|
|
|
Are you ready to listen - let’s talk?
Are you ready to listen - let’s talk? Really can someone tell me: Where are we going as a human race? What do you think? Take a moment out of your busy day and try to reflect on that very small question that we always try to avoid. What am I doing...
Coping With Holiday Stress
The holidays are upon us and instead of leisurely sipping eggnog
around the fireplace, we find ourselves in a frenzy trying to
get all too many things done in anticipation of that one
perfect, albeit elusive holiday moment.
Despite...
Dealing with Aggression
Sometimes life can be very confusing. We strive to walk a spiritual path, being accepting and forgiving. We smile and send blessings unselfishly to all that cross our path. We meditate and pray, but how do we deal with negative people when...
I'm Fighting This War Too - in MY way!
I'm Fighting This War Too - in MY way! © 2002 June McHardy Like almost everyone in the country, I sat glued to the television during beginning of the war. I was awe-struck at the technology that enabled us to see live 'in the moment' action...
Origin of Certain Thoughts (Part I)
We all have spirit guides and we all benefit from their assistance, whether or not we recognize it. Only a few people can hear and exchange verbal communications with their guides, or occasionally see their foggy, ghostly image materialize; some...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
To Find Balance, Retreat!
When our lives get out of balance we experience stress. The stress may come from work, relationships, health challenges, legal challenges, the environment or any combination of factors. Stress in of itself is not so bad but when experienced regularly over time disease states arise: irritability, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, feelings of helplessness, and indigestion. Left unchecked chronic stress leads to depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, chronic anxiety, a compromised immunes system, etc.
A time honored way of bringing balance into your life is with a retreat. A retreat can help you regain balance and live healthier in a number of important ways. First, when you participate in a retreat you remove yourself from the regular of stressors of daily life and by doing so create an opportunity for your system to naturally come back into balance. Sometimes we have lived so long with stress that we have forgotten what it feels like to feel really good!
A retreat offers the possibility to feel good again. And having this time away you can gain a fresh perspective of what is causing the stress and consider what you might do to bring about a healthier lifestyle.
When you combine retreat time with a natural healing modality such as yoga you create an opportunity to renew and revitalize your entire system – body, mind and spirit, at very deep levels. You also have the opportunity to learn something new or deepen into the practice of yoga. And through this experience you may become inspired to practice regularly at home which will further bring balance and health into your life.
Of course the ideal retreat includes delicious and nurturing meals of whole foods, like minded people, time to play, and a sacred environment where the healing power of nature can support you: magnificent views, beautiful weather, the energy of the land etc. It is for this reason that retreats are often taken in the mountains, forests, by the ocean, or on tropical islands.
Being in a beautiful natural environment also has another powerful effect; you are reminded of the grandeur and beauty in the world, and that in some way connected to this, regardless
of what is happening in your life. We are reminded that there is something larger than ourselves, which leads to a mindset that is more open – open to fresh possibilities and the creative spirit.
New environments also set the stage for fresh stimuli; input which can trigger new ideas
and ways of thinking. This can come form a conversation with a stranger, reading a magazine, exploring the local environment, learning about the local culture or customes or simply trying a new restaurant. A retreat offers the opportunity to break “out of the box” – out of our habitual ways of thinking which in turn fosters new perspectives and creativity.
While regaining balance, reducing stress, renewal are often strong motivations for attending a retreat, there are many other reasons people do this which include quiet time for themselves, time to sort out some aspect of their lives, to learn a new skill or deepen into a specific modality, to do something nice for themselves or simply to have a vacation.
Before you go on a retreat – take time to think about why you are going and what you want from that experience. Just as an individual reasons for going on a retreat vary so do the many types of retreats offered. Retreats can range in time from a weekend, to week, to a month or longer. Some programs work with the individual to create their own personalized retreat while others are very structured and ask the participant to be involved with many activities. Retreats can also be more like vacations.
Whatever your reasons may be to go on a retreat, whether it is to reduce stress, regain balalnce, deepen your spirituality, have a great vacation or a combinatn of things, a retreat can be the perfect way to rebalance your life, renew your spirit and live a happier, healthier life.
