Tag Archives: Stillness

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

When Prayer Doesn’t Work!

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God changes not what is in people, until they change what is in themselves. – The Quran

open

We pray for all sorts of things and most times it’s a monologue emanating from us in the direction of divinity. God already knows what we might want or could ever need; maybe our time is better spent opening up to God? Maybe we should just be listening?

receive

By opening up to God’s exhortations to us, and yes he does talk to us, we allow for maximum spiritual growth and happiness. After all God is our Father and Mother. He’s continuously communicating with us. We can’t hear him because we don’t attempt to listen. Sitting quietly opens us up to listening… We can then change for our own benefit and therefore everyone else’s benefit, and that apparently is part of the plan…

Daily Affirmation: Today I listen…

Recommendation: Understanding Islam

Understanding IslamKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Meditation Tips, Quotes - 2011, Stillness

What Is True Meditation?

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Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. – Voltaire

so far

I’ve had the pleasure to share with you several meditation approaches on this page. In general I like to view meditation as ‘relaxed awareness’ a certain consciousness which allows us to watch self. It starts with physical relaxation followed by mental relaxation and goes into a thoughtless awareness mode. Some view this as an end state, an end in itself. It is that, in some ways, because when we’re in that state we can feel a certain peace, a well being that cannot easily be matched by any other experience of the mind. In this blog I attempt to take this level of meditation to the next step, as I understand it…


Previous Tips:


Tip # 1: Connecting with your deep self


Tip # 2: Stretch your wings out


Tip # 3: Arise out of fear!


Tip # 4: Do Nothing!


Tip # 5: Sitting!


Tip # 6: Just Be


Tip # 7: FLaG It!


Tip # 8: Let It Be


Tip # 9: What Is True Meditation?

 

true meditation

So what is true meditation? The next level of meditation is to go beyond the ‘relaxed awareness’ state and make contact with Universal Intelligence, with God, the Creator, the Architect and Parent of All That Is….

Here are the suggested steps:

  1. Read: Do some spiritual reading, this will help us get into the right frame of mind.
  2. Breathe: Breathe 3 deep breaths, relax, see this tip for more: Do Nothing!
  3. Visualize: Visualize being in a beautiful relaxing place, like a beach or a mountain resort, smell the air, feel the sand with the fingers, try and truly be there!
  4. Ask: Ask God for help to meditate, tell him what’s on your mind, just chat…While doing so FLaG It! This includes an exercise in forgiveness and gratitude, a piece that is super important.
  5. Receive: Finally ask him for his love. Sit back and receive God’s love because undoubtedly with just a little practice you’ll palpably experience God’s love…simply receive…
  6. Journal: If you’d like to deepen this experience and continue this practice, start journaling, more here…Emotional Freedom!. At this point we can receive inspiration from the Creator. This voice will exhort us to love, to forgive and to trust…..

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM still.

Recommendation: Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield

Meditation for BeginnersKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

Who’s The Ideal Life Partner?

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If you are going to fall in love, try to make your relationship one that generates great spiritual creativity, one that is mutually enriching. – Daisaku Ikeda

life partner

A partner for life, means just that. We all have access to a physical and/or virtual ‘life’ partner. We’re lovingly looked after by God our parent. Love is the very basis for all reality and why we all exist. In this current separation from spiritual reality, for very good reasons, we suffer from loneliness, but there’s a way out…

spiritual connection

We must make connection with Spirit. This can be done directly via stillness practices and can be enhanced via a wholesome relationship with a spouse or partner. This connection, such a relationship, is our way beyond our current struggles and lack of the big picture. Life can be wholesome, satisfying and thrilling, we just need to turn our perspective inward and ask that Reality get involved! It will…

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM in love with my partner!

Recommendation: The Center Within by Fred Harris

The Center Within: Lessons from Heart of the Urantia RevelationKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Gita, Quotes - 2011, Stillness

What’s The Best Meditation?

