Mindful Soul Center Magazine Volume 1, Issue 5

evif eussi eno emulov

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

MINDFUL SOUL CENTER bi-monthly magazine

ARE YOU DIVINE BALANCE MEDITATION RECIPES & FOOD DELICIOUSNESS

THE YOGA DIARIES

C O B R A

OAKLAND BUDDHA

DEJA DREWIT'S SELF-CARE CORNER

WHAT IS THAT? AHIMSA

nual n a n se a a h c One Pur e m Volu o t n iptio r ions c t s a b t i u s Med x i S , sues s I Six

0 0 . $33

US

Self-Care Mindset Inspiration Affirmation Yoga Meditation Lifestyle Art Health Wellness

This

practical

guide

demands

that

you

don’t

merely

think about gratitude but do it too. Chapters are divided into two parts; think and do. The ‘think it’ part includes stories and sometimes facts for contemplation and the ‘do

it’

part

at

the

end

of

each

chapter

includes

actionable steps to take and explore gratitude.

A truly helpful guide!

This book has really helpful suggestions to follow to make our lives a bit better.

And we all need that now!

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2018, Verified Purchase, Review by SanGui

Customer reviews on Amazon 4.8 out of 5 stars: 9 global ratings

$12.50

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FEATURES CONTRIBUTORS in alphabetical order

Christine Boyd Miller, PhD Christine is a California mountain mama transplanted from the East coast. In The Yoga Diaries

she explores the obstacles &

challenges she faces as she learns new yoga poses, explores new

ideas

and

attempts

Needless to say that

The Yoga Diaries

she's

not

writing

to

maintain

a

regular

practice.

she shares the benefits & joys too! When

or

practicing

yoga,

frolicking in the redwoods with her son,

she

spends

her

time

hula hooping, cooking,

and helping her husband tend to their garden and bees.

Megan Nolan Megan

is

a

personal

trainer

and

yoga

instructor

with

over

14 years of experience. She has worked with hundreds of clients and

students

who

have

experienced

the

aches,

pains,

and

challenges of having to spend long hours at their desks. As an entrepreneur and working

Movement is Vital

on

the

writer herself she spends pend a lot of time

computer.

She

has

come

up

with

a

plan

to

combat these difficulties and teach us that Movement is Vital with each issue teaching us how to deal with our life at a desk.

She runs Vitality Wellness Maui and created the Yoga At My Desk program.

Deja Osbourne Deja

is

an

artist,

an

oracle

deck

creator

and

owner

of

DejaDrewit. Born in Russia and raised in NY, she now lives in California. As a young girl, Deja experienced bullying and as a result developed social anxiety. Drawing was her escape. As she healed she knew that she wanted to inspire and help people through her art but wasn't quite sure how. From 2005 until 2013,

Deja's Self-Care Corner

she

worked

as

a

graphic

artist

and

designer

in

the

fashion

industry. She left to raise a new baby and discovered a way to use her art to help others and started to create oracle decks.

Check out her Self-Care Corner.

Charles Sharar Charles Shahar is a clinical psychologist by training, and a social researcher by profession. He has taught yoga and meditation for over 18 years, and is currently living in India. Please visit his website at: www.lightfigures.com

Uncovering Existence 4

SEP/OCT 2020

CONTENTS

15-17

SELF-CARE CORNER Artist Deja Osbourne shares her monthly selfcare and personal power deck picks with us.

ARE YOU DIVINE?

21-26

Charles Sharar explores this question in-depth and shares a meditation for you to practice too

BUDDHA IN THE HOOD 30-32 Intrigued with this story I told a few people about it and Gillian Maxwell of Distinctively Dressed who lives in Northern California ventured there to take a few pix and videos for me to share with you here.

WHAT IS THAT? AHIMSA

40-41

Our regular feature detailing some unusual terms, conscepts and ideas yogic or otherwise.

THE YOGA DIARIES

37-38

Making masks and exploring ahimsa, Christine Boyd Miller, PhD shares her experience with us.

COBRA

45-48

Not only do we explore the yoga pose, we take a look at the Cobra Effect, the Cobra itself and its symbolism too.

