OMTimes Magazine May B 2017 Edition

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May B 2017

Cover Story

Metaphysics

22

80

Louie Schwartzberg - Hidden Miracles

Health & Healing 34

How to Practice Emotional Clearing

Spirituality 40 44

Clearing your Mind of Noise Say No to the Spiritual Bypass

OM Living 52 56 62

3 Easy Ways to Deepen Your Meditation Feng Shui & The Behavioral Science OMTimes Radio Show Spotlight - Inspired Living

Relationships 68 72

4 Common Things to Love and Happiness What Happens to the Children of Extreme Narcissists?

84 90

Numerology Speaks: How Did Facebook and Twitter Become a New Way of Connecting?

Living Life in Light, Love, and Awareness Ask Whitedove

Personal Growth 96

4 Types of Criticism and How to Survive Them 100 The Journey towards Connectedness from the Heart 104 Turning Your Biggest Problems into Successes 108 Spiritual Hikes to Soothe the Soul

Christopher Buck: You the keynote speaker at the upcoming Illuminate Film Festival, and I understand you'll be offering insight on how filmmakers like yourself can create a shift in consciousness. I'd just like to say it's a tremendous honor to speak with you. Your work is magnificent.

Louis Schwartzberg: Oh, thank you, appreciate that.

Christopher Buck: Can you share a little bit about that?

Louis Schwartzberg: Well, I think we're living in very interesting times right now. I think when you boil it down, there is a battle for consciousness because there's really a battle for people's attention.

So, whether it's the internet where you've got a lot of genius psychologists figuring out how to, get people to stay on your websites longer, to click on advertising, you can see how so many people, especially younger people are pretty much addicted to the whole social media, internet thing. But, that's all about grabbing attention, right, whether it's social media or whether it's advertising, news.

Certainly, politically, guys like Trump have mastered the idea of getting your attention in a very negative way. The more outrageous he is, the more you can't stop looking and listening, you know, and being in his world.

So, I think that to be a counterforce, we need to get people to find different pathways into, being present, being able to ideally experience the divine, the fact that what a gift it is that we're living on this gorgeous planet where we potentially have heaven on earth.

And I think what I try to do is use nature's imagery as a portal into that reality, whether it's a sensory feeling you feel on the outside like, the wind in my face or the smell of a

flower or the visual of nature, which then triggers these emotional feelings.

I think we need to get people to get reconnected, whether it's reconnected to nature, reconnected to yourself, reconnected to the voice of self-discovery. But, we are definitely, in a battle for attention.

Christopher Buck: The question I had was-we were talking about consciousness; do you think consciousness is solely the domain of humans or consciousness belongs to or is part of nature, as well?

Louis Schwartzberg: Yeah, I think consciousness is throughout the universe. I mean, it's beyond human. It's in the plant world, it's in the animal world, and I actually think that the universe is a living universe because the laws of physics that govern every cell in our bodies also governs the solar system and, you know, deep space.

So, I think consciousness is everywhere.

Christopher Buck: It's interesting. One of the fascinating things about your work is that you have such a unique way of shifting perspective, of creating what you call infinite little windows to share an aspect of creation that most of us not only miss but didn't even know was there. How do you decide what to look at?

Louis Schwartzberg: Yeah, well, what's great is that, as a filmmaker, I can use, you know, tools and techniques I've developed like time lapse and slow motion, micro, macro to make the invisible visible. So, rather than talking about the fact that there are other realities or worldviews, other perspectives that broaden your horizon, I can just show you that what, I can just show it to you. And so, for example, you can see a flower open in time lapse, which may take days to do, can just open up in front of your

eyes in five seconds, and you realize that these plants are not static, that they actually do move and dance to the light.

Reciprocally, you could see a hummingbird that's wings flap, you know, 200 times a second, you watch it in ultra slow motion, and you can see the grace and beauty and their aerobatic skill. From their POV, they're just, you know, operating at a higher metabolic rate than we are.

The Redwood tree looks at us like a little, you know, scurrying ant running around because they're like 500 years old, 1,000 years old, and we're like time lapse critters that come and go.

So, these are all valid points of view. They are all conscious points of view. They are all intelligent points of view. All I'm suggesting is that we should be able to accept other points of view just as we do when people talk about philosophy, religion, politics. A different point of view, and that you have to be able to accept that--you don't have to believe it, but other people have different points of view. And it can, if you're able to be open minded enough and hear what other people's points of view are, it broadens your horizons. I think it makes you a more compassionate human being.

Christopher Buck: I couldn't help but think when you were saying the redwoods see us as time lapsed little critters, that we're very dangerous time lapsed little critters.

Louis Schwartzberg: Yes. Christopher Buck: I think part of our problem, as a human species, is that we don't see these different perspectives that you've been so amazing in showing people.

Louis Schwartzberg: Right. That's because we've developed a certain arrogance like

we're the only intelligent creatures; when you look at the timeline of 3.5 billion years of life on our planet, I think when you look at that timeline, man has been here for one second before the stroke of midnight, right?

So, we've only been here a short time, but we believe like we've been here forever and that we're the top of the food chain. That's just a narrow, arrogant point of view.

And if we disappear because of our environmental practices, it's not going to kill life on earth.

We all know that. I mean, fungi and plants have been here for billions of years. They'll just adapt as they've always adapted, and they will survive us.

But, it's sad that we're potentially creating a situation that makes it inhabitable or less sustainable for human beings to exist on our planet.

I hope that doesn't happen, but unfortunately, we're sort of going in a direction, which is based on arrogance and ignorance, and I guess a limited point of view, a very narrow point of view.

Christopher Buck: What do you think is the best way to broaden that point of view? What else and how else can we shift this perspective?

Louis Schwartzberg: I think in a lot of ways.

I mean, obviously, it seems like being compassionate is the way to do it and being present. And how you get there's a lot of ways to get there. I mean, some people practice yoga, some people do meditation, some people do service by helping others. Anything to get you outside of yourself I think is a good thing so that you get a broader point of view.

And in my practice, I guess since I’ve been doing it for 40 years, I'm just trying to show, I'm just trying to make, the invisible visible, things that are too slow, too fast, too small or too vast for the human eye to see. And I'm showing it to you as reality.

compassionate, more present and develop a deeper sense of gratitude.

And so, if that helps you connect, if that creates a portal into an experience of wonder and awe, then there you are experiencing the divine, which I think we all, most people would like to do.

It is that sense of spiritual connection.

However, you get there, chanting, as I said, praying, hiking through the mountain.

Whatever it is, surfing, you know, reading the text by wisdom, elders, doing psychedelics, sacred medicine, for example, not as recreational drugs but as a spiritual portal.

Maybe you do that once or twice in your life to get a different perspective.

Louis Schwartzberg: Well, it's kind of interesting. You know, what inspired me to do the series was that we did a gratitude video with nature and people, imagery, cut to Brother David Steindl-Rast's beautiful poem about gratitude. And I had no idea if it would take off, but it went viral. And it's gotten, I don't know, 13, 14 million views.

All of these I think are valid. And then once you've seen the broader view, then it's a matter of like integrating that into your life.

So, for example, if I show in my cinematography how seedlings in the forest are popping through the forest floor, and flowers are growing, and that the forest is a connected, as a conscious community, I think you think twice about throwing away that piece of paper.

Christopher Buck: You did a series dedicated to gratitude, called gratitude revealed. What inspired you to do that?

I got a grant from the Templeton Foundation, where we looked at what I thought were the building blocks of gratitude like forgiveness, focus, courage, mindfulness, wonder, connection, purpose, energy, generosity, patience, happiness, curiosity, love. And those were all building blocks for me, my point of view of those are building blocks of gratitude.

Because as I've inspired you with the beauty of the forest, and you want to protect what you love, how can you then, throw away gobs of paper without recycling because you don't want more trees to be cut down for the purpose of making paper.

And so, what does gratitude have to do with nature, you might be asking, right, because all these things are kind of more in the human space, in the human consciousness space.

But, what I've discovered is, when you experience beauty and beauty open up the door into the divine that makes you present.

And when you become present, you observe the bee pollinating that flower, and all of a sudden, you're grateful for something that you weren't even aware of before, that intricate relationship of what that bee is doing on that flower.

