SEPT B ISSUE
Trevor Hall
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CONTENTS Trevor Hall SPIRITUALITY
86
36
AWAKENING THROUGH TRIKAYA BUDDHISM
44
4 WAYS TO BETTER CONNECT WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL SIDE
+
ANIMAL SPIRITUALITY 56
ANIMAL PERSONHOOD: DO ANIMALS HAVE SOULS?
IN AND THROUGH
THE BODY
OMLIVING 50
ON GRIEF AND FINDING COMPASSION
INTERVIEW BY LIANE BUCK
Cover Courtesy of Photo by © Emory Hall Photography
RELATIONSHIPS 76
THE NEW WAYS TO GRIEVE DURING THE PANDEMIC CONSCIOUS WRITER
METAPHYSICS 86
PSYCHIC ABILITY VS. INTUITION
PERSONAL GROWTH 92
USING FORGIVENESS AS THE BEST REVENGE
96
DO YOUR POOR LIFESTYLE CHOICES SIGNAL AN ADJUSTMENT DISORDER
70
BUILDING YOUR BRAND THROUGH COLLABORATION
WORLD VISION KARUNA VS. CORONA: 102 COVID 19 AND THE CULTURE OF FEAR
ARTIST PROFILE 64
SPOTLIGHT
MIRA LEHR: SIX DECADES OF ARTMAKING
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September 2020 Issue B
what's inside this issue
38
44
56
76
86
70
The New Ways
Psychic Ability vs. Intuition
Building Your Brand Through Collaboration
Awakening Through
Trikaya Buddhism
to Grieve During the Pandemic
4 Ways to Better Connect with Your Spiritual Side
50
Animal Personhood: On Grief and Do Animals Have Finding Compassion Souls?
102
Karuna vs. Corona: COVID 19 and the Culture of Fear
OMTIMES SEPTEMBER B EDITION
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Trevor Hall is a talented American singersongwriter and guitarist. Raised on an island in South Carolina, singer/songwriter Trevor Hall realized at a young age that music was more than just a passion - it was his life’s art. At sixteen, he recorded his first album. Hall left South Carolina for Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, where he studied classical guitar and was introduced to the practices of yoga and meditation, which would greatly influence his life and his musical compositions.
Hall’s music, a blend of roots and folk music with touches of electronic elements, is imbued with a deep love of Eastern Mysticism. This powerful symbiosis fostered a deep connectivity with his growing fan base. Trevor quickly matured into a leader of the burgeoning conscious musical community. Along with numerous pilgrimages to India, he has sold out the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado as a headliner. He also completed a series of sold-out international tours with Ziggy Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Michael Franti, John Butler Trio, Matisyahu, and Brett Dennen.
IN AND THROUGH THE BODY, Hall’s latest record, releasing September 25th, 2020, presents his most mature sound yet, touching on the timeless human themes of love, struggle, growth, and redemption. Hall uses a palette of genres that span from folk, rootsrock, indie, and electronic, all with a consistent wash of authentic far-Eastern influence . OMTimes was very fortunate to sit and talk with Trevor about his new Music, his Spiritual life, and His passion for the Ocean. OMTimes: Trevor, undoubtedly, You are one of the rising stars of the conscious Music here in the United States and globally. I would like you to tell us how did you start your journey as a singer? Trevor Hall: I was blessed to have started my musical journey at a very young age. My father is a drummer, so I grew up in a very musical household. There were always instruments around. My father had quite a massive record collection as well. I remember that I would love to explore all the different albums, pull one out that caught my eye, and then play it over the stereo. That’s really how I got exposed to so many different genres of music. OMTimes: I know the ageless art of Kirtan that you’re performing nowadays is essential art – both through the devotional singing and the grounding of energies. How did Kirtan happen in your life? How this came to be? Trevor Hall: I was first introduced to the practice of Kirtan in high school.
OMTIMES • SEPT 2020
OMTIMES | September B 2020
IN AND THROUGH THE BODY TREVOR HALL'S NEW MUSIC CD
© Emory Hall Photography
IN AND THROUGH THE BODY, Hall’s latest record, releasing September 25th, 2020,presents his most mature sound yet, touching on the timeless human themes of love, struggle, growth and redemption. Hall uses a palette of genres that span from folk, roots-rock, indie, and electronic, all with a consistent wash of authentic far-Eastern influence.
Trevor Hall’s prior release, THE FRUITFUL DARKNESS, was his first independent release and the #1 music campaign of 2017 on Kickstarter. The album was released on June 1st, 2018 and premiered at #4 on the iTunes Alternative Charts. In the lead up to the new album, IN AND THROUGH THE BODY, Hall released a 2020 single featuring Brett Dennen, Put Down What You Are Carrying, which immediately became one of the top streamed songs in his scene.
To learn more about Trevor and to buy his new Cd, please go to https://trevorhallmusic.com
OMTIMES • SEPT 2020
When I was in 10th grade, I became friends with a boy named Sam Markus. His father and brothers were in India in the 1970s with the great mystic Sri Neem Karoli Baba. Sam was the One who introduced me to Maharajji and, consequently, to Krishna Das. After hearing Krishna Das chant for the first time, I quickly became addicted to the practice and wanted to start chanting independently. The practice has continued for me to this day. OMTIMES: What you think would be the role of sacred Music in the Aquarian Age? Trevor Hall: I’m not sure about the Aquarian Age and what exactly that means ... I just like to sing no matter what age we are in. I believe that music and sound were here before all of this, and it will continue for all time. It is eternal and is eternally sacred and healing. OMTIMES: Please tell us the role played by the Indian Guru Neem Karoli Baba played in your awakening in your spiritual life and musical career? Trevor Hall: It is hard to put into words my feelings about Neem Karoli Baba. As we all know, usually, the unique things in one’s life are the hardest to explain. I cannot tell you why or how I fell in love with him, especially at such a young age. I grew up in a small town in South Carolina and never expected to become attached to a man in a blanket that lived in India before I was born! I owe it all to his grace. Ever since I came in contact with him, my river has changed its course for the better. He has always been my foundation, one of my greatest blessings and one that I will cherish forever.
OMTIMES: Do you define yourself as a Soul Activist, or more of a Zen Warrior (or both)? Trevor Hall: I’m not sure, haha! I just like to sing about what’s in my heart. That is all. In fact, a lot of times, I feel like I am not singing the songs. Instead, they are singing me. The songs are my eternal home, and maybe by singing about that place ... others my find their eternal home. OMTIMES: Can you tell us a little bit about your work with the Surfrider Foundation? Trevor Hall: I was fortunate to have come in contact with the Surfrider Foundation at a very young age. Growing up on an island in South Carolina, I was a surfer and deeply connected to the Ocean. To have had the opportunity to support a foundation that looks after and cares so deeply about our waters is a great blessing. We all have to do what we can in whatever way possible to support our Mother Earth. OMTimes: Something that always puzzled me, in the chants, the prayers, the meditations, how important is it to have a correct pronunciation of these sacred words? In other spiritual practices out there, they put the emphasis on the intention. The intention is what is important. What is more important in your point of view? Trevor Hall: That’s a good question. I do believe both are important, but in my own opinion, I would lay emphasis on the intention. One could have the absolute perfect pronunciation of all mantras and sounds, but if one’s intention is not pure and good ... what does it matter?
IN AND THROUGH THE BODY TREVOR HALL'S NEW MUSIC CD
On the other hand, if one’s purpose is sincere ... that One who is receiving our prayers and mantras will see that. Also, if one has good intentions in one’s practice, they will naturally want to learn how to pronounce the mantras and prayers correctly, not out of being rigid and strict but rather out of one’s love for the Divine. OMTimes: What are the roles your private devotional practice and personal life experience play when you are creating and performing Sacred Music? Trevor Hall: Firstly, I don’t see a difference between my devotional practice and singing. My devotional practice IS singing. They are no different from me. Even if I saw them as two separate things, they are still significantly linked. Sri Ramakrishna says that if one eats radish, one will belch radish, haha! Therefore, what One takes in is what one will put out. So, I try to take in what is good so only good will come out. However, it takes constant practice. OMTimes: In one of your previous interviews, you said: “It’s been a journey to get to this point. The spiritual path is like a razor’s edge.” Do you have a specific mystical path or personal philosophy of life that guides you? Trevor Hall: I don’t like to reject anything. I don’t like to cut any branches off the tree ... I want to let it grow.