MP3 MEDITATION

36

Finding Balance

SELF-CARE CHECKLIST

34-36

It's always important to take care of ourselves so not only can we enjoy this one precious life, we can serve others when our cup is full.

FOUNDATION 08 Masthead

DELICIOUSNESS This issue we're skipping out on the regular recipes and food deliciousness section - we're doubling up for the holidays! Stay tuned.

07 Editor's Letter 04 Contributors 10-13 Goal Tracking Worksheets 28-29 Giving: Fundraising Effort for Dogs

INSPIRATION & POETRY 19

This is Daily Life by Amy Adams

20

Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar

27

Quote: Louis Camuti

42 Upcoming Workshops & Masterclasses, Free Yoga

35

Buddha Jokes

43 TMSC Recommends: Books, Music, Podcasts

52

Quote: Albert Einstein

49 Mindful Soul Center Podcast Episode Guide

SUPPORT THE WORK

54-55 Monthly Moons Holidays, Stones, & Flowers 50

Shop the Back to Basics Yoga Collection

53

Support The Mindful Soul Center 5

[the]

Mindful Soul Center VOLUME ONE, ISSUE FIVE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 Mindful Soul Center magazine features news and

information

on

all

your

favorite

health,

wellness and spiritual topics like healing, selfcare,

yoga,

meditation,

gardening

and

even

food.

Editor: Amy Adams Editorial Assistant: Ruxandra Badulescu Mascot: Princess Kiki

Features Contributors in alphabetical order: Christine Boyd Miller, PhD Deja Osbourne of Deja Drewit Charles Sharar

Contact us for advertising rates, corrections and other matters via email: hello@themindfulsoulcenter.com

Volume One

is free to read online on our

website as a flipbook.

A paid version to

read on mobile and desktop and printable

website: https://themindfulsoulcenter.com

PDF and print magazine is available.

Buy this issue @ $7.50 USD PDF file, Fillable PDF Worksheets and the MP3 Click here to buy an annual digital ubscription 6 issues @$33.00

learning center: https://mindfulsoul.center

Join our free social network https://mindfulsoul.center Join our Facebook Group Click here to join our mailing list and get the calendar worksheets for free

podcast :Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Listen and subscribe on Spreaker

Editor's Letter Dear Mindful Souls,

We've all been asked to deal with change this year, allowing us to build resilience. Heraclitus said something like: "No man can cross the same river twice." We cannot. Our lives are in constant motion, and we aren't always awake to that fact and present. That's not a fault or judgement, it simply is that.

We do what we can. This brings me to share two things; how the magazine will be going forward and why it is a privilege for me to act as the editor of this publication.

After taking a hiatus from publication, the magazine returns with the fifth of six issues in volume one.

Our next issue will come in November 2020, and we'll open volume two in January and end with December getting this publication into an annular cycle of six-issues. In 2021, each issue will continue to be sold as a digital PDF with audio and video, as well as a higher cost print version. We will likely terminate the flipbook format since it is not easy to read on the phone. It is now available to paid subscribers to read on mindfulsoul.center, a mobile-friendly app. That means that the magazine will no longer be free to read unless we attract a sufficient number of subscribers and advertisers. I will keep you posted and announce any upcoming changes in the next issue.

Creating this magazine is a privilege and pleasure to bring you information and resources to ponder and use in your daily life. This vehicle allows me to bring thought leaders together who share diverse ideas and perspectives. So thank you for that privilege. This issue includes timeless articles and features;

Are

you

Divine?

by

Charles

Sharar,

Christine

Boyd

Miller's,

The

Yoga

Diaries,

and

Deja

Osbourne's Self-Care Corner. And of course, we continue to bring you various inspiring stories, poems and quotes as well. This month we share the poem, Sympathy and a multimedia experience of a street corner in California. In usual form, we continue to bring you other articles focused on life on Earth as well as goal setting worksheets. Thank you to all the writers and teachers who have made this issue possible.