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12.12 For concentration is better than mere practice, and meditation is better than concentration; but higher than meditation is surrender in love of the fruit of one’s actions, for on surrender follows peace. – The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 12)

meditation

There are a myriad different techniques that fall under the umbrella of meditation, here are some that I share on NamasteNow. In general meditation techniques range from concentration to chanting to reflection and so on. Any practice that softens us, helps us become more open minded, become more tolerant, forgiving, grateful and loving is good!

surrender in love…

According to this holy book of the Hindus, surrendering all action to God and in love is the way to peace and happiness. When we’re at peace, we can more easily enjoy the inspiration and love that rain down on us from all directions. Only when our desires and the constant mind chatter peter down can we hope to tap into this ever-present Universal resource…. Lets practice!

Daily Affirmation: Today I lovingly surrender!

Recommendation: The Bhagavad Gita (Penguin Classics) by Juan Mascaro

The Bhagavad Gita (Penguin Classics)Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

How To Cement Change…

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The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation. – Milarepa

so far

So far we’ve understood how to kick-start a change effort and to figure out why change is so hard. Just like Stillness (meditation, reflection, journaling…) is useful in the ‘Be’ phase to understand what needs to change, it can be useful in ‘Zen’ phase to cement change. ‘Be’, ‘Zen’ and ‘Do’ aspects apply to each of these 3 phases as well. Let’s apply Stillness and related concepts to cement the changes we so desire.

the alpha level

When we’re even minded (at peace) our physical brain frequencies hum at a lower rate (alpha). There’s a process we can use to bring our brain to these lower frequencies. Once we’re at the lower brain frequencies we can then apply the following very effectively to cement change:

  • Affirmations
  • Visualization
  • Other programming techniques

As we involve the mind and progressively relax our bodies, our brain easily settles down into the Alpha Level. There are several products that one can use to get into this state, or we might use a manual technique like this one.

Jose Silva was a pioneer in this field, reference below.

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM relaxed!

Recommendation: The Silva Mind Control Method by Jose Silva

The Silva Mind Control MethodKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

Be Zen Do!

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…I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction. – Chuang-Tzu

change

From last week (How Do I Fix It?) lets continue on the topic of Change. We’ll discuss a general philosophy of be~zen~do and specific techniques from various sources to effect lasting change, even transformation…

be~zen~do

A basic easy to follow ‘change’ philosophy is Be, Zen and Do.

  • Be: Through reflection and other practices like journaling, meditation, affirmations and visualization figure out what we want to achieve. Create a vision of the end state.
  • Zen: Use mindfulness to our advantage as we pursue a change goal. Increasing awareness of self and our motivations is the key here…
  • Do: Apply appropriate techniques to cement habits and allow the change process to occur naturally and with great success!

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM a change master!

Recommendation: Change Anything by Kerry Patterson

Change Anything: The New Science of Personal SuccessKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

Why History Repeats Itself…

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Our difficulty is to make the mind revolve slowly so that each thought-feeling can be followed and understood. What is deeply and thoroughly understood will not repeat itself. – Krishnamurti

history carousel

Our mind is a whirlwind of thoughts. It’s constantly in motion and often spins around the same set of thoughts. That is the essential cause for us repeating personal and societal histories. Becoming aware of that movement of thoughts is the first step we can take toward gaining mastery over our mind and therefore the course of our life.

slow motion living

We’re all told that we should practice living in the moment. But how can we do that? Let’s consider the idea of ‘slow motion’ living. To achieve mindfulness and present-centeredness, we just need to slow down. Let’s take more deliberate steps while walking, breathe deeply and with intent, notice something fully and watch our thoughts. When our body has slowed down, because of our deeper breathing, our mind follows. We can then watch our thoughts, our reactions, our hopes and our desires. By watching, by becoming aware, we can deeply understand self. Only wisdom and happiness can result from that…

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM a deep breather.

Recommendation: The Book of Life by Krishnamurti

The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with KrishnamurtiKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6