Category Archives: Spirituality

Check this out!, Healing, Inspirational, Interviews, News, Philosophy, Spirituality, Thoughts

How to Strengthen Your Intuition & Hear Your Inner Voice

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To once live without someone and now never wanting to live without, opens the power that intuition can possess.

Every human has an internal guidance system known as intuition that can be heard and felt. “There are many voices in our heads. We have the voices of our parents, teachers, inner critique, and there is a silent intuitive guiding voice. We have to learn to listen to it. We hear it every day among the millions of voices we have in our heads,” says Verne. Intuition is always trying to speak up. “The voice of coulda, shoulda, thought of, thought so, and knew it are all signs of intuition.”

Each of us has the capability to develop and use our intuition. “It’s not very complicated, it’s finding the voice and experimenting with it,” says Verne. You’ll begin to feel your guidance and this will bring a better quality of life. Continue reading →

Check this out!, Community, Healing, Inspirational, meditation, News, Relationships, Spirituality

How to Be Mindful: 4 Important Techniques

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What does being mindful mean? You may have heard of mindfulness meditation but what does it mean to BE mindful? Mindfulness is defined as the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. Being mindful means to have that awareness of everything around you. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, “mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

baerefoot woodsMindfulness practitioners learn how to pay attention on purpose by practicing specially developed mindfulness meditation practices & mindful movements. Being mindful is an intentional way of being that you can cultivate on a daily basis. Being mindful means to be conscious and aware of all the things around you and how you affect them.

For instance, I live in a house that has a basement apartment below. I try to be conscious of the noise that I make and since I stay up very late at night doing things like writing articles I try my best to not disturb people sleeping in close proximity to my activities. I am careful not to wear shoes in my house and to walk lightly on my feet. 

As a young man, I was taught by rainbow family elders to tread lightly in the woods. Not only does this mean to physically walk lightly, meaning on the front of your feet and not on your heels, but also to be aware of WHERE you step, HOW you step ,and even WHEN you step. Basically, this just means to be aware of how you affect your surroundings.

Another way to practice being mindful is with your voice. Not only can one take care in what they say but HOW they say it. The volume of one’s voice can also be important.

voice

Do you use an inside voice when you’re outside? You may not get heard or may get asked to constantly repeat yourself. Do you use an outside voice when you’re inside? You may be so loud that you become annoying without even knowing it.

Being aware of your surroundings and the vibration you are putting forth in those surroundings is very important when being mindful.

There are many ways to become more mindful and mindfulness meditation is one of those ways. There are many mindfulness meditation resources on the web. Here are some tips on being more mindful…

  • Pay attention to your breathing. When all else fails always return to this tip.

  • Try to notice everything that you are doing when you’re doing something specific. For instance, if you are taking a shower notice the sound of the water, the temperature of the water, the smell of the soap and any other thing that you can sense. If you are eating notice the texture and the color of the food, its taste, its smell and texture.

  • Focus on the things that distract you. Pay attention to where you space out, for example, being on the computer, driving, doing household chores. Focus on bringing more awareness to those moments of distraction.

  • Be aware of people around you. Notice their eyes, their clothes. Take advantage of every moment and compliment someone or express affection.

 

Imagine a more mindful world!

Ask Teal, Crown (Knowing), Spirituality, Thoughts

I Can Have Me and I Can Have You Too

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Today’s world is littered with ideologies like “fill up your own cup”, “everything you could ever want or need is inside you”, “the only approval you need is your own” and “no one else can make you happy, only you can do that”.  These ideologies exalt the idea of spiritual, emotional, mental and physical independence.  For some people, these ideologies are liberating.  For other people, these ideologies are painful.

One of the problems that we have today relative to the idea of independence and dependence is that we do not understand that we can have both.  The state of connection and the state of autonomy can coexist in perfect harmony.  In fact, it is the coexistence of these contradictory yet complimentary states that leads to health in relationships.

To read the full article click here

“You really can have yourself and have other people at the exact same time.  You don’t have to choose between one and the other.”

www.tealswan.com 

Inspirational, Spirituality, Thoughts

10 Inspiring Quotes From The Tao Te Ching

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The Tao Te Ching, was written by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu in the 6th century BC. It is a collection of thoughts, guidelines and perceptions following the religion of Tao. A precursor to many Eastern religions this text continues to stay relevant to modern times. Heavily concentrated on perceptions of self, ways to attain peace and stop others from negatively effecting you. If you haven’t read it, I’d strongly recommend it. It is easy to read and written in a way that is accessible to everyone. These selected quotes may be enough to tempt you into picking up a copy. If you’ve already read it here are some choice reminders.

