OMTimes Magazine March B 2019 Edition by OMTimes Media

SVAMI SIVARAMA MODERN MORALITY FROM ANCIENT WISDOM

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CONTENTS • OMTIMES

March B EDITION

24 42 48

Table of Content

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Sivarama Swami: Modern Morality from Ancient Wisdom The Perfect Pairing: Veterans & Acupuncture

The Strong Antidotes to Fear The Genius of Fear Learning To Accept An Apology Without Getting One

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74 80

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80 114

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Table of Content s 64

Learning To Communicate With Your Teen How To Help Your Teenager Succeed In Life How to Take Control of Your Destiny 7 Benefits of Setting Personal Boundaries

68 72 80 86 5 Virtues of an Empathic Person Negative Thought Has Incredible 94 AValue Reality for Empowerment 98 Using and Growth People Bringing Forth 104 Sustainable A Sustainable World 108 Do You Need Inspiration? 114 Follow Buddha On a Wild Journey!

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Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari

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Sivarama Swami Modern Morality From Ancient Wisdom His Holiness Sivarama Swami is a senior monk and spiritual teacher of the devotional path (Bhaktiyoga), a 5000-yearold spiritual tradition emerging from ancient India. He is the author of over 15 books which elucidate the teachings of Bhakti further

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and is the inspirer behind the world-renowned Krishna Valley community in Hungary; a self-sustained eco-village founded on the principles of ‘simple living & high thinking.’ OMTimes: Swami can you tell us when and how you started your Spiritual Journey? Sivarama Swami: I was born in Hungary to Holocaust survivors, and when we emigrated to Canada, I went to church and was confirmed a Christian. However, while I respected both religions, neither really meant much to me. While the occasional spiritual experience touched my childhood and youth, my journey saw real direction when I received a copy of Baba Ramdasa’s “Be Here Now.” At that time I was studying Engineering at McGill in Montreal and was married to a very spiritually inclined girl. At the end of the book, Ramdasa wrote that if the reader was interested in knowing more about spiritual life, then he or she should get a copy of the Bhagavad-

gétä, the universally accepted handbook on yoga, which would be available from the local Hare Kåñëa temple. Following that advice, I went to the temple, which was in a renovated bowling alley near where we lived. Unfortunately, they had run out of Gétäs, but I was able to get one at the university bookstore. And while I didn’t get a Gétä at the temple, I did receive an invitation to return, and that invitation felt to me like a call from home, a call to my inner self, a request that I couldn’t turn down. Those initial encounters with committed spiritual practitioners were in 1970, and they put me on track. A few years later I decided that I wanted to be a full-time monk, to be a swami, and so my wife and I parted ways, and I moved into the temple. That was almost 50 years ago, and I have not looked back since. OMTimes: Do Hindus believe animals have souls? Sivarama Swami: I can see Omtimes.com

that you’re asking me a few questions on the belief of Hindus. Before I answer this important question, let me first explain my understanding of Hindus and Hinduism. It’s said that people who occupied the lands west of the Indus River called the land east of the far shore, Sindh and its people Sindhus. In time Sindhus became Hindus, and the British added the suffix “ism” to denote the generic beliefs of the Hindus. Thus we have Hinduism. Otherwise, before this, there is no record of the word Hindu being mentioned in Indian literature or used in Indian culture. It’s very much a new nomenclature. So, since Hinduism is a collage of many religious traditions found in what is today the Indian sub-continent, it has no specific religious identity itself. But one unifying aspect of Hinduism is the acceptance of the authority of the Vedas, India’s spiritual texts. I follow the spiritual tradition that is based on the Vedas known as Vaiñëavism, wherein Viñëu Omtimes.com

or Kåñëa are the objects of worship, and bhakti-yoga the means to them. So, in answer to your question, the Vedas reply “Yes,” animals have souls. Not only animals but all living things such as insects, aquatics and plants. How do we know? The primary symptom of the soul is consciousness. Where there are signs of consciousness there is a soul. Therefore, as all living things are conscious, we must conclude that they are also all souls. It’s just that animals look different from humans. They have different bodies. However, spiritually all living things are the same in that they are all souls, albeit at different stages of spiritual evolution. It’s the specialty of the human body, that, unlike the bodies of animals, it facilitates self-realization. That is the primary factor that separates humans from other living things. OMTimes: Can a Hindu eat meat? Sivarama Swami: Humans,

in general, shouldn’t eat meat. And so that also includes Hindus. Why? Because meat is a product of violence, and humans, what to speak of spiritually inclined humans, are meant to be sensitive to the suffering of others and so are meant to live by a creed of nonviolence. Now some people may choose to ignore the doctrine of non-violence. But that will be misconduct for which they will be subject, in their next life, to the same violence which they cause in this life. That’s the law of karma as described in the Vedas, India’s comprehensive yoga texts. Having to suffer in the same way that we make innocent animals suffer is not a bright future. So, if for no other reason than that, Hindus shouldn’t eat meat. Sometimes people cite statements in world scriptures that allow killing animals for food. However, if we objectively study these scriptures, we will see that their advice is to abstain from

animal killing and hence meat eating. However, for those people unwilling to follow that advice, then scriptures prescribe some regulated forms of meat-eating as a concession. It’s the difference between what scriptures want and what they concede. However, whatever way you look at it, be it religious, ethical, health or other reasons, meat-eating is not right. OMTimes: Please explain to us, is Hinduism a religion with many and diverse Gods, or one God with many manifestations? Sivarama Swami: As I mentioned before, because Hinduism is an umbrella for many faiths, Hindus will not have one answer to your question. There would be many. But from an impartial point of view, we see that the wisdom of the Vedas teaches that there is one Supreme Being, Kåñëa, and He manifests in many ways: sometimes with the full powers of God, like Viñëu or Omtimes.com

Räma, and sometimes with part of his powers, like Çiva or Brahmä. The Supreme also has an impersonal feature of effulgence called Brahman. However, Kåñëa is always unique and superior to all these manifestations. Sometimes people mistakenly think that the Vedas teach that there are many gods, that we are all god and that liberation means to merge into the oneness of everything. However, these are mistaken ideas that come from either personal prejudice or a misunderstanding of Vedic conclusions. For the objective seeker, the truth is very clear. For instance, in the Gétä, Kåñëa says mattaù parataraà nänyat kiïcid Asti dhanaïjaya / mayi sarvam idaà protaà sütre maëi-gaëä iva, “O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” So, the statements of the Vedas are clear: there is one God with many manifestations. Omtimes.com