Thank you for taking time from your day to unwind, to read and listen to all we have to offer here today. I invite you to explore what is offered here and feel free to respond with a recorded voice message that you can make when you visit this page: https://speakpipe.com/themindfulsoulcenter or you can click on the recording tab on the website.

With a grateful heart, I wish you peace.

With love,

Amy Adams Founder & Editor The Mindful Soul Center

P.S. Write to us and tell us your interests, something you learned or what you want to know about in the realms of meditation, yoga, personal development, spiritual evolution and living a conscious life.

Send me an email when you click here amy@themindfulsoulcenter dot com or tag us in a post on IG @themindfulsoulcenter or leave a comment on our FB page https://facebook.com/themindfulsoulcenter.

7

THE MINDFUL SOUL CENTER'S

BACK TO BASICS LEGGINGS & YOGA PANTS LEGGINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN PLUS SIZES TOO

$49.95

$38.00

$49.95

Mindful Soul Center Calendar & Tracker Sheets The next four pages are designed to help

you

track

focus

of

your

practices,

cycle

birthdays

dates. and

yoga

There

other

time and

track

menstruation one,

your

and

is

also

and

meditation

your if

monthly

you

other

still

have

important

space

important

keep

for

areas

of

Sign-up for the mailing list and get the goal tracker sheets

goals self-

discovery. If you want fillable PDFs of these sheets there are two ways you

OR

can get them. Sign-up for the list and get

them

for

FREE

or

buy

the

magazine.

When

you

buy

the

magazine

you

also

Buy the magazine and get the goal tracker sheets

get

the Meditation MP3 to download and listen to on any device. You also get the PDF file of the magazine to read offline or print your own copy for only $5.00

Never forget your healthy routines again with this simple mindful self-care planner. Weekly, undated, lightweight 90-day planner that is easy to fill out once a week. Includes habit tracker, appointments, gratitude, goal setting, daily wins & more.

GET IT NOW

THE MINDFUL SOUL CENTER GRATITUDE

YOGA & MEDITATION

SELF-CARE

JOURNAL

READING

TOP 3 MONTHLY GOALS

30 DAY MONTHS APRIL JUNE SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER

When you meet your goals, share them with us on instagram! No matter how big or small we want to celebrate your success. Share your wins when you post a pic and tag us @themindfulsoulcenter

BIRTHDAYS & OTHER EVENTS

BOOKS I'M READING & THINGS I'M LEARNING:

MENSTRUATION

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© The Mindful Soul Center https://themindfulsoulcenter.com

15

THE MINDFUL SOUL CENTER I AM GRATEFUL FOR:

I put this amount of money in my savings:

I took the time to nurture myself this month:

This month I discovered ? about myself:

You can access these calendars and tracker sheets to download when you sign-up for our mailing list - click here. These are fillable PDFS so you can check off the days you do yoga and meditation or track your menstrual cycle. Plus track your goals and other items.

YOGA 1

2

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11

THE MINDFUL SOUL CENTER GRATITUDE

YOGA & MEDITATION

SELF-CARE

JOURNAL

31 DAY MONTHS JANUARY MARCH MAY JULY AUGUST OCTOBER DECEMBER

READING

TOP 3 MONTHLY GOALS

When you meet your goals, share them with us on instagram! No matter how big or small we want to celebrate your success. Share your wins when you post a pic and tag us @themindfulsoulcenter

BIRTHDAYS & OTHER EVENTS

BOOKS I'M READING & THINGS I'M LEARNING:

MENSTRUATION 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

16

17

18

19

20

21

22 23

9

10

11

12

13

14

24

25

26

27

28

29 30

31 © The Mindful Soul Center https://themindfulsoulcenter.com

15

THE MINDFUL SOUL CENTER I AM GRATEFUL FOR:

I put this amount of money in my savings:

I took the time to nurture myself this month:

This month I discovered ? about myself:

You can access these calendars and tracker sheets to download when you sign-up for our mailing list - click here. These are fillable PDFS so you can check off the days you do yoga and meditation or track your menstrual cycle. Plus track your goals and other items.

