Browse Spiritual Growth

If you notice, you will see that happiness is already here. Still, no matter how good life may be, the ego says no to it: “It would be better if….” “I will be happy when….” As long as we don’t follow those thoughts, we will be happy. But usually we give our attention to the ego’s rejection of what is instead of to what is. We give that no the power to steer our actions: We jump from one idea to the next, trying to make life and ourselves better.

One of the ego’s strongest desires is to know the future. It wants to know the future very badly, so badly that it often resorts to making it up, if not in a full-blown fantasy, at least in thoughts and beliefs about the future that constantly change. Sometimes such fantasies are negative and depict the ego’s fears about the future. The likelihood of events actually occurring in the often dramatic way the mind imagines is miniscule; and yet our thoughts about the future grab our attention, stir up our emotions, and can even cause us to act in certain ways.

Your authentic self I wish to present you with an uncommon view of reality. For the next five minutes, the time it takes you to read and integrate this information, I intend to put forward an alte ative view of life which you may not have previously considered. Indulge me as I outline a case for the benefits of merging mind, body and spirit.

Reflections from John Henry: A Once Human Angel As I watch the human condition and remember my time on Earth, I am struck by the ways in which we unintentionally perpetrate duality within the systems of our body and the experiences of our life. An example, recently observed is this. One is at ...

Environment is not limited to the place we exist. It also includes the company we keep. Who we affiliate with and the energy we attract from others is more of an environment than that of any other place. I for one would rather live in a cold climate where there are warm hearts, then at the ...

I listened to an online discussion on evolutionary spirituality and evolving beyond the ego presented by Craig Hamilton earlier this month. Craig is a wonderful, highly perceptive speaker (and seeker) who had many interesting insights to share on the topic of evolutionary spirituality and evolving beyond the ego. This article is the first of a series of three on his talk.

Have you ever had the awareness of how truly amazing you are? There probably have been those moments where you did. Yet if you are like the majority of individuals on this planet, you probably spend a whole lot of time defining yourself by the things you think are wrong about you.

Periodically, I do radio-interviews for my book, The Woodstock Bridge and they want a high-speed answer regarding what it's about. It's about listening. This has been a theme in last month with many clients and even in my own life. All shifts in our life come from two places: insights and ...

A new year is dawning and everyone’s making New Year Resolutions. But what about spiritual resolutions? It’s important to take the time to renew our spirit and uplift our soul thus having another glorious 365 days yet to come. Here are a few examples of spiritual resolutions, but make your own resolutions and or change these resolutions to fit your needs. I Will Blossom - This year my life will blossom and take off in new ways that I never dreamt could happen. The Universe will open doors for me and thus life will take on new facets that empower my life… life is amazing!

Co-Dependence to Co-Creationr Co-dependence has gotten a bad rap! The core of co-dependence is caring more about another person than yourself - and that has been considered heroic in legend and religion for eons! We are told that Christ gave his life for us; we honor those who sacrifice their lives for their country; suicide bombers are honored (within their society) for sacrificing their lives to a cause. Selfless actions are applauded throughout most of human society. Yet over-involvement, entanglement in another’s life and affairs can be unhealthy and unproductive.

The only thing standing between you-as-amateur and you-as-expert is dedication. All that talk about prodigies? We could all be prodigies (or nearly so) if we just put in the time and focused. At least that's what the brain guys are saying. Best of all--it's almost never too late.nnI know I'd wanted to have an inn a long time ago, but geez, that wasnt my avocation by trade; I got my degree in teaching and subsequently went into the corporate world. So how does one go from bein

Have you ever read a real exciting email that tells you that you can get rich in a very short time, and that this person, Mr. X, has discovered just how to do it? This email or sales page will probably be accompanied by a interesting story, or a snapshot of their Pay Pal account, showing money ...