OMTimes: In your opinion, what would be the first thing we should do if you want to bring peace and more understanding of this planet? Sivarama Swami: I would suggest that everyone chant the names of god, just as the many millions who follow the path of bhakti-yoga do. That chanting can be in meditative japa or musically accompanied kirtan. Why? Because it is the foundation upon which human beings can live in peace. You cannot have peace by force, legislation or establishing institutions like the UN. Human discord, whether national, sectarian, racial or familial, is due to a basic misunderstanding. That misunderstanding is that we are the body that we inhabit. Because our bodies are different, people disagree over bodily differences. However, we are not this body. We are the soul within the body. While there are countless bodily differences, there is singular unity among souls. Spiritually, we are

equal. When we recognize this spiritual equality, then borders, religions, and fences become unnecessary. However, this understanding comes only by repeating the names of God, which are the essence of Vedic mantras. This chanting purifies the heart of ignorance and the tendency to violence. I spend at least 2 hours a day chanting the Hare Kåñëa mantra. It brings me peace. When you are at peace with yourself, then you can be at peace with others. OMTimes: What would you recommend parents to do to raise more compassionate human beings? Sivarama Swami: Parents should teach their children who their children are. That is the beginning of education. Parents shouldn’t be busy thinking of “what” their kids will be, but “who” their children should be. That education should begin by teaching children that they are not corporeal beings, but spiritual beings. They are the soul within the body, and as

souls, they are servants of the supreme soul. Additionally, children should be taught to be humane. One is not automatically a human just because one is born with two legs and two arms. Humans must be educated to be humane. That means they must learn cleanliness, austerity, simplicity, control of the mind and senses, and so on. Moreover, ultimately parents need to show their children the path to liberation, which means that parents are on the path themselves. The Vedas say pitä na sa syäj janané na sä syät, that one should not become a mother or a father if one cannot raise and educate their children to be humans interested in selfrealization. It is, in a nutshell, what I would suggest to parents. OMTimes: In your view, how one can lead a progressive life? Is there a code of living? Sivarama Swami: Let me clarify that I don’t have a Omtimes.com

view either on this question or any other. My subjective view would not be of any value. What I say is what I have heard from my guru, and he from his, and so on back in succession to Kåñëa and the Vedas. So the views that I express are Kåñëa’s view, the Vedic view. Vedic wisdom teaches that a progressive life is a life of spiritual study and selfdiscipline that leads to self-realization. It includes regular mantra-meditation, the study of sacred texts and associating with spiritually minded souls. That is a progressive life in which the benefits are immediate. By contrast, a regressive life is a life of indulgence and excess, the kind of life into which our consumer-oriented world is brainwashing people. If we want a code of living, then Vedanta-sutra begins with one, it is the code of civilized life: athäto Brahma jijïäsä, “Now that you are a human, inquire into the Absolute Truth.”

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OMTimes: What happens to a human soul after death? Sivarama Swami: Our karma, which means our conduct in this life, will determine what kind of body we have in our next life. People plan for their future, but their vision of a future is limited to this life because they are not educated to understand that there is another life after this one. That next life may be the life of a dog, a pig, or a tree. If people make dogs their best friend, they may well end up becoming a dog. If they eat all kind of forbidden things, they may become a pig. And if they like to go around exposing themselves in skimpy clothes, they can take birth as trees and stand around with nothing on, summer and winter. It is the reality, like gravity or other laws of nature. Believe in it or not, conduct determines the future. Therefore, we should conduct ourselves in this life so that we do not become degraded

to these lower species, but rather become elevated, preferably liberated. The Vedas teach humans how to conduct themselves. Additionally, the behavior of perfected souls is also the conduct that humans should emulate to elevate themselves. OMTimes: What happens with the soul of Non-Human sentient beings — do they have a different after-death destination? Sivarama Swami: As I said, all living things have souls. However, only humans have free will, which means that they can change both their behavior and their destiny. By contrast, non-humans are obliged to follow the laws of nature, systematically passing from lower to higher species of life. It is the evolution of the soul through a series of set bodies, 8,400,000 different biological forms to be exact. And because non-humans have no willpower or rather, free will, they have no karma, and so they spontaneously

progress to the human form. At this point let me make two comments. Firstly, in light of the Vedic version of the soul’s evolution, Darwin’s theory, or postDarwinian evolutionary theories – which state that simple organisms transform to more complex ones and that unstable species mutate to become more stable ones – are erroneous. All species were created and co-existed, it is the soul that evolves from lower to higher forms of life. Secondly, one outstanding reason why killing and eating animals is so offensive is because it obstructs the transmigration of that soul from body to body, thus interfering with its spiritual evolution. In answer to your question, all species have an afterdeath destination. The further question is what that destination is. For nonhumans it’s pre-destined, and for humans, the combination of their karma and will determine it. Omtimes.com

OMTimes: Why do you say that Sustainable Development is not an answer to our Planet? Sivarama Swami: Because it’s not! The very concept of sustainable development is consumerist opportunism underpinned by ignorance, greed, and exploitation. I say that it’s about ignorance because our world is a closed eco-system with limited resources that replenish themselves at a limited pace. There is no way that you can keep using more limited resources for an increased standard of living. It just doesn’t work. And it won’t. And it’s also about greed because what I say above is understood by those who propose sustainable development. They know it’s a fairytale. Still, they want us to gobble up whatever resources currently exist, at whatever cost to the environment. Why? For-profit today! They don’t care about tomorrow, about the future

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because they reason that they won’t be around to see it. And finally, it’s about exploitation because the cost of this “sustainable development” is to handicap so the environment that successive generations will have less and fewer resources, and so will suffer a contracting standard of living. But do we care? Do we care that our children and grandchildren will never know the world as we know it today? So if you want a sustainable life, it has to be without development. It has to be about living with our needs and not our wants. And what we need is a fraction of our wants. Living by what we need is sustainable, living by our wants is not. OMTimes: I have seen some of your videos and speeches, can you tell us why you say that ‘Yoga has lost its way’? Sivarama Swami: Let me begin by saying that I am encouraged by the current

upsurge of interest in yoga and spirituality. It has helped change how the world views what had been taught in India for thousands of years. When I took up yoga fifty years ago, it wasn’t as fashionable as it is today. My greatest good fortune was to have met an exemplary guru, from an authentic spiritual lineage, who taught me the science of bhakti-yoga in an uncompromising and yet contemporary way. He opened my eyes to the goal of yoga and the means to attain that goal. From my teacher, I learned that yoga means to connect with the Supreme who is both within and without. So, while it’s encouraging that millions are turning to yoga, my experience is that it’s rare to find yoga schools, yoga teachers or yoga systems that know little beyond a few asanas, yoga apparel, yoga mats, and detox chai. And that goes for inside India as well as outside it. Therefore, while efforts at yoga may be good for staying

healthy or controlling the mind, generally, the essential aspect of yoga, the spiritual awakening of the soul, remains lost. Instead of hearing about and glorifying the supreme person, yoga has more-or-less become an industry, a part of the consumer apparatus that in many cases misleads innocent seekers from the real goal of life, self-realization, as taught for example in the Bhagavad-Gita. Let me conclude on this question and this interview by citing the Gétä. After explaining karma-yoga, haöha yoga, bhakti-yoga, and jïäna yoga, Kåñëa says mam-ekaà saranam Vraja, “Just surrender to me.” The meaning is that all forms of yoga must conclude in surrender to the Supreme. Where that essential wisdom is taught, yoga will find its soul, where it is discarded, yoga will certainly lose its way. Learn More about Sivarama Swami at https://sivaramaswami. com/ or Facebook

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Health & Wellness

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

The Perfect Pairing: Veterans & Acupuncture

Dr. Catherine Browne, DAOM, L.Ac., Dipl.Ac (NCCAOM), RH (AHG)

In 2016 42,249 people died as a result of an overdose of opioid pain medication, opioid analgesics, heroin or illicit synthetic opioids in the U.S.

