10 Tips - Stressed? Save Your Sanity This Spring

Adapted from Keeping Life Simple, by Karen Levine (Storey Books, 2004). The price we pay for the complexity of life is too high.--Jean Baudrillard

Most of us could use some help managing our busy, often-hectic lives. If your stress levels are rising and your to-do lists are getting longer and longer, these sweet and simple tips can help you to take a deep breath of relief. Serenity will blossom in you when you feel more relaxed, one of the hallmarks of real inner beauty.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: This is such great advice for making your life a saner and more beautiful place to be!

1. Even if you don't meditate, you can practice one of meditation's most valuable lessons: do only what you are doing, be only where you are.
2. Keep downtime sacred and don't feel guilty about it.
3. Find some quiet time to think . . . about where you are in life, about your goals, about your disappointments, and so on. Insight can be very curative and energizing, but it requires thought.
4. Be sure to avoid exercising too close to bedtime. It can be too stimulating and interfere with your sleep.
5. Warm milk is a natural tranquilizer and calcium helps you relax. Try a glass at night before you go to bed.
6. Take a Sunday afternoon nap.
7. Drop out of one committee or evening meeting and dedicate that time to family activities.
8. Take five minutes to relax your back, neck, and facial muscles.
9. Stop and think about what you enjoy that's readily accessible.
10. Remember: you may have more control over your time than you think.

10 Foolproof Tips for Better Sleep

Written by C. Simmons

1. Don't worry about not getting enough sleep. Try not to worry about how much you sleep. Such worrying can start a cycle of negative thoughts that contribute to a condition, known as "learned insomnia". Learned insomnia occurs when you worry so much about whether or not you will be able to get adequate sleep, that the bedtime rituals and behavior actually trigger insomnia.


2. Don't force yourself to sleep. The very attempt of trying to do so actually awakes you, making it more difficult to sleep.


3. Go to bed only when you are feeling really tired and sleepy.


4. Don't look at the alarm clock at night. Looking at the clock promotes increased anxiety and obsession about time.


5. Body-heating procedures. Some studies suggest that soaking in hot water before going to bed can ease the transition into a deeper sleep.


6. Avoid oversleep. Don't oversleep to make up for a poor night's sleep. Doing so for even a couple of days can reset your body clock and make it harder for you to sleep at night.


7. Sex. Sex is a well-known nighttime stress reliever. Healthy sex life enhances your relationship, relaxes your body, releases 'happy' chemicals, and even promotes wellness. And it welcomes sleep.


8. Avoid alcohol as a sleeping aid. Avoid the use of alcohol in the late evening. The most common myth found among people is that they believe alcohol helps in the sleep. But the fact is alcohol may initially act as sedative, but it produces a number of sleep-impairing effects in the long run.


9. Associate your bed and bedroom with sleep and sex only. Don't watch TV, eat, or read in bed. Although these things help some people sleep, they can also give your brain the idea that bed isn't just for sleeping - and this can keep you awake.


10. Naps. If you suffer from insomnia, try not taking a nap. If the goal is to sleep more during the night, napping may steal hours desired later on. If you're a regular napper, and experiencing difficulty falling or staying asleep at night, give up the nap and see what happens.

10 Tips For Dealing With Stress

By Donald Saunders

Feelings of stress are part and parcel of everyday life and in many situations stress can actually be good for us. In emergencies for example stress is nothing more than the body's instinctive reaction to defend itself. It is stress therefore that would cause us to jump out of the way if we saw a car hurtling towards us at high speed.

Stress however is not always a good thing and, if we find ourselves under stress for any length of time, it can start to result in physical symptoms such as headaches, back pain, shortness of breath, an upset stomach and insomnia, to name just a few. So, how can you manage stress in this sort of situation?

Here are 10 tips to help you to cope with life's challenges.

