Many individuals see gems (or gemstones) purely as ornamental jewellery, such as Jade cabochons; that is, jewellery to wear simply for aesthetic reasons. But stones are also believed to have many therapeutic powers; e.g. (depending on the stone) the power to encourage confidence, concentration, relieve headaches and stress, promote a calm mind, and encourage positivity.

This article will look at a handful of stones and their claimed medicinal properties. A disavowal before we go any further : The following is based on a collective belief, and there is no assurance as to the efficaciousness of such gems and their believed healing properties.

Haematite
A powerful gemstone that gives aids willpower and strength. Effective in balancing the body and spirit. An anchoring gemstone which reduces anxiety and is said to alleviate insomnia.

Malachite
A powerful stone which can suck up negative energies and “contamination”. Useful for individuals suffering from emotional stress.

Moonstone
Heals the emotions, improves the forces of intuition and improves the power to enter the subconscious.

The above stones are just a tiny pick of stones that are claimed to possess medicinal powers. The only concrete way to discover if these gemstones can work for you is to wear such gemstones if you suffer from an ailment that a gemstone is claimed to help alleviate.

Growing up, as a child of the 60’s, peace, love and harmony were the words being chanted by the hippies, flower children and all who questioned authority and were against the Vietnam War. I remember thinking how I couldn’t wait to grow up. I knew in my young mind it was only a matter of time before these youthful rebels would age and mature and eventually be able to take their place in the world of politics and public opinion. With it, they would be able to change all the things they saw wrong with the “establishment” from a place of power and influence and not from the streets.

I recall my excitement, thinking what a wonderful world it will be, knowing that these brave crusaders were blazing a trail before me, their radical new views and opinions becoming a reality. And at that young age, I recognized I would be the first generation to reap the benefits of their efforts. I felt blessed to be born in such a historic time.

Wow, was I wrong.

Often I ask myself, where have all the flower children gone? Where are the young men and women who fought for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Where are the people who burned flags, bras and draft cards; who marched on college campuses and on Washington DC so their voices could be heard? I find it hard to believe the thoughts and values they fought so valiantly for have disappeared and are only a fond memory of a golden age gone by.

Over the past few months, this point has become painfully obvious. As I work with clients and talk with friends I hear the sound of hopelessness in their voices. They watch as gas and food prices soar. They gaze in disbelief as senseless violence escalates. They stand by helplessly as their jobs are moved overseas and their personal freedoms are taken away one-by-one. In the end, they are left feeling impotent because they are unable to control the path their lives are taking and feel powerless to change it.

It’s interesting, because on an individual basis, all we want is to be happy, healthy and live our lives in integrity. We want to know that we will have a job to go to on Monday. We want to be able to feed our children, breath the air around us, drink the water and step outside our homes. Instead we have become increasingly alienated by the harsh reality of our world, a reality which creates conflicts between how things are and how we would like them to be. Thus we end up feeling dissatisfied and give up all hope of a better, simpler life.

Hopelessness is a hard emotion to experience; one we have embraced at some point in our lives. It seems to happen just before we hit rock bottom, when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel or when life seems futile and we just want to give up. It is a natural part of the human condition.

Over the last six months, the feeling of hopelessness has become overwhelming for many of us. Every time we turn around there’s a crisis. Someone we love dies, we loose our job or our child falls ill. After the situation we are facing is handled, it isn’t long before another challenge steps into our lives and once more the drama begins anew. With this unrelenting pressure, we are left feeling tired and disillusioned - transforming the most optimistic person into a pessimist.

Today, the pressures being experienced are not only coming from our personal lives but also from a much larger community - the world of big business and the political arena. As we watch what is going on in the world we may think “What can I do to change or affect what is going on?” Unfortunately, in our state of hopelessness, the answer we receive is “nothing”.

Because we believe our lone voice will never be heard, we end up conceding to the futility of fighting the establishment. And in our sea of inner disquiet we realize that we are being coerced into accepting a system which does not support us and the greater good of society. It is from this perspective that we surrender our power and feel we are unable to bring about change.

It is said, that it is always the darkest before the dawn. For many of us, the truth is we cannot even see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are living in the midst of darkness, hoping and praying for even the faintest glimmer of light to emerge. And so while this period in human history may not be fun, there are many blessings that will come from it.