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While it may seem unlikely that natural medicine and mindfulness can play a large part in the solution to this national crisis, scientific studies are disproving this assertion. The unique experience of veterans makes for a perfect case-study to demonstrate how holistic healing modalities have recently emerged as vital integrative modalities in medical setting such as the Emergency Room and surgery recovery. Many veterans have experienced trauma resulting in chronic pain due to service; the Veterans Administration (VA) reported back in 2013 that more than 50% of veterans receiving care from the VA experienced chronic pain. Additionally, PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) due to modern warfare render veterans psychologically vulnerable to depression and suicide. Some estimates indicate that our veterans are nearly twice as likely to die from an overdose, intentional and unintentional, then the general population. These bleak facts, as detailed in my recently published book Natural Therapies for Omtimes.com

Overcoming Opioid Dependency, inspired the armed forces to search for non-pharmacological solutions for pain reduction.

among military personnel: opioid prescriptions decreased by 45%, muscle relaxants by 34%, NSAIDs by 42%, and

A few years back, the VA began compensating licensed acupuncturists in the community for services. More recently, VA facilities began offering acupuncture on-sight, and the military is rapidly incorporating acupuncture for all service members and qualified veterans. This action followed many scientific studies that were conducted by the armed forces, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other researchers. One of these studies concluded that acupuncture significantly decreases the use of opiates and other pain medications

insomnia is often considered to reflect heightened autonomic arousal, acupunctureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to down-regulate such physiologic functions may play a role in reinstituting improved sleep, this being especially true in a veteran population with [mild] TBI and PTSD overlay.â&#x20AC;?

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Acupuncture is not the only natural therapy shown to reduce the need for opioids. In early 2017, the American College of Physicians published evidence-based guidelines for lower back pain treatment, strongly suggesting the use of

acupuncture, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, and mindfulnessbased stress reduction, such as tai chi, yoga, etc. before prescribing painkillers. Many hospitals and doctors’ offices now incorporate a popup question on computer screens when MD’s try to prescribe opioids; it asks something like, “Have you tried acupuncture first before medications?” Modern science is finally catching up to ancient beliefs about wellness and healing, and the Veterans Administration is largely responsible for opening the door to a wider acceptance of holistic medicine in their effort to provide improved evidence-based healthcare to our veterans.

Dr. Catherine Browne has over 30 years’ experience using natural therapies for treating pain and addiction. She holds a doctorate in acupuncture and Oriental medicine and is a board-certified acupuncturist and a registered professional herbalist. She co-founded the Southeastern School of Herbal Studies and lives and practices in Hamptonville, North Carolina. She recently published her first book, Natural Therapies for Overcoming Opioid Dependency: Control Pain and Recover from Addiction. Dr. CatherineBrowne. com and https://www. inharmonywellnessclinic.com/

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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.

The Strong Antidotes to Fear

The American Psychological Association report that therapists are seeing a sharp increase in individuals experiencing anxiety. Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari

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suggests two essential practices that can help alleviate fear and anxiety in our lives. One is to learn to rephrase our thoughts by being vigilant to know our default thinking patterns and using mindfulness to reframe these self-defeating thoughts. The other antidote suggested is to develop a keen awareness of our spiritual self, which can be accessed by going within in silent meditation and selfcontemplation. There we experience that the Universe is infinitely benevolent, that all is well, that this too shall pass. In a study published this year by the American Psychological Association, it was found that anxiety is extremely prevalent, especially among young adults. Other therapists also reported seeing an increase in individuals experiencing anxiety, characterized by serious worries about the future. One of the unconscious instincts of man is fear. Moreover, we kill our future when we are fearful in the present about what is to come. Most often our fear is

a projection of our mind and imagination that surfaces from the root of our consciousness, feeling it is separate from universal consciousness. The following two essential practices can be used to help calm our fears and realign us with the Universal Oneness. Rephrase Our Thoughts Negative or positive thoughts are nothing but our mental and emotional patterns. The more aware we are of the play of divine forces, the more we see the grace even in dark clouds. Scientists have found that it is not so much the external situations, but the internal attitude with which we perceive threats and fears that cause stress in life. Our attitude is developed from our repetitive thoughts. Therefore if we resolve to keep vigilant about our thoughts, we can learn to rephrase them. It is the power of thought that rules. It is our thought or thinking that creates a good or bad environment inside and outside of us. We may think this or that will make us happy, but nothing can sustain

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our happiness unless we have access to our subconscious mind and see for ourselves what we have programmed there. Worries, tensions, fear, and anxieties are all our default programs. Until we reprogram them through our changed thinking, we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold on to our hard-earned joy! If we only watch what thoughts we are thinking, our observation alone will do the magic of transforming our world. It is when we are aware of our thoughts that we can rephrase or change them into pure affirmations of higher truths or possibility. At any point in time, the actual reality may be difficult, and the backup memory may trigger a stream of negative thoughts creating emotional imbalance, but once we practice a bit of mindfulness in daily life we will be able to see our thoughts, change their patterns and create an inner self-talk of hope, promise, and commitment. Awareness of Our Spiritual Self How little we know about the

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infinite powers of our mind and our deathless spirit inside. We spend our life with such petty things and trifles and shed tears for little insults and losses. We are afraid to visit our inner world for we resist the unknown. We miss the peace of silence as we are used to the external noise and humdrum of our mundane routine. We do not know why we are fearful and worried in spite of our material abundance. Only meditation and silence can resolve all our distractions and bring us back to our home within. All our strength is in our mind, rooted in its pure, pristine essence. Our untrained mind can spin out and spiral into the world of names and forms; then we are in the grip of illusions and fears. We can never get rid of fears and anxieties until we realize that on the surface all is fragile and transient, painful and impermanent. The root of the tree of happiness is in our mind anchored in meditative silence, in its pure divine essence. It is solid in the

wisdom that the Universe is infinitely benevolent, that all is well, that this too shall pass. We needn’t wait for a future day when it will be easier for us to practice awareness of this divine reality within. This very moment deserves our attention to pause and reflect upon the fact that we are blessed a million ways. In a calmer state of mind, we are closer to our life principle. We want first to establish our relationship to it and anchor ourselves to the root, to the source and mingle with the flow of life from its very core. At that quantum level of all possibilities, there is only wholeness and holiness. When we are closer to that ground, anxieties and worries dissolve; they lose all their negative powers. Isn’t it true that darkness dissolves as soon as the light is ignited? Deep within is the tranquil sea of bliss. On the surface, our life is a continual struggle. All fears and frowns are due to our disconnection from the core within. We find it easier to give

our priority and attention to anything that takes us away from our inner quiet, but who can give us happiness and peace other than our selves? Dependent happiness is unsustainable. Only when we earn our happiness and peace by following the footsteps of enlightened and successful people can we sustain our life of pure joy and celebration. Let us say “we can” and we will. What we are searching for is hidden inside. Please stop, pause, dive, feel, and Be. Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari (India): Globally acclaimed spiritual and inspirational speaker, author, and visionary social advocate; founded Lokenath Divine Life Mission, 1985, which serves thousands of poverty-stricken individuals in India. Received Lifetime Achievement Award, House of Lords, UK, 2015. www.courseinmindfulness.com www.facebook.com/ shuddhaanandaa10/ www.amazon.com/ Baba-ShuddhaanandaaBrahmachari/e/B003W5XP5W/

