Alternative

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Meditation and Mindfulness, a Journey to My Soul

Published 09/05/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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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

Beauty Is Everywhere, We Just Need To Open Our Eyes

Published 06/05/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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Beauty is everywhere; we just need to open our eyes!

Our newspapers, TV, radio, the internet and social media messages continually bombard us with the doom and gloom of our world, wars, financial crashes, environmental catastrophes, rioting, political unrest whilst the rich and famous earn more and gain the majority of our time via their exposure through the biased and rumor hungry and often one sided media outlets. These messages bring us down, they make us feel sad, depressed, frightened for our lives for our children’s futures or we just switch off, we switch our selves off from the realities that are going on all around us; each and every day!

However my friends, there is a beautiful world outside, we just need to open our eyes and let it in!

I myself sometimes get caught up with all the troubles going on in our world, the extremes of poverty in many countries, the pollution, the environmental catastrophes taking place at the hand of mankind, the wars raging around the world for no reason other than greed, politics or genocidal control….. I cannot block them out so I try my best to do all I can to help stop it!

But I’m one man, I cannot do it all alone, so I’ve resigned myself to do my best; little by little, each day something good that will benefit humanity, and or mother earth.

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Love is all-important, love for yourself is a great place to start, then when you have achieved love of yourself you will be able to give love to others, love is infectious and as John Lennon said “Love is All You Need”

As I look around me now I see and hear beauty, the blue sky, the sun shining; its rays gently warming my skin, the pigeons flying gracefully around the buildings; airing their wings, the river running by on its way towards the ocean, the branches and leaves on the willow trees swaying in the gentle breeze, the rich green of the trees in the gardens below my window and the subtle colours, white, pink, yellow and red of the flowers in the garden, my two puppy’s sleeping at my feet; their trust and love for me complete and unconditional, the sound of children playing, the old ladies chattering in the gardens as the children play. Life is wonderful if we learn to open our eyes and let it in!

Mindfulness, “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” Dr. Kabat-Zinn

Have a quick look outside and see the beauty all around ☺

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

My Spiritual Journey Part 7

Published 28/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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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.

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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.

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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

Conquering Our Fears

Published 22/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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A perfect and simple image to go along with the last few posts I made on ‘Fear’.

Fear holds us back…End of Story!

And we all succumb to it one time or another in our lives!

This is not just fear of doing something hazardous or dangerous, its not the fear of violence or the fear that we may experience when confronted by a dangerous animal, its the ‘Fear of Uncertainty’, the ‘Fear of Failure’, the ‘Fear of Loosing Face’, the ‘Fear of not being good enough’, the ‘Fear of rejection’, the ‘Fear of humiliation’

If you want to move forward with your life you need to confront your fears and become their master.

Life is good my friends and it can be good to you too if you learn to conquer your fears 🙂

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

How to Overcome Fear, a Short Video by Sadhguru

Published 21/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

A nice follow on video to a couple of my most latest posts regarding Fear.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

What Can Mathematics Do For Humanity?

Published 20/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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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

Spiritual Burn Out

Published 18/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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Have you ever experienced ‘Spiritual Burn Out’ a time or times when you feel exhausted by doing good for others, or a time / times when you have taken all the burdens of others onto your shoulders and not managed to shake them off?

I know I have!

Everyday, I spend my time in the pursuit of doing good, trying to make a difference to our world one step at a time, its either thinking of what to post on my blog today, what articles or subjects will be useful and helpful for my readers, what words should I use to help people gain control over a personal challenge, what words to use to help console someone who’s life is hurting, what words to use for someone who’s grieving for the loose of a friend or loved one, what words to use for someone who has been the subject of physical or mental abuse, what words to use to inspire someone, what words to use to help someone who is in the depths of depression, what good can I do today, what can I do in the way of a workshop for people in my community on mindfulness or meditation. How can I help local students cope with the stresses of working so hard on their studies (In China this can be 14-16 hours a day 7 days a week), how can I use my skills and gifts from god to help others less fortunate than myself, what can I do to help educate about the need to preserve nature for the next generation…..
……
…..’How can I, What can I…..

Each day, I go through this routine and some days I just cannot think, my mind is too full, so what can I do?

I meditate

I reach inside my soul and connect with my heart, I drop all ties to all emotions, I recognise my ego and let it and its powerful thoughts pass me bye and I relax my body and allow my heart to connect with my inner soul, its from this place I gain my strength, its here that the clarity comes through,its here that provides me with the fuel to carry on my work, its here that I am in touch with my higher self, spirit, god and my guides.

While I’m here I always give thanks, thanks for all I have in my life, thanks for my opportunity to do good, to help others less fortunate than I , thanks for now, thanks for what is to come and I ask for support and help along my continued journey to wherever this life will take me.