I don’t like one genre of music in particular. I like all genres!!! I want to be able to play in many different ways. Because of that, my path is made of so many other things. Obviously, it is mostly inspired by the sacred traditions of India and Nepal. But I want to keep all doors open. Everyone is invited. OMTimes: How do you keep this delicate balance between Music and spirituality when creating and songwriting? Do you have any particular routine for songwriting? Trevor Hall: As I have said before, I don’t see a difference between singing and spirituality. They are one. To be honest, I feel the most connected to spirit when I am singing. I don’t have any particular method or routine when making music. The most important thing for me is to get out of my own way. As Ram Dass would say, to “become nobody.” I just try and listen and not insert my own ego or selfish desires. That’s all. Of course, it doesn’t ALWAYS work, but hey ... I’m still practicing! OMTimes: I genuinely believe that the style of Music that you and other artists are performing through the Ancient tradition of Kirtan might help change the frequencies in our society, transforming the bulk of the energy that we need to transmute in this planet. I think that mantras and sacred chants are like transmitters that can help us open our hearts to the language of the Universe. What does it feel to be a “Frequency changer,” and how it feels to share this connection with others?
OMTIMES • SEPT 2020
Trevor Hall: I’m not sure I am a frequency changer! Haha! I just sing what I receive. I am blessed to witness a healing take place not only for others but also for myself. To feel that connection is such an amazing feeling. It is hard to describe. OMTimes: What Is the importance of old Traditions such as Mantras, Kriyas, chants, and devotional poetry for a western world, especially for those that have problems distinguishing the Religious from the Spiritual Traditions? Trevor Hall: I believe that all of these sacred practices purify our minds and bring us into our hearts. They help reveal our true nature. In our western world, we prioritize career, money, power, possessions, etc. We don’t put enough importance on the qualities of the heart and Self-Realization. If more of these practices were incorporated into everyday life ... perhaps things would change more positively. It doesn’t have to be a rigid, dogmatic, religious thing. It can be an intimate relationship with One’s true Self. OMTIMES: Do you hold a Mystical Vision for our World. What would you like to see manifested in our collective reality now? Trevor Hall: I’m not sure if I have a mystical vision of our World. I just try and see everything as the Divine Mother’s Cosmic Dance. I try to surrender to that. If I could see something manifested in our collective reality now, I think it would be that people would realize their own blissful nature, their own divinity. As Swami Vivekananda said, “All the powers of the Universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.” We have to remove our hands from our eyes and see it!
OMTIMES: Tell us a bit more about your next creative projects and how people can follow you and know about your events? Trevor Hall: I am very excited to have a new record coming out this year! We have been releasing songs over the past few months and will continue to release songs leading up to the full album. I can’t entirely reveal too much at the moment, but all news and updates will be on our website www.trevorhallmusic.com as well as our social media. OMTIMES: Trevor, what is it that you think we could do as a spiritual community as embracing with all the colors and all the different paths, how can we collaborate to the birth of a new Earth, at least, a more compassionate Earth? Trevor Hall: In my opinion, a real change must come from within. We must cultivate our own positive qualities first and foremost. We must realize our own divinity and oneness before going out and trying to change things. Our own Self Realization is at the root of everything. If we can make this journey into our own hearts, everything else will happen naturally and of its own accord. It’s like ... no matter how many zeros you write down, it will always add up to zero. But put a one before that zero, and it makes all those zeros worth something. That “one” is our own Self Realization. OMTimes: How do you explain the healing power of your chants? And do you believe this is your way to Pay Forward to the World? Trevor Hall: The power of mantra and prayer has existed well before me, haha! They have always carried healing energy since the beginning of time and will continue to do so long after we are gone. As for me, I just try to share what I’ve been given.
OMTimes: Tell us a little bit about your Book of Poetry and the inspiration behind its creation. Do you have more plans for publishing books?
For more information about Trevor Hall and his new CD, please visit https://www.trevorhallmusic.com
Trevor Hall: Ever since I became interested in India, I became fascinated with the mystic poets of the bhakti tradition. I began to write poetry inspired by my own devotional feelings and collected them over time. Writing poetry was another way of exploring my own spirituality and all the ups and downs that come with it. Most of the poems were written on my travels to India and Nepal. My wife put them all together and made them into the book that is now “Rampriya Says.” It is one of my favorite projects that we’ve worked on together as it really brings me back to all of those beautiful times and experiences.
OMTIMES • SEPT 2020
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.
Unreasonable Joy
TurÄŤya is a Buddhist monk, teacher, and author who, despite living with chronic pain, founded the Dharma Center of Trikaya Buddhism in San Diego in 1998 to share her path. For over 25 years, she has taught thousands of students how to meditate, trained teachers, and helped people discover the unreasonable joy of our true nature.
AWAKENING THROUGH TRIKAYA BUDDHISM Interview with TURIYA
TurÄŤya believes that Enlightenment is real and exists right now, within us all. In this Om Times interview, she shows how this innovative form of Buddhism, which she has been developing in the United States for over 25-years, can point the reader toward Enlightenment and liberation from suffering.
OMTIMES.COM | 2020
OMTIMES: You have developed a new school of Buddhism; can you tell us how it came about? TURIYA: My teacher showed me a pure and direct path of Awakening. After he passed away, I wanted a community to continue my practice with. I spent time exploring all the Buddhist schools I could access, but none felt like home. I opened the Dharma Center. Over the years, this new school developed as I watched what practices worked in our society and what did not. As Buddhism became more popular, we realized we needed to name this type of American Buddhism to differentiate it from the other schools. We decided on Trikaya Buddhism because the name symbolizes the embodiment of Enlightenment in the world. OMTIMES: What are the essential differences in your school of Buddhism to those currently available?
TURIYA: Trikaya Buddhism is thoroughly American born. As far as I know, all of the other Buddhist schools being taught in the United States carry with them the culture of their founders. Many of these cultural artifacts are beautiful and beneficial, but they don’t necessarily have anything to do with Enlightenment. Trikaya Buddhism is naked Buddhism; it’s stripped down to the bare essence of meeting the mind wherever we are. Some key differences that might confuse some traditional Buddhists are we have female monks. When the Buddha created a monastic order, he was already pushing the boundaries of his society. Because of the limitations of his time, he put women a step below men. In Trikaya Buddhism, we recognize in terms of buddha-nature, there is no difference between women and men. Thus, we give ordained practitioners the same title of a monk. Another big difference is we focus more on internal renunciation than external renunciation. It means our monks decide for themselves if they can be married or celibate or not.
OMTIMES.COM | 2020
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OMTIMES: You have been a meditation teacher for over 25 years – well before it became popular and prescribed by medical practitioners as stress relief. How has it changed your life? TURIYA: Meditation not only changed my life, but it also saved my life. Before I got sick, my practice opened me to a world of endless possibilities. Even though I had been told I could do anything, in college, I felt stuck. I couldn’t see beyond a dreary existence of work, eat, and sleep. Meditation introduced me to the beauty and joy that is present every moment. It gave me the energy to creatively interact with the world and build the life of my dreams. When my body started collapsing, meditation allowed me to keep my sanity. It gave me the power to keep looking for answers to my medical issues. Because of my meditation practice, I realized that joy is entirely unreasonable. Even when the body is screaming in pain, there is peace.
"Trikaya Buddhism is naked Buddhism; it’s stripped down to the bare essence of meeting the mind wherever we are."