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The Genius of Fear by Andrea Mathews

Most spiritual teachers are telling us that fear is the opposite of love, and that if we are afraid, we Omtimes.com

cannot be living in spirit. However, fear, like every other emotion, has wisdom: A genius all in its own. We are not meant to square off against our emotions, pretend they are not there or try to shoo them away. We are meant to use them as a kind of internal messaging system that allows us to grow into greater and greater awareness of who we are as divine beings. Fear has a particularly potent call. It can be so strong as to make us tremble. It can make the hairs rise on the back of our neck or our forearms. It can sit in the pit of our stomachs until we develop ulcersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; especially if we are trying to push it away. So, when we are trying to ignore fear or compensate for it by a false

persona, we miss its very potent message. We spiritually bypass when we tell ourselves not to be afraid, for it will mean that we are not very spiritual people if we are afraid. Spiritual bypassing means that we are trying to lift ourselves over the normal manifestations of living in the spiritual/human world. We try not to feel things that we think will make us less spiritual. However, it is only lack of awareness that makes us less spiritual. Fearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genius is in drawing us closer to the Godhead, the divine. Because we are afraid and are aware of it, we tend to lean more on the divine to give us wisdom, to give us insight, to guide us to right action. Trying not to be afraid only means that we are

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When we feel fear welling up in our chest, it is a directive of sorts to look upward for guidance, for safety, for deliverance, for truth. When we do this regularly, when we respond to fear as if it is that kind of directive from the soul, we tend to get closer and closer to the Oneness that is always ours, but about which we are quite often unaware.

1) I’ve been taught, as have all of us, to believe that I am separate from the divine, that to believe in Oneness is some blasphemy, for it intimates that I am somehow perfect. It belief assumes that the divine is only perfect regarding our ideas about good and evil. From that perspective, we can’t possibly be One with the divine because humans can’t be that good, that holy, that perfect. From the perspective of Oneness, it isn’t about good vs. evil; it’s simply the truth about all of nature—it is a constituent elemental part of the divine essence.

If I am One with the divine, the very molecular structure of my body is divine, the very essence of my thinking, my believing, my emotions, my decision-making capacity is divine. I’m rarely in touch with that for two reasons:

2) I’ve been taught that my emotions are to be controlled and eliminated where possible. From this perspective, the Creator Source created us all wrong. The source should have left off emotions altogether. The

trusting in that capacity to compartmentalize, instead of trusting in Source for our sense of well-being, safety, security or guidance.

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creator must not have known what it was doing. Rather, like every other very wise aspect of the body/mind of humanity, emotions have a genius all their own. Each one of them has a gift to give us, and the gift is in the message it has to give. So, for example, fear might say that you are deeply insecure about money, about how to manage it, or if you even can manage it in any way that doesn’t end up with you in the hole. What do you do with that? Well, you can certainly get some coaching on money management, but that’s probably not going to answer the fearfully. However, if you also turn to the divine, and give over, surrender to trusting the divine to be your Source in everything, including finances, then you

not only feel calmer, but you begin to see the little lights along the way guiding you to right action about finances. The source is our source. Money is not our source—even though that is what our society would teach. That fear came to give you the gift of getting close to trusting Source with your everything—the ultimate in becoming One with the divine. Fear is a genius at bringing us closer and closer to Oneness. Andrea Mathews is the author of four books, the latest of which is “Letting Go of Good: Dispel the Myth of Goodness to Find Your Genuine Self.” She is the host of the very popular Authentic Living Show and a therapist with over 30 years’ experience.

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OM Living For those living a more Conscious Lifestyle

Learning To Accept An Apology Without Getting One by Keely Lorae

If someone hurts us on an emotional level, it is never quite a simple one-way affair. What can hurt us has to come from a place deep within ourselves that has been unresolved. The

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sad fact is, we all cause micro cuts in each other every single day. It’s usually not even done with the intention of causing someone else pain, but because we are all damaged and defending ourselves by this constant onslaught of emotional pain. We are perpetrators of the cycle. When we’ve been hurt, we often feel like we need to hear an apology from the person who has offended us. We want to feel vindicated. But what happens if that apology never comes? It is easy enough to believe that an apology will allow us to move on but, words often come cheap. Genuine apologies are rare for two reasons. The first being that it takes a deep understanding of the hurt that has been done. The second being that an apology implies that the behaviour won’t happen again because, to say sorry means that we understand

the pain. Our ego needs to feel like it’s been heard. And that’s the crux of it, communication on an honest and raw level is what we are asking. More often than not, it doesn’t happen the way we want. To expect someone who has wronged us to come forward and express a genuine understanding of what they did won’t happen. What is hurting us is more to do with our pain than it does theirs. No one can come to you and say they’re sorry on a level that will ever really validate us unless the pain is ultimately released. Unless a person endeavors to demonstrate their ability to be empathetic, the words are a moot point. People feel hurt when they are not heard, feel seen or accepted. We are all guilty of making others feel this way. Whether purposefully or not. Sometimes it is easy to release an offensive person from our lives. But,

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when it is family or a close friend, it becomes much more complicated. When a person is removed from our lives, it will certainly mitigate the opportunity for them to hurt us again. But it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t delete the pain we feel because of what was done. We are the one that must process what caused such grief. We are the ones that have to work through the feelings that ignited the issue. The decision to collapse the communication means that we have accepted an apology that will never come. The closure then is left for us to complete. The reconciliation with whoever it was that caused us to feel unseen, unheard or unaccepted is far more difficult. An attempt to defend our position and express the pain can lead to further alienation as they too are trying to protect themselves. In that, they are defending their ego. As a

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result, both parties are guilty of causing hurt to another. The ego is described as our outward persona. The wart we show the world, the chatty voice that is in our head. The ego is not our true self. It is the very thing in contrast to our true self. We are born perfectly unaffected by the worries of the world. Until we develop the ego, the part of us that tells us to hate, be afraid and embrace fear. We all dwell here and, it is not an easy thing to overcome. Bill Plotkin outlines in his book Nature and The Human Soul, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ego consciousness is our greatest liability as well as our greatest power.â&#x20AC;? We can become more self-aware and decipher what is in our true nature. To realize what is important and, what has developed as part of our persona that essentially helps us feel protected from the world. In recognizing that we all seek to feel heard, seen and accepted,

we acknowledge that we are all looking for love. Not everyone is going to reach that level of soul expansion and development. Bill Plotkin argues that many people struggle to transition from adolescence to the next phase of maturity. “In current western and westernized societies, in addition to the scarcity of true maturity, many people of adult age suffer from a variety of adolescent psychopathologies — incapacitating social insecurity, identity confusion, extremely low self-esteem, few or no social skills, narcissism, relentless greed, arrested moral development, recurrent physical violence, materialistic obsessions, little or no capacity for intimacy or empathy, substance addictions, and emotional numbness.” There is nothing we can do to change that about others who are not ready to delve deeper into theirs.

