transcendent, too ____; when we allow all that to dissolve, Rumi famously tells us that we will find glints of treasure in the dirt of the demolition of the house we’ve built out of false ideas about who we are. Then the streaming beauty emotion is meant to allow us can flow through us.
Then we may look in the mirror–and in every human and animal face–and know that:
Inside you are sweet beyond telling. There is a sun in everyone!
May you look in the mirror today, dear visitor, and look deeply into any human face; look into the eyes of a child. See the longing and see the beauty!
Mindfulness and meditation my dear friends can bring you so much awareness and help you come to terms with your emotions, feelings and pain.
Good luck on your personal journey of discovery.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Reflecting On My Life
How often do you take the time to just sit, relax, calm your mind and reflect on your life?
If you are like me; then you will take some time each day to sit, to meditate and to spend some quality time on yourself in a state of mindful awareness. Awareness of who you are, and what your life is like at that given moment in time. This level of mindful awareness is good for you because it allows you to check in with your inner self, to give yourself a body scan using your awareness to check up on your body, to see how its feeling and allow your body the time to speak to your heart. When your mind, body and soul are in synch with each other then you are; as the saying goes ‘Firing on all cylinders’, You will be feeling at your very best, and you will be able to use your intuition to its best and your awareness of yourself will be heightened.
Giving your body a body scan.
The purpose of the body scan process is for you to become aware of what you are experiencing at that very moment, to step out of your daily routines and the confinement of what we call ‘Time’ to relax our minds and come into awareness of that very ‘Moment’, the ‘Now’, the ‘Present’ and for you to rest with an open mind whilst keeping in mind your awareness of what you are experiencing in each and every moment, even when difficult emotions, sensations or thoughts arise. In fact it is very important that we do welcome these feelings, thoughts and emotions and recognize them for what they are, and maybe even label them as ‘Thoughts’, ‘Noise, Warmth’ etc; and then gently bring back our awareness to our breath. With each practice session you will become more aware of your innerself, and the thoughts coming into your mind may start to lessen as you continue to calm your mind. Don’t try to label every though with a different label though; simply label it as a ‘Thought, or ‘Thinking’ and comeback to your breath and rest in the non-reactive, soft hearted and open minded mode within yourself, remembering this is quality time for you and your body, so relax and enjoy.
Here are two body scan videos which may help you go through the guided body scan mindfulness meditations
Namaste With Love
Always
Mark
Silencing the mind, a very important task in order for us to gain access to our inner self, our soul. This is where the magic happens, this is where we need to be to take charge of our lives, the place where we can connect with our true self, not the self we see in the mirror, not the self we hear quietly talking to us, holding us back, causing clatter in our head, the authentic soul self, this is where we can start to love ourself, to connect with source energy, to understand what our body is trying to us regarding our health, connect to our heart and listen, truly listen to our body and where we can learn so much which will help us in our daily lives.
Mindfulness and meditation can help get is there, they can help guide us to quieten our minds and reach inward to our soul.
Below is a link to a short 5 minute video by Thich Nhat Hanh ‘What is Mindfulness’ which outlines Mindfulness for those of you who are looking to enter into a practice of mindfulness and meditation.
If I can be of any help to you on your journey of discovery, please let me know and I will do my best to help you 🙂
Namaste with Love my friends
Always
Mark
I sit
I close my eyes
I relax
I concentrate on my breath and calm my mind
In and out
In and out
In and out
Deeper and deeper I go, ever closer to my soul
Thoughts enter my mind
Problems at work, problems at home, my past, my future
My life in thoughts, my ego at work, holding me back from the ‘Now’
Back to my breath, In and Out, In and Out
Thank you thought, I don’t need you now
Off they go disappearing forever, forgotten already and on I go
Back to my breath, in and, out, in and out,
Closer to my soul, one breath at a time
Heart beating slowly, in rhythm with my breath
Oxygen filling my body from limb to limb and cell to cell
Channeling my mind and focus on my skin
Perspiration on my brow, a cool sensation, calm and free
I see a pathway leading down, down and down it goes
I follow with joy as the adventure unfolds
My teenage years and childhood lie before me
Innocence to life, a happy place to be
I stay awhile and dream
I play amongst the trees, smell the sweetness of the flowers and watch the bees
I bathe my feet in the coolness of the stream and watch the birds fly by on wings up high
My journey nears its end
Time to return, to reality as is
My breath takes me back, In and Out, In and Out
Upwards I go with every step on the pathway from my soul
Returning again to life, my life
My meditation ends
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
How many of you listen to your heart?