There were times when I wanted to die, but my spiritual practice gave me proof that we are more than these fragile bodies. By teaching on the days when I could barely get out of bed, I discovered I had a gift to offer others simply because I knew how to meditate and silence my mind. People would arrive at the Dharma Center with their suffering. By sitting with them for an hour, I discovered my pain would disappear for that hour, and they would be elevated into a place where they could see past their issues. Watching this happen over and over transformed my awareness and allowed me to develop a strong faith in the practice.
OMTIMES: You declare that Enlightenment is real, and, in your book, you describe your experiences – please explain to the reader what they would experience through Trikaya Buddhism
TURIYA: Through Trikaya Buddhism, we move beyond suffering. At the beginning of the path, we learn how to control the mind through meditation and mindfulness. As we continue, we learn about the games we run on ourselves, and we start to see all the ways we have attached our happiness to an outcome. Through more subtle meditation and mindfulness techniques, we discover how to let go of these attachments. In the more advanced stages, we surrender to all that is. While it’s tempting to jump to the end of the path, we have to remember that if we don’t have control, then we cannot really surrender. OMTIMES: You believe that the real test of wisdom is its practical application in the here and now – can you explain what you mean? TURIYA: When we spend time alone or limit our interactions with others on our path, we can fool ourselves into thinking we have discovered our innate wisdom. We can feel like we are free when we are not. By going out into the world and being of service, life has a way of revealing to us all the ways we are still hung up..
For example, we could realize that anger is a passing emotion we do not need to act on. By interacting with people outside of our circle, on social media, perhaps, we can watch when anger arises within us. If we start ranting in reaction to that anger, we have not yet earned the wisdom we have been shown. On the other hand, if we notice our anger, accept that it is present, and then choose to act with gentleness, we have proven that we know we do not have to identify with anger. We can watch as it arises and watches as it dissolves, without denying that it exists. OMTIMES: What do you mean by “true nature?” TURIYA: Our true nature is who and what we are beyond all the labels and conceptions we have about ourselves and the world. We cannot define our true nature, but we can point towards it. When we feel free, limitless, expansive, joyful, and at peace, we are in tune with our true nature.
OMTIMES: The book contains some beautiful pieces of artwork – why was it important to include them in the book - how do they help the reader connect with the teaching? TURIYA: Buddhist art, and especially Tibetan thangka art, is more than creative expression. The images are meditation tools. They have been passed down through generations of Tibetan Buddhists who have been trained in geometric precision and exacting detail. When this art is created, the artist enters into a meditative state, which allows them to put every line and dot in perfect order. The energy of this meditative state is held by the artwork, so when we gaze at it, we can easily slip into Meditation. Most of what I teach cannot be put into words. By including this sacred artwork, the reader slows down, and if they let their mind rest on it, more of what is being shared in the book can come through. OMTIMES
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OMTIMES: What is a “Mindstate”? TURIYA: A Mindstate is how we hold our mind at a particular moment in time; it’s the mental filter we create. Our thoughts and feelings come together and cultivate a mindstate, which then colors our perception of the world. For example, we might see a news report about a tragic story that makes us angry. Left unchecked, we enter into a mindstate of anger. Now, as we go about our day, our mind filters the world and shows us all of the other things that make us angry and frustrated, which reinforces this mindstate of anger. We stay stuck in this cycle of anger until something shifts us into a different mindstate. We can shift ourselves consciously by focusing on beauty or gratitude. But most people are unaware of their own mindstates and are tossed around by their external world. They might stay angry until someone gives them some good news, and then they will be happy until they hear some bad news.
OMTIMES: You write about psychic sensitivity and inaccessibility. Can you explain why it was important to include this chapter?
TURIYA:Psychic abilities are not unique; we all have them, but most people have been trained to ignore them. However, when we practice meditation and mindfulness, our awareness expands, and we start to feel the subtle layers of existence.
If no one points out what is happening, it can be very disconcerting and confusing. I’ve had students become so sensitive they had trouble going to work and being in the world. Rather than sequester them, I teach them how to manage this increased awareness. Ultimately, we use psychic sensitivity to become more compassionate. What I call the practice of inaccessibility allows us to work with our sensitively to teach us where we are attached. Once we see where we are getting stuck, we can let go of our ego’s desire for things other than they actually are. From this space of non-attachment, we can be of service by doing whatever is most beneficial for all beings. OMTIMES: Finally, what else would you like the reader to take away from reading your book? TURIYA: What I want most for readers is for them to feel empowered to begin the practice on their own. We can listen to thousands of teachers, but it’s all meaningless until we actually do the work. I hope the book inspires them to practice at home. When they are ready to find a group, whether that’s at Dharma Center of Trikaya Buddhism or elsewhere, where they can continue to refine their practice and explore the excellent path of Buddhism.
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Ways to Connect With Your Spiritual Side
Article by Meghan Belnap Visit a Religious Center Spiritual health may be as beneficial in your life as your physical and mental health. Learning how to nourish your spiritual side better can help improve your state of wellbeing. Taking the right measures to channel your spiritual self-more effectively can bring about many positive changes. Here are four better ways to connect with your spiritual side. Perform Mind-Body Exercises There are specific exercises that can help the mind and body achieve greater harmony while promoting a stronger connection to spirituality. Pilates, Yoga, and Tai chi are just a few of the mind-body exercises that use specific movements of the body. That can help you achieve greater physical, mental, and spiritual clarity. Simply meditating while focusing on your breathing patterns is another great way to get more in touch with your spiritual side. The idea is to help bring you back to focus on the present moment and let go of things that may be weighing you down. It is also to create the perfect opportunity to reflect on your own thoughts and feelings in a stress-free state. OMTIMES / SEPTEMBER
Even if you don’t ordinarily consider yourself to be a religious person, visiting a spiritual center can have many benefits. Cathedrals, mosques, churches, synagogues, and other places of religious gathering can be great for those looking to reflect quietly on their spiritual beliefs. If you don’t prescribe to any particular denomination, the beauty and care taken in these buildings can still allow for quiet spiritual reflection. You can also go to the original place of religious reflection, nature. A nature hike or even quiet time in a park can give you the time and space you need introspection. Talk to a Spiritual Guide Many spiritual guides can offer you advice and lead you through exercises that will help you tap into your spirituality. Preachers, rabbis, and imams are among the best examples of spiritual guides who can use their religious teachings to guide you on a better path. Psychics also are readily available in person and online and can give you guidance through psychic readings regarding where you have been, where you are now, and where you want to go in terms of your spiritual growth.
Read the Right Books Individual books have been written to take readers on spiritual journeys intended to be beneficial for many areas of life. Some books may focus more on religious doctrine, while others cover topics on general spirituality. Books that share personal stories of how other people learned to connect better to their spiritual sides after enduring certain life events can be incredibly inspiring to read. While there are a lot of toxic places online that may give you more discouragement than anything else, you can find forums and communities online that center around open discussion of spiritual experiences as well. Becoming more spiritual in your life is possible if you’re willing to utilize the right tools and make the necessary changes. You’ll likely notice significant improvements in many areas of your life once you become more spiritual. .
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure.
OMTIMES/ SEPTEMBER B
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OM Living For those living a more Conscious Lifestyle
ON
GRIEF About five and a half years ago, my daughter took her own life. That is one of the worst things that could happen to a human being.
I have also come to see that some hidden blessings come with that process. This book has been inspired by Melissa's death and my journey through that process. Melissa was 33. Married the year before, she went through a serious mental breakdown. She went through a really high period for about six months, then lapsed to a crashing low for about six weeks and then, apparently toppled off a bridge.
and Finding Compassion
When I heard about it, I was on day four of a fiveday residential group that I had been running for a year. So, I heard about it. The group came back in the afternoon, and – luckily, I had a psychotherapist in the group who took over the running of the group – and very wisely created a Grief Circle. He called anyone who is lost a parent - to step in. Anyone who is lost a friend – step in.
Above Author Malcolm Stern
There are some griefs so loud/They could bring down the sky/And there are griefs so still/None knows how deep they lie.
May Sarton.