Attempting to do so only encourages our behaviours. This too is challenging. As our evolution supersedes that of others that we care for it can result in feeling rejected. No one is at fault. We can’t disregard a person who has not given their soul a full chance to expand and grow any more than we can hate a dog for barking. By accepting an apology, we will never receive, we are giving ourselves the opportunity for further growth. We are learning forgiveness on the deepest level there is and that has to come from a place of love. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” - E.E. Cummings. Keely Lorae is a healthy body image ambassador and writes about matters that are important to growth and development. She owns a health and wellness studio and mentors many women from all walks of life.

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Learning To Communicate With Your Teen By Marcia Sirota Author, speaker, coach, and MD

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so important that parents have open lines of communication with their teenagers. When teens feel like they can talk to their parents, they can work

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through a lot of problems and avoid even more. But it’s not always easy to have good communication with teens. Being a surly teenager is par for the course, and it’s tough on everyone. Teens are going through a developmental stage in which they need to assert their autonomy and identity so their behavior can be pretty off-putting to their parents and other adults. What parents need to understand is that just because their teen might be pushing them away with obnoxious behavior and eyerolling, it doesn’t mean that the young person has no need for parental support. In fact, because this is such a loaded time, teens need more support and guidance than ever. They’re exploring their identity, sexuality, and aspirations. They need someone wiser and more experienced to talk to, but they’ll run the other way if they’re feeling judged or coerced. They want an

accepting listener who’ll support them in their goals and guide them in their life choices; not judge, jury, and executioner. Teens need to feel connected to their parents if they’re going to open up to them, but it’s harder these days for teens to connect. Social media makes it easier to be isolated and disconnected from parents and peers, as teens can opt to plug into their technology and stay plugged in, rather than build real-life relationships. It’s up to the parents to foster these invaluable connections. They can do this by involving the teens in regular parentchild or family activities. It can be family dinners; attending religious services together; weekly bike-riding, hikes in the woods or basketball games; doing hobbies or crafts together; family games night; volunteer work in the community; visiting relatives, or any other activity that consistently brings the teen together with their parents.

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These activities are positive in and of themselves, and they provide the teen with ample opportunity for bonding with their parents and for sharing what’s on their mind. The more time parents spend with their teen, engaged in positive activities, the better their relationships will be and the easier it will be for the teen to open up and express their hopes, fears, and problems. Opening the lines of communication with a teenager involves building trust. The teen has to trust their parents to be supportive rather than judgmental; concerned rather than punitive; respectful rather than dismissive. And while not following their teenager around, the parents must be available if the teen needs them. A sense of trust facilitates unfettered communication between teens and parents. Even when they’re pushing us away, teens need to feel loved and cared for. They may not be able to show us

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affection very well or very often, but they need to know that we accept them for exactly who they are, even if we’re not comfortable with every one of their choices, It’s such an interesting time. Teens need to provoke and sometimes even offend us, but they also need to know that we aren’t going anywhere. When teens feel that sense of love and security, and especially, our ongoing unconditional acceptance, they’ll share their most intimate secrets with us, enabling us to keep them safe and sound and on the right track. Teenagers can be frustrating, exasperating, overwhelming and enraging, but they can also be wonderful to spend time with. Young people have a way of looking at things that are unique and refreshing, and they have a lot to offer us, as well. Sign up here for my free monthly wellness newsletter. Listen here to my new podcast.

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How To Help Your Teenager Succeed In Life By Alice Davies

As proud parents, nothing makes us happier than to see our children flourish and become healthy and happy young adults. If you are like

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most parents, you obsessed over reading all the baby books to ensure that your newborn received all of the right foods, sleep, and other treatments that would help him or she be healthy. However, what about adolescence? While many parents will focus on academics as a way to help their teenager succeed in life, this will only go so far. So many of us adults are ensconced in personal development because we feel like we are catching up on many other important skills because we mostly focused on our “basic education” when we were younger. So if you want to make sure your teenager is well-prepared to become a healthy well-rounded adult, here are three things you can start teaching them now so that they are off to a good start:

1. Nutrition & Diet Unfortunately, most schools are still teaching the old outdated food pyramid which does not empower our kids to eat healthily. Whether you follow a Vegan or Paleo diet, it’s important that our kids learn that all food is a nutrient delivery system and its job is to support certain functions of our hormones and organs. One key factor that teenagers should learn early on is the difference between “eating to live” and “living to eat.” In other words when food is being used to sustain them versus pleasure. It’s great that kids can eat “pleasure foods” very often, but make sure they understand how to balance those meals and how those foods can affect their moods and spike their insulin.

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2. Positive Thinking One of the greatest tools you can teach your child early on is the power of positive thinking. Begin to start showing them the power of their words and how they choose to perceive every situation they are facing. By instilling this mindset in them at an early age, you will help them begin to see the world with more hope which will catalyze their abilities to succeed in all areas of their life.

3. Find Their Passion Guiding your child to find what excites them in life is one of the safest ways to ensure that they begin to channel their energy into something that is constructive rather than destructive. As the saying

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goes, “Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop” which is why it’s so important to help your child find their passion in life so they can start their path on the right foot. Moreover, if you find yourself having a hard time helping your child figure this out, try getting them a life coach who can help support you with this. A coach can help guide your child to find their passion. The learning how to progress healthily and constructively will help them build more confidence. So rather than having your child wait until they are an adult and have to backtrack like so many of us adults have had to do, help your teenager get their life on the fast track to success by teaching them these tools at an early age.

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How to Take Control of Your Destiny by Rachelle Wilber

The future can seem like a scary thing. You don’t have to sit back and wait for the future to shock you, however. You can be a proactive person who makes a concerted effort to do something about it. If you want the future to be yours and yours Omtimes.com

alone, there are several things you can try right now.

Write out All of Your Goals The people who do the best in this world tend to be the individuals who know what

they want. If you want to soar in life, you have to know exactly where you’re heading. You can begin establishing your route by writing out a detailed list that includes all of your goals. You can discuss everything from career to romantic relationship aspirations.

Establish a Plan It’s not enough to have goals in modern society. You also have to determine how you’re going to accomplish them. Lack of a plan can be a dangerous thing. It can make people feel aimless and perplexed. It doesn’t matter if your goal is to become a gourmet chef in France. It doesn’t matter if it’s to go back to school to get your degree. It would help if you started by writing out steps that make sense. It’s critical to have a plan that’s logical, thorough and rock-solid.

Get a Psychic Reading Psychics have been helping people who feel uncertain about their lives for eons. If you want some insight into your future, then it may be a terrific idea to get one of many psychic readings. If a psychic gives you specific details about your future, it may help you create plans that are worth your energy.

Acknowledge Your Value People who are in the driving seat in life tend to be the ones who are the most confident. If you want to be a person who can accomplish something, you should start by being an individual who is well aware of your value. Identify all of your finest skills. Identify the personality traits that make your friends gravitate to you. Run with these things, too. If you want the world to recognize how special you are, you have to recognize it yourself first. Life is a tricky thing. It involves a good combination of luck and perseverance. If you want your destiny to be in your own hands, there are so many things that can help you. Don’t ignore any of them. Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or the gym. Follow her on Twitter @ RachelleWilber Omtimes.com

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 otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence in a meaningful way.

7 Benefits of Setting Personal Boundaries by Nathan Segal

When boundaries are crossed, we suffer to varying degrees due to what feels like an act of disrespect. When our boundaries get violated, it is because someone wants to tell us how to live or what to do.