YOGA 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

16

17

18

19

20

21

22 23

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

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27

28

29 30

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MEDITATION 1

2

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© The Mindful Soul Center https://themindfulsoulcenter.com

13

DEJA'S SELF-CARE CORNER

MEDITATE Breathe, sit quietly, and clear your

mind.

ways

of

There

are

meditating

many if

you

don’t have time to sit quietly there

are

ways

to

meditate

when you walk or drive simply by

focusing

on

your

breath

and clearing your mind. Sit in silence for at least 5 minutes and

give

Allow

your

your

process

any

mind

mind

a

break.

to

just

thoughts

that

come to mind.

DECK: MY QUALITY TIME SELF-CARE DECK

DEJA DREWIT Cards and messages by Deja Osbourne of Deja Drewit. Deja creates cards to inspire amd help women overcome obstacles amd fears. Learn more about Deja here.

15

I TRUST IN DIVINE TIMING Whatever

you

are

so

eager

to

have

or

do,

shall be yours when the right time comes. If you are going through a difficult time, this too shall pass. We often think we don’t have time and allow it to stress us out. Time is unlimited and never actually runs out. Live in the

moment.

waiting

Be

period.

present.

Some

Find

things

joy

in

cannot

the and

should not be rushed.

Great things are worth waiting for. I like to think

the

better

it

longer will

be.

I

wait Every

for

something,

stumbling

the

block

is

here to teach us. We grow wiser with each experience. When you look back on your life in the future you might ask yourself, “Why was I so impatient?” Everything turned out okay. “Why didn’t I just relax and trust that everything would come together?”

D E C K :

P E R S O N A L

P O W E R

D E C K

17

[the] MINDFUL SOUL CENTER

PODCAST SHARE YOUR STORIES & ASK QUESTIONS

RECORD YOUR MESSAGE Answer a call for stories from one of our episodes or recommend a guest for an interview, tell us a story or let us know what topics are important to you. It's so easy, simply visit the website and on the tab on the right you can leave a voice recording. https://themindfulsoulcenter.com

This is daily life My brain slowly moves from one state to

another,

following

sometimes

the

rhythm,

unaware the

and

ebbs

and

flows of daily life begin. Each day it is not only the light that wakes me but the song of the birds and the change in the temperature and air. If we pay attention,

we

will

notice

subtle

changes feeling through our sens-es, especially

at

dusk

and

dawn.

This

is

daily life.

The daily life of a bird, a dog, a cat, a plant,

or

any

living

being

on

earth

changes each day with the light. The morning brings together a murder of crows, they depart and go about their day,

later

evening

to

meet

before

again

returning

in to

the their

resting place. At once, the sparrows' chirp and pigeons coo. The dog rises and stretches with her paws pressing lightly

but

audibly

on

the

floor.

The

dawn chorus begins. This is daily life.

Then

there

are

moments

in

days

when

the

sun

the

dance

in

the

sky

and

and

time

-

moon

eclipse

one

another or there are equal parts light and

dark

as

Whatever

the

the

experiencing

seasons

cycle at

of

the

change.

nature

moment,

we we

are can

recognize them. Light casts shadows, both

co-exist

simultaneously.

This

is

daily life.

Darkness, the vast empty space that makes

the

comes. notice

light

When as

the

I

of

am

stars

possible

present,

seeping

I

midnight

take blue

turns black even though it is less so in the

city.

Later

as

we

settle

down

to

restore our bodies, we enter the void, sleep comes. This is daily life.

Darkness

is

by

no

means

the

mere

absence of light, it is the origin. The vast

abyss,

the

place

seemingly of

infinite,

creation

and

it

is

trans-

formation - from the formless to the form. when

The we

sun

still

cannot

see

is

shining,

it.

This

is

even daily

life.

by Amy Adams

19

by Paul Laurence Dunbar (b. 27 JUN 1872 d.9 FEB 1906)

I know what the caged bird feels, alas!

When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass, And the river flows like a stream of glass; When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice steals— I know what the caged bird feels!

I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel bars; For he must fly back to his perch and cling When he fain would be on the bough a-swing; And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars And they pulse again with a keener sting— I know why he beats his wing!