OMTIMES.COM-September B edition
1
I finished the group. It was another day, and then I went back to be with my kids, who are her half-brother and halfsister. And my ex-wife, who was her stepmother. It is a very strange thing that happens with death because the body is very wise. It does not let the grief all at once. I thought there was something wrong with me that I was not feeling that place of extraordinary grief, that you've lost one of the people closest to you in the world. Someone who has your flesh and blood - and you don't feel that, you know, 'am I a psychopath that I don't have any feelings?' or 'am I some weirdo?' but actually, it's a very gradual process. A friend of mine sent me to her therapist – I tried to do therapy, it was a waste of time, I was just in my head – and it took me five months to really get into my grief. And the way it happened was this. I was so angry at Melissa's mother, and I was holding her in hatred. She refused to allow me to speak at the funeral. She said, "you speak everywhere, you don't have to speak at the funeral…" She then took center stage. She asked that my ex-wife does not come. I said, "If Amanda doesn't come, I'm not coming either – and you explain why Melissa's father's not at the funeral," and she eventually agreed that she could sit - not in the front row, where the ceremony was taking place. Family dramas. And I'm thinking: I'm going to look after my ex-wife – she's a really good woman – and I'm going to look after my kids, so unless they're involved, in whatever way, I'm not playing. So, all that stuff went on, and I was really, really angry and holding the anger. And Melissa's mother had said there is was nothing wrong with Melissa; she was just exhausted at the time. I knew that she had gone through a serious mental breakdown, serious mental health issues. So, I held her in this disrespect. OMTIMES.COM
Five months after Melissa died, there was a Playback Theatre celebration of Melissa's life – she had been part of that organization. Playback Theatre plays out someone's stuff. They playback someone's story and this was all about Melissa. Melissa's mother unexpectedly turned up. So, she started ranting at me and ranging at me, and the kids were there, her son and my son, and they held space and said, "You don't do this." The kids said that to their parents. And I collapsed into Sue's arms, who I had been holding with so much hatred, and sobbed. And that was the moment that I recognized that my absolute disdain of her had stopped my grieving process – and from that moment on, I was able to start to feel my grief. I started speaking about it everywhere I could. Now I did not know what would happen when I started speaking about it – I could burst into tears.
When Melissa was manic, I did not like her very much, and I felt such a sense of shame that I hadn't liked my own daughter. I'd always loved her, but at that time, I didn't like her.
Then I put myself through a whole process. I went to the Samaritans, who run a support group for people who have been bereaved by suicide.That was amazing because I got to hear other people's stories and recognize some of the things that happened to me with Melissa.
Then one of the women in the group whose son had died talked about how he was obnoxious in the last few months. Actually, that gave me such a sense of relief. I started to then go through a whole journey where I allowed Melissa's death to educate me.
I feel I've been blessed in the process, as well as bereaved in a way that no one would want, no one would ask for. I think I'm out on the other side. I'll grieve for Melissa all my life. You don't have a loss like that where you don't grieve. I didn't choose to do this. The universe presented me with opportunities. Bridget Bowen from Compassionate Mental Health phoned me up and said, "I'm running a compassionate mental health conference, and I'd like you to facilitate it." She didn't know about Melissa. So, I facilitated this conference, and I thought I was going there to teach people. I learned so much about what people had gone through. So, everything came to me. OMTIMES.COM
Omtimes magazine SEPT • 2020
And then you start to see who your real friends are because some people can't be with you. One men's group I was in at the time, and there were a couple of men in the group who I knew couldn't handle my grief. It wasn't that I needed to talk about it all the time, I needed to be with whatever was going on for me, and I knew there were a couple of guys that couldn't handle it. And then, I started doing some lectures, and all of them featured Melissa. I needed to talk about her. I realized that the biggest violence that had been done to me was at the funeral. I set up a ceremony myself, which my friend David Confino facilitated, for over a hundred people. I was able to speak, my kids were able to speak, my son-in-law was able to speak, we were all able to have our say about what Melissa's death meant to us. When my father died – it was the 28th of December 2011. He was 91 years old. I was with him for the last 45 minutes of his life. I sat with him, and – my mother and sister were in the room – and I sat with him, and I had my hand on his heart. I had my hand on his heart as it stopped beating. And there was such a powerful connection with his death. I felt privileged to be in the room with him. I felt privileged to be in that space. My father was a lovely man. The Dalai Lama said, "My religion is kindness." On that basis, my father was one of the most religious men I've ever met. He was a very kind man. And I knew that my father didn't want to die on his own. I knew that from the dialogues we'd had. Melissa's death humbled me. And in the process of humbling, it leads me to then seek more deeply to the real meaning of life.
About the Author: Malcolm Stern has worked as a group and individual psychotherapist for nearly 30 years. He is co-founder and co-director of Alternatives at St James's Church, London's most important spiritual events platform, since 1982. Stern also teaches and runs groups internationally. His first book Falling in Love, Staying in Love, was published in 2004. Malcolm also co-presented with Vanessa Lloyd Platt, the Channel 4 series on relationships Made for Each Other in 2003 and 2004.
OMTIMES MAGAZINE
ANIMAL PERSONHOOD DO ANIMALS HAVE SOULS?
Some ageless questions intrigue the human imagination: Are we alone in the Universe? Is there Intelligent Life beside us, the terrestrial humans? The funny thing about these questions is that at no point, we regard our animal companions as our companions in our lives' journey. We don't consider them as real independent beings, at least not sentient enough.
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"Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul." Pythagoras We are so used to disregard the animals and continuously abstaining from assessing their level of consciousness. We are ignoring. They are evolved sufficiently to be declared as an entity dignified with a soul and qualified to enjoy the privilege of retaining (at the least) some legal rights. We are blind to this visible and obvious reality. Thus, we accept the fact that "we are alone" in your voyage through the Cosmos, devoid of the companionship with any other sentient beings. Animals have an intelligent principle, call it consciousness, if you will, different from that which animates Human beings, nevertheless present. Their processes may differ from ours, and even their evolutionary programming, but undoubtedly, they share with us the benefit of having soul experiences. Â Many Spiritual traditions teach about the need for the Soul to acquire knowledge by gathering understanding through many souls' experiences. With animals, this is not different. In fact, it doesn't matter what skin suit we may be using, what matters is the Soul inside and the experience that that Soul is gathering at that lifetime. Many scientists insist on affirming that animals do not own the ability to be conscious. They believe that all animals have their functions, and consequently, their evolution is the result of their set "Instinctual skills."
ONE
SOUL
"Souls never die, but always on quitting one abode pass to another. All things change, nothing perishes. The Soul passes hither and thither, occupying now this body, now that... As wax is stamped with certain figures, then melted, then stamped anew with others, yet it is always the same wax. So, the Soul being always the same yet wears at different times different forms." Pythagoras
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It is a materialistic trap to think that animals are inferior beings because they do not have the same level of critical thinking that we enjoy as humans. In fact, it is of extreme arrogance and self – servicing to think that way. Animals are not inferior; they just have different evolutionary programming than we do. Think about this, as a Chess game, all the pieces are important. Still, each one of them has its peculiarities, and all of them have different rules to be followed and abide by. The blatant disregard for the plight of animals at its spiritual level has allowed mankind to develop a complicated web of exploitation and abuse.
We treat animals as things, objects, or material possessions, not as sentient beings, or souls occupying a different body for the sake of evolutionary experiences. There is no complicated Exegesis about this, animals suffer a lot, but animals do not sin. In their innocence and purity, they are closer to the creator that many of us humans are. We have a significant obligation to provide them with the means to evolve further on their dharmic evolutionary scale. As sentient beings that have feelings feel pain, undergo suffering, and raise families, we must think about helping them, despite our own evolutionary parameters.
Every single Soul inhabiting this planet is subject to spiritual laws and some rules, such as the law of cause and effect.That means that animals are not outside of the balancing realm of Karma, just like us. Any harm we inflict to the animals will be generating a "debt," or a need to balance in future collections. It is the Divine Law; we have to repair our mistakes even if this debt is contracted concerning the “dumb� animals. We human beings are in nature to assist the progress of animals, in the same proportion that angels are to help us. Animals also have a lot of transcendent lessons to teach us, such as unconditional love, acceptance, loyalty, companionship, and any,others.