Do you really listen to your heart or is it your Ego?
Im currently going through a series of dilemmas, dilemmas of which not only effect me, they also effect my wife, my children, to a certain extent my family, my career and my colleagues and although I cannot go into details here on my humble blog lets just say they are massive decisions I need to make. Now, for most people these decisions would be easy to make especially if they are looking for a bigger career, more challenges, more money and more notoriety but for me these are not my goals, I know if I go with the majority then my life for the next few years will be tied up in business, business which I enjoy very much but is it really what I need in my life? There in lies the biggest dilemma!
Actually I want to establish a spiritual and wellness counselling business, probably in another country far from here but its like starting life anew, taking risks not only of myself but also for my wife and my children, I have no worries about myself, I know I can do it, my calling from source is to follow this pathway but my ego is holding me back, the nagging ego making me procrastinate at every turn in the pathway toward making a decision!
My heart tells me to follow my destiny, following this intuition has always been good to me throughout my life, whenever i come to a crossroad or a problem is placed in front of me, my heart shows me the way every time, without fail and with its own unconditional love for my wellbeing.
So what’s holding me back? Is it the fact of starting all over again, is it the fear of failing my family or is it that i don’t think i can provide for my family through a spiritual practice?
I guess I need to do some deep meditations and truly listen to my heart and act upon its wisdom!
Namaste with Love my friends
Always
Mark
I love this short video ‘What the internet is doing to our brains’. We all get caught up in it, our days are full of distractions, information comes at us from every angle from the moment we awake to the moment we go to sleep, TV, Radio, Newspapers, Smart Phones, tablets, Computers and of course the never ending stream of information and disturbances from the internet, emails, text messages, chats etc.
We have no time to take a time out, to calm our minds and to just ‘Sit’ ‘to do nothing’, ‘to reflect’, ‘to look inside’ and ‘enjoy our time with ourself’, ‘connecting with your soul’.
If you meditate, you know how powerful even 2 minutes of meditation can be for you, how these two minutes can calm your mind, take you to a place of total relaxation, away from the daily stresses and leave you fully in the ‘Present Moment’
Enjoy the video and take a moment from your day and be at one with yourself.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My trips to Hawaii
During a healing session for my shoulder about 2 years ago when I was still dealing with the recent passing of my dear Father and recovering from my accident and subsequent surgery, the healer said ‘You have a calling towards Hawaii, something very strong is drawing you towards those Islands, maybe you need to go there, stay a while and maybe learn the healing of Ho’oponopono’! I had no idea what Ho’oponopono was or had I ever thought of going to Hawaii mainly because it was so far away from the UK where I was brought up or for that matter from China where I now live, Hawaii in my mind was a holiday destination, a place for surfing, Hawaii 5’O and Magnum PI, TV programs I remembered from my youth ☺ Anyways after the session I felt the drawing towards Hawaii was becoming ever stronger, I immediately started to look at travel information, flights from Shanghai to Tokyo in Japan then a change of flight to Oahu then another flight to the Big Island, a lengthy journey but one in which I seemed destined to follow! We made our plan to visit the Big Island because May and I wanted to see a live volcano and experience the sunset on Mauna Kea at 14,000ft, above the clouds, to me that was my spiritual calling towards these beautiful islands.
Our trip came around quickly and May and I were soon on our way, the journey was a little torturous, three flights and around 20 or so hours and we had arrived on the Big Island, we picked up our car and drove to the villa we had booked, one which I was immediately drawn to called ‘Bali Temple’ situated on a old lava flow close to the ocean, the black volcanic beach, spinner dolphins and Kilauea, the volcano I so wanted to see.