So, that's, I think, how you change worldview, and I'm trying to do it with beauty. I think beauty is the--for me is that magical molecule that I'd like to, you know, share with everybody that gets people to be more

And that appreciation of gratitude deepens your soul, and it brings you kind of full circle into wanting to respect and protect nature.

So, for me, it's something that comes and that goes full circle.

Christopher Buck: It all goes back to being one.

Louis Schwartzberg: Yeah, it does. So, you get the idea that it's all connected, and nature really shows you that it's all connected. When you say it’s, all connected, that can sound very new age, and people can be skeptical or cynical. But, my God, Western science now has proved it's all connected. I'm working on this film called Fantastic Fungi with Paul Stamets. The underground, the root structure of budding mushrooms is an internet shared economy on the ground that connects trees and plants. They're sharing nutrients, information. And it shows that they're all communicating with one another. It is all connected. The forest isn't just a bunch of trees. The forest is one giant ecosystem that enables each other to flourish.

Christopher Buck: When you get into the creation, and you start looking at it, how incredibly intricate and involved and diverse it is amazing, it's mind-boggling when you think about it. And it's so easy for us to disconnect from it and forget that.

Louis Schwartzberg: Yeah. Well, in the last, whatever, couple hundred years, we've become disconnected. You know, we were used to living on the land, and we've gone through the Industrial Revolution and now the Information Revolution, and, we're disconnected from nature. And that's part of our dilemma now, problem. We're being disconnected from nature.

We're disconnected from the foundation of life.

We wouldn't have these environmental issues if we weren't--if we had a connection to nature. You don't poison the water you drink out of. You don't poison the air you breathe.

You don't poison the soil that grows your food. Indigenous people understood that.

Farmers understood that. People who lived

in the land, on the land in connection with nature would never pollute or damage the foundation of their life support systems, right, because it's all about survival, too. Why would you do that?

But, now, we're not conscious that we're connected to all of those. And if we destroy the air, the water, the rivers, the forests, we think that you know, well, that's just too bad.

A pretty national park just disappeared. It's way bigger than that.

Christopher Buck: That is scary when you think about how much we've destroyed as a species in such a little amount of time.

Louis Schwartzberg: Yeah, well, but we can turn it around. And that's why the work you're doing, is so important because we have the answers. We've got the scientific answers.

We've got the solutions at our fingertips. We know what to do. If we ate less meat, eliminate factory farming, grow organic, stop using pesticides, I mean, more solar panels. I mean, it's obvious all the things we need to do, and why aren't we doing it? Well, it's a shift in consciousness that we need, right?

Christopher Buck: That's right. And that's why the work you do is so valuable.

Louis Schwartzberg: We're all trying to get out the word, again, you can't tell people like it's a to-do list, do recycle. We need to shift their perspective to protect; what I'm trying to do is, have people protect what they fall in love with. I give you the beauty because beauty's always been nature's tool for survival to motivate life to reproduce, to motive you to protect what you love, including your children. That's why all kids are cute, and puppies are cute, kittens are cute, babies are cute, we’re hard-wired to want, we like to flourish, and I think beauty is kind of the score that orchestrates all of it.

Christopher Buck: That's a fascinating perspective. I think you're spot on.

Louis Schwartzberg: Yeah, thank you.

Christopher Buck: You've got another work that's coming up in the future called Changing of the Gods. Could you share a little bit about?

Louis Schwartzberg: Sure. Still working on that with my partner Kenny Ausubel, who is the Founder of Bioneers.org. It's a great organization that looks at indigenous knowledge, respect for women, and the environment. It's great, they have a conference every fall up in the Bay Area.

But, Changing the Gods is based on the book

by Rick Tarnas, who spent over a decade looking at the relationship between, basically the archetypes as reflected in astrology and major shifts in consciousness that have occurred in Western civilization. So, for example, every time Uranus and Pluto have been in conjunction or opposite each other in certain positions, which you can track, we've had these major shifts of consciousness on the planet.

That's currently happening right now, and the last time they were in that position was during the '60s. Keep on going back in time all the way to the French Revolution and Copernicus. So, every time there's been a major shift in worldview, the planets have been in a certain position. So, it's not that the planets are having a direct effect on us as much as, throughout history, we've had these archetypes. So, whether it's guys like Karl Jung or the Greeks or Joseph Campbell, they've all talked about how these archetypes have shaped our consciousness. And

perhaps, these archetypes exist throughout the universe.

Christopher Buck: It is an interesting point.

In my past life, I was an engineer, and I was very left brained and didn't, you know, think much of astrology and the like. But, as I have grown, I've realized just how is a whole 'another world that actually impacts us.

And I've grown to dread, for instance, when Mercury retrograde comes along.

Louis Schwartzberg: Exactly. Well, and again, you know, science is all about pattern recognition, or even awareness. As an artist, it's about pattern recognition. It's what I do.

It's observation, and then observation leads to wonder and awe.

And so, the planets are just another pattern that we can observe, and many cultures have been more tuned than we are regarding observing those patterns and seeing, what's the meaning.

The meaning, I think, is one of the elements that's out there in the universe. There's the matter, there's energy, and I think there's meaning.

And so, we're all searching for that meaning.

You look everywhere, from the stars to what's under the rock. And for me, as a visual artist, I can look at the patterns of the mycelium in the ground and go, my God, it looks just like the network system of the capillaries in my body or the neurons in my brain or, you know, the galaxies. They all look the same, the same networking of pattern.

Christopher Buck: Louis, thank you very much. I know you're a busy man. I could keep you for hours asking you about your work, but I know that's not possible.

Louis Schwartzberg: Thank you.

Health & Wellness Innovative new approaches to Healing as well as holistic methods for dealing with health issues and personal growth

Are Your Bottled Emotions Causing You Pain?

Bottled up emotions are the breeding grounds for all kinds of mental issues. This is true for adults, seniors, and children,

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too. How do we learn to feel fully and then transcend our emotions to insure a better quality of life? The first question we need to ask ourselves is does the emotion come before the thoughts or do the thoughts pop up first?

Actually, they happen quite close to each other. Usually fear comes spontaneously as a response to a perceived threat or sudden outside stimuli. Anxiety comes from our ruminating, repetitive thoughts.

In either case, we need to zero in on our subconscious mind. Our goal is to make sure to cleanse the subconscious that drives our thoughts and emotions. Childhood traumas or haunting memories create emotions that are not very easy to manage. These can take place either in the external or the internal environment.

Karma, the Compassionate Teacher There are situations where a person finds herself or himself in an atmosphere that is so deeply negative and oppressive. No matter how much one tries to be positive, one cannot make much difference in her or his emotional state. The abusive and negative energies stream from the external environment continuously and we succumb to this oppressive climate.

Each of the situations that arise or happen to an individual has some relevance to the ultimate cleansing of the karma, as it is so very important for a soul to purge the past and move through to the next phase of evolution in the ladder of consciousness.

We must go through physical and mental agonies to pay off the past debts of karma, that is only way to cleanse the mistakes of the past. This is a

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result of the natural law, “as you sow, so you reap.�

Meditation, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Release Yes, we must clean up the smudges on the mirror of our subconscious mind. Then only the reflection of the Self can shine forth. If we believe modern science and accept the ancient cultures of the East with trust, then meditation, mindfulness, gratitude, prayers, and rituals all have their role to play. They help create the mind and heart that can take the pain when it comes, watch the pain as it arises, and allow it to dissolve as the time becomes ripe for it.

One very effective method of healing and growth is to focus the mind whenever one is gripped with the rise of an emotional trauma of any kind of fear or anxiety. We should watch the flame or the energy rise, and then when it is at its peak, we lovingly offer

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it to the divine, or universal consciousness. We usually feel relief instantly. It just leaves; the whole burden leaves as if something has evaporated.

Everyone goes through his or her life dramas, the prescripted stuff of life. It is the one certainty. No one escapes.

So, if with acceptance, we acknowledge our deepest emotions, watch them rise in intensity and then unburden ourselves to the benevolent, precision run universe, a great heaviness lifts.

