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And Then There Were Too Many
The latest census in Ukraine revealed an apocalyptic drop of 10% in its population - from 52.5 million a decade ago to a mere 47.5 million last year. Demographers predict a precipitous decline of one third in Russia's impoverished, inebriated,...
Baby Boomers Are Turning 60!
The 60’s – flower children, hippies, tie dyed shirts, bandanas and free love. The Rolling Stones, Elvis, the Beatles and the notion they would never grow old began to permeate their thinking. Their new way of thinking made their parents shake...
Connecting with Higher Wisdom
Copyright 2005 Debbie Friedman Many people have been asking me lately how to connect with higher wisdom. I don’t have all the answers, but there are a few techniques that I’d like to share with you based on my personal experience over the years. ...
Living on Purpose: Achieving Balance Between Work And the Rest of Your Life
Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures that we often find ourselves reacting to external demands rather than designing lives that really fulfill us. While in today’s economic environment we face many stresses in our jobs, it is...
PRACTICING STAYING PRESENT TO THE NOW
Transformational Counseling is about assisting others to
transform their life. Transformational Counseling is a process
of assisting others to learn how to let go of the past and live
fully in the present. To live fully in the present is to...
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Mindfulness and Contemplation: Celebrating Navel-Gazing
There's been a lot of talk about navels in our house lately. You
see, my youngest daughter is asking to get hers pierced, and we
are saying no--for now. So, naturally, I have been noticing
navels more than usual.
The term "navel-gazing" means indulgent contemplation, and
that's an interesting concept. Is it possible to be indulgent
when it comes to contemplation? Can we get TOO caught up in it?
I'm not too worried about over-contemplation. As long as we are
mindful, we aren't likely to overdo anything. What we CAN overdo
is our insistence upon a certain contemplative practice as our
only hope for greater mindfulness, our tenacious grasping of a
particular style, or our adamant belief that mindfulness can or
should be limited in any way.
Frankly, I think we could do with a whole lot more
contemplation, and if contemplating a navel (pierced or
otherwise) inspires mindfulness, it seems we should celebrate
that.
The traditional contemplative practices include a variety of
activities, such as meditation, mindful walking, mindful eating,
yoga, creating art, and writing a journal. But contemplation
comes in all shapes and sizes, and if surfing or raking leaves
or shooting baskets or giving yourself a pedicure helps you tap
into that Wow of Wonder, then focus on THAT.
The good news is that there is no need to add a new activity to
your to-do list. You are already doing many activities that,
with intention, can become perfect
twigs on that Tree of
Contemplative Practices.
Nothing woo-woo is required here. Think about everyday
opportunities for greater awareness. What are your own little
moments of fascination or centering? Seemingly mundane
tasks--scrubbing the tub, washing the car, setting the
table--are full of possibilities for contemplation.
Be creative with this use-what-you-have approach to mindfulness!
Don't feel pressure to adopt a traditional contemplative
practice if cleaning your horse's stall or pulling weeds helps
you tap into that inner wisdom.
In fact, I'd say that those who use everyday activities as
opportunities for greater mindfulness are far more likely to
find moments of quiet awareness on a daily basis than those who
view contemplative practices as a unique category of
experiences.
It's not the activity, it's the intention. Zero in on that.
Choose to pay attention, and you've got yourself some mobile
mindfulness that you can take with you wherever you go.
Sort of like your navel.
About the author:
Maya Talisman Frost has taught thousands of people how to pay
attention. Her playful, eyes-wide-open approach to everyday
awareness has been featured in over 150 publications worldwide.
Her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, offers clarity,
comfort and comic relief to subscribers in over 100 countries.
To read her free tips for everyday awareness, visit
http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com.
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Meditation Meditation is an alternative therapy. It can be broadly classified under the mind-body medicine. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation ... |
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Sivananda Yoga - Meditation |
Introduction to the Official Web site of the Internationa Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers. Lots of information on Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, ... |
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Zen Mountain Monastery: Zen Meditation Instructions |
Detailed instructions from Zen Mountain Monastery on how to practice Zen meditation. |
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Survey of seven meditation techniques for beginners. |
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