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Not knowing what boundaries are is something which often happens when we are young, but it can also manifest later in life. Too often we grow up not being able to say “No” or “Stop” when treated poorly. We are taught to consider the opinions of others and, for the most part, don’t want to hurt another person’s feelings by shutting them down. It makes us uncomfortable. The conundrum is that we need to be able to work through that discomfort to have our boundaries respected. Boundaries are the space where we end, and other people begin. When we have good boundaries, we know what feels good, and what feels bad. We use those feelings to decide to allow one person to get close while keeping another at a distance. If someone makes us feel uncomfortable, a line that has been crossed and we can do one of two things. We can assert our need for respect or, we can choose to suffer the consequences of not guarding

our space. It is important to create healthy boundaries so that we can live our lives safely. Without them, we could easily find ourselves in abusive situations. It includes not only our physical space but space within which we communicate. Communication is often the most common misinterpreted form of disrespect, and it can happen in any situation. In order to have our boundaries respected, there must be consequences if people violate them. It is critical that we follow through. If we do not, some people will repeatedly violate our space until we put a stop to it. If we want to change, we must be willing to pay the price, even if we feel uncomfortable. In the early stages, it is likely to be uncomfortable, though as through practice, stating and enforcing our boundaries will become easier over time. The result is we will feel better, and our lives will improve. Here are seven benefits of defining our boundaries: Omtimes.com

A. We will have greater freedom of movement in the world B. People will know what kind of language to use when they connect with us C. People will know that there are consequences for not respecting boundaries and will act accordingly. D. We will learn to become more comfortable saying NO when necessary E. We will have more selfrespect because we are taking care of our most pressing needs F. We will become more assertive and confident in letting others know what we want G. Our intimate, personal, and business relationships will improve Setting healthy boundaries is essential to create the life we want for ourselves. Boundaries are the barrier that protects us from others taking away our power. Over

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time, having good boundaries will foster better relationships, greater respect and more happiness between ourselves and others. We will become a role model to those around us and others will be able to learn from our example. Nathan Segal has 20 years of writing experience. He has written for many publications, including CE Tips (Consumer Electronics), Smart Computing, Streaming Media World, HTML Goodies, Windows Expert, CIO, The Corel Corporation, and WebReference. Nathan served as an Associate Editor at WebReference for five years, managing and editing the work of several technical writers. He is also a dedicated spiritual teacher with 40 years of experience. In recent years he began working with people who suffer from self-sabotage and dissociative amnesia. He helps people release limiting beliefs which allows them to live a full and productive life.

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Metaphysics

5 Virtues of an Empathic Person By Cathedral of the soul

Today, empathy has become a rare quality among people. With the flow of the modern world, we often end up not paying attention to the other beings around us. In

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this way, we become what would be the opposite of empathic person; we become “apathetic” person. Empathy, according to the Greek term that gave origin to it, it means “to be in emotion,” “to have emotion/ passion.” In this sense, when we withdraw our egoic demands to try to understand our neighbors, we become empathetic people. Today we will see five characteristics that empathic people have and what makes them so special to our planet!

1.THE EXPANSION OF THOUGHTS BY EMPATHY Empathic people have a very enriching trait. The more they think of others and give of themselves to try to understand others’ points of view, they end up becoming intellectually and emotionally rich. They can feel the other’s experiences through their level of sensibility.

It is a type of empathy that sweeps across all levels of communication. No matter how different the people next to you, there is always the possibility of learning from them. Even if there is the difference in ideas, culture, and thoughts, even if they are controversial opinions and taboo defenses, when we try to understand our neighbor, we are already improving points in empathy and becoming better human beings.

2.INSPIRE EMPATHY Another amazing quality of empathic people is an inspiration. When we practice empathy, we can inspire others to practice Loving Kindness and to develop the same feeling. During episodes of tragedy, we experience, empathy plays a very important role in harmonization and the enriching of copying abilities. The wave of solidarity, created

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by empathic people, is so powerful that it floods all the people around them. Thus, empathic people can inspire, encourage and support others either in person or virtually, through social networks and media vehicles.

3.LISTENING IS AN EMPATHY ART The third virtue of an empathic person knows how to listen. When we prioritize listening about speaking, we become the wiser and more sensible type of people. Just as the old proverb already said: “To speak is a necessity, to listen is an art.” It is what makes one empathic. It is an artistic and altruistic virtue when one listens to the needs of another. When someone wants to talk to you about something they are

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experiencing or when they want to demonstrate a point of view, always wait for them to finish speaking, to expose their whole idea, so that you can help them the best way possible. Listening is a gift that emanates from the empathic person and nourishes the heart of the one being heard — a person when feeling that is acknowledged also feels more understood and, mainly, loved.

4. LIVING THE LIFE OF OTHERS Another intrinsic quality of empathic beings is the ability to live the life of another person. For that I mean, when we do this, we try to adjust ourselves entirely so that we feel to the fullest what it is to be, what it is to be in the body of those who go

through such a situation, or who think that idea. When we are talking to someone, we sometimes come across some questions, such as, “How did he do it?”, “How did he start thinking about it?”, “Is this true, because It seems so unlikely. “ These questions only serve to draw us away from the real goal of empathy.

When doubts and questions like that touch your heart, you should not criticize the other person, but try to place yourself in their position. How they live, how they are, what they go through. When you feel yourself in their skin, things may be much clearer for you, and that will help you not to judge. “Walk a few miles in someone else’s shoes before you

criticize it.”

5. BREAKING BARRIERS BY EMPATIA One of the most difficult barriers to be broken is that of prejudice. It is very common to see fights, especially involving religions, among people that insult themselves and sometimes end up even fighting physically. Empathy gives voice to both. So that the two people allow a connection, the similarities between them can become clear, and both may become better human beings. The empathic attitude opens our hearts to a greater human and cultural backgrounds. Sometimes prejudiced people can stop being so by the simple act of dialogue, of listening to the difficulties of the other, feeling with their hearts.

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Personal Growth & Development

We grow as individuals as we face challenges and overcome lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obstacles. This section is dedicated to helping you chart your course.

A Negative Thought Has Incredible Value by Leigh Burton

Every thought is a source of energy in motion. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good thought, then we are happy to continue to let it lead us to more happiness and fulfillment. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a negative or less than

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desirable thought, we do one of two things that we are conditioned to believe is the only appropriate action. That is to stop focusing on the negative and move to something more desirable or focus on it with what we think is an innate requirement to fix what seems wrong. The need to push it away is a result of the emotion that is inevitably triggered. Each thought will simultaneously induce a feeling that will determine whether we want to keep it or push it away. The issue becomes that when we choose to evade what isn’t comfortable, the thought never goes away. We can’t push it away and pretend that it doesn’t exist just because we are choosing to not think about it. We are far more complicated a species. Instead, it will continue all on its own and vibrate in the same way it left aside. It may not return just as it was, but it will

reappear in some form that is conducive to the feeling it is attached. Something will come up and allow that feeling to rekindle itself due to not paying attention to what the underlying message is. What is it that our thoughts are trying to tell us? What attachment or conditioning correlates with the continuous rising of the same thing over and over again? It’s a sign that there is something that we are ready to heal. Something that we need to overcome so that we can move further along our journey in our best way possible. That alone gives reason to respect our less than desirable thoughts. They are expressions of concern for the justification that we can’t connect to what it is that we truly desire. Just as much as a happy and inspiring thought, a negative one is entitled