Yoga, a Holistic Approach to Emotional Life If one is truly sincere, then one can take the path of daily yoga practice. Physical yoga is only peripheral. Yoga must be a holistic approach to everything in life. This also includes: food, clothing, and everything we ingest in the body through all the sense preceptors, including the kind of company one keeps. One

truly soaks the mind with the divine vibrations of regular meditation and prayers, of acceptance and surrender, of watchfulness and vigilance.

One can sincerely try to rise above the emotional pulls and the force of gravity. One must be regular in practice of physical and emotional training through yoga and mindfulness.

Over time, if there is consistent practice without continuously looking for the results and quick fixes, one could create a different kind of physical cellular structure. This could further result in a different kind of hormonal balance, and different kind of mindheart blend.

Most people are inconsistent in the practice of anything that can change or clear the dirt on the inner mirror. People learn every technique in the world, and read every bit of knowledge on the subject that bothers them. But, when it comes to regularity of practice,

and most importantly, giving the heart for it, this is where one goes wrong, or falters.

However, if one is truly eager to overcome the emotional traumas, then both letting the karma play itself out and presenting consistent yogic efforts should mingle together to create the magic that one wants to see.

About the Author Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari (Kolkata, India): Globally acclaimed motivational teacher (mindfulness meditation, stress reduction) author, peacemaker (Man of Peace Award 2012) Visionary social advocate; founded Lokenath Divine Life Mission, 1985. Serves thousands of poverty-stricken individuals in India. (Lifetime Achievement Award, House of Lords, UK, 2015) www.courseinmindfulness.com/ www.facebook.com/srisri. shuddhaanandaaamazon. com/author/ shuddhaanandaabramachari

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Simply Spiritual To perceive reality from a different perspective is to open oneself to the wonders and unlimited wealth of creation. Simply Spiritual offers the opportunity to visit new places, new methods, and different ways to perceive the vast human knowledge of our Universe.

Clearing Your Mind of Noise

by John Holland

Hearing the Workings of Your Mind How often have you been lying in bed in the early hours going over and over all the things you need to do that day? It’s as though you can hear the

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workings of your mind as it processes the endless thoughts.

The stress and strain of this endless mind chatter can take its toll, not just on your sleep but your overall well-being.

I know that when I have a lot on my mind, my thoughts fire off in thousands of different directions, each thought louder than the one before, until it’s a crescendo of noise. It’s like a symphony orchestra where all the instruments, including the drums are playing at the same time! If this sounds like your typical start to a day … then it’s time to figure out a way to clear your mind of some of this noise.

Hard Finding Find Clarity of Thought I’m not saying “STOP THINKING!” or anything like that, but I do believe that when you’ve that much noise going on in your head, it’s hard to find clarity of thought. Sometimes, you can spend far too much time in a thought process, which at times can be influenced

by negative thoughts as well.

I believe it’s important to recognize those times and find a technique to eradicate them as quickly as possible.

Whatever you do, don’t put yourself in an environment where there’s even more noise, like watching TV or listening to music, but try to find a quiet place without all that stimuli.

One useful technique that I use, is to sit down somewhere quietly and write myself a letter … it’s like a “dear John” letter, except in this case it’s a letter to put down those negative thoughts.

Processing Noise through the Written Word I pretend to mail it to myself once I’ve written everything down, but in reality, I throw it away. It’s quite cathartic as it’s a way of getting the noise out of my head, except in this case I’ve written it down. It does work!

So, next time you can’t stop the chatter, whether it’s

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positive or negative or just that voice reminding you of all the things ahead of you, or all the things you didn’t manage to do the day before, etc. stop and take a few moments for yourself.

JOHN’S LESSON Here are a few more useful techniques that might help to clear some of that noise.

These may allow you to think more clearly.

Meditation is always a good technique. But, instead of meditating to a set routine, why not just meditate on a blank screen? Imagine you’re at the movies waiting for the film to start, and you’re staring at a blank screen. Just focus on that, and clear your mind in preparation for the film to start. Except in this case, for the next few minutes, it’s blank, quiet, motionless, and still.

Outdoor Expressions to Clear Your Mind

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Another great way to clear your mind is to go for a walk if you can somewhere where you can shout at the top of your voice, like at the top of a hill or in the woods. Once there, think of all those thoughts that have been bugging you. Shout them out, one by one, at the top of your voice. It’s a great way to dispel them and put some clarity in your thoughts.

One last idea is just to do something totally mindless.

Yes, find a task that requires no thinking. For me, that’s easy … I just spend time playing games with my dog, Koda, and before I know it, my mind is clear as I roll around on the floor laughing and playing.

Live a Soul-filled life!

About the Author John Holland is an artist, author, public speaker, and psychic medium. To learn more about John Holland, visit http://www.johnholland.com.

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Say NO to the Spiritual Bypass!

by Tess Pender

Avoiding the Trap of the Spiritual Bypass It is easy to fall into the trap of a spiritual bypass. We find one easy explanation early in addiction recovery.

It is common for newbie recovering addicts, however,

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learning of a “higher power” to throw themselves into spirituality.

They sit in tattooed glory, coffee in one hand and cigarette in the other, and smile soulfully while sharing their newly discovered spiritual superiority. They never lose their tempers, harbor no thoughts of revenge, never judge anyone (except those who haven’t attained enlightenment). The only others to exhibit this behavior are Catholic-school products raised on “Lives of the Martyrs.”

The danger of this spiritual bypass is relapse. Adopting a guru instead of doing the work of spiritual growth builds no foundation. The chakra system is one road map to spiritual growth. And each chakra has traps and hooks for those in a rush to enlightenment.

Negate the Spiritual Bypass with Focus on Energies The first, or root chakra, is the

center of security. Its hooks are fears about safety and survival.

Hooks in the first chakra were installed early. The panic of the food addict facing an empty refrigerator, the safety beckoning to the gambler by the score - we must, therefore, face these to escape the clutches of the first chakra.

The work is to understand and believe that safety only lies in one’s own grounding, the commitment to self. This isn’t a single, “once done and over” step, but is the basis for the “three-step waltz” familiar in early recovery.

The second chakra rules emotions, sexuality, creativity and the sense of self. The hook is evident in sex and love addicts’ behavior, falling for the same “bad boy” in different clothes. Thus, the work is to be at peace with emotions - welcome them, name them, learn that they are not all-powerful.

Reclaiming the sacred self from the ravages of “needing love,” from emotional orgies,

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and sensual desires is a steep part of the mountain - and normally has many slips down the side.

The Work of Setting Boundaries & Loving Self Related to the second chakra is the third - the place of boundaries and will. Learning to set and hold boundaries is difficult, but possible. The real trap comes in learning to respect others’ boundaries, to allow them to be themselves!

The slogan associated with the third chakra is “What you think of me is none of my business.”

This sneaky trap explains why co-dependency is harder to overcome than addiction - and why it kills people sooner than any drug. The work of the third chakra is to develop a functional adult persona - a challenging task for every “stuck in adolescence” addict!

After the work of the lower three chakras, the path to spiritual awakening starts to get hard! The fourth chakra is the heart center - the home of

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love and compassion. During a spiritual bypass, the seeker thinks the job is to love and accept everybody. Sorry, but no - the work is to love the Self, embrace the Self with all its flaws, and shower yourself with compassion. This is the step of coming out of the closet - taking to the streets to declare, “I Was Born This Way!” with Lady Gaga.

Truth Telling & Knowing to Avoid Spiritual Bypass The fifth chakra rules the throat and demands truth.

This is also where pleasant lies stop - the lies to yourself, the white lies to others. One trap is confusing rudeness with truth. There is no need to share passing thoughts or judgments! Learning that one’s thoughts are not the truths the world needs to hear is a shock to the ego, and a necessary step on the road to enlightenment! The work of the fourth chakra is facing the truth about one’s own self, by “coming out of the closet” of self-deceit.

The third eye (between the brows) is the chakra of knowing. The work is claiming one’s knowledge, recognizing the truth seen, and letting go of all the little denials that make life easy (‘he loves me, even when he’s mean to me’).

The work is to claim one’s intuition and release denial and hiding. Another trap is getting too impressed with knowing, and believing in a “unique gift”!

Connecting, Awakening, & Remaining True Finally, the crown chakra is the connection to the universe, to infinite truth, to God, however, you envision our source. The work is to surrender to God’s plan whoever your god is and however frightening the plan! The traps are many - the “spiritual bypass” (deciding that being spiritual allows one to skip all the work of the other chakras), becoming a guru who tells others how to live, becoming a sacrifice who has no wants or because you are so “sacred”.