The good news is hopelessness causes us to go within. It forces us to reflect and evaluate our lives. It provides us the opportunity to uncover steps necessary to alter our life course. As a result, we find a strength which helps to build our inner resolve and restore our faith.

We also have to realize that we are not alone. There are countless millions who are feeling trapped, hopeless and at the end of their rope. What the “Powers-That-Be” don’t realize is that it is only a matter of time before they push us far enough into a corner that we will have no choice but to take a stand. When that happens, it won’t matter what they say or want us to do. When we determine enough is enough the strength of our unity as a whole will make a difference and a change will begin on all levels.

So for all of us, the sick, the tired, the forlorn, remember…It’s just a matter of time. Things can’t keep going the way they are. Change is inevitable. So whether today, tomorrow or next year, we must let the light shine into our darkened tunnels to lift the veil of hopelessness and despair. With this newfound sense of hope, we will be able to walk peacefully through the darkest of night. We will find through our renewed courage, fortitude and sense of self that we will be able to create a world of change.

© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2005. All rights reserved.

Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. is the author of the books “Avoiding the Cosmic 2×4″ and “The Power Within”. It is her unique gift as a medical intuitive and clairvoyant that illuminates and enlivens her work. Let Dr. Louise help you bring health healing and wholeness back into your life. Her unique insights bridge the worlds of science, spirit and culture and are changing the way the world views physical, mental and emotional health. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com or call 972-475-3393 for more information.

The Hawk is the first sign of the Native American astrology, it heralds spring and the end of winter. If you are born under this sign, you were born at the “Time of Awakening”.

Hawks have many of their own peculiarities and distinctions. For instance, if you’re a hawk, the direction that best suits you is north east. The East wind carries good tidings for you and your traditional totem animal is the falcon (or more popularly now, the raven).

The element that you’re most closely connected to is fire. Hawks often possess a powerful and intense personality marked by a recurrent habit of spontaneous activity. This spills over into their love lives, where hawks are firey, passionate and spontaneous.

Emotionally, Hawks have a tendency to be both fast and varied. Getting off to a “new start” is often a constant theme shared by those under this sign.

Gracious, adventuresome and ready to try new things, Hawks make for fun friends. But watch out, behind their sunny smiles and pleasant manners lurk less desirable qualities like impatience, a boastful attitude, and a leaning toward egocentricity.

Often aspiring towards leadership roles and chances to become initiated in small, powerful circles, in truth what Hawks truly seek is knowledge through experience.

But, in order to have success in particular endeavors, or just in life in general, Hawks must learn to develop patience, sympathy and perseverance. They should also be sure to avoid intolerance, vanity and arrogance whenever possible.

When it comes to relationships, Hawks work best with the Salmon (July 22 - August 21) or the Owl (November 23 - December 21) signs.

Want to know your best days and times?

Your best day is Tuesday. Daily, you’re best hours fall between 3 and 5 am. Because you are much more of a morning person than many others, you should save your earnings for relaxation!

Jennifer Gibbs is a successful freelance writer who lives in South Georgia with her husband and son. Be sure to check out her website at http://www.JenniferGibbs.com for more information, free articles and a chance to add her to your team.

“We become sick because we act
In sickening ways.”
Louis Jourard

Modern medicine is based upon the notion of battle. We battle germs and fight for life. As soon as we feel pain or discomfort, we immediately try to change it. We feel we must conquer

This way of being leads to a never-ending struggle. After one illness or problem is conquered, another arises. Usually we expect the doctor to take control and make us well. We relinquish our part in the illness, deny the fact that it is up to us to stop, listen, and discover the lessons the illness has to teach us.

Healing from within brings inner peace with it. It arises from a different orientation towards all the experiences of life. We are taught to stop, pay attention, to respect what is happening - to see our pain as a messenger. It is as if we were re-focusing a camera, receiving our experience through a different lens.

Pointer 1
See Your Pain As A Messenger Bringing Important News

Dialoguing With Your Pain

Usually there is a deep sense that when pain arises it is because something is wrong. This is a misunderstanding. Pain arises from lack of balance. It contains much needed information, brings many messages along with it. When we see our pain as a messenger and learn how to really listen to it, healing begins in all kinds of ways.

Some would suggest there is no difference between our physical pain, our illness and the emotional, mental or spiritual suffering we are going through.

