December's last meeting

We viewed three videos one a TED whose speaker told us the best way to keep the brain active. Another Bill Lost His Memory and very short video of a ten year old girl who was a musical genius.

“At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.”

― Lao Tzu

Finding Your Inner Magic Through the Power of Self-Belief

By Christine Evangelou - August 30, 2017

Our mind is like the creative coordinator behind the inception of our dreams and aspirations. The direction that we place behind our thoughts and corresponding beliefs can either envelop us in anxiety and fear or propel us to great heights.

Our mind is truly magical when we believe in its power as a tool for manifesting our purpose and intention. Our ego gets a bad rap, and is often viewed as our enemy within. But we should not combat our ego’s processes or think of our ego as an entity in itself; this only serves to enhance a battle mode mentality that further undermines our journey to our greater goals. Our mind, our ego, is just another part of our inner brilliance. When we come to an enlightened understanding of our ego, we naturally give way to a higher state of thinking. When we open that space of awareness, we learn to love the power and beauty of our minds, and to draw all the benefits it has to offer us.

Finding Your Inner Magic Through the Power of Self-Belief

As you think, so shall you become. Bruce Lee

We are the creators of what we think and feel; if we can nourish a limiting thought or belief, then we can just as easily do the same for a non-limiting one. If we can build walls in our mind that obstruct our progress, then we can definitely knock them down. We are all gifted with the innate power to attract our deepest desires into our physical space — we only need to believe that we can.

Self-doubt is a silent serpent that creeps into the patterns of our thinking and eats away at our self-belief. The miracle and magnitude of our soul does not contain self-doubt. We are the ones that open a door for it to walk through.

Through mindfulness and moments of introspection we can sift through the intricacies of our thoughts, distinguishing what takes us toward our contentment from what moves us away from it. The decision is always ours.

Our minds are the home of our rational thinking, but they are also the birthplace of our full and unfiltered imagination. Essentially we need both, yet our imagination is stifled by rationality and logic. Our imagination needs freedom in order to see the true wonder of what could be. Our logical thinking looks for the guarantee, yet creative thinking searches for the boundless beauty of possibility.

We can only bring into our sphere what we put the power of our intention behind, like a rocket that needs that big burst of fuel to lift it off the ground. When we believe in the magic of possibility a whole new world presents itself to us: borders dissolve, barriers come crashing down, and we catch a fierce glimpse of limitlessness and expansion. A child’s eyes untouched by the reality we find ourselves in have the ability to grasp the realm of imagination and all its gifts. When we can look at life through the lens of our inner child, everything is possible.

Boosting self-belief and inner confidence

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave; find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.

– Henry David Thoreau

Our self-belief and inner confidence take a battering through what we deem as failure and not quite hitting the mark. When we feed into these thoughts we provide them with a stronger foundation to keep knocking us off our feet and keeping us down when we inherently know that we can take flight. When we fall, we need to defiantly get back up. When we stumble, we need to draw upon our inner resilience and pull ourselves up to balance. How we rise is more meaningful than how we actually fall. How we deal with everything, is everything.

If we allow our mindset to remain locked on our failures, we lose every second of chance and magic that the present moment holds. We have programmed ourselves to fear loss and making mistakes, yet the greatest loss arising from a lack of self-belief is the cost to ourselves. Self-belief is a key to the entry-door of our highest potential, and we own that master key.

Our inner magic and making our mark

From my own experience, I want to say that you should follow your heart, and the mind will follow you. Believe in yourself, and you will create miracles.

– Kailash Satyarthi

Our heart pumps our truth and authenticity. It never gives false hope. When we can adjust our thoughts to align them with the promise and ingenuity of our heart, then we heighten our magnanimous intellectual and intuitive processes. As human beings there is nothing that separates us. We all have the infinite ability to create, conceive brave new ideas, and design our lives around making our earthly mark as individuals. We are the architects of all that we seek to inspire and nurture.

Our ego processes that cage us in can lead us away from our inner magic; our center of love and exquisite connection. How can we begin to even imagine our greatest potential unless we believe that it exists within us all? The vastness of our own infinite magic is something that only we can access and fully explore. Our thoughts and beliefs are our instruments for permeating what lies within. When we change our thoughts we can create another reality. Our mind should not eclipse our heart, for together they form our own unique synergy.