Hence, anyone who mistreats an animal is someone who has not yet learned how to really love. I personally believe that we love accordingly to our level of consciousness, and that says a lot. Unfortunately, most humans are not yet capable of transcending this cruel pattern behavior of disregard for life.
This despicable human trait is not just about and not only towards animals. We have not managed to give due treatment to human beings, as we are still trying to be more compassionate and understanding of our own species. And we don’t dispute the presence of souls in humans’ bodies; imagine that!
OMTimes |September B Edition
Mira r h e L
SIX DECADES OF ARTMAKING Mira Lehr’s solo and group exhibitions number over 300. She is a graduate of Vassar College (1956) with a degree in Art History, under the mentorship of Linda Nochlin, the renowned feminist art historian.
She has been collected by major institutions across the U.S., including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art (Washington), the Getty Museum Research Center (Los Angeles), Perez Art Museum (Miami), the Jewish Museum of Florida (Miami Beach), the Orlando Museum of Art, the Bass Museum (Miami Beach), and the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center (NY), among many others. Mira Lehr's work is in the private collections of Elie and Marion Wiesel, Martin Margulies, Jane and Morley Safer, the Collection of Robert Feldman, M.D., and the artist Judy Pfaff, among others. Her exhibition, "A Walk in the Garden," headlined Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 with major national and international critical acclaim.
In the 1950s, Lehr studied and worked in New York as an artist, where she met some of America’s most prominent masters including: Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, and Helen Frankenthaler. She studied with James Brooks, Ludwig Sander, Robert Motherwell, and within the Hans Hofmann circle. When Lehr moved back to Florida in 1960, she was shocked at the lack of an art scene, especially for women. She convinced many of the masters she met in New York to come down and visit, and to lead workshops for her league of women artists. This helped the evolution of art in Florida. She founded Continuum in 1960, one of the country’s first co-ops for women artists.
Lehr is included in the prestigious Leonard Lauder Corporate Collection in New York. Thirty of her paintings were commissioned for the permanent collection of Mount Sinai Hospital. Her work can be seen in American Embassies around the world and is permanently on view in the lobby of the Evelyn Lauder Breast Center of the Sloan Kettering Memorial Center. Her video installation, V1 V3, was on view at the New Museum, NY. Her work has been included in numerous art fairs during Art Basel Miami Beach, including Art Miami, Pinta Art Fair and INK. She was the recipient of the Vizcaya Museum Lost Spaces Commission, where she was commissioned to create a site-specific installation by the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens as part of Vizcaya’s centennial celebration.In South Florida, she is acclaimed as "The Godmother of Miami's Art Scene," because from 1960 until the mid-90s she spearheaded one of the nation's first co-ops for women artists. It was called Continuum, and flourished for more than 30 years, helping to launch the careers of many women artists which she mentored. Lehr is also recognized as being the art world's version of The Marvelous Mrs. Masiel, because in the male-dominated art scene of 1950s New York, she was one of the few women artists of that era in NYC.Now, at the bold age of 85, Mira Lehr is creating more work than ever in her six decades of artmaking.
OMTimes Magazine is honored to share with our Audience an exclusive Interview with Mira Lehr.
Mira Lehr has been invited to present a new exhibition from October 15 through December 15 at Rosenbaum Contemporary gallery in Boca Raton, Florida. The exhibition is called "Planetary Visions: Mira Lehr from Spaceship Earth. The "Planetary Visions" exhibition will also feature an online virtual part that viewers will enjoy from anywhere in the world.
OMTimes: Tell us a bit more about your new artistic endeavor. What was the inspiration behind your Spaceship Earth video message? Mira Lehr: I'm interested in the earth, on our planet and how things work, and how to make things better. Now there is more of a crisis at hand, so my latest work revisits the work I did with Buckminster Fuller in 1969. That experience has lingered with me. We do live in a good spaceship, and if we do things correctly, scarcity is not even an issue. There is enough food to go around for everyone to eat, have homes, be clothed, and all those mass necessities. The key is to be more efficient and to do more with less. When Buckminster Fuller would talk about this, he would close his eyes as though he was getting a message from another plane. This idea about efficiency has always been in my work, but now it's clarified, and it's more direct and focused. That's how my work has shifted and grown.
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OMTimes: It seems you create the most seductive artwork using non-conventional materials. How is your process of creation? Do you see the result already in your mind, as a blueprint, translating it to reality, or do you just create your pieces harmonically, in tandem with the flow of your Inspiration? Mira Lehr: I don't plan my work ahead of time. Mostly I have an idea of what materials I want to use and what I'm looking for, but it's not planned. But there is some semblance of an idea before I start, but it's subtle. I create work by putting a markdown. And then because of my spatial concept, one mark leads to another. As I go along, it starts to take its own shape and leads me to the next thing. It's a combination of my vision with something that comes from another space. Then it becomes more concrete with what I want to say, the method I have, but it starts out initially with abstract marks. OMTimes: What you think would be the role of your Ecologically Conscious Art in a Post- Pandemic Age, the age of "Reevaluation of mankind as a whole? " Mira Lehr: That age is actually coming. Our planet is in trouble, and we have to heal it. We have to become wiser and make better choices in the future. This has allowed us to see what damage we brought and what we need to do to change it. I think we all realize that the earth will never be the same again. We either we must change, or we'll become obsolete. Selfishness and greed don't work anymore. My hope is for a new vision with the perceptions of mankind. I have guarded hope because I think mankind is meant to be living on the earth and making it work.
OMTimes: You are, without a doubt, one of the most multifaceted and multidimensional artists of our times. You were gifted with an eye that can perceive thin realities behind objects and the works of Art. Your work with the Mangrove Labyrinth and the High-Water Installations shed light on a myriad of invisible threads connecting the visible to the invisible. In your new video "Spaceship Earth," what do you see behind the waves of this Pandemic world? Do you see hope for our Humanity on this planet? Mira Lehr: I'm generally optimistic. I do believe in man's ability to make things happen that are good. I have a guarded hope that we will fix this earth we are on, and during this time, we have been given this opportunity to reflect. This Pandemic has made us stay home, have to do less. We can't run around like we once did before. This is a period to come to terms with what's happening, a chance to make a go of it. I think it will change us for the better. I hope so. Certainly, we can't be living a life of selfinterest like we once did. OMTimes: How do you keep this delicate balance in your Art between the seen and the unseen, the visionary, and the mundane when you are creating? Mira Lehr: When I'm working, I'm not really conscious of the mundane. I'm in a space where I don't even think of that kind of question. I work from a zone where my consciousness is there, but too much mental thought is not. I'm aware of what I'm doing, but I go into another dimension where what I'm doing takes over. It has a life of its own, and I don't struggle between the mundane and the creative.