Illness often comes when we feel defeated and may not want to struggle or live anymore. Some become ill when they are overly exhausted, which is a way of telling themselves it is time to make changes in their lives. Looking at one aspect of our suffering, we are also inevitably, looking at the next. All aspects are interconnected.

In some cases, for full healing to take place, a person may have to make deep changes in his life.
It is important to stop and wonder specifically what the pain is saying to you, to dialogue with the pain, ask fundamental questions of it: “What do you want from me? Why are you here now?”

No matter what we are feeling there is only one pain and it manifests itself in various ways. If we do not address it in one mode, often it will come in another. It can come physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

In whatever form this pain arises, it is extremely empowering to turn directly to our suffering and interact with it. This requires turning around. Instead of tensing up, we learn how to pause and understand there is a lesson here we have to learn. As we do this, we often discover that the pain comes holding a gift in its hands.

Pointer 2
Pain Often Comes Holding A Gift In Its Hands

Each Illness Has Its Own Story

Illness often comes when we feel defeated. We may not wish to struggle anymore. Some people become ill when they are overly exhausted. The illness is the only way they can give themselves permission to stop, rest, and make much needed changes in their lives. Each illness has it’s own story. The same is true with psychological or emotional symptoms that grow strong, demanding our attention.

When someone is in physical pain and suddenly understands what is troubling them emotionally, the physical pain often startlingly subsides. For full healing to take place it may be essential to make changes in one’s total life. Cancer can be suppressed for many years, and then it returns. When it reappears we must ask, “Why now? What is going on in my total life?”

Sitting In The Middle Of Trouble

During the practice of Zen, students engaged in zazen (Zen meditation), sometimes sit for many hours on the cushion without moving. Sometimes incredible pain arises.

As they continue to do this practice, they gradually become
stronger than the pain. They learn to see that most of the pain
simply comes from resistance to what’s going on. It comes from
refusing this very moment.

When we stop fighting, we experience joy. Once we start
fighting again, we are cramped into agony.

Pointer 3

The Best Way Out Is The Way In

The Best Way Out

“The best way out is the way in.”

Eido Roshi

The best way out is to make friends with the pain. Fighting intensifies it. If we can relax into it for a little while and explore, many new possibilities arise.

Natural healing is always available in all situations, but it can be cut off by fighting and by fear. When we let go and enter the flow of what’s going on at the moment, we became available to our greater source of energy, guidance and help.

Brenda Shoshanna, Ph.D, is a psychologist, speaker and well known author who is a long term Zen practitioner. This article is from her new book Living By Zen, (Timeless Truths For Everyday Life) http://www.livingbyzen.com The relationship expert on i.village, she is also the author of of Zen Miracles (Finding Peace In An Insane World,) Zen And The Art Of Falling In Love, (Simon and Schuster) and many other books. You may contact her at topspeaker@yahoo.com. Her personal website is.http://www..brendashoshanna.com

A prodigal is a person who at one time received Christ as Lord and Savior, but has since strayed from God and is no longer living in obedience to Him. The term comes from a parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32.

Sometimes it is difficult to understand why our wayward loved ones are running from God, and we try desperately to save them. I have found that the more we preach at them the faster they seem to run. We eventually discover that we can’t save them. It is a work of the Holy Spirit, and our part is to pray for them, love them, and live a Christ-like life before them.

Like the Apostle Paul, we too must wait for an open door to minister. When Paul and Silas were visited by God in prison, their shackles were loosed. When the jailer saw what happened, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”

This was an open door to talk to jailer about Christ.

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31 NASB)

This verse doesn’t mean that just because the jailer believed in God, his family was saved also. But once a person comes to Christ and prays for his or her household, God will make Himself real to them, and it will be very difficult for them to turn their back on the Lord.

It is God’s will to save and deliver your loved ones. And because it is His will, you can believe that when you pray, God will answer your prayers in His way and in His timing.

Listen to this promise from 1 John 5:14-15.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears uswhatever we askwe know that we have what we asked of him.” NIV)

Even though we have this promise, it’s tempting to look at the circumstances in your prodigal’s life instead. When we do that, it becomes easy to doubt and feel helpless.

Listed below are some things that you can do to turn your wayward loved one back to the Lord:

• Believe the word of God more than what you see with your physical eyes

• Pray God’s word. Find personalized scripture promises at www.gardenoftheheart.com/prayers/prodigals.htm.

• Ask God to remove the veil that is blinding them to the truth.