1. Stop worrying about things over which you have no control. There are a host of things that we worry about on a daily basis but it's very important to distinguish between those things which we can control and those things which we can't control. For example, it's fine to worry about the fact that we're getting a little bit overweight because all we have to do is to cut down on our eating or take a little bit more exercise. However, there's little point in worrying about whether or not the weather at the weekend is going to be fine for our camping trip since we have no control over the weather.


2. Resolve your differences with others. A great deal of the stress in our lives comes from our interaction with other people. So, if you find yourself involved in the conflict, sit down with the person involved and try to resolve your differences.


3. Set yourself realistic goals. It's amazing just how much stress you can generate when you try to do too much too quickly. Plan out your time carefully, both at home and at work, and set yourself challenging but attainable targets.


4. Be prepared for stressful situations. If you know that you have an event coming up which is likely to be stressful, then sit down and think about ways in which you can either eliminate or reduce any possible stress before the event arises.


5. Adopt a positive attitude towards change. It's a simple fact that most of us don't like change and tend to view it as something of a threat. In reality of course most of the changes that occur in our lives are for the good and you can eliminate or reduce stress considerably if you adopt a positive attitude towards change and focus your attention on the benefits rather than the drawbacks to changes in your life.


6. Add variety into your life. Life can become very stressful if it simply alternates between home and work and it's important to add variety wherever possible. Whether you enjoy sports, have a favorite hobby or like social events, there are always at least two or three things that you can find to do on a regular basis which take you away from your home and work environments and allow you to relax, unwind and, if you want to, to meet other people.


7. Have an exercise routine. As many of the symptoms of stress are physical such as headaches, back pain, insomnia and weight gain, keeping yourself reasonably fit and healthy through some sort of regular exercise routine will both help to reduce stress in itself and also make your body better able to cope with it when it does arise.


8. Ensure that you eat and sleep properly. Rather like exercise, it's also important to keep yourself in shape by ensuring that you keep to well-balanced diet and that you get enough sleep.


9. Take up meditation. The power of meditation has been well understood for thousands of years and it is an excellent way to deal with the stresses and strains of life. Try to set aside a little bit of time each day when you can sit quietly by yourself, put time on hold briefly, and clear your mind before moving on with the day's chores.


10. Don't be afraid to talk to your family, trusty friends or a counselor. It may be a cliché to say that a problem shared is a problem halved, but there is wisdom in this old saying. If things start to pile up on you then sit down and share your worries with somebody else. Not only will this help to ease your problem in itself, but they may well be able to ease your mind further with good advice and by perhaps helping you to put things into perspective or to see things from a different angle.

The vast majority on the negative stress that we will encounter in our daily lives is either avoidable or can certainly be reduced considerably. The secret lies in recognizing the dangers of stress and taking action before it starts to affect you.

10 Tips For Fighting Depression

I’ve done a bit of research into fighting depression recently and I’ve put together ten brief tips for fighting depression, leaving medication out of the list (excepting vitamins), as it doesn’t work for everyone. Most of these tips are probably common sense but it’s sometimes hard to think rationally when you’re depressed, and thus easy to forget.

1. Get sufficient sleep.
   I’ve always burned the candle at both ends. It’s a flaw of being a type-A, driven, workaholic personality. Lack of sleep multiplies the effects of depression. If you can’t get a full 6-8 hours each night, try 15-30 minute catnaps through out the day. I’ve tried implementing Steve Pavlina’s attempt at polyphasic rhythm-based sleep, but I can’t quite pull it off yet. I have however been very successful in using Pzizz’s two free 15-minute energizer audio MP3 recordings for power naps several times a day. It’s unbelievable how much these help. I’ve also successfully been using binaural beats to positively affect alpha, beta, theta, etc., brainwaves. (More on that in the future.)