OMTIMES •SEPTEMBER B
I work from a place of creativity and visions that make way for different kinds of imagery. When you reach down into your spirit, you're working on another level where your thoughts are not composed of mundane things. You're in another area. Somewhere in your spiritual nature, I think, is where this happens. When I was a little girl, I loved to go to cemeteries because I thought that that's where people have experienced life and death and been in many profound things that I didn't know. I've always had this other dimension that I live in that has to do with another nature. Not having to do with practicality or things of the world. Things of the spirit. OMTimes: In my opinion, any form of Art nurtures the human spirit; objects of Art are like "transmitters" of a different frequency of life and creation. Each artwork tells tales of Sadness, of Bliss, of nature that come from the deepest parts of our souls. Your Eco-art has this type of effect and can help us open our hearts to the language of the Universe. How does it feel to be a catalyst for this type of phenomenon? Do you regard yourself as a "Frequency changer, a creative Warrior of sorts"? Mira Lehr: Yes, I think I'm a catalyst or transmitter of sorts. It must have something to do with the way I organize things visually,and it comes from a heart/mind connection. The mind can overwhelm the heart. They are very integrated when I am working. The beautiful thing is to be able to share it. It's like understanding a foreign language between two souls or hearing a concert knowing that there are other people in the room experiencing similar feelings. A type of communication that makes it so joyous. I think this happens in all creativity - in music, writing, and dance: In integrated communication with another soul. So, yes, I believe I transmit, and I think I reach certain people, and they transmit to me also. OMTIMES
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OMTimes: How does it feel to share this connection with others? Mira Lehr: It's very joyous! Makes me feel whole, w-ho-l-e. It makes me feel like I'm doing something meaningful. Communicating with the soul of another person brings great joy. OMTimes: My last question for you, Mira, would be this: As an artist and sensitive soul, do you hold a Mystical Vision for our little planet at this time? What would you personally like to see manifested in our collective reality now? Mira Lehr: I always have this mystical vision that we are meant to be on the planet and to thrive, to succeed on this Spaceship Earth. That we have been given an opportunity now to recommit to kind of a new re-birth, a new consciousness that we never saw before. We'll stop polluting, heal the things that we can heal, and be global citizens. OM is the sound of the Universe in Eastern thought. That's the sound OM when you're meditating. That's the sound that you hear. I think that your magazine is about that kind of dimension that goes beyond the worldly into more of the spiritual. That is how all creativity is -- communicating with the spiritual realm. When you say OM, things are from another place. They're from the soul, the spirit, the heart. To learn more about Mira and her work, please visit https://miralehr.com/
Building Your Brand Through Collaboration By iSpirit Media There are many factors to be considered that are essential when crafting a bestselling book. We are always stressing the importance of Author marketing because the author is one of the decisive factors when buying a book. That is if the name on the cover can help the book sell. It is true that if the author is well-known to everyone who will find his books easily either in bookstores or in any of the other digital platforms out there. Of course, several factors make your book sell or not, which include the quality and appeal of the cover, the marketing strategy, a good synopsis.
OMTIMES MAGAZINE
All of them are important, but your name and your author's Brand tell a lot more than they do to a reader who already knows your work from elsewhere. We see many writers who still don't understand the importance of promoting themselves, thinking that they should just let the book speak for itself. Well, I have news for you, books don't sell themselves! So today, I have separated some reasons for you to start investing in your Brand. Shall we go to them? Every writer is its own Brand! Â In fact, everyone is a brand because everyone has a voice and a story to tell. Everything you do, the way you behave, it leaves impressions on the minds of people and your readers. Your Brand of the writer is especially important, as it will help you sell more books, win more readers. We buy books from people we know, like, and Trust.
Learn How a Well-branded Author can Influence on Book's Sale And Create a Loyal Readership
iSpirit Media team make our priority to provide our writers and authors with a reliable platform that can genuinely support them.
Think about it, even if you go to buy an appliance, you will find a reliable store. With cell phones, the same thing, in general, people always look for the same brands. Because? The answer is Trust, of course. To build a brand as an author is necessary to build a relationship between Trust and reliability with your audience and potential readers. Building your Author's Brand is exactly that building a trusting relationship with your audiences. If you have a well-defined brand and know how to position yourself, your readers will know what to expect from you, your articles, OpEds, manuscripts, and your books. OMTimes.com
"The Internet offers authors and their readers a new diversity of opportunities and freedom." Frederick Forsyth The way you present yourself publicly inside the Cyberworld Matters! Your positioning on the internet, including things unrelated to your literary career, has an impact on how readers see you. So, think about how you position yourself in general, especially in this so uncharacteristic year. We have many things happening on the political scene, and it is an election year, to top it off. Keep this in mind before getting into a political fight on the internet.
Influence Your Book's Sale iSpirit Media team make our priority to provide our writers and authors with a reliable platform that can genuinely support them. We also buy books to understand someone's view of something. Even though your book is fictional, people buy to read your world, your head. If you hide your book, you're ashamed of it, well, then why anyone should buy it? The way you present yourself publicly inside the Cyberworld Matters! Your positioning on the internet, including things unrelated to your literary career, has an impact on how readers see you. So, think about how you position yourself in general, especially in this so uncharacteristic year. We have many things happening on the political scene, and it is an election year, to top it off. Keep this in mind before getting into a political fight on the internet. Who is not seen, is not read? Â There are many books, many authors, and many options, that's why we defend whenever you have a frequency of posting and interaction on social networks. For those who are just starting their careers, this is essential. After all, the person needs to see you, find out about your existence a few times before starting to build a relationship of trust, and buy your book. A hiding author seems to have nothing to say.
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PURCHASE IS NOT PROOF OF READING This happens a lot when you are in Kindle Unlimited. People even download books, but turning the pages is a hard sell. Of course, it also happens a lot with physical books, but at KDP, we can measure it, which is really cool, but a little scary. You know now why investing in your author brand is so important to have a successful literary career. The sixty million dollars question will be: Are you ready to start creating and managing your author brand? We sincerely hope so. Building your Brand will be your differential in the literary market, which is so competitive and filled with noise.
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If you need more clarifications in how important the author branding is, please read another article we wrote about "Developing your Personal Branding," which is focused entirely on the writer's perspectives. When you feel you are really ready to invest in your writing career, as a serious author, and wish to work carefully on your Brand and your professional profile, we will invite you to learn more with our course "Digital Marketing Strategies for New Authors" (Will be Available soon) With it, you will learn how to create your Brand, from what you already write; define career goals; identify your audiences and understand how to better communicate with them. Besides, you will access step by step tools that we use in our day-to-day to manage the accounts and brands of the authors we work with. The idea is to further enrich the experience of writing and authoring.
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.
OMTIMES MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER
The New Ways to Grieve During the Pandemic
Grief is an emotion that helps us process change. In the pandemic, we are grieving our loss of freedom and fear and deceased loved ones. Mourning our dead is more challenging because we can’t have ordinary funerals. But our dead are still waiting for us to honor and celebrate them—with them—some tips on dealing with grief in the pandemic. When we think about grief, our first thoughts are usually about the devastation we feel when our human and animal beloveds die. But grief is an emotion that helps us process change. What we’re going through with the pandemic is a global change that has ripped away from the basic assumptions of how we live in community, from how we work to how we love. With loss all around us, we’re tempted to withdraw deeper into ourselves, to keep love at bay, to not feel pain. Ironically, that’s when grief can support us. Yes, grief. Grief in a Time of Crisis As an emotion that helps us process change, grief is cathartic, allowing us to release pent-up feelings that keep us frozen in place, unable to move forward. The problem right now is that many people are reluctant to acknowledge their feelings. They’re living on the edge, lost in a newly dangerous world, fearing a tsunami of emotion that could incapacitate them. They believe that being strong—for themselves and their families—means bottling it up: if the feelings can’t get out, things can’t worsen.
We can deal with these feelings first by calmly recognizing them. Many people right now just want things to get back to normal, whatever that is for them. Yes, we all do—and that feeling is grief. We want to freely move in public without fear. An invisible enemy will kill us, to gather with friends and loved ones, to go back to work, to just be safe. We’re grieving for a way of life, freedom of movement, a lack of fear that we don’t have anymore, and may not have again for weeks or months. That’s okay. We should be grieving the disruptions we’ve experienced. We’re also grieving, feeling fear. We fear that loved ones, or we will get sick and even die. We fear lost income and even lost purpose.
We are afraid because things are so different: in the U.S., wearing face masks and protective gloves, being confined, standing in grocery store lines, and finding empty shelves are abnormal. It’s okay to grieve these changes. Grieving helps acknowledging the loss, grieving it, and allowing it to move through us helps us move on. Grief and Death in the Pandemic There is another aspect to grieving in the pandemic: how we are forced to acknowledge the deaths of our beloveds. Funerals are necessary rites of passage in our society, allowing the community to honor the deceased—and life moving on. But in the pandemic, families either can’t hold physical funerals or just leave people out.