The very same subtlety, omnipresence and mystery that surround us are intrinsically woven in to all we are. The flowers that bloom, the trees that rise to their full might, and the birds that take flight in freedom-filled skies never deny their ability to share and present their gifts. Sitting within our body and soul are the remnants of stars as old as our universe — who are we to deny our own supreme magic?  

November meeting

Nice sunny morning and an enjoyable meeting. We looked at 3 short videos and then examined this positive philosophy.

Next meeting on the 29th December.

All the material I use is from the Internet my thanks to those who uploaded it.

Can Embracing Negative Emotions Increase Your Well-Being?

Many people struggle with negative, even destructive feelings—about themselves, about others; about emotions aroused in their careers or relationships. Trying to stifle negative emotions—or feeling bad about having them to begin with—is pretty common. It causes much distress and struggle; and often brings people into psychotherapy.

The irony, here, is that resisting or trying to push away your “bad” feelings actually intensifies them. Psychological health and well-being both grow from the opposite: Embracing them. Recent research provides empirical evidence for that. In essence, it shows that you can feel better by allowing yourself to feel bad. 

In fact, that’s what meditative practices help you learn to do, which accounts for much of the rise in popularity of meditation, yoga, and other mind-body practices. Here's why: When you try to deny or stifle any “parts” of yourself—whether undesirable emotions, desires or fears, you become fragmented. But you need a sense of integration; of wholeness inside, to grow your well-being and capacity to handle the ups and downs, the successes and failures; all part of the relentless change and impermanence that characterizes life.

One of the new studies, conducted with 1,300 adults over the course of three experiments, underscored that in its findings. For example, it found people who try to resist negative emotions are more likely to experience psychiatric symptoms later, compared with those who accept such emotions. The latter group—those who showed greater acceptance of their negative feelings and experiences—also showed higher levels of well-being and mental health.

The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, was conducted by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Toronto. According to lead author Iris Mauss, "We found that people who habitually accept their negative emotions experience fewer negative emotions, which adds up to better psychological health." But those who tried to avoid negative emotions in response to bad experiences were more likely to experience symptoms, like anxiety and depression, six months later.

Such findings underscore that meditative practices enhance your “muscle” for tolerating the ebb and flow of emotions and preoccupations; rather than clinging or attaching oneself to them, which pulls you in their direction. As that capacity builds, you become more able to stay focused and centered internally, in the face of the rise and fall of emotional turmoil, including needs, fears, frustrations, and longings—all of which are part of the fluctuations of life. Meditative practices and yoga diminish the tendencies toward anxiety and depression—as evidenced by studies of brain activity as well as conscious experience among meditators.

I find it a bit amusing that researchers who find empirical evidence for the benefit of accepting and letting go of negative emotions often sound as though they’ve invented the wheel. It may be news to them, but such knowledge has been around for several millennia in other cultures. Nevertheless, it’s good to find studies that corroborate that, especially for people who are otherwise sceptical or unaware of the importance of practising acceptance.

For example, the researchers point out, “People who accept (negative) emotions without judging or trying to change them are able to cope with their stress more successfully." And, they add, when bad things happen, it may be better to let negative emotions run their course rather than trying to avoid them. As Mauss says, "Maybe if you have an accepting attitude toward negative emotions, you're not giving them as much attention. And perhaps, if you're constantly judging your emotions, the negativity can pile up."

Well yes! That’s certainly true, as many people eventually discover.

A different study also underscored the link between well-being and letting yourself experience all emotional states—the pleasurable, as well as the unpleasant, undesirable ones—and without judging or chastising yourself. This cross-cultural study involving over 2,000 people from eight countries, described in this summary and published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. According to lead researcher Maya Tamir at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found that "Happiness is more than simply feeling pleasure and avoiding pain…it is about having experiences that are meaningful and valuable…” And, "All emotions can be positive in some contexts and negative in others, regardless of whether they are pleasant or unpleasant."