2. Reduce stress.
   Stress can be invisible and subconscious, and it can come from guilt about a variety of things, personal and professional. For example, as I write this article, I’m suffering from guilt for not working on client projects, which I’ve been unable to do for most of the day. That means I have to make up for this lack tomorrow, which in turn induces anxiety. It’s tough, stressful cycle. If you don’t keep stress under control, it can induce productivity-grinding panic and anxiety attacks. Naps, a walk around the neighbourhood, and exercise can help alleviate the effects immensely. Remember: you cannot learn effectively with stress weighing you down. Sometimes, practicing detachment from your worries will solve your stress.


3. Get sufficient exercise.
   It’s not just a matter of getting blood flowing, though that’s part of it. But getting outside and getting sunlight and fresh air is important because it rejuvenates you. If you work at home like I do, this is especially important. I find that despite being a hermit thinker type, physical activity makes me feel great during times of depression. Blood flow and adrenaline seem to stave off the worst effects. Though it’s sometimes hard to remember that exercise or keeping busy helps.


4. Meditate.
   Meditation can be an effective means to reducing stress and thus depression. It can also help you to become aware of what is causing your guilt, your stress, and often help you achieve some detachment from those “problems” you cannot do anything about. In short, it helps you achieve perspective, to see where to focus your attention. I’ve been meditating on and off for about 20 years. (I’ve done over 10,000 hours of meditation, part of the requirement of becoming a Buddhist monk, though not all under a “master”, which disqualifies me.)


5. Add some colour to your wardrobe.
   Tough for me, an ex-goth who still wears mostly all-black, but all dark clothes all the time increases the effects of depression. Colour stimulates positive feelings. I find blood red or a hunter green shirt helps me. Some people prefer yellow, orange or peach, or prints or paisleys. You can also add colour to your life through art therapy.


6. Eat properly.
   You know eating properly applies all the time but it’s even more crucial for those suffering from depression. I find grains, nuts, and fruit help me, and staying away from fried foods and refined carbs. I have a friend, a gifted classical guitarist, who ends up in the hospital every three or four years because of the massive amount of fast food he eats nearly every single day, and without vegetables at that. (He’s had around three meltdowns in the decade or so I’ve known him, and hasn’t worked in that time.) Even a fresh submarine/ hoagy/ rocket with lots of free toppings (i.e., veggies) is better than fries, gravy, burgers and pizzas several times a week like he has. (I’m not knocking them, as I eat them, but not every day.) Seek out healthy snacks or make your own, eat nutritious foods and add colourful vegetables and leafy items.


7. Take your vitamins.
   Learn your E, B, Cs. And Zinc, Folic acid, iron supplements, etc. Poor diet robs us of many absolutely essential nutrients. If you are not going to change your diet, whatever your reason, at least replenish those nutrients.


8. Drink water.
   The proper amount of fluids helps keep your skin from getting dry in the winter time - the “season” in seasonal depression. It also helps clear out some of the toxins in your body. And by the way, it’s NOT 8 glasses per day for everyone. The proper amount is based on your body weight, age, activity level, and other factors.


9. Add extra lighting.
   Research shows that adding some warm, bright lights helps fight the effects of depression. You don’t have to spend $150+ on special lamps; just increase the wattage in some of your light bulbs. Also, fluorescent lights are less bright than they appear. Try to replace them if possible.


10. Smile.
    It’s not a guaranteed nor permanent cure, but it does help sometimes, if you can maintain a smile for a few minutes. I watch The Comedy Network (Canada) sometimes, as laughing helps - at least temporarily, like chicken soup sort of helps a cold. Remembering to do so is key, so you may need to tape some visual reminders to your mirrors or computer, etc.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a doctor and don’t pretend to be. There’s more than one way to fight depression. If you have insidious, persistent depression, consider seeing a doctor, pyschiatrist or a therapist. (For some people, drugs may be the only answer.) Thus, the information provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice - only the findings of http://www.countwordula.com

10 Tips to Healthy Living

The first step is knowing what we mean by healthy living. It's not just eating right and exercising. Learning to live healthy means trying to incorporate "health" into all aspects of your life from the most tangible, like wearing your seat belt to the intangible like staying centered through the power of "om."