Creating Rituals to Resolve Grief Grief sticks around longer than it needs to if it is not acknowledged. While there isn’t a timetable for when grieving should end (because it doesn’t, it merely blends into our lives), try creating a ritual to help process grief, whether it’s for a beloved dead or the times we’re living in.
OMTIMES MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER
If it’s for the dead, first set time, tell your beloveds when it will be, and invite their spiritual teams and yours to join you. Then decide what honoring the dead (and the living) looks like. It can be reading a poem, or recounting memories, playing music, dancing, a meal with toasts—something you know the dead would have appreciated when they’re alive.
Yes, alternatives are cropping up, from delaying funerals entirely to making them virtual. For many, though, that means grief is on hold. But it doesn’t have to be. Why? Because the dead don’t care when you have a funeral—or what it looks like. They simply need the occasion to come together with the living to honor the change that death brings. As a medium, I know that the dead attend their funerals and that anything goes. That means, no matter how long ago a beloved died, you can honor their memory with a ritual that works for you. It can be as simple as, “Hey, you, I miss you,” to an elaborate ceremony— even if it’s just you, or the people you’re quarantined with.
OMTIMES MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER
Create something that brings the body, mind, and spirit together. And repeat it as many times, and with as many variations, as you want. Whether you’re grieving a beloved or the circumstances of the pandemic, set a time and invite your spiritual team to join you. When you’re ready, simply say out loud what you’re grieving, think about it, and feel it in body, mind, and spirit. Sit with those feelings. When it’s time to end the ritual, invite the grief to move through you and out. As it leaves, thank your spiritual team for joining you—and you’re done. Here is what happens in body, mind, and spirit when we allow ourselves to grieve: we help energy keep moving. When energy is stuck, grief becomes what people dread: something that weighs us down and keeps us moving forward. Acknowledging that it’s okay to feel grief helps us to process change and will help us keep energy moving. And us moving forward. Robyn M Fritz, MA MBA CHt, is an intuitive and spiritual consultant and certified past life regression specialist. An award-winning author, her next book is “The Afterlife Is a Party: What People and Animals Teach Us About Love, Reincarnation, and the Other Side.” Find her at RobynFritz.com and on Facebook at The Practical Intuitive.
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Metaphysics
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I have had so many emails and messages about tuning in during these challenging times we continue to face. I know everyone is asking the obvious questions: "How long will it last?" "Am I safe to go out?" "Can I go to the party my family is throwing?". and so many more. There are no set answers, but many of you have been asking how to tune into your own intuition currently.
Psychic Ability vs. Intuition: What's the Difference? By John Holland
So, I thought it was important to remind you of the primary difference between psychic information and intuitive information. How do you tell whether you are getting psychic messages, or it's just a hunch or your imagination? The words psychic and intuition are often used interchangeably. Is there a difference between the two? I'd say that psychic ability is simply the natural extension of our intuition. You are probably pretty familiar with intuition. It's that gentle nudge that every so often comes out of the blue. However, when you learn to recognize, notice, and act upon these feelings, you will establish a strong foundation for developing your psychic abilities.
Practicing and using your intuition will result in a more vital link to your psychic awareness, but you may not know where to start or what tools to use. Before we start, there's one important action I want you to take: Give yourself permission to explore and develop your intuition. I believe that a well-developed imagination is a healthy part of the development process and can form a bridge between our intuition and our often-dormant psychic abilities. Here's an exercise I'd like you to try. It'll show how your imagination and psychic abilities work hand in hand to create a flow of information. Pretend that you're already psychically aware. Now try to tune in to your innate abilities and use these suggestions: Ask yourself, "How many emails will I receive this morning?" or "What will my boss be wearing today?"
When the phone rings, see if you can guess who's on the other end before you pick it up. When your utility bill arrives, try to imagine how much it is before you open it. If you're feeling confident, see if you can get a word or two from tomorrow's newspaper headlines. JOHN'S MESSAGE You have to use your abilities to awaken them and let them help to guide you in your life. After all, we have everything we need to find the answers right inside our intuitive psychic selves. Were you able to validate your abilities by doing the above exercise? Once you've tried this exercise, I'd love to hear how it went. Do share your results on my Facebook community, so others can try it as well. Equally, feel free to share these Soul Inspirations or recommend they join our community.
OMTIMES • SEPTEMBER B
Personal Growth & Development
We grow as individuals as we face challenges and overcome life’s obstacles. This section is dedicated to helping you chart your course.
Using Forgiveness as the Best Revenge! written by Marc Lainhart
With many life challenges, we have several opportunities to learn, grow, transform, evolve, and heal from our "Soul Adventures" through the tremendous power of Forgiveness. If we refuse those opportunities, we only will continue to suffer and feel the pain in our lives. The Sufi poet Rumi wrote, "The cure for pain is the pain." Our experiences tell us that this is true. We also know that embedded within every painful time and life's experiences have been the seed of incredible transformations, of healing and of growth, and self! When we avoid Forgiveness and stay within all the negative energy, we allow the pain to grow like a very aggressive fungus. Who suffers from this the most? We do, we always do, and the best revenge and moving forward in life is Forgiveness!
OMTimes.com/ September B
We know that grieving and being in great sadness is one of the most potent and effective ways of beginning the transformational healing process for our lives. When we allow ourselves to surrender and let the grief, anger, sadness, anxiety, depression pass through us, we begin to create a stir of energy flow in our stomachs, hearts, throats, to the top of our heads. When we feel the pain for what it is and have an awareness of such problems, we can acknowledge the pain, respond to pain, and finally release the pain. We enter into the world of tears, moans, sobbing, wailing, healing. We are clean, lifted; we are rejuvenated and revived! We have not forgotten; however, we have forgiven!
These are challenges that only life can offer us through our human experiences, and no better reasons to practice Forgiveness actively! Real Pardon (Forgiveness), through the power of choice, aligned with the will of letting go, can create opportunities filled with healing, joy, love, peace, self-love, positive energy, and a clear path towards full transformation. To consciously chose to move into the arena of Forgiveness not only takes great confidence to face the pain but also takes courage. Only an act of Forgiveness can accommodate a real cure for that pain. This forgiveness arena is always open; tickets are now on sale. There is no better time to take back the power and let Forgiveness become the best revenge for living a positive, joyful, and healthy life!
Many of us wrestle with the concept of true Forgiveness. In order to acknowledge it, let it pass through us, have awareness for it can be very challenging, but can also be very healing for us if we forgive. We can feel stuck and not know how to navigate the pain and change it into Forgiveness and healing. Psychological and emotional distress can carry on for days, weeks, months, and even years filled with rage, anger, dread, regret, despair, and hopelessness. Forgiveness will offer you release from persistent negative thoughts. It will free you from the feelings and emotions you may harbor about yourself, others, and even your past.
Marc Lainhart is an award-winning, internationally respected, and tested British trained Psychic and Spiritual Medium and Best American Psychics 2020 Psychic of the Year. Marc's work as a Radio Show Host, Hiking Guide, Certified Diver, Metaphysical Teacher, Holistic Healer, Inspirational Thought Leader, Certified Healthcare Provider. The writer is to serve, heal, guide, teach, transform, and inspire others in connecting to spirit, self, and this wonderful world around us! Visit him at his website marclainhart.com. Marc is the Host of Inspired Living Radio, Wednesdays, at 3:00 PM ET on OMTimes Internet.
OMTIMES • SEPTEMBER B
DO YOUR POOR LIFESTYLE CHOICES SIGNAL AN ADJUSTMENT DISORDER? By Marcia Sirota, MD. Everyone is moving indoors. Summer is over and the cooler autumn weather has begun to set in. Here in Ontario, many of us have started to move our activities indoors. But in this time of Covid-19, the shift indoors could also mean an increased risk of infection. If we follow the public health guidelines and practice good self-care we can minimize that risk, but if we make poor health choices we risk becoming ill or infecting the people around us.