• Wait for an open door to minister to them.

• Demonstrate God’s love.

• Pray daily for them.

• Do not judge them.

• Hate the sin, not the sinner.

• Trust God (Trust in the Hebrew means “a confident expectation of what God is going to do, not a constant anxiety”).

• Be an example of living for Christ in all that you do.

• Wait patiently for the harvest of their souls.

• Keep a journal and record what God is doing in their lives.

• Learn all that you can about how to pray effectively for their hearts.

“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (James 5:16 NASU)

Pray and never give up. Even though it looks like nothing is happening, always remember that because you are praying, God is at work deep within their hearts.

Find more information on how to pray for your prodigal at
www.gardenoftheheart.com/teachings/prodigals/prodigal_teachings_index.htm.

Copyright © 2006 Garden of the Heart Ministries

Debra Bosacki is co-founder of Garden of the Heart Ministries.
She is an intercessor, author and speaker at seminars, retreats and conferences. She teaches an online course called Intimacy with God through Journaling.

She is also an administrative assistant for The Foundation for a Great Marriage.

Debra has been married for thirty two years to her husband, Gene, and is a homemaker and mother of five children. She resides in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

To visit her web site go to http://Gardenoftheheart.com

Three Words That Can Help Us Live Exceptional Lives

Certain words and word combinations carry with them varying
levels of meaning for each of us.

For instance, you may sense any number of reactions to one
or more of these statements:

“Strike three.”

“Boston wins!”

“Speeding ticket.”

“It’s a girl!”

“Yes, I will marry you.”

“Filing system.” (For me, these words qualify as an
oxymoron!)

Words articulate legislative action, cast vision, begin and
end territorial disputes, express our final wishes, create
pleasure and cause pain.

Words — and combinations of words — can change lives.
Take these three for instance:

Observe.

Learn.

Share.

Think of these words as representing a three-fold skill set
to assist us in cultivating the style of life we yearn to
live…

A growing, maturing, meaningful style of living that
generates enthusiasm and challenges us to keep moving in the
right direction.

One simple, but not simplistic, pattern for continuing our
own self development plan will most likely include:

1. Developing the art of meaningful *observation.*

2. *Learning* from the insights we gain.

3. Selectively *sharing* our insights with others.

With the themes of observation, learning, and sharing
forming the backdrop for your thoughts, take a mental review
of the following seven vital areas for the purpose of
capturing the prominent lessons of your life:

*Work

*Recreation

*Spirituality

*Education

*Finances

*Marriage

*Family

Now set your heart on helping yourself or someone else
continue the journey of living a life of excellence by:

1. Applying one of your life lessons to your current set of circumstances.

2. Sharing your lesson with one or more individuals.

Take Sherry, my wife, as an example.

In twenty minutes I will watch a group of young adults from
a small college in the Northeastern section of the United
States prepare to share the joy of reading with several
classes of elementary age children in the Bronx.

Tomorrow this small band of “Let’s make a difference!”
people will arrive in New York, unpack their paraphernalia,
get dressed in fun costumes, and creatively “read” stories
from a variety of children’s books to a gathering of school
kids.

How did this happen anyway?

I’ll tell you how.

My wife looked at her life, took stock of what she learned
(not only concerning how to teach reading but the joy of
being a positive influence in the world), set up a training
exercise for sharing her life lessons with future teachers,
and designed a trip to the Bronx.

In short, Sherry applied her heart to what she learned from
life.

Honestly I can’t think of one person I admire…

A friend,

An author,

Or a speaker,

Who did not experience this simple process in one form or
another as he or she strived to excel in the art of living.

You possess a great deal of potential, my friend.

Observe.

Learn.

Share.

And make a difference!

Yours for a day filled with beautiful moments in time,

Lee

© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this article. The copyright and this resource box must be
included. http://abeautifulmomentintime.blogspot.com/

Avoid pain/create pleasure. For A Beautiful Moment In Time
go here –> http://www.motivation-for-daily-living.net

“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2).

Here we have two women Paul respected and admired. Apparently these two ladies were good and active leaders and workers, but a dispute arose between them. Strife of any kind is regrettable but, when it is in the church, it is doubly so. Cooperation is essential to the health of any enterprise, religious or secular. Paul was most concerned for the peace of the church that these two ladies settle their differences in a Christ-like manner so the church could get on with larger issues.