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to our attention and love. Why not? It too is a part of who we are, and if we are deserving of respect at all, it is every part of who we are that makes our divine presence. A negative thought is always fear or shame-based. It may not seem like it in the heat of the moment, but with reflection, one can take note of what ignited the issue. Like oxygen to a flame, pushing it to the wayside will cause a smoldering field of smoke that is like a toxin silently consuming our bodies and our minds. Ultimately leaving our spirit lacking in its journey of supporting our happiness and well-being. There is no need to dwell either. To continually live in the negativity that compares to emotional cancer is another form of denial. Most often it is conducive to being a victim. Someone who has a deep unhealthy desire to stay connected to

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being identified as one who is not worthy of something better. The best choice for mind, body and spirit is to love what is coming through, be honest about it and allow it to exist for its purpose. That is to provide a beacon identifying what needs work so that in the next few moments of our being, a door presents itself. A door that once opened can lead to more of the happiness, abundance and self-love that we sincerely desire. To err is human, to edit is divine. We are all valuable enough that everything about us should matter. Leigh Burton is an Amazon International Best-Selling Author, International Speaker, NLP Practitioner, Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Emotional Health Coach, Acceptance Commitment Therapist, an expert in letting go, and a lover of life. www. leighburton.com.

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Using Reality for Empowerment and Growth Jennifer Heflin

Reality is a Mirror Reflection for our Inner World. Very often, the process of awakening to a more expanded understanding of who we are and why we

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exist is preceded by what some may call a dark night of the soul or others could identify as a series of life crises. Many times, aspects of our lives which we previously relied upon for stability and security begin to collapse around us, leaving us feeling confused and disenfranchised. Our long-held beliefs about life and its meaning have shattered because our old ways of living and being are no longer working, but we haven’t yet found a new paradigm of selfunderstanding. Although this period can be distressing and painful, it’s usually a beautiful catalyst and an invaluable opportunity for us to go within to seek answers. We may ask ourselves questions such as, “Why are we here?” “Is there a higher purpose for our existence?” “What is our true nature?” “What is the nature of reality?”

We yearn to go beyond the superficial experience of life to learn the nuts and bolts of what truly makes our reality tick. During this process of building a new understanding of self, we begin to realize that life isn’t happening in a vacuum. We gradually come to see that our experience isn’t a random and chaotic set of circumstances. What we soon discover is that our reality - our relationships, interactions, and experiences - is a mirror reflection of our inner world, which is also known as our consciousness. We learn that reality itself is a living, breathing entity with which we have the ability to interact, observe and create. This realization is such a gift! We have the power to take note of our daily life and use it as a guide for healing, evolving and creating. As we practice interfacing with the subtler realms of our experience, primarily through choosing our thoughts, beliefs and perspectives, we become the empowered creators that we truly are.

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Observing and Working With the Reflection Learning to work with the reflection that reality provides us requires practice and patience. At first, we may not trust the guidance of the reflection. We may need to practice living this truth to transform it from a belief to a knowing. After some observation, however, we begin to read the signs in the reflection and see patterns emerge. The patterns demonstrate that reality acts as a signpost for healing and letting go of anything that no longer serves us while presenting us with the opportunity to become the creator of our ongoing experience. Here are three ways we can use the reflection to heal and create:

See the Reflection, Heal it Within Yourself, Change the Reflection:

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For example, we may recognize a person as being judgmental towards us or someone else. We can then think about areas of our life where we could be more open-minded and less judgmental of ourselves and others. As we change this in ourselves, we experience less judgement in others.

See the Reflection, Choose the Meaning, Change the Reflection: For example, we have an experience which leaves us feeling victimized. We can choose to hang onto victimhood and continue to have interactions that are demoralizing and disheartening, or we can see the experience as an opportunity for growth. We can understand that our experience is attempting to teach us how truly powerful we are. We can look for areas in our life where we can take more responsibility and ownership, and change the reflection from victimhood to empowerment.

See the Reflection, Don’t let the Reflection Stop You, Create the Reflection of Your Vision: For example, we have a vision of what we want to create, but the execution doesn’t go as planned. We experience disappointment, chaos, frustration, or even short-term failure. However, we don’t let these challenges prevent us from moving forward in our creation. We realize that the magic happens when we don’t allow the reflection to knock us off our path.

The Reflection Reveals We Are Creators The pattern that emerges for us as we interact with the subtle realms of our experience is that we can heal, change and create the reflection of our reality. We are in charge, and we are creators. We quickly learn through observation, self-

awareness, and choosing the way in which we experience our reality that we can learn about ourselves and heal deeply and profoundly. With patience and practice, we can use the reflection as a map to rebuild our life on a new, more evolved foundation. Reality is the mirror reflection of our route to wisdom, empowerment and freedom. Jennifer Heflin is a Personal Transformation Guide and Usui Reiki Master with a focus on meditation, mindfulness, emotional mastery and empowerment. She is the founder of Angels Evolution, a company on a mission to bring personal growth to the business world. You can also find Jennifer on LinkedIn and Medium and her Embracing Mastery Podcast on iTunes, Spreaker, SoundCloud and YouTube.

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When you look at the view of Earth from space, you are immediately in awe of what you do see: the incredible beauty of Creation. It is not until you look closer that you realize what you do not see. You do not see lines partitioning countries. You do not see separation between races. You do not see division between religions. You do not see the walls people build to isolate themselves from each other. There is only One Planet. There is only One Humanity. This section is dedicated to introducing thoughts and ideas to foster a greater understanding of Humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interdependence.

World Vision

What is the nature of sustainability? Cultivating sustainability within as a path to bringing forth a sustainable world. Questions to ask ourselves. Tips on how to create a new context of sustainable Omtimes.com

living from our inside out. “The world is as we see it.” -ancient Hindu scripture Yoga Vasistha

a solution. With everything we hear about supporting the sustainability of our planet, we rarely hear how we can support by cultivating our own sustainability. True sustainability in our world begins within each of us. We can start by observing and exploring what it means to allow ourselves to thrive with sustainability that comes from our inside out.

As we strive for a sustainable world, we realize that we are also bringing forth a new context of sustainable living and being. Sustainability includes the capacity to endure and harmoniously support the biological systems that allow us to remain diverse and productive over time. It embraces the potential for the long-term maintenance of whole being wellness, which in turn depends on the maintenance of the natural world and natural resources. Today sustainability is seen as a broad discipline that looks to protect our natural environment, human and ecological health while driving innovation and not compromising our way of life. The questions are how we can be part of the resolution? How can we create a sustainable world with so much chaos and destruction?

An interesting example of what it means to have sustainability within can be seen in some of the organizations that are out to “save the world.” In observing their inner workings, we often find stress, exhaustion and other conditions that create an environment of personal lack of sustainability. There may also be blaming, shaming and resistance against the things that are thought to be at the root of the unsustainable processes. The questions become are we draining power or building it? Do we remember that what we resist, persists? Are we using blaming and shaming as an unproductive way to ignite change?