This study found that—across cultures—people who experienced more of the emotions that they “desired”—i.e. authentic, internal experiences that they acknowledged and accepted—reported greater life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms. And that was regardless of whether those genuine emotions were pleasant or unpleasant.

Building the clarity and capacity to know how to deal with emotional states grows from acknowledging all of them, whatever their source—past or present circumstances; it doesn’t matter.  All are part of who you are as a total, whole being. With that awareness and acceptance, you’re more able to decide how to respond to whatever is aroused—both internally, and in your outward behavior.

Rogers identified five characteristics of the fully functioning person:

1. Open to experience: both positive and negative emotions accepted. Negative feelings are not denied, but worked through (rather than resorting to ego defense mechanisms).
2. Existential living: in touch with different experiences as they occur in life, avoiding prejudging and preconceptions. Being able to live and fully appreciate the present, not always looking back to the past or forward to the future (i.e., living for the moment).
3. Trust feelings: feeling, instincts, and gut-reactions are paid attention to and trusted. People’s own decisions are the right ones, and we should trust ourselves to make the right choices.
4. Creativity: creative thinking and risk-taking are features of a person’s life. A person does not play safe all the time. This involves the ability to adjust and change and seek new experiences.
5. Fulfilled life: a person is happy and satisfied with life, and always looking for new challenges and experiences.

October meeting

Interesting morning not many came but those that did enjoyed the experience at least they tell me so and they still want to come.
We looked at three videos,one six ways to make people to immediately like you. One is to mirror the other person in the way they stand or their manner. Another to be vulnerable, to be positive and to have a sense of humour. I think those four are enough to think about.
One video put forward the argument that reality is a simulation created by a future life form.

To save computer power if you don't see it it isn't there. The world exists only as we look at it. Quantum theory seems to reveal the same thing. Perhaps it is true.


Another video increased consciousness put forward that reality was a mental creation by us who in turn is the mental creation of "God" I like this one better.

 Are You TryiThe Truth Warriorng To Escape Yourself?

I can see in my life that there have been times that I have been unwilling to be with what I am feeling, be that anxiety, anger, fear, worry and the thoughts I am thinking, especially if they are negative. I can see that I am usually looking for ways to distract or get away from these thoughts or feelings through working, exercising, traveling, eating, drinking etc. However the reality is that no matter how much I do these activities, I can never seem to escape myself.

The truth is that we can go to the most distant countries, be with the most beautiful lovers, have the greatest jobs and have the most fancy of houses, however we can never escape who we really are. We always bring ourselves to every experience by the thoughts we think and the feelings we are feeling.

We are brainwashed by the media, advertising and society in general that all these things outside of ourselves can be a way to make us happy, peaceful and joyful, however it can only be found within.

Many people in our society use drink, drugs, sex, money, people, fame, watching TV, work etc. as a means to escape their existing reality, the reality of what their minds and their feelings are creating. This cycle of escaping can be a vicious cycle whereby people can live this way all their lives and never know any different. Sometimes people reach a place of deep unhappiness in their lives which pushes them to reflect and reevaluate their lives. Often times it is at this place that the person has the opportunity to create another way of living.

We are taught from an early age to NOT become aware and understand how we are feeling and thinking. When we were in school and college, we were told what to think rather than how to think. In my experience, it was a very rare occasion where I was taught how to understand and become aware of how I was feeling and thinking. Generally, children are punished in school for misbehaving and judged for being so called “bad”. There is little focus and attention given to why the child behaved in the way they did and what was really going on for them at an emotional and psychological level. The “bad” behaviour is reinforced by giving attention to it and more than likely the child tends to repeat the behaviour.

When we come from this place of lack of awareness and understanding of ourselves, it can lead us to a place of trying to shut out or escape who really are and what is really going on for us.

So how do we learn to stop escaping ourselves?

Here are a few ways I have come across, that you may like to consider;

~ Meditate for 20 – 30 minutes per day and just become aware of your thoughts and feelings.

~ Journal or do a stream of consciousness of writing on how you are in that moment.

~ Ask yourself – how is it serving me to be doing this work, be drinking this much, etc?

~ Get more connected with nature – go for a walk in the woods, jump into the sea, climb a mountain.