The Great Tao flows everywhere, to the left and to the right, all things depend on it to exist, and it does not abandon them. To its accomplishments it lays no claims. It loves and nourished all things, but does not lord it over them.

Tao is a form of philosophy with many similarities to Buddhism. In this quote Tzu is saying that following this code of living shouldn’t be a burden or pedestal to lord over others. The understanding gained from the Tao are inherent in all things.

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.

Intelligence and wisdom are frequently confused for one another. Intelligence is understanding a process or idea. Wisdom is knowing how and when to apply certain ideas and processes.

Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.

We are all one entity, we are just distinctive expressions of the infinite. If you want to understand others and their truths and motives, you need to understand your own first. You are best equipped to access the infinite through your personal connection. Explore it.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Probably one of his more famous quotes, he is saying that to go anywhere or doing anything dreaming and visualizing aren’t enough. You need to start somewhere. Even if your not sure its the ‘perfect’ step, you need to just start doing it.

A man with outward courage dares to die. A man with inward courage dares to live.

Taking a strong stance on what you believe in and expressing it in the form of grand expressions is one thing. To consistently stand for what you believe in and always be working towards that expression is another. There is more power in many smaller actions than in one grand one.

The mark of a moderate man
is freedom from his own ideas.
Tolerant like the sky,
all-pervading like sunlight,
firm like a mountain,
supple like a tree in the wind,
he has no destination in view
and makes use of anything life happens to bring his way.

To seek balance and moderation in all things is the best way to maximize your resources and time. Don’t waste your energy chasing after extremes. Let your life and external forces take their own route and path.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.

Everything is as it is supposed to be, and everything is always changing. Be happy that you have the awareness to see things as they are and posses the knowledge of impermanence. While something may seem to be not as you would like, re-evaluate how you are observing the aspect. Have faith in the knowledge that everything is due to change.

When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.

The contentment that comes with thorough perceptions of the world around is one of the most powerful attributes of mindfulness.

Great acts are made up of small deeds.

Same as a great adventure starts with the step outside of your house, the greatest accomplishments were made in steps. Trying to accomplish great change in a single act is not feasible, and the attempt is unproductive.

To attain knowledge, add things everyday.
To attain wisdom, remove things every day.

Knowledge is knowing facts, wisdom is knowing when to use that knowledge. Knowledge is a tool, wisdom is a way of life.

I let go of who I am, I become what I might be.

Don’t try to be what you aren’t. You have within you every possible combination of personalities and solutions. As soon as you start acknowledging and expressing your true self, greatness will come your way.

Art, Chakras, Check this out!, Crown (Knowing), Spirituality

This Stunning Animation Follows A Lost Soul Who Meets Death

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The short, is by  a small Ireland-based studio called And Maps And Plans. It has received numerous awards and has been shortlisted for the 87th annual Academy Awards.

It is an evening like many others, most likely a Friday or Saturday night, the film is set in a city that is typical of most metropolitan places late at night during the weekend with it’s inhabitants wandering around without any real guidance from place to place.

As you would expect a guy comes out of a club drunk and as he crossed the road a car runs over him. It is a fatal accident. “I just need a little more time” – says the character of this moving story, addressing ‘Death’ who came to pick him up. Just a little more time to fix things, warn the loved ones, maybe remember and understand.

But instead of coming back to life, the soul traces back its own existence through images and old memories, looking for something …

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For me the purpose of this film is to make it’s viewers quietly reflect on life and mortality. And in today’s work-based busy hustle and bustle life, i think taking time for reflection is something we could all do just a little more often.

Find out more about the makers at andmapsandplans.com

Kasim Khan, Team Spirit

 

 

 

Philosophy, Spirituality, Thoughts

3 Life Changing Experiences You Undergo When Your Sensitivity Increases

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“What you are seeking is seeking you” – Rumi

I knew that I always liked this quote, without really knowing why. To be honest, for the longest time I never really understood what it meant. Then, everything changed.

1. Discovering the Light

In Daosim, it is believed that the journey to enlightenment starts by turning the eyes inside out and there is an african proverb that states “when there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot touch you”. As we have all learned by now, the way that view the world around us, is a projection of our inner world, and so our quest for happiness, enlightenment and satisfaction lies primarily upon filling our selves with light and love in order to then radiate it into the world.

shutterstock_316177406 (1)Sadly however, as a defence mechanism, we seek to avoid the inner work of illuminating the shadows in our minds and neglect doing what is necessary, to reach an enlightened state.

New age spirituality for instance, relies too heavily on focusing on the love and light aspect; when we seek out, search for, or try to attain this light we are essentially chasing our own tails. This may be what Rumi was portraying when he made this statement. We become like dogs and cats spinning around in circles, all the while missing the point. Rumi I feel, had a very good sense of humour. Continue reading →