Alright let's get healthy? Follow these steps and by next year, you will feel better than ever!

1. "Regular exercise.
Exercise benefits every part of your life, from attitude to your cardiovascular system."

2. Eat a Healthy Diet.
"Use common sense. Avoid fad diets. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Moderation is a key -- not just in eating, but also in all facets of a healthy life."

• "Eat whole grain foods (bread, or rice, or pasta) at least four times per week. This will reduce the chance of having almost any cancer by 40%. Given that cancer gets about 1 in 3 of us in a lifetime, that's big advice."
• "Eat at least five portions of vegetables and fruit a day, and especially tomatoes, red grapes and the like, as well as salad all year. This protects against a whole variety of different nasty things: It reduces the risk of stroke dramatically, it reduces the risk of diabetes considerably and it will reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer."
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. If you are not drinking water, you are not giving your body the resources it needs to stay healthy!
• Enrich yourself consider taking a multi-vitamin. We don't always eat the proper foods and even if we do we are not always getting everything we need. B-vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium are crucial nutrients needed by the body to maintain healthy functioning organ systems. When we are under increased stress, these vitamins and minerals help to promote endurance and maintain a healthy balance.

3. "Don't smoke. Just as exercise helps everything, smoking hurts everything."

4. "Drink in moderation -- if it all."

5. "Get a regular medical check-up at least once a year."

6. "Always wear seatbelts. Just make it a habit. Use car seats for kids."

7. Do something for other people.
Helping others is a healing act for both you and them. A little volunteer work is a great way to keep a healthy perspective on yourself and life.

8. "Practice stress relief.
Whether it's exercise, deep breathing, a hobby, church, meditation find something that helps you deal with the pressures of life and work." Consider the following suggestions:

• "Smile and laugh. Spend some time watching a favorite movie or doing something you love. Laughter releases endorphins in the body which help us stay youthful."
• "Communicate and share. Getting together with loved and sharing how you feel is physically and mentally rejuvenating. Feeling connected and listened to promotes a healthy centered state."
• "Keep a Positive Mental Outlook. There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing."
• Believe in yourself, listen to your voice inside. Honoring oneself and following your true passion leads to a healthy sense of self and wellbeing. Follow your path and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
• Say OMMMMMM....Om is not a word but rather an intonation like music. Saying "ommmmmmmm" sends a particular vibration through the body, which relaxes you...seriously, try it! When you are really stressed take a deep breathe and say Ommmmmmmmmmmmm!
• Consider Meditation. What are the benefits well according to Dr. Oz several "things at once, at a hormonal level, studies have shown that meditation can counteract the fight-or-flight response that floods the body with the stress hormone cortisol and that also shuts down the parasympathetic system, which normally restores order after the alert is over. At a molecular level, meditation slows metabolism in red blood cells and suppresses the production of cytokines - proteins associated with the kind of heightened immune response often seen in stressed-out subjects such as students taking exams."

9. "Sleep on it.

Get at least seven and a half hours of sleep every night. This is the only time our bodies have to regenerate and heal. If sleep is an issue, you can look into calming herbs such as valerian, hops, lemon balm and passionflower. A nice warm cup of chamomile tea before bed may also do the trick."

10. Remember to live in the moment!

Life is ment for living not just completing tasks and running errands. The more you live in the moment the less stress and more joy you will get out of life.

htp://www.Healthy-holistic-Living.com

20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind

by: Todd Goldfarb

Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one area. The practice comes with a myriad of well-publicized health benefits including increased concentration, decreased anxiety, and a general feeling of happiness.

Although a great number of people try meditation at some point in their lives, a small percentage actually stick with it for the long-term. This is unfortunate, and a possible reason is that many beginners do not begin with a mindset needed to make the practice sustainable.