A compassionate body/breath practitioner said to me today that she felt the common definition of "perfection" was very constrained. I had been a recipient of her work as we shared some observations and questions about the nature of perfection. What had come up for me a few minutes earlier as I lay on her table was a deep anxiety at "not knowing" -- a fear of uncertainty, to be sure. In truth, we can never know what's coming. Try as we may to control our future, we just never know what's next. There are times, like today for me, that the raw contact with that fact is very unnerving.

This morning I caught myself again in the act of “shoulding” myself. I “should” do this, I “should” be that. Why aren’t I doing more tha I am? I’m just not good enough. And I kicked myself like I often do, bringing back ancient feelings of shame and guilt. Old patterns die hard, don’t they? We are so much the product of our past and change sometimes seems so hard.

My employment history includes a stint in retail management that extended for several years. While working as an assistant manager for a furniture store, my shifts began either in the morning or at midday, and varied week to week. Physically maintaining the sales floor was an ongoing project. ...

An ordinary light bulb is a delicate physical object with nothing particularly striking about it by itself. When we put electrical energy into it… almost magically light is created. A rainbow of colors is possible in varying degrees of brightness. Together, the bulb and the energy became something beautiful - and useful to humankind. The human body is much like a light bulb – a delicate and complex physical object. The energy which powers the human body is called ‘life energy’. A human body with no energy running through it is said to be dead; it is called a “cadaver”.

Letting Go We have been taught to believe, that letting go means to push away or suppress. However, true letting go is a process of integration and healing. Letting go can be a misleading statement because it gives the impression of separation. By integrating a situation that involves you, ...

Love is action! That's what my friend Jess taught me. So last week I put my money where my mouth is and woke up at the crack of dawn to drive downtown to witness one of my besties, getting sworn in to become a US Citizen. I assumed I would be witnessing a hundred people or so, and call it a day. When we arrived and saw the millions of people (well, 3061 to be exact; 18 million over the last 10 years) that had come here so they could officially call the US of A their home, I experienced a moment’s panic. I mistakenly thought I would have to sit here while each person’s name was read aloud.

Have you ever shared this sentiment? Even when I know I should be grateful, many times I still find it difficult to bring myself to actually feel this way. Why is this? I should be grateful for life, I should be grateful for family, I should be grateful for every healthy breath I take... I know all this, I truly believe all this, and yet I usually feel strangely unimpressed by so many things I should have profound appreciation for. And yet those things which I should be grate

It is popular at the moment to bemoan the state of the economy, the financial and emotional upheaval that seems to be everywhere. I find myself wondering how to make use of this in my spiritual practice, and how to use the rampant fear and anxiety to develop compassion and wisdom. Be ard Madoff stole billions of dollars from people who trusted him. We respond in various ways to this story. Some of us think those people who gave Madoff their money were stupid, or greedy, or g

Valentines Day is just around the corner, but I must admit that I miss the way love used to be. We don't think or talk about love with that old fashioned charm that once warmed our hearts. Love used to be about romance, flowers, candy, sweet notes secretly passed between lovers as private, ...

Meditation is an excellent way to relax your mind and body Yet, if you are not accustomed to meditation you will need to learn a few basics steps and get a basic understanding of what it is all about to help you on your way. Basically it is about relaxing. Usually it is a good idea to start by ...

Any pathogen, including the virus, is very insidious and can lurk in an organism waiting for a weakening of the immune system. Therefore, it's essential to recognise the coming sickness and to increase the capability of self-defence in the most efficient way. One of the most potent ways to do it is a Defence Garlic Shot. Defence Garlic Shot Recipe You need the following: 1. one large or two-three smaller cloves of garlic 2. one teaspoon of honey ( preferably organic) 3. a glass of warm water (2dl / 3/4 US cup) 4. Garlic Press* 5. a tablespoon

Intuition is the wisdom from within from our Divine self. We are all intuitive beings whether we are aware of it or not. Intuition is a natural ability from Source that we are able to tap into. It is available to assist us in living our life more consciously with intention and fulfillment.

It has been a popular opinion for centuries that we are here to learn something – life’s lessons. I don’t believe that is what our purpose is, and in the time of mankind we really haven’t learned anything at all spiritually, so learning can’t be it. I believe that we are an embodiment of the ...