The chakras (or energy centers, from the Sanskrit for “wheel”) provide a path and road map to spiritual awakening, but it is a rocky path, and the map has many dead ends along the way. The hardest lessons in saying no to the spiritual bypass are to enjoy the journey, release the goal, and love the traveler. Happy trails to you!

About the Author Tess Pender is an Ordained Interfaith Minister, active in twelve-step programs for over thirty years. Her spiritual practice blossomed in Native American Sweat Lodges under the guidance of a Medicine Woman. She also led a Teen Spiritual Education Program for four years, and teaches classes on accessing intuition. She practices Earth-Centered Spirituality, and co-founded two Wiccainspired groups. Connect with Tess at: www.facebook. com/Rev-Tess-InterfaithMinister-1333335763419001/

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3 Easy Ways to Deepen Your Meditation

by Tony Samara

Is Deeper Meditation Possible?

Many people ask how it is possible to deepen their meditation.

For sure, there is no need to light candles, burn incense, play special music, or wear specific robes or clothing in the hope that by doing so you will be able to remedy the lack of depth in meditation.

It may be that any or all the following questions affect your meditation. Spend a few Omtimes.com

moments practicing the below three suggestions for nine days.

I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised!

Before We Begin, Ask Yourself: - Do you find that sometimes meditation can be quite challenging?

- Does your mind feel very busy and cluttered?

- Perhaps you just can’t seem to go deeply into a meditative state?

- Do you frustrate easily, or simply feel meditation is not for you?

It could be that you are releasing some or a lot of stress from your life experience, which is slowly becoming cleared in your meditation. This will obviously keep bringing you back up to the surface of thinking consciousness. This very often stirs the mind back to think about this or that.

So, you see, it’s not a negative, as it may seem. Instead, it can be a rather good way to allow your body and mind to release stress. Already understanding this changes everything.

3 Easy Ways to Turn Meditation Challenges Around I would now like to share with you these 3 easy ways to deepen your meditation experience.

1) Focus on Breath You may wish to help this release of stress by simply tuning into the sound of your every breath, especially focusing on the full out-breath. Doing this at least nine times.

It could be that your mind, body and nervous system are just over stimulated by the

busy-ness of your life.

2) Calm the Body As with anything important one does, there is a need for a calm physiological preparation, or ritual, before your meditation session. It is natural, although we may not be aware of such, to create rituals even simple ones prior to sleep, a meal, meeting a friend etc.

Here is the preparation ritual: When sitting comfortably in meditation make sure your body is in a relaxed, upright position with the back comfortably straight; close your eyes and take three deep breaths, making sure they are deep abdominal breaths.

Next, for a second, tense various parts of your body one at a time - thighs, hips, arms, hands and shoulders - and each time, after a second, relax as much as you can, breathing out and letting go of all the tension.

Wow! Notice how this ritual and preparation takes you naturally to the next level of consciousness - calm awareness - encouraging instant calm in your life and meditation.

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3) Proper Nutrition for Body and Mind It could be that your diet does not suit your nutritional or meditational needs, in that it may include too much sugar, too much meat and a poor variety of fruits and vegetables.

We see well documented evidence that the food you eat makes you feel either calm and balanced or stimulates you to the point of a literal burn out!

It is so typical to accept these eating habits today as normal, even by the medical profession.

You may wish to consider these three easy healthy dietary habits that will help relax the over- stimulated organs, nervous system and blood system back to a natural state of calm. (i) Go vegetarian for breakfast and at least one other meal a day. (ii) Instead of sugary snacks choose healthy alternatives. (iii) Include barley grass in your smoothie or as a supplement in easy to swallow tablet form.

Simple Meditation to Help Deepen Practice Here is a simple meditation to Omtimes.com

assist the deepening of your meditation practice: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=adnMf8JJPIE

For more tips related to diet and meditation you may be interested in the book ‘DETOX Body, Mind & Soul’ by Tony Samara, available from Amazon.

About the Author Tony Samara, world-renowned spiritual teacher & author of 16 books, has been sharing deep spiritual work & energy transmission for the evolution of consciousness for over 25 years.

Combining meditation, detoxing the body, a plant-based diet & a simple lifestyle, he is best known for how his work touches more deeply than words. http://www.

TonySamara.com

Feng Shui & the Behavioral Science

by Victor Cheung The Science of Studying Our Surroundings Feng Shui is an ancient body of knowledge that studies how to use our surroundings to benefit our lives.

With the advancement of modern research and science to improve the quality of our living, science has also uncovered how our surroundings affect our well-being. Here’s a look at how the two relates using three examples.

Example 1: Window Design and Placements Feng Shui stresses the importance of windows because

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of it allows qi to enter the room or living space. Today, we can understand qi as energy in the form of light, sound waves, and others. Here’s how they translate in terms of science.

Windows give us sunlight. It makes us feel energetic and alert. Without sunlight, we may feel relaxed and sleepy. In ancient times, there were only candles to light up a room, and the strength of its light won’t be strong enough to keep us awake if sunlight couldn’t come through. That is one reason why Feng Shui stresses the importance of windows.

Windows also give us fresh air.

Imagine a bedroom without window. We may feel that the room is stuffy or even suffocating - perhaps due to the large amounts of Carbon Dioxide that cannot circulate out of the room. With the lack of oxygen, we tend to feel sleepy. When concentrations of Carbon Dioxide rise, it may even disrupt our sleep, making us feel less rested even when we get our eight hours of sleep.

That is why hotels with sealed windows tend to keep the air conditioning on all the time

- so that the room feels fresh when we enter.

Further, windows give us a view of the outside. Depending on our surrounding Feng Shui, we may feel relaxed if we see green trees and grass through your window, or we may feel agitated if our window overlooks a cemetery, hospital, or a waste management facility.

Example 2: Furniture Placements Imagine yourself on a plane, seated in a window seat. If you had all the window seats to yourself, would you sleep with your head on the side of the walkway?

The same concept applies to our bed. Although there won’t be any flight attendants or passengers walking around our bedrooms, having a headboard against the wall gives us a subtle sense of security that’ll help us fall asleep easier. This relates to our survival instincts and sense of security.

The same also applies to our sofa and desk. If the back of our sofa or desk is a walkway, we may get distracted every Omtimes.com

time someone walks behind you. Further, any slight noise we hear from behind compels us to look backwards.

We humans are highly visual.

Because we do not have eyes at the back of our head, our sense of security may feel threatened when we hear sound or sense movements behind our back.

This may be why Feng Shui suggests that having our back against a wall will help us with our rest and concentration.

Example 3: The Science of Color Selection Most of us respond to colors differently. Most colors can be categorized as warm, cool, and neutral and can make us feel happy or sad. This is how we perceive color’s qi through our five senses, namely, our sense of vision. This is where Feng Shui comes in.

In Feng Shui, color is also used in a similar way. It can be used to balance the Yin and Yang, which resembles the warm, cool, and neutral feelings that colors can invoke.

For instance, the living room is suitable for more Yang Omtimes.com

energy because it is a place of high human activity. It is where people congregate, chat, and laugh. Therefore, brighter colors are more favored in the living room, because it wakes us up and gives us more energy.

Conversely, the bedroom is suitable for more Yin energy because it is a place of rest and sleep. Too much light can disrupt our sleep cycle and quality. Therefore, we favor more dimmer colors or lighting in the bedroom.

Conclusion In a sense, Feng Shui is like science. Both are bodies of knowledge that improve our lives through a better understanding of this world. The major difference is that science uses experimentation, proof and numbers, whereas Feng Shui is based on observations and experiences accumulated over the years. Both are credible sources of knowledge that we can rely on.

About the Author Victor Cheung is an author and blogger at Feng Shui Nexus.

You can reach him at www. fengshuinexus.com

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Relationships The interconnectiveness among all human beings and, consequently, the relationships among us are the focus of this section. The dynamics of the web of connections we make is one of the most prominent aspects of human existence: how we interlace with each other’s existence in a meaningful way.

4 Common Things to Love and Happiness

by Diane Wing, M.A.