How To Live Each Day As If It Is Your Last?

You probably have heard of the saying to live each day of your life as if it is your last, but how many of us actually do it. Many of us procrastinate in doing the things we really want to do or live the life we really want to live. We say things like I will do it when I have more time, more money etc. however often times we never get around to it.

I have been becoming aware in my own life of how I am engaging in this pattern of behaviour and thought. I can see that I am making excuses of why not to do this and not to do that. At the moment I am in a job which my heart really isn’t in it. The truth is I am not finding any meaning and purpose in this job. I am currently in Australia on a 4 week holiday and I really don’t want to go back to this job. I have this dream of going to India and learn to become a yoga teacher in my life and also explore the many wonders in India.

I can see my approval seeking thoughts and limiting beliefs holding me back. I have been asking myself the question of what do I want? The answer which is coming up for me is to be true to myself! At times this easier said than done in the world that we live in.

Most of us are living in a way that we have all the time in the world. We can wish our days away by wishing we had more time, more money etc. By living this way we can have the tendency to put off really living until something happens such as getting that job or when we have the money or the time….Time waits for no man/woman!! Time really is our greatest commodity….it is up to each of us how we choose to spend it.

How would you choose to live if you knew you had a limited amount of time on this earth?…….Would you choose to continue to live the life you are currently living?

The truth is that none of us know when out time is up. You or I could die today, tomorrow, next week or next year. We need to consciously choose to live our lives as if everyday is our last day on this earth.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking…

*  Are you living to die or dying to live?

*  What things are you putting off that you could do today that would

make you a more happier, peaceful and loving person?

*  What would you dream to do if you had more time or money?

*  If you knew you had only 6 months to live, what would you be, do or

have?

*  What would you like people to say about you if you died in regards to

the person you were or how you lived?

*  What would you like to say to yourself when you are on your death

bed?

You might wonder, at some point today, what’s going on in another person’s mind. You may compliment someone’s great mind, or say they are out of their mind. You may even try to expand or free your own mind.
But what is a mind?
Defining the concept is a surprisingly slippery task. The mind is the seat of consciousness, the essence of your being. Without a mind, you cannot be considered meaningfully alive. So what exactly, and where precisely, is it?
Traditionally, scientists have tried to define the mind as the product of brain activity: The brain is the physical substance, and the mind is the conscious product of those firing neurons, according to the classic argument. But growing evidence shows that the mind goes far beyond the physical workings of your brain.

No doubt, the brain plays an incredibly important role. But our mind cannot be confined to what’s inside our skull, or even our body, according to a definition first put forward by Dan Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine 

September Meeting

Four varied short videos one for the idea that reality is as commonly thought a physical manifestation with Larry King and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Another all about the pineal gland, then the knowledge that what we strive for we already have. The last one about the danger of philosophy if you only see the emptiness without knowing wholeness.

The Simplicity of What Is  - Seeking the extraordinary, it is easy to overlook the simple and obvious truth. You are here. You know it beyond any doubt. You don't need a mirror or an outside authority to tell you. It is undeniable.

But are you the character in the story of your life, seemingly encapsulated in the bodymind, apparently solid and independent and autonomous and separate from everything else? Or is that character a mental image -- a bunch of thoughts, sensations, memories, narratives and beliefs? Is this sense of separation and encapsulation real, or is it a kind of mirage? Can you actually find the place where "inside" ends and "outside" begins? If all the imagined boundaries are seen to be unreal, what remains? What is it that is doubtlessly here?

The mind imagines that "you" can step back and take a look, as if subject and object are two separate things. Is it true?

The mind divides and reifies, creating (in imagination) "the seer," "the seeing," and "the seen" -- three apparently separate things. The actuality is undivided, no-thing at all. In this ubiquitous (and thus unseen) labeling activity, thoughts and images get overlaid on top of actual experiencing, and we learn to trust words and images, not actuality.

Words weave stories. They create mental movies that seem entirely believable and real. In this movie-world of thoughts and stories, it appears that "I" am inside this skin, and everything else is "out there." It appears that "I" am incomplete, forever in need of improvement or modification. "I" seek happiness and enlightenment in the future, chase after bigger and better experiences, compare "myself" to "others," and idolize those imagined to possess something special that "I" lack.