The villa was all we had imagined, built on the lava flow in amongst the coconut trees, surrounded by native flowers from the islands a gentle breeze from the ocean, sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks and a lullaby each night from the frogs and insects living around us, total relaxation which I needed so badly after so much trauma in my life. I had not experienced anything like this before, yes, I had been on many holidays to exotic places, tropical islands in the sun and very remote and peaceful locations; but somehow Hawaii was different, it felt like I was home and I felt totally at ease here. The first morning we decided to visit a local pool, which was served with a mix of fresh water and salt water, the Pacific ocean fed the pool with fresh salt water all day long through a small inlet tube and the fresh water came from underground and was heated naturally by Kilauea the volcano we had come to see, the pool was set in a beautiful natural location surrounded by coconut palms, lush grassed picnic areas, the blue ocean and teaming with small brightly coloured fish, shrimps and crabs fresh in from the sea. I spent a couple of hours relaxing my bones in the lovely warm water floating on the surface and enjoying the sun, I have perfect flotation balance so I can lie flat and float on the surface for hours on end, just meditating. All of a sudden I heard a scream, the scream awakened me from my deep meditation, the scream was also accented by the feeling of my feet touching some rope, I popped up like a cork from my lying position to realize I was being drawn out to sea by the tidal pull, I was on my way out of the pool, the ocean pulling me away. Luckily I was in time, the lady’s scream had alerted me and I was able to scramble back to the safety of the pool! Thank God because my recently fixed shoulder would not have managed to help me swim against the waves out in the open ocean. As I caught my breath the lady came up to me, she introduced herself and told me what she had just witnessed. The lady and I exchanged names and I thanked her for awakening me, in fact; saving me from certain peril!
She saw my surgical scar on my shoulder and asked me what had happened, after a brief discussion she started telling me her life story, where she was from in the USA, what had happened to her throughout her life, the traumatic relationships she had gone through and the cancer that had taken hold of her, the years of struggle she had gone through, the loss of her business, loss of property, the fights and the recovery to now living in Hawaii where she is happy and I’m glad to say cancer free ☺ She said ‘I have never told anyone my story Mark, I’m a private person who just gets on with it, makes the best of the situation and look after myself, but strangely I felt the need to tell you, to share all with you and tell you my life’s story, I don’t know why but you have something special that made me tell you’!
After about an hours conversation, I thanked her for her kindness and we went our separate ways, I got out of the pool and told my wife what had happened; the trauma in the pool and the conversation with the lady, wow! Why did she come to me, and what made her tell me her life’s story? All I remember is I listened and the words I spoke came from within, I know I did not need to think about my answers, the words just flowed like the waves of the ocean, she felt calm and totally at ease with me and our meeting; although brief was very meaningful and it happened for a reason.
May and I fell into the local lifestyle easily, we spent our days, sitting by the ocean, watching the turtles play in the surf, snorkeling in the warm tidal pools enjoying the fresh air, the blue skies, the local produce and the warm sun, perfect and total relaxation in paradise.
During our trip we visited Kilauea the live volcano, we were in awe of its magnificence, its power, the devastation that Pele The Goddess of Kilauea has caused over the years, the energy that she has and the draw that her energy has over the people that visit it. May and I went back many times, we walked over the lava flows, explored the vastness of its rugged and natural beauty, walked through the lava tubes, felt the steam rising from deep below and smelt the pungent air from the depths of Gaia, we took a helicopter flight over the volcano to see its summit, gazed down into the depths and watched the molten lava flowing from Kilauea down to the sea, the steam rising from the ocean as the molten lava enters the Pacific and is calmed by nature itself. I felt my energy increase throughout our visit, I was becoming physically stronger and mentally I was starting to recover from my recent traumas and my surgery.
The Big Island has many communes, groups of ‘New Age’ families and young people living simply and enjoying life in paradise, we visited their markets, brought fresh produce and enjoyed our interactions.
One day my wife and I were driving along a long country road, miles from anywhere heading up the east coast towards Hilo, a hitchhiker was walking along the road with his hand out looking for a ride. Now, we hade been in Hawaii for about two weeks already, we had driven past many hitchhikers and I had never stopped to pick anyone up, this is just not the thing to do back in China or the UK, but for some reason I started to pull over just as we passed this young man, my wife of course asked my what I was doing, ‘why are you stopping’? I replied, ‘I have no idea, but I just know I need to give him a ride’!
The door opened and this young late twenties/early thirties man in shorts with a mass of curly hair, bare chest, bare feet and a beard said ‘ thank you sir, wow! You have an amazing aura, thank you for stopping’, he got in the car, we asked him where he needed to go and he just said ‘just drive and I will tell you when to stop and let me off’, these roads were very remote with thick rainforest type natural deep vegetation either side of the road, as we drove he asked me some questions but said that we were destined to meet, my energy was so strong and he needed to feel it, he said I had lots to do on my journey and said I was doing great work, and I should let go, feel free and enjoy the good that will come from my life and its interactions with others who need my help! A couple of miles further on he said, stop!. My wife and I questioned him because we were literally in the middle of nowhere, he got out of the car and as we drove away, we both looked back and he had gone, disappeared from view, nowhere was he to be seen! My wife and I could not believe what had just happened, we were both a little shocked by the experience, the words that came from the man were very softly spoken, he was obviously very spiritual, his aura and energy very calm and he was a lovely person. Why did I stop and pick him up? Who knows! What was the purpose and meaning behind what he said to me? Who knows! All I know is, I was meant to pick him up and I was meant to learn from him.