Love and Happiness Essential Aspects of Life

neurotransmitters and the enhancement of our sense of self.

Happiness and love are the two primary aspects of life that most people yearn for.

The combination of the two sets us up for true joy and the ability to increase our tolerance when things get rough. They go hand-in-hand and have commonalities, such as the release of similar

Love does not have to pertain to a romantic relationship; it can be focused on loving family, friends, pets, yourself, or a way of being. It can be triggered by a love of doing an activity such as creating, fishing, or walking in nature.

The sensation and feeling are

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ultimately the same as in a romantic relationship.

significant relationships does not need to be so rigid.

Beliefs Can Hinder Relationships

Love and Happiness are Reciprocal

Those who feel that these are not the same as having a significant other are missing out on types of love that are just as powerful yet may go unexplored because of this belief. Intimacy is the keynote of significant relationships and means to have a sense of belonging together and feeling close. This can be achieved through healthy contact with like-minded others who have a deep sense of caring for each other.

Having love increases happiness and having happiness enhances love.

Happiness makes you more loving - the happier you are the more loving you can be.

Finding happiness in everyday things is a good way to exude the vibration of happiness so that it attracts healthy, loving relationships. Once attracted, that love expands through being happy with that other person and by making each other happy.

The need to feel loved is what draws us into relationships; to have that one person who is trusted above all others and who has our highest good at heart. That one person who makes us feel safe and who we can be ourselves with. And many say that when we find that person, then we will be happy. Yet the commonalities between love and happiness are so profound that one need not exist without the other and the definition of

A Sense of Elation The power of love and happiness send your energy soaring. This sense of elation is that feeling perfectly captured in the song by Pharrell Williams, Happy, with the lyric “if you feel like a room without a roof.� A sense of elation can come through loving life, loving God/Spirit/ Universe, feeling free to be ourselves, or even successfully accomplishing a cherished goal.

These conditions come from a

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strong sense of self-love and oneness with All That Is. A Sense of Meaning When we have a purpose, then we lovingly work toward the betterment of ourselves, others, and the world. We take meaningful action that creates happiness with every step. Actively using this sense of meaning, we create communities that strive together to make something meaningful happen. We enter a loving relationship with Mother Nature and follow Divine Guidance to find the best ways to express these loving acts for the highest good.

A Sense of Connection Feeling a connection to a cause, a community, a tribe, a family, friends, and above all, to oneself, opens the way for love and incorporates happiness. It is this sense of connection and togetherness that allows us to enjoy life and experience true happiness. Working toward a common goal creates intimacy and a loving interaction as powerful as a relationship.

Connecting to Divine Inspiration

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allows us to feel love beyond measure and the joy of cocreating with Spirit.

It is also time to move away from compartmentalizing love and happiness. See the links between them and the conditions under which they can coexist. Find ways to put these ideas into play in your own life and experience a profound combination of love and happiness that will help tap into the best life has to offer.

Copyright Diane Wing, all rights reserved.

About the Author Diane Wing, M.A.’s practice specializes in working with women who struggle to find happiness and fulfillment in their personal life and helps them release the patterns that prevent them from being happy in the present while creating their ideal future.

She is the author of six books, including The Happiness Perspective: Seeing Your Life Differently (available on Amazon & B&n.com). www.DianeWing.com

IT IS TIME TO LET THE BOX

GO

Think Out of the Box: Try Ascending Hearts for free and see for yourself

What Happens to the Children of Extreme Narcissists?

by Marcia Sirota, MD

Impact of Extreme Narcissist Parents I recently wrote a post about who marries an extreme narcissist. Now, I’m going to talk about what happens to the children of extreme

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narcissists. In my practice as a psychiatrist, I’ve encountered many such children. They’ve all been adversely affected by having one or both parents with this personality type.

The child who grows up with one or both parents who are extreme narcissists is inevitably going to be lacking in love, validation, mirroring and approval. They will have a deep sense of insecurity and be lacking in confidence. This is because the narcissist is incapable of really seeing or loving their child.

The Contrast of Loving Parents A loving parent wants to know everything about their child. This parent is fascinated with every little nuance of the child’s personality and behavior. The parent celebrates their child’s uniqueness. This causes the child to love and value him or herself for the special individual that they are.

A loving parent values their child, just for who

they are. This parent loves their child unconditionally and nurtures them so that they can grow into the best version of themselves.

The narcissistic parent, by contrast, sees their child as an extension of their own ego and as their “property.” The child is a reflection of the parent and belongs to the parent. Either the child is seen by this parent as conferring some advantage in life, or the child is seen as a burden and a nuisance; often both.

The child of extreme narcissists is never seen for who he or she is. They are never appreciated just for him or herself. The extremely narcissistic parent can only enjoy and exploit their child for what the child does for them or how the child makes them look to others.

Challenges of Meeting the Child’s Needs The “love” the extreme narcissist gives to their child is a pseudo-love. It is shallow and conditional, and doesn’t come close to meeting the

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child’s real needs. As a result, the child grows up with an empty space inside them that was supposed to have been filled with parental love and validation.

As they’re growing up, the child of the extreme narcissist can go in one of two directions. They can channel their low self-esteem and needs for love and approval.

They do this by peoplepleasing, trying to get others to accept and validate them.

Or, they can compensate for their deep feelings of inadequacy by inflating their fragile ego and becoming grandiose. They can become as narcissistic as their parent was.

The children who grow up to be people-pleasers seem, on the surface, to struggle a lot more in their lives, as they look to others to make them feel good about themselves.

They are insecure and they go to great lengths to obtain approval from those around them. They focus on

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making other people happy, rather than on taking care of themselves.

Learning by Extreme Narcissist Example The children who grow up to be narcissists might achieve some measure of success, in that their inflated self-worth can lead them to attain certain goals, but they can never be truly happy. They can never fill the emptiness within them by following in their narcissistic parent’s footsteps. They will never have real love in their lives and all their accomplishments will ultimately feel meaningless.

The paradox is that the children who grow up to be narcissists don’t see that they have a problem. Their inflated ego denies the deep wound within them. They’re unable to recognize the empty hole where self-love should be, so they can’t conceive of real ways to fill this void. They’re doomed to remain narcissists, pursuing external gratification.

They see others merely as a source of this gratification or an obstacle to it.

A Child Can Grow to Be a Narcissist The children who grow up to be people-pleasers, on the other hand, have the capacity for insight into their own behavior.

They’re able to look at their choices and take responsibility for their behaviors. These people-pleasers can use counseling or therapy to build their self-esteem and fill that emptiness within them. They can learn to love themselves and receive love from others, without having to earn it through pleasing.

The child of the extreme narcissist who grows up to be a narcissist themselves is doomed, in the same way as their parent is, to a life of empty, exploitative relationships and the compulsive pursuit of external solutions - money, fame, power, influence - for their real inner needs for closeness,

happiness and meaning.

Furthermore, the child of a narcissist who grows up to be a narcissist themselves might look like they’re doing better, but they’ll never live a good life. The child of the narcissist who grows up to be a people-pleaser is the much luckier one, as they have a real chance to change and to live a full and satisfying life with real love and real meaning.

About the Author Dr. Marcia Sirota is a Torontobased board certified psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of trauma and addiction, and founder of the Ruthless Compassion Institute. Marcia’s new book, Be Kind, Not Nice: How to Stop People-Pleasing, Build Your Confidence and Discover Your Authentic Self, is now available on Amazon.com and Amazon. ca. Sign up for her free monthly wellness newsletter: http://marciasirotamd.com

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It is time to let the box go

Metaphysics

Numerology Speaks: How Did Facebook and Twitter Become a New Way of Connecting?

by Greer Jonas

Energetic Numbers of Today’s Social Media The success and popularity of your business can have an effect just based on your alpha/numerical numbers of your name! Take Facebook and Twitter - both names have a “connection” theme based on the Pythagoras system of

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numerology. Together, they have invented a new “virtual” environment for people to converse to each other, the world of Social Media.

As a numerologist and innovator, I am often asked this question: “I just started a new enterprise and want a business name that is powerful. Where do I begin?”

Answer: The first thing I tell my clients is to examine what message they want their new company to convey.

Only then do we look at the ideas for different business names and calculate their numerological value. Yes, the name needs to pop, but it also needs to have integrity.