But is there actually a central agent at the helm doing all of this? Or do "your" thoughts and actions appear out of nowhere, just as the brain, the breath, the wind, the clouds, the trees, and the galaxies appear out of nowhere? How solid is "the skin" that seems to divide self from not-self?

Investigate this directly. Return attention to actuality. See for yourself. Can you actually find the doer, the thinker, the experiencer, the operator, the director, the one who is supposedly in charge here, or the one who appears to be trapped, the one who supposedly needs to awaken? You can find a mental image maybe, but is there anything of substance there? And for that matter, can you actually find some nebulous thing called "awareness" or "consciousness" or "the witness"? Or is there actually no-thing at all? Not some dead void. But this. Everything, just as it is.

Looking closely, isn't every apparent thing made up of vibrations, perceptions, sensations, memories, stories, ideas, beliefs, layers of mental-movies -- and finally, empty space? Where is it all happening (or appearing)? Out there? In here? Is the pain in my finger occurring in my finger or in my brain? And who is this "me" who seems to own both the finger and the brain?

And where does the brain come from? What produces the brain? There is obviously an intelligence that antedates the brain, the same intelligence that holds the galaxies together and creates the trees and the birds and the amazing web of ecological relationships from the subatomic to the intergalactic. This intelligence, this beingness, this aliveness is expressing itself as every form. Without the brain, our life would not appear, just as the TV show would not appear without the television set. But life itself, intelligence itself antedates the brain.

The brain is an object that appears in awareness. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Once again, words divide what is actually indivisible, creating apparent conundrums out of thin air.

Your experience appears to be happening independently from my experience; it seems like another world, as different as toe and finger. Yet is it possible that both are occurring in the same field of intelligence, the same One?

The words are just words. The forms appear and disappear. It seems that "you" have a problem: the rent is due, your car needs a tune-up, you can't stop smoking, you want to get enlightened, you need to find a new guru, you need to be more awake, you need to relax, or pay attention, or let go, or get a grip. But see that these are all thoughts, and that the root-thought is the "you" who apparently "has" all of these problems. Yes, the rent may be due, and you'll either get the money and pay it, or you won't. You'll either stop smoking or you won't. And actually, "you" won't be doing any of this, or at least, not "you" as thought imagines you: the character in the story of your life, the separate person. You as the totality, the One Being, are doing (or appearing as) all of it. And actually, no-thing is happening. Where is last night? Or yesterday morning? Or a minute ago?

There is only one moment. Here. Now. This. This one eternal, timeless moment accepts everything, just as it is, even the resistance and the upset and the apparent non-acceptance. This one moment is all there is. This one moment is unconditional love. This one moment is inescapable, for there is no one to escape, and no-thing to escape from.

The mind pretends to go away and imagines that this separation is possible. It loves to dream, make movies, amuse itself, invent problems and try to solve them: "Yes, but..What if.?" It asks. It craves the false security of belief systems, answers, methods and techniques. But true freedom is right here in the absolute simplicity of what is.

The movements of mind are like weather. No one owns the weather. It's not something to be conquered or eliminated. Simply see it for what it is: a great show, an appearance -- momentary and ephemeral, a mirage world.

Everything perceivable and conceivable is a kind of movie, like waves on the surface of the ocean. Look deeper and you discover that no-thing is happening. There is nobody to wake up. The problems are imaginary. What solution is needed to an imaginary problem?

Seeing this, there is joy and delight in the whole display, and in the most seemingly ordinary things: a bird cheeping, a computer humming, a thunderstorm, a clear day, a hamburger making its way to the mouth. This, right here, just as it is, is the holy reality, the face of God, the absolute truth. And the good news: it's not only unattainable; it's inescapable.