“Wealth is what interests most people if they are beyond survival mode. ‘How do I secure wealth?’ they ask. Many have seen or read ‘The Secret’ and ‘tried out’ the tools but most gave up when they didn’t get what they wanted right away. I ask you, ‘Why is it that most lottery winners are broke or bankrupt in a relatively short time?’ The answer is: People who haven’t created a consciousness for wealth cannot hold onto it. What we don’t earn through higher consciousness, we lose.

Most people have something they want to change about themselves or the world around them. That's actually the easy part - seeing who you want to be in the future. We visualize a thinner person, more organized surroundings, or someone who regularly goes to bed at 10am just to wake up bright ...

HEAVENLETTER #2403 The Sun of God's Love God said: Perhaps you think I gave you an impossible task on Earth, to be a new-bo babe, to be a great soul in a body in a world that emphasizes the physical and downplays the spiritual. You too will follow along with the crowd, forgetful of your soul's importance. Yet, stalked by a vague sense of your soul and its importance to you and the world, you lead two seemingly divergent lives, the physical seeming to downplay the spiritual

At times, we get caught in situations that we find difficult to handle. When things seem to be getting out of hand and whatever we do to salvage the situation only fails, when extreme circumstances surround us on the outside and a feeling of loneliness, helplessness, despair, coupled with mental or emotional trauma seems to gulp us from inside, it lures one into thoughts of committing suicide. It appears as though suicide is the only option left available now, the only way th

Camelina Oil or Camelina Sativa or sometimes known as False Flax, Wild Flax and Gold of Pleasure has been grown for over 3,000 years. It was researched during World War II but was dropped because of other crops being grown. But now there’s new interest in Camelina oil because it’s very healthy… containing lots of Omega 3 oil. And it makes a great cooking oil, plus it’s a good anti-inflammatory agent, it lowers cholesterol, and it contains lots of Vitamin E.

A Channeled Message for September 2011 was given to me. I would like to share it with you here. "Be in the moment and breathe. Let go of fear, doubt, worry for they deplete your energy and set you up for more of the same - fear, doubt, worry. Hand all your conce s over to God daily. Allow yourself the freedom to live in the moment. The past is over, there is no future. All of life exists in the moment." Channeled by Maureen Channeled Messages

Hi, I am Arthur Levine, the author of the novel Johnny Oops. To read more about Johnny and his wild escapades please access: http://johnnyoops.blogspot.com Please feel free to use this article as long as credit is given to the resource box.n© Arthur Levine 2007 Words 724 Keywords: ...

An article from Insight21 nnFrom the viewpoint of an overview of the spiritual evolution of humanity, Rudolf Steiner gave some important indications to weigh, in terms of spiritual practice.nnFor example, whereas the ideal progression for working with the chakras used to be from the bottom up, the modern way is now from the top down. The esoteric background on this has to do with how the vibrational energy of the planet has been inverted, from descent to ascent. Traditionally

What impact do you think you have on your daughter from the way you behave with her? Are you aware that the way you treat your daughter can have a positive or negative effect on your daughter for the rest of her life. Are you ever home? As a father do you work all the time to provide for ...

From a Recent Newsletter: Meditation. Question: When you read that word, out of all the possibilities of what it could be, or mean, what is meditation to you? For some of us it is a foreign concept. For others meditation a way to find balance. Yet for others, it is a way to run away for reality, which I’ll share my thoughts on in a bit. When people ask me about meditation (which happens often after people discover that I teach Yoga) and I, in turn, so I can get a better id

We live in a world where loneliness runs rampant and has been identified as the most dominant social problem in America today. The longing for real connection with another human being can keep us from fulfilling our potentials and giving our gifts to the world. It is just that important an ...

There is a lot of talk these days of “living consciously”, or of being “consciously aware.” What exactly does all that mean anyway? According to Webster, ‘Conscious’ means awareness of oneself; ‘Living’ means manner of existence. So you can put ...