The purpose of this article is to provide 20 practical recommendations to help beginners get past the initial hurdles and integrate meditation over the long term:

1. Make it a formal practice. You will only get to the next level in meditation by setting aside specific time (preferably two times a day) to be still.
2. Start with the breath. Breathing deep slows the heart rate, relaxes the muscles, focuses the mind and is an ideal way to begin practice.
3. Stretch first. Stretching loosens the muscles and tendons allowing you to sit (or lie) more comfortably. Additionally, stretching starts the process of “going inward” and brings added attention to the body.
4. Meditate with Purpose. Beginners must understand that meditation is an ACTIVE process. The art of focusing your attention to a single point is hard work, and you have to be purposefully engaged!
5. Notice frustration creep up on you. This is very common for beginners as we think “hey, what am I doing here” or “why can’t I just quiet my damn mind already”. When this happens, really focus in on your breath and let the frustrated feelings go.
6. Experiment. Although many of us think of effective meditation as a Yogi sitting cross-legged beneath a Bonzi tree, beginners should be more experimental and try different types of meditation. Try sitting, lying, eyes open, eyes closed, etc.
7. Feel your body parts. A great practice for beginning meditators is to take notice of the body when a meditative state starts to take hold. Once the mind quiets, put all your attention to the feet and then slowly move your way up the body (include your internal organs). This is very healthy and an indicator that you are on the right path.
8. Pick a specific room in your home to meditate. Make sure it is not the same room where you do work, exercise, or sleep. Place candles and other spiritual paraphernalia in the room to help you feel at ease.
9. Read a book (or two) on meditation. Preferably an instructional guide AND one that describes the benefits of deep meditative states. This will get you motivated. John Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are is terrific for beginners.
10. Commit for the long haul. Meditation is a life-long practice, and you will benefit most by NOT examining the results of your daily practice. Just do the best you can every day, and then let it go!
11. Listen to instructional tapes and CDs.
12. Generate moments of awareness during the day. Finding your breath and “being present” while not in formal practice is a wonderful way to evolve your meditation habits.
13. Make sure you will not be disturbed. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not insuring peaceful practice conditions. If you have it in the back of your mind that the phone might ring, your kids might wake, or your coffee pot might whistle than you will not be able to attain a state of deep relaxation.
14. Notice small adjustments. For beginning meditators, the slightest physical movements can transform a meditative practice from one of frustration to one of renewal. These adjustments may be barely noticeable to an observer, but they can mean everything for your practice.
15. Use a candle. Meditating with eyes closed can be challenging for a beginner. Lighting a candle and using it as your point of focus allows you to strengthen your attention with a visual cue. This can be very powerful.
16. Do NOT Stress. This may be the most important tip for beginners, and the hardest to implement. No matter what happens during your meditation practice, do not stress about it. This includes being nervous before meditating and angry afterwards. Meditation is what it is, and just do the best you can at the time.
17. Do it together. Meditating with a partner or loved one can have many wonderful benefits, and can improve your practice. However, it is necessary to make sure that you set agreed-upon ground rules before you begin!
18. Meditate early in the morning. Without a doubt, early morning is an idealtime to practice: it is quieter, your mind is not filled with the usual clutter, and there is less chance you will be disturbed. Make it a habit to get up half an hour earlier to meditate.
19. Be Grateful at the end. Once your practice is through, spend 2-3 minutes feeling appreciative of the opportunity to practice and your mind’s ability to focus.
20. Notice when your interest in meditation begins to wane. Meditation ishard work, and you will inevitably come to a point where it seemingly does not fit into the picture anymore. THIS is when you need your practice the most and I recommend you go back to the book(s) or the CD’s you listened to and become re-invigorated with the practice. Chances are that losing the ability to focus on meditation is parallel with your inability to focus in other areas of your life!

Meditation is an absolutely wonderful practice, but can be very difficult in the beginning. Use the tips described in this article to get your practice to the next level!