The amazing thing is, when I take this meditative time out, the fog lifts and I gain a clear vision of where I need to go, what I need to do and the law of attraction provides for me in repayment for my gratitude.

Today is Good Friday the crucifixion of Jesus Christ who gave his life for humanity out of LOVE.

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In order to give our LOVE to others we need to give something up, to sacrifice something, even if that something is our time.

Namaste with Love my friends
Always

Mark

Decisions, decisions,…What am I to do?…Please Help!

Published 15/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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Our lives are constantly littered with times when we have to make important decisions, some are easy to make and some cause us heartache and pain, some we just never make as we procrastinate over the thought process far too much.

I know as I am no different to anyone else, I too sometimes find it very hard to make a decision because I often over complicate the process by having too may reasons why or why not to do something!

We all know that to be in a job or career you love is one of the best things you can do for your life, for your happiness and your wellbeing, we all know that to have a healthy well balanced life with exercise, good balanced healthy food and time out in nature is also good for our lives but when it comes down to it our decisions to do the right thing for us and our life is muddled and confused by the worry and concerns about finance, income, paying our way and this worry then clouds our other decisions about our daily and future happiness!

Many people have made these often very difficult decisions, they have walked away from their boring corporate job, they moved to the coast or to the countryside, started their own small business, set-up an art studio, established a yoga center or doing good work for a NGO or charitable trust, caring for nature or whatever it is that they do…they made the change and the majority of these people never look back; they are as the saying goes ‘In their Element’, living their dream, enjoying life to the full, makings ends meat with a smile on their face and a spring in their step!!!

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So why is it that the majority of us never make this change? We never risk it and move on to what our heart is telling us to do!…Why, oh Why!

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Letting go of the past to gain access to the now and to move forward into a new life, this is a dream for the majority but a reality for the few. I myself have lived a life of success, I have had all the worldly goods I could possibly need, I have had the opportunity to travel and see the world, I have a beautiful family and a good career but am I happy? Am I living the life I’m destined to live, am I at peace with myself and doing what my heart is telling me to do? These are often questions we raise, ‘How will I let go’? ‘How can I give up this job’?, ‘How can I make ends meet’? ‘What about the children’?, ‘What about the future’?

The answer from many that have made the decision and are now living their dreams are often simple…’Just let go’!… ‘Be positive’, ‘Be grateful’, ‘Be happy’ and karma will do the rest, Your inner-self will not let you down! ‘Listen to your heart’! ‘Go with the flow’, ‘It will all be ok! You will find a way, you will live your dream and you will be happy!

Easier said than done?

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I would like to finish this post on a positive note because I’m aware that the sentences above are looking a little negative and of course I do truly believe that if you are positive then positive things come back to you and if you have passion for something then passion will help you make it happen, I also firmly believe in the laws of attraction, surrounding yourself with positive people and doing what you love in your live is the best therapy in the world; so, my dear friends, I would love to hear your thoughts, ‘What you have done to make the transitions in your life, how you believe happiness in your daily life can be found and what our friends out there can do to make these often very difficult decisions!

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

The Tale of Princess Bluebell and The Magic Mirror

Published 14/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

The Tale of Princess Bluebell and The Magic Mirror.

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Hi everyone,

I recently posted a blog post ‘Your Life in The Mirror’ regarding ‘Is what you see a true reflection of your self and also how others perceive you’! Well, one of the responses I received to that article was from a good friend of mine Line over at http://pathsofthespirit.wordpress.com mentioning a story post she had recently published called ‘The Tale of Princess Bluebell and The Magic Mirror’ which tells a story of how this little girl came to understand her true inner beauty 🙂

Line has kindly given me permission to post it her for you all to enjoy 🙂

Please click on the title above to visit Lines post 🙂

Namaste with Love
Always

Mark

Your Life In The Mirror

Published 13/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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If you place a mirror in front of you, what do you see? And does it portray the same as what you see in others around you?

I hope the reflection that you see when you look into the mirror is joyous, happy, kind, caring, compassionate and loving!

Namaste With Love
Always

Mark

18 Things Mentally Strong people do with their lives

Published 10/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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18 Things Mentally Strong people do with their lives

1) They Move On:

Most often we find it difficult to move on from our past, we try and we are constantly reminded to do so …but the past keeps coming back and our Ego drives it home, time and time again! But truth is, we must move on and if were finding this a hard one to crack then we should always seek help because the past will not help you but it will certainly hold you back!

2) They Keep Control:

Mentally strong people are always in control of their lives and they are relentless in keeping this control. No one can and should control your live…only YOU, so make a difference to your life and take control of it NOW!

3) They Embrace Change:

Change is good, change brings new things and new opportunities to our lives, change brings a breath of fresh air to our lives, so embrace it and enjoy what a new day and a new tomorrow will bring you.