True compromise is the willingness to meet each other on our journeys. No church, home or business can thrive if each is traveling to the right or left and not even trying to find common ground. “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (Amos 3:3). Mediation is civil meditation. It is the peacemaker and the reconciler. “It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife …” (Proverbs 20:3); “Blessed are the peacemakers …” (Matthew 5:9); “There is … joy for those who promote peace” (Proverbs 12:20).

“It is a grim thought that all we know about Euodia and Syntyche is that they were two women who had quarreled! It makes us think. Suppose our life was to be summed up in one sentence, what would that sentence be? Clement goes down to history as the peacemaker; Euodia and Syntyche go down as the breakers of the peace. Suppose we were to go down to history with one thing known about us, what would that one thing be?” William Barclay.

Dr. Johnstone gives us the mode of Paul’s interference that we might all heed:

(1) He makes not the slightest reference to the cause of dissension. In most cases reconciliation is more likely to be effected by letting the matter sleep and die.

(2) From his apostleship and relations with the Philippians he might have been much bolder in Christ to enjoin them that which was convenient; yet for love’s sake he rather beseeches them.

(3) He beseeches them separately, and treats them with exactly the same consideration.
(4) He calls in a common friend to help them to a reconciliation (verse 3), a thoroughly discreet friend of both could do not a little to smooth the way…This is a form of delicate work, and is often shunned; yet none more likely to produce blessed results.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

You will find a chart of the dates and signs below. Each sign repeats every 12 years, so 2006/7 will be the year of the Dog. For exact dates visit our website. Following the chart you will find the characteristics of people born during the Chinese Year of The Rooster.

9 February 2005 - 28 January 2006: Rooster

22 January 2004 - 8 February 2005: Monkey

1 February 2003 - 21 January 2004: Goat

12 February 2002 - 31 January 2003: Horse

24 January 2001 - 11 February 2002: Snake

5 February 2000 - 23 January 2001: Dragon

6 February 1999 - 4 February 2000: Rabbit

28 January 1998 - 5 February 1999: Tiger

8 February 1997 - 27 January 1998: Ox

19 February 1996 - 7 February 1997: Rat

31 January 1995 - 18 February 1996: Pig

10 February 1994 - 30 January 1995: Dog

The Chinese Year Of The Rooster..

If you or your child was born in the Chinese year sign of the rooster you have far to go. Roosters are full of confidence, fearless and brave. They will take on an adversary far superior to themselves if they believe they are in the right.

If they can control their impulsive streak they are usually successful in business. Intelligent and ambitious, Roosters work hard and like to be in control, often successfully running their own businesses.

People born under this sign are extroverts and enjoy the company of others. They do not like to be criticised and their self-esteem can crumble if they are ridiculed.

Roosters hate to be bored and can be deliberately provocative if life is too dull.

Other signs either love or hate Roosters. Fortunately for the Rooster, most people love them.

There are twelve signs in Chinese astrology. To read about the others visit our website http://baby-talk.co.uk/chinese_astrology.htm.

My mother will be eighty this year, and I’ve found myself contemplating her death, not because it’s imminent, but because of what these thoughts might contribute to the life we have left together. I picture myself speaking at her memorial, talking about the places she found Gracethe times when, in the midst of a fairly troubled existence, she could really connect with her Soul, and from there with the rest of the world.

Our relationship has been less than perfect. Most are. I’ve dissected our problems ad nauseam. Now I’m interested in what she has found to be good in her life, whether I’ve shared in it or not. I’d like to know her in a new way, a daring way, while I can still sit with her and discuss these things over a cup of tea.

She found Grace in her garden, I would say, loving her plants in a way she probably never loved anyone else, especially not herself. Her garden was a refuge where she found company that had no agenda other than to exist. Here she was safe and accomplished and full of life. Her plants knew this. They felt her Grace. They grew so beautifully for her. Walking into her garden, I could feel the immense power of her, directed in such a way that even the air was different.”

She found Grace in the written word, in the intricacies of the English language and the way it can dance. She read voraciously and wrote beautifully. She spoke, once in a while, about writing a book, but never seemed to be able to jump in and do it. Perhaps she didn’t find Grace there. It may have been the people, the thought of judgment that frightened her. Still, she worked for many years as an editor, and a damn good one too. I picture myself saying these things and I start to cry. Such lovely words…

I owe my love of language to my mother. She always read to me when I was a child. She read very well. Beatrix Potter was our favorite. I like Miss Potter. She was respectful of children, never reducing her language to something less than “because the little dears won’t understand”. She used good, plain English. The sparrow implored Peter Rabbit to exert himself, and I never missed a beat. I’ve never been able to understand why some people assume that children are stupid. It’s the same mentality that yells English to people who don’t speak the language.