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,— When he beats his bars and he would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core, But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings— I know why the caged bird sings!

Sympathy From and

Lyrics

Company

Domain

and

Angelou's

of in

the

was

famous

bird sings!

Hearthside

1899. the

This

by

poem

is

inspiration

poem

-

I

know

Dodd, in

the

behind why

the

Mead Public Maya caged

Are You Divine?

by Charles Sharar Who are you? When asked such a question most individuals would reply that they are a human being, with a body and a mind. Most of us have wondered what happens to our being when the body dies. Do the personality and identity dissolve along with it? If a higher

aspect

of

our

being

survives

the

body’s

death,

does

it

exist before the body was born? If so, how long has it existed for and will it exist forever?

To even attempt to answer such questions we need to define the nature

of

our

being.

If

our

being

survives

death,

then

it

is

obviously more than just an individual body. If we believe it has incarnated

many

times

on

this

earth

and

has

donned

many

different bodies and assumed many personalities, then what is it that has survived throughout and between such sojourns?

This is where the idea of the soul comes in. It is assumed, at least by most of the world’s religions, that we have an individual soul.

Again, if we believe in reincarnation, we may also posit that the memories of individual lifetimes are stored by the soul as seeds or potentialities, between lives; and that these have an impact, albeit

an

unconscious

one,

on

our

current

dispositions

and

behaviours.

Finally, we can ask whether there is anything of our being that remains

unchanged

experience

as

an

and

unaffected

individual

soul?

We

by can

anything call

it

that

“pure

we

being”

because it seems to reflect our essence or originality. Does this pure being live forever? If so, then would the comings and goings of an individual’s body have any relevance to it? Moreover, is my pure being different than your pure being?

21

Where can we look to answers to some of these basic questions?

Most religions have something to say about such topics. I think I must have annoyed some clergy in my younger years by pestering them with questions such as, “Will I live forever? And if so, what is the difference between God and me?”

They would wince, reflect for a few seconds, and say something that they hoped would satisfy my curiosity. I remember one of them

saying

remember

that

being

we

are

struck

all,

by

in

essence,

that

answer

a

part

and

of

God.

feeling

I

also

somewhat

confused. “If God is infinite and absolute,” I thought, “then each part of God must be infinite as well. So why couldn’t he say we are God? Why was it forbidden to even entertain such a notion?”

Yet, I was constantly entertaining such a notion, the implications of which were staggering. If I am ultimately divine, that would mean that my being is immortal. That would further imply that the real me was never born and never dies. This thought certainly left me reeling with excitement. The trouble was that it was just an idea. I had no experience of my real Self as divine.

I realized very quickly that the answers to such questions could not be approached by relying on conjecture or imagination. Nor were they the subject of analysis or reason. They simply could not be understood by the imperfect instrument of the human mind.

These

were

not

points

of

an

intellectual

argument

or

some

concepts used for ego gratification, but rather they represented the loftiest levels of our awareness. As you might guess, I am not talking about human awareness here.

I

also

understood

demonstrated knowledge sense

that

of if

that

that our I

our

deep

underlying

put

my

capacity

down, true

attention

we

to

nature. on

ask

must

such

have

questions

an

Moreover,

these

issues

inherent I

had

the

sufficiently,

eventually some kind of light would shine through and provide me with the direct illumination, for which I was seeking.

The Path to Divinity The reader at this point might think I am presenting a hypothesis here —— that our nature is ultimately divine. They may consider this proposition to be plausible, but they might think that further evidence would be necessary if they are to be convinced. What proof

do

I

have?

Or

they

may

have

already

reached

a

similar

conclusion but wonder that if their existence is so divine, why are they so wrapped up in their mundane daily affairs?

First, I can’t offer proof that your nature is divine. You have to get that knowledge for yourself. But maybe I can make suggestions about

how

suggest

to

ways

get to

that

direct

maintain

that

experience. state

attained such insight or revelation.

of

Perhaps

divinity

I

once

can you

also have

ytiniviD ot htaP

As I imply above, divinity is not a subject for your mind. That means it is not sufficient to think you are divine, or to just say it, or to try to behave in ways that you think divine beings might behave. All of these actions fall way short of having the knowledge of the self as divine.