4) They Stay Happy:

They don’t complain, they don’t waste energy on things they can’t control and they stay happy, positivity leads to more happiness, happiness attracts happiness…So, start today with a smile and end it with a smile, BE HAPPY!

5) They Are Kind:

Mentally strong people are certainly kind; they are fair and unafraid to speak up. They don’t worry about pleasing other people because they are confident in everything they do in knowing that kindness begets kindness and kindness is LOVE and Love is everything.

6) They Are Willing To Take Calculated Risks:

They always weigh up the risks before taking action. In life; we all have to make choices and take some risks but we are often controlled by our Ego and our either too high or too low levels of skepticism, this leads us to back off from some great opportunities that may well have lead us to more freedom, new relationships, a better job or career, longer term success and ultimate happiness! So, do like they do, map out the pros and cons and take some calculated risks.

7) They Invest Their Energy In The Present:

Don’t dwell on the past, and don’t spend your time worrying about the future move on and live in the ‘Present’ because the ‘Present’ is where LIFE Happens!

8) The Accept Full Responsibility For Their Past Behaviour:

They don’t make the same mistakes over and over again, they live and they learn and accept what has happened thus far in their lives, in short they take ownership and are accountable for their actions, good or bad and then move on to bigger and better things!

9) They Celebrate Other Peoples Success:

Positive, mentally strong people are always happy to toast and celebrate the success of others, they don’t hold a grudge, they have no jealousy for what others have achieved and they gain strength from the law of attraction, success breads success as does happiness begets happiness!

10) They Are Willing To Fail:

Successful, mentally strong people don’t give up after failing, they see every failure as a stepping stone to the next opportunity and gain strength from learning in the process.

11) They Enjoy Their Time Alone:

They don’t fear being alone. Alone time is good, it allows us to reconnect with our inner self, to be at peace with our soul and gain clarity to our journey. Use this alone time well, meditate and learn from your higher self because your higher self will never let you down.

12) They Are Prepared To Work And Succeed On Their Own Merits:

They don’t feel the world owes them anything, it’s their responsibility; they are in charge of their destiny…No one else!

13) They Have Staying Power:

They don’t expect immediate results, ‘Rome was not built in a day’, ‘A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With The First Step’, ‘If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try and Try Again’……In short, please remember, ‘Don’t Give Up because you never know how close to success you were when you give up!

14) They Evaluate Their Core Beliefs:

And they constantly check on them as they move on with their lives, things change so they modify as needed.

15) They Expend Their Mental Energy Wisely:

They don’t spend time on unproductive thoughts or pastimes, they surround themselves with positive; like-minded people and they focus on the end goal/s and they don’t waste energy on things of non-importance.

16) They Think Productively:

They replace negative thoughts with productive thoughts, E.g., Lets do it rather than I’ll try

17) They Tolerate Discomfort:

They accept their feelings without being controlled by them. I.e. getting up 1 hours earlier every morning to go to the gym may be a challenge and cause additional work but its for the greater good so they tolerate the discomfort of getting up early in order to maintain better heath and give them greater energy to do even more with their lives.

18) They Reflect On Their Progress:

Every day they take time to consider what they have achieved, what needs to be changes and where they are going.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

I Am……?

Published 09/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

I am

I AM,
Two of the most powerful words in our language; for what you put after them shapes your life and your reality.

Choose wisely and positively my friends….

I would love to hear which words you would choose for yourself?

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Blessed
Thankful
Grateful
Compassionate
Empathetic
Loving
Happy
Faithful
Joyful
Kind Hearted
Peaceful
Kind
Beautiful
Giving
Resourceful
Daring
Passionate
Forgiving
Loyal
Intuitive
Selfless
Open
Mindful
Appreciative
Friendly
Affectionate
Caring
Devoted
Conscientious
Enthusiastic
Noble
Positive
Healthy
Fantastic
Patient
Helpful
Inspirational
Optimistic
Trusting
Trustworthy

A Meditation to Transform Your Ego

Published 04/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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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

You Have Two Hands, Please Use Them Wisely!

Published 03/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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This is such a true statement ‘ As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others’

I just wish more people would use both hands in this way, however the majority use both hands for themselves 😦

A helping hand can bring so much joy to the giver and the receiver, a helping hand offered to someone in need can make the world of difference to their life/s.

We can make a difference to people less fortunate than ourselves, all we need to do is open our hearts and offer one hand in support to someone who needs our help.

Namaste with Love
Always

Mark

I am You and You are Me

Published 02/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

Iam you

Be Free from your chains and remember I am in you and you are in me, we are all connected by the Divine Matrix of life.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Trees…Who needs them! What have they ever done for us?