My mother did neither. For all the difficulty she had in handling herself around small children, she always treated them as whole human beings with valuable opinions and desires. I remember the winter when I walked to school every day in a cotton dress, knee socks, shoes and a light coat. I can imagine the other parents’ chagrin. My mother said that if I was cold I’d ask for more clothes. She was right, and I had the freedom, at an early age, to make up my own mind and do my own thing. Oh, how I value that freedom!

I can’t honestly say that my mother was a great parent; but I can say that she tried very hard to be one. And it’s true, although it sounds paradoxical, that because of my mother I’m able to be a really fine parent to my son. Without experiencing her shortcomings, and the difficulties they cause in my life, I might never have become conscious enough to examine my own thoughts and motivations.

Many parents insist that their children look at life through their own dirty lensesnot consciously, of course, but it doesn’t matter. The effect is the same. The technical term is “projection”, but that word is wholly inadequate to indicate what it feels like to be on the receiving end.

Children, especially sensitive ones, take on their parents’ fear and anger because they don’t know they have a choice. They have no context for their pain, and they quickly learn to accept it as reality. Eventually, if they’re lucky, something happens to teach them otherwise; but in many families these patterns run unchecked from generation to generation.

I remember watching my mother interact with her mother and recognizing behaviors from my childhood. Somewhere along the line I decided that I would be the one to stop the buck. My child would be the firstin God knows how long a family lineto experience conscious parenting. We all say we won’t be like our parents, but it’s quite another thing to accomplish it. I went to hell and back as I wrested myself from the bonds of unconsciousness, but I found great satisfaction in the process. And my child is healthy and whole.

The other thing I found is all the ways I do want to be like my mother. She’s a deeply moral woman. She has a wonderful and whimsical sense of design. She’s a great cook…I’ll never make cioppino like hers. She’s very down to earth. She nursed countless sick and wounded animals, and she never flinched when we found my brother’s snakes in our boots. She’s a hard worker and utterly dependable when she commits to something. There’s so much flooding in now I can’t type fast enough. These are the things I’m trying to get at. I want to know them and remember them, and act upon knowing them each day.

My mother and I are deeply intertwined, like her cup-and-saucer vines. We have the opportunity to accept where we’ve been and grow upward toward the light. As each of us finds Grace, wherever we do, we’re more able to let go of the detritus of our past, to shed it and let it fall to Earth. That doesn’t mean forgetting all the bad stuff. It means daring to choose forgiveness. Hell, it means believing that forgiveness is even possible.

It seems to come in little steps and in odd places. Like the speech for my mother’s funeral. Who would have thought that this wackysome would say twistedmind play would yield such depth? But then, Grace shows up when we least expect it. And where Grace goes, forgiveness can’t be far behind.

So here I am writing it all down. I feel very close to my mother when I write, and when I pull weeds. I haven’t mentioned yet how much I love the earth and plants, and how she encouraged me in this. Somehow, in the garden, we communicate without the encumbrance of our personalities. We create something bigger and finer than all our disagreements and the pain we’ve felt over the years.

I may never be able to talk about this with my motheror at least not the way I’d like to. She may not be ready. I might not be either. She’s going to be eighty, though, and I’d like to try. Maybe I’ll do it this summer. Maybe I’ll do it in the garden.

Author: Abby Straus

Contact: c/o Gaia Lifeworks
Web:http://www.gaialifeworks.com

Email: abby@gaialifeworks.com

Photo: Click here to download.

Bio: Abby Straus is a teacher, author and consultant dedicated to helping people enhance the quality and function of their lives. She has an extensive background in consciousness studies and meditation and is a Feng Shui and energy work practitioner. She lives in Pleasantville, NY.

Try this. Close your eyes and try to quiet your mind. Do that now, for just a moment. Then return to the page.

Did you notice that quieting your mind was no easy task? Usually, when I try this, I become anxious and agitated. That happens because, without the practice of dis-identifying ourselves from thought, we believe that we are our mind, so it has ultimate sway over our attention. If you find yourself saying, “I don’t think I’m my mind,” guess who said that? Right, your mind!