We are in the middle of winter and some people are coming down with colds and flues and sometimes if a person is debilitated that cold or flu can change into pneumonia. Here are some great herbs and supplements for healing pneumonia. First of all go see your doctor right away if you feel you have pneumonia— because pneumonia can kill. It’s important to do everything that’s possible to heal… including taking herbs and supplements.

The Emotional Scale, introduced in the Esther Hicks book, Ask and It Is Given, is a tool in creating awareness and personal empowerment. Abraham, through Esther, says “the key to regaining your wonderful feeling of personal empowerment and control is to decide, right now, no matter how good or bad you are feeling, that you are going to do your best to make the best of it. Reach for the best-feeling thought that you have access to right now, and as you do that again and again in a short period of time you will find yourself in a very good-feeling place. That’s just the way it works!”

Inner peace is a deep feeling that comes from the heart. It is an inner knowing that no matter what happens in your life you can handle it and maintain a peaceful and happy state of mind. It comes from knowing that you are never alone and that there is a power greater than you; a power you can tap into at anytime and receive the help and guidance you need. The question most people wonder about is – How can I obtain and maintain inner peace? The solution lies not in obtaining

You've all heard me say many times that we are multi-dimensional, complex, amazing beings.nnAnd nearly every day I talk about how we might create positive change in all areas of our lives and day-to-day reality; ways that we might learn, grow, change, improve, adapt, help others, live more effectively and understand more.nnAnd having pumped out about two hundred posts/articles (over quarter of a million words!) over the last nine months, there's one area I've consciously dare

Don Miguel Ruiz, author of “The Four Agreements®” and my personal mentor, spoke on more than one occasion about living one’s life in a totally different way than we had been taught to live; what he called ”living the will of God.” He asked us to imagine what ...

In his book, Secrets of the Lost Mode of Prayer , Gregg Braden shares one of my favorite stories about accompanying a tribal shaman on a rain dance. He expected a big production of music, costumes and dance. However, he was quite surprised by what he saw. rnThe Shaman walked alone to an area marked with stones. He quietly walked a round the perimeter for a moment, stopped and closed his eyes in a quiet, meditative state. After a short time in silence the Shaman said he was fi

As a friend and I were walking yesterday, we touched on the subject of religion. She knew I'd been restless in my faith and was encouraging me to stop by her church, Inner Light Ministries. Although I may do that someday, my restlessness has ebbed.n nTo give you some background, I was raised in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Massachusetts in the 1960s. I gained an incredible amount from the experience. The church provided two years of religious exploration, starting wit

From: GODrnTo: My Children on Earth My Dear Children (and believe me, that’s all of you), I consider myself a pretty patient guy. I mean, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And how about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell, and gene by gene. I’ve been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take Me for granted until you g

You and me... we can choose to be happy or not. We can choose to succeed or fail, scald, frown on or blame others. We can choose to complicate life or simplify it. There is no doubt the responsibility is ours. nnAbraham Lincoln once said, ‘A man is just about as happy as he makes up his mind to be’ and Dr Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra appear to agree. nnBoth Dyer and Chopra say that we have, on average 60,000 to 62,000 thoughts each day. Around 4,000 of these are positive,

Using gratitude to change your attitude is such a simple and very effective jewel for self discovery. What we focus on we create more of because energy follows awareness. Using gratitude to change your attitude works by switching your focus from what is not working to what you are grateful for in your life. In my own spiritual practice when I catch myself complaining about something or someone I remember to start using gratitude to change my attitude. What is gratitude?

Last Wednesday I had lunch with God. I didn’t know he was God at first. He appeared in the form of a man, dressed business casual, and acting like a wealth adviser. He wanted to meet to discuss some financial planning strategies and potential investments. Sitting with him, he looked like anyone else at Central Market in South Austin. He was a gentle soul enjoying a smoothie. But what he said startled me. “I have access to hundreds of millions of dollars,” he began. “T