The good news is that wherever there is a problem, there is also

We can ask ourselves these structural questions… Omtimes.com

What is the nature of experiencing a new context of sustainable living that radiates from our inside out?

of sustainability? Exploring our thoughts, feeling, and behaviors with the intention to make them part of the resolution.

Are we treating our planet in the very same way that we treat ourselves? Exhausting our internal resources by using our bodies as machines that we will take care of sometime in the future? Polluting ourselves with what we eat and breathe? Ignoring our essential wants and needs?

Are we staying in the movement? Letting ourselves move, vibrate and circulate our energy. Remembering we are energy beings and can shift from stagnation to a flowing river that is creating the space for new possibilities to occur.

Are we part of the resolution or part of the problem? Are we draining our energy by using our thoughts, feelings, and actions to blame, shame and complain? Or using our energy to focus on new solutions? Are we taking full responsibly for the relationship we have with ourselves and others in the world? Taking 100% responsibility for our nucleus effect which reflects back to us in the issues we see in the world? Are we making choices that support our own experience

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Embracing sustainability as a natural aspect of our being includes: Connecting with ourselves and our source, receiving all the insights, information and ideas we need to make sustainable choices. Spending time in nature, connecting and aligning with its vibration. Renewing our energy. Staying rested and using our personal energy wisely. Sustaining our bodies with healthy food, clean water, and air.

Maintaining joyful movement, vibration, and circulation. Walking, swimming, laughing, dancing and other ways to keep our energy in movement. Cultivating a healthy and sustainable relationship with our emotions. Letting go of pushing feelings away to get things done and trying to keep up a self-image. Receiving the guidance that our emotions are offering. Following our hearts and doing the things that we love. Allowing the bodily felt sense of love, abundance, and happiness to move through us. Releasing thoughts that keep us holding back from envisioning and energizing the lives we want. Being in awe and gratitude for all that life is offering us. Taking quiet, meditative time to listen and let go. Acting on sustainable opportunities that we know are

ours to participate in. Being present to embracing a new context of living that connects, energizes and empowers us in sustainability and resolutions. About the author: Crystal is a certified expansion guide with the Total Integration Institute, author, multidimensional coach and facilitator for the live event called Freedom at the Core. She is the instructor and coach for her online course called Freedom from the Inside Out. She draws from her own experience and the experience of the thousands of people she has worked with over the past 35 years. Crystal is known for the fun and empowering way she supports people in bringing forth the experiences they want in their lives. www.crystalpresenceonline.com www.facebook.com/crystal. presence/ www.facebook.com/ crystalpresenceonline www.facebook.com/ emotionalparadigmshift

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Do You Need Inspiration? Written by John Holland

Two things motivate people: one being an inspiration and the other being desperation. I appreciate there are times when people are in pain, or they’re hurting so much that they’re forced to do something out of desperation. By the same token, some people realize that change is often instigated by inspiration.

If you’re struggling to find inspiration in your life, then I urge you not to give up. Seize the moment and go out and find it. I often find the smallest thing can give me inspiration in the strangest of places. For example, I might see a child playing, or overhear a conversation in the supermarket, or it can be as simple as a line from a movie or TV show, which resonates and acts as a catalyst to inspire me to take action. For me, this often happens when I’m daydreaming! You know … those times when you’re not paying attention to anything in particular. You never know when inspiration is going to come knocking at your door! Try to be around people who inspire you, challenge you, and who encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. After all, these people are likely to give you the strength and courage to reach further than you've attempted to reach before. OMTIMES.COM

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When you’re inspired, it fills you with a sense of confidence and purpose. Inspiration is a powerful force and provides a natural source of energy

To aspire to be more than you thought

By contrast, if you’ve been suffering from

possible. You notice this when you work

boredom, feeling listless and tired, or not

with like-minded people, as it’s so much

caring about anything or anyone, then it’s

easier to blend and resonate with each

more than likely that you’re feeling a sense

other, not mentally or intellectually, but with

of desperation to change something in your

your heart and soul. When you’re inspired, it

life. Inspiration can be that catalyst for

fills you with a sense of confidence and

change. First, try to find something that

purpose. Inspiration is a powerful force and

inspires you. Be daring, challenge yourself,

provides a natural source of energy that will

you may want even to try something new,

motivate you to push yourself further. These

something scary that pushes you outside

are the times when a goal or a desire is

your comfort zone. It could even be

actually within your reach.

something you always wanted to try but never had the nerve or the time to do.

Inspiration is not solely linked to success. Some years ago, I took motorcycle-driving

JOHN'S LESSON

lessons, and although I didn’t pass, it gave

Find what motivates you, whether it’s music,

me a feeling of accomplishment, to be able

dancing, singing, drawing, or even getting

to say: “I did that!” I’d always wanted to

back to nature. No matter what it is, you’ll

drive a motorbike and had romantic visions

know it when you find it! Give yourself the

of racing around the country lanes, and

opportunity to change, to make your life

even though I failed the test, at least I tried.

better, to make even more of who you are.

It made me realize that some people aren’t

When you feel inspiration filling you with

meant for motorcycles – and I’m one of

positive energy, you’ll realize that you can,

them!

in fact, affect change in your life.

By comparison, this past August I went to

When I’m nervous about doing something, I

the Bimini, which is part of the Bahamas. I

tell myself “I can do this!”

had an opportunity to go swimming with the

Everyone is different. Focus on what you

dolphins in the turquoise ocean. It was

love doing and before long, your soul will

something I’d always wanted to do. I

invigorate itself with positive energy and

remember the invigorating feeling of the

enthusiasm. All which will help you reach

dolphins coming up to me face-to-face to

your full potential.

greet me. This allowed me and thirteen

Let inspiration fill your soul and allow it to

others to swim with them. The connection

motivate you – it’s a lot more satisfying than

with the dolphins was unbelievable! It’s

desperation.

something that touched the very core of my

Live a Soul-filled life!

soul, and I will never ever forget it! I’m certain that not only will I never forget it – but I’ll draw on the experience as inspiration for the rest of my life!

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Books

INSIDE SCOOP

Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Buddha? WRITTEN BY MARISA ARAGĂ&#x201C;N WARE

Where is Buddha is a second Children book published by Bala Kids, and Imprint of Shambhalla Publications and opens the Potential to educate children to open their minds and incite their curiosity for the teachings of Lord Buddha. The compassionate Spirit of the Buddha can be found everywhere.

Introduce your little ones to Buddha in a playful, engaging way with rich illustrations and melodic musings. With each flip of the page, children follow Buddha all the way from the depths of the ocean to a rocket in outer space! Children discover the ever-present nature of the Buddha by spotting him in various, beautifully illustrated landscapes.

This book is perfect for caregivers who want to introduce spiritual figures in a secular, captivating way!

ABOVE

This sweet story reveals that Buddha can be found everywhere you go ..

'" Ms. Ware' picture book

represents the belief that Buddha's nature is in all creation is perfect for the Buddhists families or others open to the teachings of the Buddhist faith ."

STORY TIME BOOK DESIGNED TO EXCITE THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF CHILDREN BETWEEN 1 AND 3 YEARS OLD.

OMTIMES MAGAZINE

MARCH B EDITION

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