Now try this. Close your eyes once again, and place all of your attention not on your thoughts but on the sensations you feel in your body. Perhaps you can rest your attention on the temperature of your hands or on the weight of your legs or on the tension in your face. Be careful not to observe emotions, but rather sensations.

If you notice that you’re feeling sad, for example, go deeper into the inquiry, and study what sadness feels like. Pay no attention to what thoughts are associated with the sadness or to the undesirability of the emotion. Just observe where sadness resides in your body. What, in fact, is sadness? Is it tightness in your face? Heaviness in your throat? Fluttering in your belly? Whatever it is, let it be. It’s entirely OK. Study it as you imagine a scientist would study it. Try to dissect it with your consciousness. Notice how long it lasts and how it dissipates, how it goes away, with no mental effort on your part.

Notice how all sensations in or on your body have this same quality. They arise, remain for a time, and then cease. Be kind to yourself. Whatever you feel is OK. In fact, think of the sensations as fuel for your consciousness. What Ram Dass calls “grist for the mill.” There is no prerequisite to enlightenment. It can’t happen in the future. It can only happen now. As Ram Dass says, “Be here now.”

Twelve steps for a simple meditation practice:

1. Sit comfortably in an upright position with your back straight, arms comfortably in your lap.

2. Keep your eyes and your mouth closed.

3. Take three “cleansing breaths,” forgetting your cares.

4. Commit to using this time for self-inquiry, not thought.

5. Focus on your breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils.

6. Don’t try to change anything you notice. Accept it as it is.

7. Give yourself a brief reminder to maintain perfect awareness and perfect equanimity or acceptance throughout this process.

8. Begin to become aware of the sensations over your body. Move your attention up and down your body, uncritically noticing whatever feelings arise.

9. If you become bored, distracted, frustrated, or overwhelmed, realize that these, too, are just sensations. Observe them as you do all other sensations or thoughts.

10. Practice for at least twenty minutes. Do as much as an hour at a time. It’s best to practice both in the morning and in the evening.

11. Use this same practice any time something upsetting or stressful occurs during your day. Bring your attention, as quickly as possible, into your body and away from your thoughts.

12. Remind yourself that you are not your thoughts; you are not your mind.

Because of the habit of your mind to take over, you’ll believe you have to think about this. You don’t. According to the Third Zen Patriarch,

“Stop talking and thinking, and there’s nothing you can’t know.”

I’ve often found it helpful, when my mind picks up a train of thought that it doesn’t want to let go, to remind myself of Barry Weiss’ words. “Your mind will constantly try to fool you into believing that whatever you’re thinking about right now is vitally important.” Don’t let it fool you!

The practice of observing your sensations will lead you towards liberation. You should commit yourself to at least twenty minutes per day, simply observing your sensation, noticing when your mind tries to take over the show and draw you into a thought loop. Whenever that happens, simply smile at the current habit pattern of your mind and return your attention to your sensation. Notice how it flows and changes. Watch how what started as what some might call bad feelings will often melt into good ones. Begin to recognize how feelings you used to suppress or indulge become like clouds moving across the sky. They come, and they go.

As you practice the art of simple observation, what the Buddha called ‘vipassana’ meaning wisdom, a very interesting thing will begin to happen to you. As situations arise in your life which used to cause you to react negatively, you’ll find yourself more and more quickly leaving behind the churning of your mind; the part that says, “This shouldn’t be!” and directing your attention with curiosity and wonder at your inner sensations.

Since you’re learning to experience the temporary nature of your feelings, you’ve nothing to fear and nothing to fix. The problem will take care of itself. In fact, if anything, you’ll appreciate the opportunity to feel the emotion and get in touch with areas of your consciousness in places where you’ve become addicted to certain outcomes. You’ll learn to laugh at yourself and have compassion for both yourself and the people or situations which generated your negativity … all in all, a pretty remarkable benefit for a reasonably meager investment of time.

Dr. Steve Taubman is a hypnotist and physician, and the author of UnHypnosis: How to Wake Up, Start Over, and Create the Life You’re Meant to Live. His writings and teachings guide people in the use of tools of transformation, and bring esoteric spiritual principles down to earth. Learn more about UnHypnosis by visiting http://www.unhypnosis.com