10 tips to reduce depression

Depression can be crippling, devastating. It can cause a person to withdraw from everyone he loves and stop doing activities that he once enjoyed. It can cause a deep despair and social isolation that is overwhelming. Victims of depression encounter memory problems, sleep disruption or a need to sleep excessively, a sense of hopelessness and an inability to join the rest of the world. Depression afflicts an estimated 19 million Americans, and they cant just snap out of it.

Although there are ways to ease some symptoms of depression, sometimes medication therapy is needed for a person to fully enjoy a life without depression. However, there are some free tips that you can try if you have the blues.

1. Speak with Someone

Marriage counselors, church patriarchs, school counselors, and life coaches can be very helpful. If you do not feel comfortable speaking with a counselor, talk to a close friend or write in a journal.

2. Start an Exercise Program

A brisk walk or a good workout can do wonders for your mood. As you exercise and raise your heart rate, your body releases endorphins which improve your mood. Youve heard of the runners high? Well, that is why.

3. Eat Fresh

Eat as much fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy as possible. The more you rid processed foods from your diet, the better you will feel. Fresh vegetables are good for you and boost your body with vitamins. The healthier you are, the better you tend to feel emotionally.

4. Avoid Sugar

Sugar can cause serious problems, especially if your depression is combined with anxiety. Unlike essential sugars (glyconutrients), regular table sugar can increase your anxiety, give you a let down when you come down off of a sugar high and it can hinder your immune system, making you more susceptible to illness. Frequent illnesses can contribute to depression.

5. Avoid caffeine

Caffeine brings you up - then drops you like a rock. It can increase your anxiety and distress and contribute to your depression as well. Drink more water, sodas and even fruit drinks have sugar and preservatives that can drag you down and make you feel worse.

6. Avoid Nicotine

Nicotine is a stimulant. It acts in the body much like caffeine. It can make you feel better temporarily, but in the end it will only add to depression in several ways. The stimulant in nicotine can increase your anxiety. Smoking also tends to make a person more prone to upper respiratory illnesses and illness can increase you depression.

7. Meditation Helps

Meditation can do wonders for alieving feelings of depression. There are various forms of meditation from conscious breathing to guided meditation to creative imagery. Find a form that works for you and practice. The focus and peace does wonders for a troubled spirit.

8. Sleep

Sleep deprivation can cause depression and anxiety. Too much sleep can also contribute to depression and anxiety. The average adult needs between six and nine hours of sleep a night. Each individual has different needs, but this is a good guideline.

9. Lighten Up

Sitting or working in the dark will add to your depression. Natural light is better than artificial light too. So open the windows and shutters and replace small lights and light bulbs with bigger and brighter ones.

10. Adopt a Pet

Companion animals provide great help to anyone suffering from depression. Studies have shown that by just stroking an animal can lower your blood pressure and calm you. So go visit your local humane society or pet store. Don't have space for a goat or a horse? Maybe a dog, cat, ferret, gerbil, hamster, goldfish, or even a hermit crab?

Spencer Hunt is a wellness consultant who has used glyconutritionals to help clients with Alzheimers, diabetes, Lupus, or to just have more energy http://www.ifoundhealth.com.