A recent study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people who had recently tested positive for Covid-19 were “twice as likely to have reported dining out in the 14 days before their diagnosis than those who tested negative.” From this study, we can see that spending more time indoors could increase our risk of catching Covid-19, which is why it’s more important than ever to make the best possible health and lifestyle choices. Not Everyone is making good lifestyle choices: Some of us are doing a good job of keeping ourselves and those around us safe and healthy. We’re making sure to wear a mask indoors, wash our hands frequently, stay 6 feet away from each-other and not congregate in large groups.
We’re doing the kinds of things that would boost our immunity to the virus – like eating healthy, getting regular exercise, prioritizing a good night’s sleep, practicing mindfulness meditation, avoiding drugs, and using alcohol in moderation. Others are making seemingly irrational health choices: refusing to wear a mask, socializing with a wide group of acquaintances and attending huge gatherings – basically acting as though Covid-19 didn’t exist – and thereby risking their own health and the health of those with whom they live and work. Many of these individuals are making poor lifestyle choices like eating junk food, drinking to excess, turning to drugs, and/or ignoring basic self-care practices like getting enough exercise and sleep. All of this is concerning, because if there was any time to focus on being as healthy as possible it would be right now, so that we could minimize our chances of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19. More people are turning to junk food than to health food: A recent article in the Washington Post described an odd new pattern around grocery shopping these days. The article quotes the dean of Tufts University nutrition science school who says that “There are two different reactions to Covid — a small number who are getting health conscious and reacquainting themselves with real food, and a larger group that is going with comfort food.” The numbers appear counter-intuitive. The larger group should be the one making the healthy food choices, not the one going for comfort food. It’s frightening that in a time when protecting our health is more crucial than ever, people are doing an even worse job at making healthy lifestyle choices. OMTIMES • SEPTEMBER B
It’s obvious that these poor choices are being driven by something other than enlightened self-interest. We’d like to think that our health choices would be guided by common sense and the most up-to date, accurate information but sadly, this is often not the case. As we move further into fall with more time spent indoors and an increased risk of catching Covid-19, it’s important to look at why so many people are making the kinds of choices that would increase their risk of serious illness. Illogical behavior is motivated by unconscious processes: When our behavior defies logic and common sense and puts us in harm’s way, it’s safe to assume that it’s being driven by unconscious psychological processes.
I suspect that what might be driving the poor lifestyle choices that many are making these days could be an undiagnosed “adjustment disorder.” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) defines an adjustment disorder as “the development of emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor,” with “significant impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.” Are many people suffering from an adjustment disorder? An adjustment disorder can be seen as a milder version of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder – a severe condition brought on by the experience of extreme, often life-threatening trauma.
When the stressor isn’t acutely life-threatening but is still overwhelming – such as Covid-19 – we’re more likely to develop an adjustment disorder rather than full-blown PTSD, but the symptoms can still affect us profoundly. In fact, the symptoms of an adjustment disorder would fit in very well with the counterintuitive self-care choices we’ve been seeing lately. People with an adjustment disorder can be more reckless or careless. They can be apathetic and disinterested and exhibit a lot of avoidance and denial. They can be self-indulgent, self-negligent or compulsively self-soothing. Their behavior can be illogical, irrational and impulsive.
I suspect that most of us have been traumatized to some degree by the Covid-19 pandemic and many may have developed an adjustment disorder. Few are talking about it, however, because the affected individuals aren’t being diagnosed. They’re not seeking mental health help because they don’t realize that they have a (diagnosable and treatable) mental health condition. It’s conceivable that thousands of people are walking around with an adjustment disorder that is adversely affecting their lifestyle choices and possibly increasing their risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19. We need to be aware of our own mental health: It’s important, therefore, that people recognize what’s going on with their own mental health. If they’re turning more to comfort food lately; if they’re drinking more than usual; if they’re not paying close attention to the public health guidelines; if their emotions are driving their choices as opposed to their common sense, then they would most likely benefit from seeking out some mental health support. An adjustment disorder is highly treatable with counseling and possibly also with medication. When your condition is treated, your behavior will be driven more by common sense and you’re more likely to start making better lifestyle choices, which is so important now that the fall season is approaching.
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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 Humanity’s interdependence.
World Vision
"Once we experience and feel this interdependence of all living beings,we will cease to hurt, humiliate, exploit and kill another. We will want to free all sentient beings from suffering. This is karuna, compassion, which in turn gives rise to the responsibility to create happiness and its causes for all." SURESH JINDAL
OMTIMES | SEPTEMBER B
KARUNA VS. CORONA COVID 19 AND THE CULTURE OF FEAR Article by Bodhi Shuddhaanandaa
Through first learning to love and care for ourselves and then embracing all others, we spread a culture of love and compassion instead of fear and inaction. From the ashes of the past mistakes of humanity, in every sphere of human life, the Phoenix is rising. It will transcend the need for such a fear-based experience. Coronavirus and the Culture of Fear We have all become worshippers of fear! We only talk about Coronavirus and its evil possibilities. What if, instead of spending so much time on Corona news from around the world, we withdraw from all the news sources and stop strengthening the energy of the dreadful virus by not thinking or talking about it. Then we could find more time to be with ourselves, sitting and watching our mind at play, allowing all the fears and negative emotions to surface. The goal is to witness the play of our mind, releasing all our thoughts from our subconscious minds. There is no effort needed to de-clutter our minds. We just notice, and the unwanted fears are released, creating space for health and wellness.
Our body’s defense system (immunity) to fight back any virus or germ and keep us free of any disease depends upon our state of mind. If we meditate and practice yoga, have healthy food and don’t ingest negative energy through our senses, our mind is trained to nurture thoughts and feelings of love, compassion, inspiration, creativity, and, most importantly, the gratitude, we can strengthen our immunity. Through this committed practice, we learn to be more kind and compassionate to our own selves. We find the source of true sustainable happiness in the sanctuary of our own inner silence. From this place of strength and personal sustainability, we are then ready to embrace Compassionate Action. Karuna and the Culture of Compassionate Action Karuna is a Sanskrit word meaning the grace and compassion of God in action. What is needed in our world right now is this culture of kindness, where we focus more on God’s Karuna than the corona! Our selfless acts of love, however small and intimate, are manifestations of this infinite spirit and its love for humankind.
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They are the rekindling spirit in motion, flowing forward in the time stream with vast powers of proliferation, with ineffable powers to awaken and heal. If everyone committed to one other act of compassion a day, even if it were to only bring a smile to the heart of another who is unhappy or afflicted, our personal and collective human consciousness would begin to expand. The seeds of a new human culture of compassion could take root. What is needed is a soul-centered life, not a self-centered life. What is required is a compassion-centered life, a prayer centered life, a spirit-centered life that transcends fear and negativity.
It is not by fearing the Coronavirus that we stop all this human suffering. It is by creating more profound human regard by creating more powerful healing energy in the atmosphere in which we all live and breathe. Then those who are rooted in fear naturally grow toward a gradual transformation from within. Whatever our external situations are, we mustn’t repeat the same old patterns of reacting, resisting, and screaming; it will only worsen the situation and deplete our life energy. Instead, let us meditate and compassionately work to strengthen our emotional immunity. To prove that come what our self-love
and positive attitude will take us to a new life of good health and cheerfulness, love and compassion, fearlessness and freedom. The world is gradually emerging into a new era of love and compassion. From the ashes of the past mistakes of humanity, in every sphere of human life, the Phoenix is rising and will transcend the need for such a fear-based life. Humanity is thirsting for a religion-less religion of pure love for love’s sake, and Karuna is its vehicle. A world where the individual would have the privilege to live as an expression of indivisible divinity is the world we are all born to create and see! Bodhi (Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari, India) is a Globally acclaimed spiritual teacher with 40 years of meditation experience, author, and visionary social advocate; founded Lokenath Divine Life Mission serving thousands of poverty-stricken individuals. Received Lifetime Achievement Award, House of Lords, UK, 2015. Author: Living with My Himalayan Master. YouTube Channel: Bodhi Shuddhaanandaa. www.courseinmindfulness.com
OMTIMES/ SEPTEMBER
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