I’m feeling drained right now, my energies have been exhausted by the recollections of these two encounters in Hawaii…more to follow soon, I promise ☺
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
A nice follow on video to a couple of my most latest posts regarding Fear.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Mathematics can show us how to solve anything!
Try to add more love, happiness, joy and compassion to your life and minus some hate, resentment, jealousy, envy and greed. Hold out your hands and give out your thanks and gratitude to the world and you will be blessed with a happier and more peaceful loving life!
Namaste with Love my friends
Always
Mark
Meditation to Transform Ego:
Sit in Easy Pose, with a light Neck Lock. Keep your spine straight and your chest slightly lifted. With your elbows at the base of your ribs, raise your hands to sternum level. The palms face each other. Curl your fingers into a loose fist. Your thumbs point straight up.The top segment of your thumbs touch their inner edges. The rest of your hands stay separated. Bring your concentration to the breath. Create a steady breath rhythm with the following ratio and pathway: Inhale through the nose slowly for about 8 seconds. Hold in the breath for about 8 seconds. Release the breath through the nose in 8 equal strokes. Hold the breath out for 8 seconds. Once this pattern is set, you can gradually increase the time from 8 seconds to as long as you like. (to count 8 seconds or strokes you can say Sa-Ta-Na-Ma to yourself twice). If you increase the time, keep the time equal in each section of this technqiue.
Begin this practice gradually. Start with 3 minutes. Increase the time to 31 min. by adding 3-5 minutes per week of practice.
To End:
Inhale deeply, stretch your arms up over the head, and open and close your fists several times. Relax the breath and arms and meditate for one minute before resuming normal activity.
Comments:
Most people consider ego a perjorative term, but it indicates how we self-identify. Do we see ourselves as limited or unlimited? Creative or clunky? Powerful or pensive? Success in all arenas of life begins by defining ourselves not by how we think we’ve been, but by what we aspire to. This is the definition of positive ego. Project for the future through your actions and integrity. Let your presence be your calling card. Let your presence be proof of concept, consistent with what you can deliver. When our identity is Infinity we are unlimited. This Meditation features the number 8 which stands for Infinity (form and formless in an eternal dance). When we hold the breath in and out we are creating a neutral space for Infinity to flow into. Our fears and our fluctuations subside and we simply are that we are with no end and no beginning. In this Meditation the thumbs relate to the ego which is our fixed self. In some energetic models the thumbs also relate to ether which is our aspect not bound by biology or the laws of physics. Give yourself a thumbs up for permission to be new and be you! Turn ego into liberated Energy to help you GO for it.
A big thank you to my friend Charmaine Ananda for this post.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Hello my dear friends,
Well, it’s been one of those days, in fact the past few days have been exactly the same…nothing seems to be going right and every form of technology known to man seems to be against me too…You all know I live and work in China right? Well, it’s not always easy here because of the restrictions to internet, we cannot get onto WordPress, Facebook, Twitter or any other form of social media due to Gov restrictions and firewalls blocking their use from China. There are work arounds using VPN’s but they are so painful and slow to use that it is often quicker for me to hand write my posts and physically walk them around the world and post them personally through your mailboxes 🙂
All joking aside, these issues do unfortunately play on your mind, in other parts of the world if you do not get an immediate response to your internet search then you will almost certainly move on to another site! Well; when posting one post to WordPress from here it could take me hours and many, many attempts! I guess these last few days have taken their toll on me physically and mentally, I’m weighed down with the pressures of getting software and hardware to do their job, lost all connections to emails and really challenged when trying to make a post, all these things have hit me hard, hard in my heart, Im always trying to help everyone, i’m well known here for the person to go to for support, for counselling, for help with anxiety, Psych issues, spiritual guidance and healing but it just dawned on me, ‘Where Do We Go For Help’!
This is so unlike me, my mind is messed up, I try maybe too hard to help everyone selflessly; ‘always’, and often to the detriment of my own health.
I have been loosing my way these past few days, doubting my own spiritual journey, questioning my pathway and questioning my future..I need to come back inside and re-connect with my own happiness, I know I have to re-connect or I will perish from the outside in!
Love to you all
Always
Mark
Endless Light and Love 