Only eight of us but all keen to learn a little about what reality teaches us.
Usual practice we watched two videos one dealt briefly with Yin and Yang so we followed it with this teaching by Mica Akullian M.S.
Makes a lot of sense

Within each person exists a flow of Life Energy.  This energy has two main expressions--the outward flow and the inward flow (in Chinese Medicine this is known as Yin and Yang energy).  The Yang is the expression of our  masculine energy, while the Yin is the expression of our feminine energy.  At the most basic level, Yang (or masculine energy) is the outflowing of creative energy.  This is the energy you feel when you are moving your energy out into the world, focused on completing a task, and associated with the practical, logical thinking of the left hemisphere of the brain, as well as an extroverted personality.  The Yin (or feminine)  is the receiving, or inward flow of energy.  This is the energy you feel when exploring your inner landscape.  Associated with the right hemisphere of the brain, this energy engages your feelings and intuition, is active when creating intimacy with another person, using your imagination, and being at peace with what is.

Most of us oscillate in and out of these two energies throughout our day depending on what we are doing and who we are interacting with.  Often times, however, through familial and societal conditioning, many of us learn to become overly identified with either our Yang or Yin energy.  When we forget that we have both masculine and feminine energy within, imbalance manifests in our thoughts, emotions, and physical body.  By understanding our energy system better, we can consciously change the way we flow our energy.  Having a balanced energy system naturally allows for emotional healing, and is important for overall holistic health.

Signs of Imbalance

Signs of Yin deficiency (excess of Yang energy)

Anxiety, hyperactivity, frustration, overly controlling, feeling burnt out, anger, aggressiveness, feeling overly competitive, feeling overwhelmed and agitated, overly confident, inability to relax, and overly critical and judgmental.

When we cut ourselves off from the Yin/feminine energy we lose our ability to fluidly move and adapt to our circumstances, be receptive to others, and connect with our creative inspiration.  Instead of feeling peaceful and rested throughout our day, we become rigid, agitated and overextended.  There is a feeling of continutally needing to keep moving and keep doing.

Sings of Yang deficiency (excess of Yin energy)

Depression, stagnation, feeling overwhelmed, tired, listless, hopeless, confused, submissive, feeling weak and lifeless, feelings of jealousy, obsessive compulsive thoughts, lack of confidence, and feelings of low self esteem.

When we cut ourselves off from our masculine energy, we have a hard time creating the experiences that we want in the world.  We lose sight of our goals, lose inspiration to create the things that we want for ourselves, and can slip into depression and hopelessness.

How to Regain Balance

There are many techniques for developing greater balance between the masculine and feminine energy (which I will address in upcoming blogs).  The first step to regaining balance is to begin a practice of mindful awareness.  Begin paying attention to your thoughts.  Notice the energy of your thoughts, and associated feelings and behavioral patterns.  Whenever you are in a state of negativity or stress (either outwardly or inwardly) notice wether your energy is excessively Yang or excessively Yin.  The first step is to simply take notice of what energy is flowing through you at any given time when you become imbalanced.

By paying greater attention to your internal state during moments of distress, and identifying the Yin or Yang energy imbalance, you can begin to make more conscious choices about what energies to focus your attention on.  This first step of paying greater attention is very important, and can take some time as you deepen your self awareness in regards to the sometimes subtle distinction in the Yin and Yang energies within.

As you identify which energy is imbalanced, consciously engage in an activity that channels the other energy.  This may seem like common sense, but it can take some remembering in the moment.  For instance, in a moment when you feel stressed out, stop whatever you are doing and breathe, allow yourself to go inward for a moment and connect to your breath.  In a moment when you are feeling stagnant and depressed, get up and move your body around.  Take some big breathes and get your blood flowing.  These are great first steps to begin consciously working with your energy (I will suggest specific techniques in the following entry).  

The Yin and Yang energies not only exist within the human energy field, but within all of life around us.  These two energies are constantly moving in and out of flux, creating balance in the universe.  Known as the Balance Point in Chinese Medicine, our internal energy seeks this same balance.  We can see these cycles of energy within the human experience as we are constantly creating and destroying, birthing and dying, opening and closing.  Often we externalize our masculine/feminine imbalances in our relationships, attempting to balance out our partner (often the cause of much conflict in relationship).  Beginning to understand your own masculine and feminine energy is the start of healing the divide within you.  The Yin/Yang energy always seeks balance, and healing is the process of getting out of the way and allowing it to happen.  As we do, we allow for our spiritual development, energy healing, and greater holistic health.