Let’s take the two social media innovators, Facebook and Twitter.

The Pythagoras numerology method is based on the alphanumerical chart below, using the numbers 1-9. Each number has a meaning. The most important number for a business is the “expression number. Here are their charts.

Numerology Chart for Facebook and Twitter

FACEBOOK - Designed to Bring Things Together Back in 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and Harvard colleagues conceived of the online phenomenon that created a way to talk to family and friends without picking up the phone.

It was to be a virtual place for college students to talk and share information about each other quickly online. Facebook was born with a name that spelled out a new type of “home” for people - social media through the internet.

Facebook’s expression number is a “4” according to Pythagoras.

(See above chart). Fours are all

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about building and putting things together. It is the square, the home, logic, everything having its place. What a perfect fit as “Facebook” offers a “home” or “page” for each person who wants to join or visit another friend. And they can invite others to “friend” them. They can share pictures of their family or rants about politics.

This new home need not have any human contact.

TWITTER - A Unique Way of Expressing Ourselves Before the popularity of the smart phone, Twitter was created by Evan Williams, Jack Dorsey, and Biz Stone in 2006 to text quickly what they want to say. Kind of like a bird tweeting a message, was the gist.

In Pythagorean numerology, Twitter has a 7 expression - the 34/7. Seven is a very different vibration from the “home.” It is not friendly.

Seven is the spiritual, unique non-conformist that prefers to hide and study rather than be open and sharing. Thus, Twitter becomes a “code”, a mystery, a unique way of speaking. And they coined the phrase “tweeting.”

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It is not very social at all. It is a shortcut to express yourself, with a limited number of characters and hashtag. Twitter is popular, especially among the young folk, (and certain political figures) to pass the message in the fastest way. Spreading the word and the message without human contact.

My Two Cents on the Changing Landscape Long gone are the days when people read thorough excerpts and analysis, or even talk to each other on the phone; sigh. We have a new “speak.” And with the iPhone, well, texting instead of calling becomes the preferred expression. The popularity of Facebook and Twitter really says a lot about where we are heading.

About the Author Greer Jonas is a numerologist, teacher and artist for over 25 years living in New York City. She conducts numerology readings over the phone, Skype, and in person, and teaches classes in New York City and Connecticut as well as online. www. numerology4yoursoul.com (I promise, you will receive real human contact with me on the phone or in person.)

Looking for Love in all the wrong places?

Living Life in Light, Love and Awareness

by Judi Lynch

Healing Tools that Work We are being challenged! Our assignment is to transmute, transform, and live life on lighter terms. The world contains every kind of person, energy thought, and action

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you could possibly imagine.

To rise above and keep ahead, we can send love and light out as much light as possible. We also need to remember who we are and the magic we are capable of.

We create an energy field of love around us that others can feel when they come near. Just as a negative soul can empty a room with their presence, a light-minded person can fill a stadium. Every day in our lives we can send love out to everything we do, to every thought we think.

Light consciousness is the healing tool that sustains our spiritual connections. Those connections are the life source which fills us with knowledge, acceptance, courage and energy. When we understand its availability and how to tap in, we fill our hearts with unconditional love.

We Can Send Love and Light 1. Visualization is key to realization, focus and manifestation. If you can visualize the image of protection in spiritual light from head to toe and every chakra (energy) center in your body, you can direct healing energy anywhere.

2. You can send love and request healing out to any person, situation or location you choose through prayer, meditation and energy healing. This assistance comes from higher spiritual frequencies and not your personal vibration.

3. Affirmations are a great way to lift your spiritual energy daily. The I AM presence brings in positive reinforcement. I AM light, I AM loved, I have courage, I AM strong, I AM forgiven.

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Healing Protection and Clearing 4. Protect yourself from negative energies daily by surrounding yourself with light and positive thoughts. Gossip, disrespect, emotional abuse are things that bring in anxiety, fear and depression. Seek to heal these situations which threaten or block you from living life with purpose, hope and knowing joy.

5. Clear your etheric body with meditations in your own sacred personal space. This helps you to establish the daily practice of letting go of all you no longer need or never needed, filling up those places with light and purpose.

6. Practice gratefulness for every situation good or bad that has assisted you in your journey. Bless everyone and everything that has brought

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substance to your life in any way. Be thankful every day for life and all that you’ve learned.

7. Understand that your source of love comes from within and not from any other soul on Earth. When you align with your true connections to consciousness, you know that others are not responsible for you, your reactions or perceptions. Free yourself from what others think and send out love to every situation.

The Real Value of Self-Control When we take responsibility for the vibrations we bring and live in, we have control. When we put these higher vibrations together in person, thought and communications, we raise the frequency of any space.

A room, a theater, a concert hall, a country even the Earth is affected every time joy is

created by love.

Every time a hurt person is sent love by another, a light goes on in the heart. Every time a misunderstood person is given a chance, a new thought comes into a creative mind, creating a ripple effect of love that brings in new awareness and healing. This is how we were meant to live. Without struggle for energy, power or control, we create an energy of peace.

Transforming with Love and Light We truly have magic in our hearts and in our ability to transform ourselves into more evolved and loving people no matter how we have judged ourselves or those around us.

This light has been with us since we were born.

Visualizing this planet whole

and healed in Universal loving energies is a beautiful sight.

Imagine that universe inside every open heart on the planet coming together in this true realization of the spiritual consciousness. Clearing out the clouds and shining in oneness.

Surely that would be a grand purpose to manifest for humanity’s future.

About the Author Judi Lynch is a psychic medium, intuitive counselor, healing channel and author. She is president of the Crystal Healing Foundation, Inc. a 501(c) spiritual charity and writer for OM Times Magazine.

She has authored two books, Friends with Lights and Conscious Ascension, and has read for clients all over the world. To learn more or contact for a session see psychicmediumjudilynch.com or email judi@judilynch.com

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Life Stages Heads up for next 12 Months

Make the most of meaningful events and encounters and lessen the effects of any negative experiences.

Life Stages alerts you to specific occurrences, where you should best consolidate, or when to experiment; otherwise where to be cautious; when it’s down to you, or someone else; when to wait and when to act.

Life Stages Life Stages Life Stages

VIEW A Sampler REPORT https://az792155.vo.msecnd. net/samples/omtimes/life_st ages.pdfSAMPLER Awareness of potential development Your personality mask, material security and intellectual ability as well as emotional security, enjoyment of life and responsibilities.

Your relationships and ability to deal with life and philosophical beliefs.

Your personal status, social life, secret dreams.

20+ Pages delivered instantly on-screen & emailed.

Dearest, Job Responsibilities, personal duties and hardships will weigh on a person but there are two solutions that can help to remove the emotional heaviness of life’s problems. Suggest these tools to him. You’ve heard that saying, “Let go, let God.” First, pray and release your troubles and fears to God. Here’s how: make a mental list of what is troubling you, and then visualize putting these things in a big box one by one. Put a big red bow on it and give prayerful thanks for God to find resolutions to these issues because you know that his solutions are far greater than yours.

Visualize handing the gift box to Great Spirit. Soon you will be amazed how these things get resolved or no longer weigh so heavily.

Secondly, make time for joy and playfulness. Schedule, it - put it on the calendar. Date night is important and play dates with our children are valuable too! Joy, fun and playfulness will enhance every

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aspect of your life. Joy raises your vibration! Sing, be silly, go to a concert, see a comedian – laughter is good medicine for the soul! Life can be draining so sometimes we must make the effort to lighten up!

Dear Michelle, I grew up in the church and have always loved going. My issue is that psychics are accused of being fortune tellers, when some of us are in our integrity. How do I prove to my church minister that my Psychic Medium gifts are from God? Dearest, A Rabbi, Priest, or Minister would first need to be of the belief that God and his angels still speak directly to humans. Which is true, God speaks to those that practice the art of Meditation which is silencing the mind and prayerfully raising your vibration. In this way, with daily practice you can attune your higher consciousness to merge with the Godhead for periods of time and glean important messages.