Published 01/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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I was recalling a famous Monty Python sketch from ‘The Life of Brian’ When they were debating ‘What did the Romans ever do for us’! And then via tongue in cheek answers one of the actors (John Cleese I think) mentioned, ‘Well, they did bring us roads’!, and another said, ‘Well apart from roads, what did the Romans ever do for us’? and the reply was , ‘Well they did bring us sanitation’! and the reply was, ‘Well apart from roads and sanitation..what did the Romans ever do for us’? and the reply went on with ‘Well, they did bring us law and order’!…and on and on the sketch went, very funny in my opinion 🙂

…Of course the Romans did bring a lot to humanity, not all good I haste to add! but this brings me back to my point about trees.

Trees are the lungs of our earth and we are cutting them down at ever alarming rates, wiping out whole eco systems and many species of flora and fauna in the process. In fact, I wonder how many species have been wiped from the face of our earth that we did not even know existed!

The picture above says it all really, we place so much thought, investment and care for material things like computers and the internet but no real care or investment at all on making sure we have air to breathe!

Next time you exhausted maybe after a run or when you come up to the surface after swimming under water and you take a breath of life giving air….remember, our trees helped give you that breath, that fresh air that fills your lungs and allows your body to continue on its pathway.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Unconditional Love

Published 31/03/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

unconditional love

Unconditional Love.

Wow, this is an amazing picture and clearly shows the unconditional love between the baby elephant and its carer. If you look carefully you will see images like this everywhere in this world, between men and women,loving partners, children, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, humans and animals and animals to animals. It’s a lovely thing to see and the feeling I get from looking at a image like this just fills my heart with joy, my smile is as wide as can be and it makes me glad to be alive and thankful for what I have in my life, the love for my wife, the love for my children, for my friends, for my environment and for our world, it also makes me want to bring more of it to our world, to try and make others open their eyes and live the joy that I see 🙂

We are truly lucky to be alive, we are truly lucky to have the opportunity to make our world an even better place to live, we have a chance of making our world a peaceful place, where our children can grow up without fear and animals can roam free without persecution or fear for their lives.

Unconditional love my friends.

Today I smile, today I choose happiness, today I choose life, today I choose forgiveness , today is a new day for us all to enjoy 🙂

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

World Hunger and our obsession to want more!

Published 30/03/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

rich

Cutting back on our waste and our need for more would help millions of people everyday all around the world, our obsession for the finest, and our greed needs to slow down in order for us to bring back a balance to humanity…

Remember ‘World Hunger’ is not just in Africa, there are millions of people starving in our own countries but they are not in the focus of media attention or in our minds as we pass them by each and everyday.

Reach out today, give something small to a soup kitchen in your neighbourhood, a gift of food or even a helping hand will make all the difference to someones life!

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

My Heart is Filled With joy Today, My Future is Clear and My Pathway Open, Thank You!

Published 26/03/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

happysomebody

My Heart is filled with joy today, my future is clear and my spiritual pathway is once again open, and that its due to you my friends, to our Sangha, our support network, it is due to you that I am feeling how I do today, sunshine is in my heart, sunshine is in my smile and as soon as I go out i’m sure sunshine will be in my step as I walk the streets of Shanghai:)

Yesterday was a dark day, I was down and I reached out to you and you came, you extended your kindness, your love, your blessings and you words of comfort, each word brought a tear to my eyes and as I read them the tears flowed freely, each tear took away my pain, it flushed the darkness from my heart and brought the sunshine back to my smile…So thank you my friends, together we can heal our world, we can make a difference to the lives of others, we are gaining strength as a Sangha.

I’m off to a CSR event today, to speak with like minded souls, to connect to people and organisations in need of help and to find ways to do good once more, to give back for the love, the happiness and the success I have achieved during my lifetime.

My Blessings, my love and my thoughts are with you all today, enjoy them with a smile 🙂
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Don’t You Quit, There is Always a Bright Side to Life

Published 21/03/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

dont quit_endless

Don’t Quit!

From the lyrics of the Monty Python song ‘Bright Side of Life’

Always look on the bright side of life.
[whistling]
Always look on the light side of life.
[whistling]
If life seems jolly rotten,
There’s something you’ve forgotten,
And that’s to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you’re feeling in the dumps,
Don’t be silly chumps.
Just purse your lips and whistle. That’s the thing.
And…
Always look on the bright side of life.
[whistling]
Always look on the right side of life,

We often forget that there is ‘Always’ a bright side to life its just we loose sight of it sometimes.

If your feeling down and low, put on some happy music or go sit in the garden, feel the sun and the gentle breeze on your skin , close your eyes and just breathe, feel the air entering your nose and feel it passing out through your mouth on the exhale, calm your mind and focus on your breath, in and out, in and out, in and out, look inward and listen to your heart, here you will find answers, answers to help you on your life’s journey.

Namaste with Love
Always my friends

Mark