10 tips for people starting out in meditation

By Catherine Powell

1. Find a good teacher if you canDo try to get along to a meditation class taught by an experienced practitioner; it can really help to learn in the company of others and also to ask questions and get direct answers from someone who knows the territory.
2. Best not to meditate on too full a stomach!Before breakfast is good. If you’ve just eaten, your body is using its energy to digest your food: you are more likely to get sleepy in meditation after a heavy meal. Probably best not to meditate starving hungry either as you may find your practice dominated by food fantasies! Find the middle way!
3. Be sensible about postureEastern people may have grown up with sitting cross-legged on the floor, but westerners, (unless they’ve done a lot of yoga or are naturally particularly flexible), generally can’t get into a lotus position at all let alone sit comfortably that way for 20 minutes. You don’t need to sit in full lotus to meditate! Kneeling on cushions or sitting on a chair is fine. Be as comfortable and upright as you can.
4. Make some clear timeChoose a time to meditate when you really do have a bit of undisturbed time and can relax, even if it’s just for five minutes. Turn off your mobile phone! Close the door. Do what you can to make it possible to allow yourself to let go of being available to outside demands for a while and take an undisturbed space for yourself. If you have young children, this can take a bit of planning, but children can also get used to a parent sitting quietly for a while each day, it can be a beneficial experience for them too!
5. Work with your own body clockIf you’re an early bird and get sleepy in the evenings, do a little meditation in the mornings; if your head is full of planning for the day in the mornings, experiment with giving yourself five minutes (or longer) to yourself to relax and meditate at the end of the day when your work is done.
6. Little and often can be very effectiveEven five minutes of meditation a day can really have a positive effect on your life!
7. Warm up a little before, chill out a little afterPrepare to sit with some stretches for the hips and easing out of stiff shoulders, give a bit of kindly attention to any tense places. Finish meditating in time for a cup of tea or even just a minute’s gazing out of the window doing nothing, before you go on with your day’s activities.
8. A special placeIf you decide you’d like to meditate regularly at home, it can really help to sit in the same place in your home each time, and to create a bit of special atmosphere there, perhaps with a candle, some flowers and a picture that really inspires you. If your cushions or chair are sitting there ready for you, it saves a lot of time faffing about and you’re more likely to find yourself meditating regularly.
9. Let go of expectationsHave faith in yourself and a sense of humour. There are all kinds of meditation experiences, just as there is a huge spectrum of human experience, from serene to grumpy, ecstatic to bored, blissfully clear to distracted from distraction by distraction. Don’t judge yourself as having ‘good’ or ‘bad’ meditations. Being aware of whatever is going on is what counts. And the cumulative effort you put in is what will really make a difference in your experience.
10. Celebrate your progress!Meditation is conducive and supportive of positive change in your life, but be gentle with yourself, you may just not get enlightened overnight, (I’ve not yet met anyone who has!) Some old habits die hard, but bringing awareness to them, and cultivating an increasingly positive emotional attitude towards yourself, you can achieve great things for yourself. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…

10 Tips For Spiritual Growth

by Remez Sasson

Spiritual growth is the process of inner awakening, and becoming conscious our inner being. It means the rising of the consciousness beyond the ordinary existence, and awakening to some Universal truths. It means going beyond the mind and the ego and realizing who you really are.

Spiritual growth is a process of shedding our wrong and unreal conceptions, thoughts, beliefs and ideas, and becoming more and more conscious and aware of our inner being. This process uncovers the inner spirit that is always present, but hidden beyond the ego-personality.

Spiritual growth is of great importance for everyone, not only for people who seek spiritual enlightenment and choose to live in far away or secluded places. Spiritual growth is the basis for a better and more harmonious life for everyone, a life free of tension, fear and anxiety.

Spiritual growth is not a means for escaping from responsibilities, behaving strangely and becoming an impractical person. It is a method of growing and becoming a stronger, happier and more responsible person.

10 tips for spiritual growth:

1. Read spiritual and uplifting books. Think about what you read, and find out how you can use the information in your life.
2. Meditate for at least 15 minutes every day. If you do not know how to meditate, it is easy to find books, websites or teachers who can teach you meditation.
3. Learn to make your mind quiet through concentration exercises and meditation.
4. Acknowledge the fact that you are a spirit with a physical body, not a physical body with a spirit. If you can really accept this idea, it will change your attitude towards many things in your life.
5. Look often into yourself and into your mind, and try to find out what is it that makes you feel conscious and alive.
6. Think positive. If you find yourself thinking negatively, immediately switch to thinking positively. Be in control of what enters your mind. Open the door for the positive and close it for the negative.
7. Develop the happiness habit, by always looking at the bright side of life and endeavoring to be happy. Happiness comes from within. Do not let your outer circumstances decide your happiness for you.
8. Exercise often your will power and decision making ability. This strengthens you and gives you control over your mind.
9. Thank the Universe for everything that you get.
10. Develop tolerance, patience, tact and consideration for others.