These messages can be for the masses, timely spiritual teachings, words of comfort, peace, and even warnings. A spiritual Medium can also conduct personal readings of spiritual guidance, giving precise facts and clear revelations to help improve the person’s life. This

WHITEDOVE

Dear Michelle My life partner is serious all of the time. Yes he has a stressful job. How can I coax him not to bring his work stress home every day? Sometimes I just want to have some fun with him!

information comes through you the vessel; it does not come from you.

The great Master Jesus said in John 14:12 " I tell you: whoever believes in me, those works which I have done he will also do, and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to the presence of my Father. “ This communicates to us that through God we too can perform amazing works. Remember Jesus spoke to God and his Angels directly, healed the sick, fed the masses; he also raised the dead and many other astounding miracles.

So the proof is in the quality of your work, mediumship is not about forcing people to believe.

It’s about doing the work and dedicating your life to improving your gifts through communing with God. Please don’t get upset if the minister or others are not ready to be open to you. If he is ready and interested in your work then congratulations are in order; another soul is spiritually growing and stepping outside of

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dogma. We need more ministers meditating and less judging. What happened to “Thou Shall Not Judge”?

Connect with Whitedove

Empower Girls Break the Cycle of Dependence The number one reason girls drop out of school in Sub-Saharan Africa is lack of access to feminine hygiene products. The Pads for Schoolgirls Project, an outreach of Humanity Healing International, is changing this paradigm by setting up sewing programs at schools, teaching girls a vocational skill, while producing the reusable pads that help keep them attending classes. The girls pay it forward by making and giving pad kits to other girls in need.

To learn more, visit humanityhealing.org

We grow as individuals as we face challenges and overcome life’s obstacles. This section is dedicated to helping you chart your course

Personal Growth & Development

4 Types of Criticism and How to Survive Them

by Michelle Alberigi McKenzie

Out of the blue--blamo!-someone criticizes us. It’s unexpected and hurtful, and it’s personal; or at least if feels that way.

What do we do? We want to defend ourselves, or punish the offender.

Maybe a well-aimed insult. But if this is a friend, colleague, boss,

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or family member, we might not want to burn that bridge.

Where does that leave us?

How do we navigate the tricky waters of criticism? The next few moments are crucial to our continued relationship with that person.

4 Criticisms and What We Can Do to Survive Them: 1. The “What was that about?” Criticism We had no idea it was coming and sure didn’t expect it from this person. So, it’s good to stay calm and listen to what’s being said. Perhaps that person isn’t great at sharing her thoughts and just stumbled. Reaction: It might be good to walk away, take a few calming breathes, and then ask questions for clarity.

We don›t need to be destroyed by it and there could be some gems there that we don›t want to miss out on. See it as an amazing growth opportunity.

2. The “I see you and expect this” Criticism This criticism isn’t a surprise.

We know this person and she

does this to us every chance she gets. Reaction: Assuming we didn›t earn her loathing, we need to be able to shrug this stuff off. Keep calm and walk away. This person doesn›t need our energy.

3. The “Uh-oh, I needed to know that” Criticism This might come from anyone, a friend, a colleague, a boss, even a stranger. But this is something that we probably didn’t know we needed to know. Maybe we always frown at people when we’re talking to them. Who doesn’t find that off-putting?!

Or maybe we’ve been extra cranky lately and lashing out at people. Reaction: Whatever it is that we needed to know, we need to be gracious to the deliverer. This was probably as hard for her to tell us as it was for us to hear.

4. Public Criticism... ...is ugly and unnecessary, unless everyone involved is part of a political arena.

Often, the purpose of this is to prove superiority in front of everyone else. Reaction: Time to have a talk with the perpetrator to discuss their

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goal for this type of attack. If they don›t want to play nice, apply #2!

Finding the Pearl in the Oyster, or…

For all these criticism types, it’s good to remember there could be a great piece of lifechanging info buried in one.

There is a trick used in neurolinguistic programming (NLP) we call Perceptual Positions.

First position is seeing the criticism from our own perception--that’s an ‘ouch.’

Second position is where we see things from the other person’s point of view--a little less ouchy.

Third position is when we can step back and see both sides without having any emotional stuff in the mix.

Okay, that doesn’t hurt and it is interesting.

Let’s Take an Objective Look at Criticism Let’s look at more closely at that criticism and move to the Third Position. Here we can take an objective point of view, as if we are seeing

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the conversation between two other people. As we do so, we notice how these two are talking to each other, their points of view, beliefs, goals and even motivation.

Now we get the big-picture view! And now we are in a much better place to learn from the criticism and relationships are (we hope) salvaged. Yay, that person really does have our back!

There are probably as many types of criticism as there are ways to handle them. I would love to hear from you on how you deal with criticisms that come your way!

About the Author Michelle McKenzie is a certified life and spiritual coach, Reiki master/teacher with a focus on animal care, a spiritual intuitive, and a published children’s book author. She’s currently creating a ‘Find Your Spirit in Nature’ workshop in the Sierra Nevada Foothills of the Tahoe National Forest. Contact Michelle at www.MyPurposePath.com or Facebook.com/MyPurposePath

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A Journey towards Connectedness from the Heart

by Elohim Yael

Heart-Based Centering for Improved Connection When it comes to realizing a sense of connectedness, the power of the heart knows many layers and expressions.

Each time we let its warmth and love in, we experience new things, new possibilities, and new layers. This gives us Omtimes.com

so much joy and life energy!

While at the same time, we experience how these sparkles extinguish when disappointment, disillusion and grief trouble our hearts. We can re-light these sparkles by freeing our heart from its burdens, which will help us in creating a brighter world as well.

Contributing to a better future is a shared responsibility for all of us. This also is about exploring the true power of the heart and its awareness in our everyday lives. Through this journey, we become more and more connected with the heart and start making real differences.

Relieving Our Hearts from Negativity We will undeniably create a brighter future from the inspiration of a light heart than from experiences of disappointment, frustration and fear. To accomplish this, we must relieve our hearts from the burdens of negative

experiences, feelings and thinking patterns. Although these current times really shake our grounds, challenge the existence of our lives and trigger negative sentiments, we might also perceive them as an invitation.

An invitation to start relieving our troubled hearts and to face what lies underneath. The trick is to face this without judging or labeling things in good and bad, nice and not nice, and to welcome all experiences, emotions and feelings open heartedly. This connectedness allows them to be present as they are.

How to Blossom Our Heart?

Focus on the heart while gently breathing from the belly. Observe how your heart becomes bigger and more spacious when giving attention. Like a bud slowly opening, blossoming and becoming a beautiful flower.

Notice how everything can be present as it is, and smile. Keep

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on breathing from the belly.

This exercise empowers open heartedness and connectedness.

Heart-touching Moments of Connectedness Surely, we all know moments that remind us of what truly matters in life. Moments in which we experience the need or importance of being cared for. In which someone reaches out without judging and we truly feel understood or listened to. It is easier to grasp such moments of connectedness by our heart than by interpreting them rationally.

For this we simply must let the experiences in and let go of all the judgments, labels and stories we generally give them. We must lay down shields of (self)protection and let go the inner conversations of the mind and its desire to label things in right and wrong, and start the conversation with our heart. When doing this more often, we slowly shift

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our daily focus on the mind and its thinking towards the heart, its warm embrace and carry full support. We start making more heartfelt choices this way.

Holding [Sacred] Space Holding space is a wonderful example of this. It’s about being present in our heart; about being there for someone by giving support from an open heart. This implies dedicated support without being judgmental, without wanting to solve or improve someone’s situation nor wanting to ‘fix’ the other.

By doing so one gives space and encourages the other to be oneself. One empowers, supports and shows care without judging or bringing in conditions.

Besides holding space is about ‘holding one’s own sacred space’. This means creating space for oneself, being centered and about the heart.

To realize this, it helps to ask our heart more often what is

needed Now. This also makes it easier to stay true to ourselves and our unique path.

Consciousness of the Heart Our daily actions become more aligned with our heart when considering within each moment what we think and feel and when connecting with this open-heartedly. This way we cultivate making heartfelt choices and start acting from the pure power of the heart rather than from a troubled heart. As we become more present without judging, we can easier see beyond the troubles, separateness, and uncertainty of things.

This gives us more inner peace, clarity, and connectedness. We begin to realize we truly meet another when being present in the heart in full awareness.