About the Author
Howard VanEs, M.A. has been studying and practicing yoga for over thirteen years and is a certified yoga teacher teaching in the East Bay area of San Francisco. He is author of “Beginning Yoga: A Practice Manual”, co-creator of the audio CD “Shavasana / Deep Relaxation”. http://www.letsdoyoga.com info@letsdoyoga.com 510-587-3399
|
|
|
|
|
| Spirituality.com: from the Christian Science Publishing Society |
| Christian Science Publishing Society presents spirituality.com -- practical spirituality and healing prayer explored through feature articles, ... |
| www.spirituality.com |
|
| Spirituality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. The spiritual, involving (as it may) perceived eternal verities regarding ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| SFT - December 2006 - Home Page |
| Spirituality for Today is an interactive monthly magazine dedicated to a variety of current themes and questions concerning the Christian faith in this ... |
| www.spirituality.org |
|
| Spirituality & Health |
| Ideas and advice about practices, products, self-tests, news and essays, and a virtual community dedicated to leading a more spiritually fulfilling and ... |
| www.spiritualityhealth.com |
|
| Indiatimes - Spirituality |
| You can consult our panel of experts on spiritual and mental probems. ... Jagjit Singh: Spirituality is a way of life I have faith in a Higher Power, ... |
| spirituality.indiatimes.com |
|
| NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY |
| A general overview with quotes, essays, and links. |
| www.religioustolerance.org |
|
| NEW AGE SPIRITUALITY |
| In-depth article defines the New Age movement and some of the core beliefs, explains the traditions from which it is rooted, describes the confusions caused ... |
| www.religioustolerance.org |
|
| Spirituality - kabbalah inspiration prayer |
| Add inspiration to your life by discovering jewish spirituality, kabbalah and prayer on aish.com. Read a daily lift and be inspired. |
| www.aish.com |
|
| All Things Spiritual Directory |
| A searchable directory of thousands of spiritual and religious websites. Includes all major topic areas relating to spirituality and religion, ... |
| www.allspiritual.com |
|
| Holistic Spirituality -- Beliefnet.com |
| Holistic Spirituality Homepage. ... Holistic Spirituality. The Past Life of Your First Kiss. Interview by Laura Sheahen. With a new book on reincarnation, ... |
| www.beliefnet.com |
|
| Beliefnet.com |
| Features articles on God, faith, prayer, the nature of spirituality, society and ethics, with numerous resources. All religions respected. |
| www.beliefnet.com |
|
| Religion and Spirituality in the Yahoo! Directory |
| Yahoo! reviewed these sites and found them related to Religion and Spirituality. |
| dir.yahoo.com |
|
| About - Religion & Spirituality |
| Get information and resources on spirituality and world religions from Christianity to Islam to Judaism. Our religious experts offer insight on where ... |
| about.com |
|
| Spirituality |
| The Orthodox Church proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Greek language, the word for Gospel is Evangelion which means literally "the good news. |
| www.goarch.org |
|
| reasoned spirituality a logical exploration of life |
| A philosophical exploration of spirituality, human behaviour, and the quest for the meaning of life. |
| www.reasoned.org |
|
| Spirituality - AllAboutSpirituality.org |
| Spirituality - Learn about the spirit world and why people are fascinated by mystical experiences. Discover a real and personal spirituality. |
| www.allaboutspirituality.org |
|
| Spirituality |
| The three foundational characteristics of spirituality are Faith, ... Join forces with others who have a healthy spirituality in their own lives. ... |
| www.coping.org |
|
| .:: Jesus : spirituality::. |
| This section of rejesus.co.uk focuses on prayer and meditation offering resources for daily prayer, learning about spirituality and a virtual labyrinth to ... |
| www.rejesus.co.uk |
|
| Science of Spirituality |
| An organization committed to a spiritual way of life based on meditation and service to others. News, events, and resources. |
| www.sos.org |
|
| Spirituality: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
| See all blog posts tagged with spirituality on Technorati. |
| www.technorati.com |
|
|