Spiritual growth is the birthright of everyone. It is the key to a life of happiness and peace of mind, and the manifesting the enormous power of the inner spirit. This spirit is equally present within the most material person, and within the most spiritual person. The level of the manifestation of spirituality is dependent on how much the inner spirit is close to the surface, and on how much it is covered and hidden, by thoughts, beliefs and negative habits.

6 Tips Meditation

Buddhism/Zen, Meditation, Interconnectedness, Self, Development and Mind.
Learning any new skill takes time to master. Meditation is not exception. Beginners, with any new skill are generally frustrated at their lack of progress or speed of development. Below are a few tips that have helped me progress to deeper, more peaceful sessions.

• Meditation is the result of practice. There is No Thing to look for in meditation.
• Observe what is happening, regardless of the nature. Do not judge, just watch and accept. This is the tool of mindfulness.
• To see the mind working is to allow the understanding of the mind.
• Talking to other minds (not people; there is no ego/self), will better allow you to see your mind. There is a reflective quality in talking to other minds. Seeing how other minds work, allows you to see your mind work, via reflection. The practice of talking to mind, engages many of the Noble Eightfold Path(Right Intent/Right Speech/Right Action).
• Meditation is not just sitting down on a zafu, or chanting. As above, the Eightfold Path(I will expand upon this another time) is applied in all aspects of life, from talking to others, to breathing, to understanding things correctly.
• Do not focus on anger or negative thoughts, accept them and let them be. Focusing on anger/negativity will create a feedback loop growing anger/negativity. The mind, wants to be peaceful and calm. By not focusing on anger and negativity and simply accepting them, the mind will find its own peace and calm. Tranquility, which is the result of a peaceful and calm mind, is the source of happiness

Final pointer on feedback loops; Practice that does not cling to anger or negative feelings/emotions will create a feedback loop of calm and happiness that will be distributed like seeds to all you interact. They will notice your calmness, you will notice their calmness around you, and you will begin to feed of others as a result of your practice.

As Thich Nhat Hanh says, continue to water the seeds of Dharma, and like an experienced gardener, when the right conditions are present, a beautiful flower will grow.

8 Tips to Develop Your Practice

Buddhism/Zen, Meditation and Development.

• The word “water” cannot make you wet.(Alan Watts) Words are the concepts, or the pointers, they are not the actual. Go beyond the words and get wet. A Zen master who raised his hand to point at the moon overhead asked his students: Is this the moon, or the finger pointing at the moon?
• Let your breath become natural, try not to manipulate it. Controlling your breathing is a form of attachment.
• Keep on sitting and developing your Right Effort. Try to develop a sitting routine each day at a certain time. Join a sanga if you can find one. Continual practice is the key to results. Don’t be upset if you can’t make a sitting, but make no excuses.
• No one can walk the path for you. You have to water and feed your own seed so it may blossom.
• When meditating, if you get tired, or reach a point of discomfort, observer it how it is. Tiredness and pain are ego’s way of try keep your flower from blooming. Observe your experience how it how is, with the understanding that it will pass.
• If noise or distractions arise, let them wash over and you. If you attach to distractions, you become stuck. Let them become part of your practice. Remain aware and equanimous to reality as it is, not how you want it to be.
• Refrain from labeling or counting your breath. Breathe naturally without force. Labeling and counting is very easy to start, but hard to stop. Save yourself the problem of trying to stop later, but not starting at all.
• When thoughts or emotion arise in your mind, watch them pass like a cloud through the sky. You are not the cloud, you are the sky. Like the sky, allow all clouds to pass without judgment or attachment. Through the passing of clouds in the sky, develops stillness.