We feel encouraged to choose more often for the warm embrace of the heart, its love and compassion in all that we do. Once it becomes part of our natural behavior, we welcome everything

and everyone (in life) open heartedly, and unconditionally.

Actions from the Heart It takes real courage to take this road. But if one does, we become aware of a connection from the heart wordtranscending. One then truly becomes the powerful force love is.

May this encourage each one of us to fully explore the journey towards connectedness from the heart in our everyday lives and make the world a brighter place in this way.

About the Author Through her articles and gatherings, Yael reminds us of unconditional compassion, which is an important step on the path towards living in harmony. She invites us to experience a deep connection with both ourselves and the Whole as heartily as possible. Yael embodies the Elohim essence. This means she is connected to the Universe from a clear awareness of harmony and unity - www.ajourneyoflight.uk

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Turning Your Biggest Problems into Successes

by Maria Khalife

Struggling to Find Successes in Life?

We hope this doesn’t come as a shock to some of you, but there just isn’t any such thing as a pain-free, problem-free

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life. We hear about Nirvana, and Xanadu, and Camelot.

These places do not exist in nature. They are man-made fantasies, and they still come with challenges.

it here.” And then begin to look for ways to solve it. It won’t go away without your solution, and you’ll grow in wisdom and grace as you work through it.

It’s important to get a grip on the challenges in your life. There’s a good reason they are there. What is there now is what you are capable of handling now.

Famous basketball coach, Pat Riley says that “If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.”

Release Your Fantasies and Deal with Right Now.

It’s wise to develop a way of looking at your problems your challenges - so that you can turn them into successes, wisdom, and great strength of character.

Turning Life Problems into Successes Admit to the Problem.

It’s okay to say “This is a huge challenge. It frightens me and I’m repulsed by it. I don’t want

You cannot wish away the challenges in your right now experience See what creativity you can express in a solution.

Change is seldom a piece of cake, but if you let go of your fantasy “I wish it was like this,” you make your tasks easier. It takes hard work to let go and to refocus on a solution, but you’re worth the effort.

Don’t Take Your Problems Personally.

It isn’t sinful to have a problem regardless of what anyone may think about it. They are there to strengthen you, and to develop your character. You may, however, be judged on your reaction (or the lack of it) to the challenge.

Journal About Lessons Learned.

Every challenge will teach

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you something. Start looking for the lesson, because if you don’t learn it the first time it appears, it will come again until you do learn. Keep track of what your lessons have been. “Life is a schoolmaster,” St. Paul says, so we might as well love the learning.

Whining and Blaming Won’t Serve You Well.

You might have the habit of asking, “Why me?” Asking that, however, doesn’t solve anything. Find a better question, like “Do I see one small step out of this mess?”

Create a list of questions that will move you forward, not jogging in place. If you’ve developed a habit of blaming another, while you’re pointing at them, you’ve missed the other fingers pointing at you.

Be Satisfied with Small Steps Forward.

There are very few moments where “a giant leap for mankind” fills the bill.

Normally, it’s those little bitty centimeter steps forward that are the norm. You will always

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see one next step. Take that one and you will also see the next. Never quit taking those small steps forward.

Life’s experiences are designed to make you stronger. The challenges in your life are specific to you and they are there because you can resolve them. If you ignore them or you sidestep them, they will come again and again until you step up to the plate, own the problem, and find its solution.

About the Author With over 20 years of experience gained across television, radio and print, Maria Khalifé brings to her clients knowledge and understanding in holistic and motivational living. Maria brings to the world powerful life-changing experiences for those who seek extraordinary lives and want to reach their maximum potential. Maria can help you to uncover your true dynamic self. Please visit http:// www.MariaKhalife.com

Imagine yourself‌ driven from your home by war, broken lives floating on a Sea of Troubles, your simple prayer to find Kind Hearts, Kind Hands to help you on your journey.

Be the answer to a prayer.

Humanity Healing Syrian Refugee Relief Please Donate Here humanityhealing.org

Spiritual Hikes to Soothe the Soul

by Marc Lainhart

Hikes Connect Us with Mother Nature After a long, wet, and gray winter, the first glimpse of spring tends to incite a bit of frenzy among those “spiritual

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prospectors” looking to get out and reconnect with Mother Nature! As John Muir once stated, “the mountains are calling and I must go.” By hitting the trails now, the readier we will be to tackle those longer hikes with great weather and longer days during the summer months. Here are few tips to help us get ready for an awesome hike!

Planning & Weather Considerations Planning - As with any hiking trip, planning the hike is paramount. Trip reports from several hiking websites can guide us to the right trail at the right time of the season.

Weather - Mother Nature has her own forecast, so make sure to check in with local weather reports. Use mobile weather applications on your phone for real-time updates. If you need more personal assistance, visit the knowledgeable staff at many ranger stations or

information centers. They most always have the latest updates on constant weather changes, especially in large mountain ranges and longer hikes.

Don’t let the rain and snow keep us inside! If we do, we will be missing out on many great outdoor experiences, views, and unique outdoor opportunities. With comfortable and appropriate gear for the spring months, we can hike safely in the rain. Carrying extra clothing (also called layering) is vital, particularly when hiking during the spring months and changing weather patterns.

Physical Conditioning for Hikes Conditioning & Fitness - When we prepare and get out for spring hikes, our conditioning and endurance will have us in tip-top form for the long, beautiful summer hikes ahead! Increasing lung capacity with strengthened

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muscles will have us strutting down the path in no time.

Enjoying those summer hikes with a deeper connection to nature happens when we take the time to prepare our mind, lungs, and muscles, and do not have to focus on all the huffing and puffing.

Planning and preparation are always worth the effort, especially when it comes to hiking in the great outdoors.

A Positive Mindset is Important on Hikes Preparing the Mindset - A lot of people do not like hiking in the spring because of the changing weather patterns and constant rain. It is tough to have a good time or enjoy a spring hike if we are feeling uncomfortable. So, planning and gearing up properly for a “singing in the rain”-type hike is paramount.

Enjoying yourself and

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the spring hike in what can be less-than-ideal weather requires more than preparing, the right type of gear, or proper outerwear.

It also requires a change in our mindset and how we approach a hike during the spring months. If we are well prepared for the weather, we find it helps to be willing to be a little creative and receptive to rainy spring hikes. We may find them to be very enjoyable, and usually can have the trail all to ourselves! “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” -Dr. Wayne Dyer.

Accept the Wet Weather and Stay Positive - When we look past the weather and rain or snow coming down, we can be a part of a beautiful, coming-alive environment with the growth of many plants. This includes a jungle of lush green moss, the budding

of some flowers or mushrooms, to even a few small animal sightings, depending on the location of the hike.

The sky may be dark and dreary on our spring hike, but your outlook can be as bright as the sun and as dry as the desert. During a spring hike with even the best rain gear, we will get wet. This is part of the experience of learning, connecting, and interacting directly Mother Nature herself.

Always make sure to carry along ‘The 10 Essentials of Hiking’ on all upcoming hikes!

Soul Soothing in Nature’s Playground Most Importantly - Enjoy the peace and quiet of a spring hike as it soothes and heals the soul. Trails can typically be less crowded with people, their animals (on or off a leash), or trail conversations from others that can echo up the trail. Just be with the sounds of nature,

our thoughts, and maybe even the sounds of labored breathing.

We lay the foundations for better conditioning, fitness, and endurance for those nice, warm, and enjoyable summer hikes ahead of us!

“Take the time to disconnect so that you may have the time to reconnect.” ~The Intuitive Prospector About the Author Marc Lainhart is an international and tested Spiritual PsychicMedium. He serves as a Radio Show Host, Hiking Guide, Certified Diver, Metaphysical Teacher, and Inspirational writer in Spirituality. Marc uses his gifts, experiences, and past tragedies to help guide, inspire, and teach others for their own personal ‘Soul Adventure.’ For more spiritual prospecting, please visit MarcLainhart.com. Or, catch Marc’s live radio show, Inspired Living, every Wednesday on OM Times Radio.

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May B 2017 Contributors Writers Baba Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari Christopher Buck Diane Wing Elohim Yael Greer Jonas John Holland Judi Lynch Marc Lainhart Marcia Sirota MD Maria Khalife Michelle McKenzie Michelle Whitedove Tess Pender Tony Samara Victor Cheung

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