In

other

words,

there

is

a

difference

between

thinking

and

knowing. This is a critical point because the intellect cannot grasp the nature of the divine. We can use various adjectives to describe divinity: unchangeable, undying, absolute, formless, all-pervading.

But

these

are

all

descriptions

that

the

intellect

uses

to

try

to

understand something that is unfathomable.

The intellect of a human being functions solely in the realm of space and time. Anything beyond this dimension is beyond the

ehT

horizon of its appreciation. The true nature of divinity cannot be held as a concept, simply because ideas are finite. The divine is absolute, meaning it has no limits, dimensions or qualifications.

An even more subtle understanding is that divinity is not even an experience. Experience relates to the human mind. The process involves

an

experiencer,

the

experience

and

the

object

of

experience. When you leave the realm of mind, this distinction dissolves.

The

experiencer,

the

experience

and

the

object

of

experience become one and the same.

The

divine

being

experiences

itself,

or

knows

itself,

as

being.

However, for the sake of expression, I will refer to this process as the

“direct

experience”

of

divinity.

One

can

only

directly

experience their divinity when they drop their mind.

What do I mean by dropping the mind? As long as there are waves in the mind, meaning thoughts, we are still dealing with in the realm of mental experiences. But I am not speaking about trying to

control

your

thoughts

through

an

effort

of

will

or

somehow

banishing them from your mind’s eye.

When you “try” to do anything, your ego-mind is involved in the application of your individual will. The process I am referring to relates more to a surrender of the ego-mind to the divine. This is not

necessarily

an

easy

thing

to

do.

It

is

neither

an

accomplishment nor a goal. It is a state of just being.

The significance of what I have just said is that we have a human nature (body-mind-ego) and a divine nature. Our human nature represents a manifestation that is constantly in flux —— appearing, changing

and

dying.

Divinity

is

immutable

and

eternal.

It

represents our originality.

Divinity, been.

therefore,

The

never

implications

appears

here

are

or

disappears.

truly

It

staggering.

has If

always

you

can

connect to your inner divinity, you will come to know that you were never

born,

nor

will

you

ever

die.

The

body-mind

(in

fact,

the

world) is just a dream, a false reality. We just need to wake up from it.

23

there

a

technique

that

could

offer

you

a

path

to

your

originality? Is there some formula you can use to know your Self as divine? I have found three key ingredients that will lead one’s attention to their divinity:

implementing a regular practice of

meditation; finding a spiritual teacher who knows their nature as divine; having a strong desire to unfold one’s inner divinity.

Any technique that connects you to the divine must involve the transcendence of human consciousness. But the transcendence I speak

about

is

very

specific.

For

instance,

you

can

use

psychotropic drugs to alter your consciousness and open your mind and senses to some incredible experiences. But you are still dealing with mental and fleeting experiences here.

The transcendence I am referring to is a state of being that is always

there

senses.

It

but

is

which

the

you

reality

cannot

behind

detect

the

mind

with

your

and

mind

between

or the

thoughts. And while this reality permeates the thoughts, it has nothing to do with your individual identity because as long as you consider yourself to be an individual, you are a human being.

How do we dissolve our individual identity and become one with our absolute nature? The first step is to develop a practice that reverses

a

mistaken

impression

that

we

have

had

since

the

moment of our birth: that we are defined by our humanity, by our existence as a form —— namely, that we were born, that we exist as a body —— and that we eventually die.

The

most

effective

consciousness

into

method

divine

I

know

for

consciousness

transforming is

meditation.

human I

don’t

mean meditating on your thoughts, or on an object; but rather, meditating regular

on

your

practise

being.

because

it

This is

type

difficult

of

meditation

requires

to

undo

years

many

of

identification with your body-mind.

How do you meditate on your own being? Some people use a mantra or sacred sound to shift the frequency of their thoughts to a more refined level. Others use their breath to calm their body and mind and lift their awareness. Some people chant to open their heart to a more sublime reality and achieve a mindless state. Others simply meditate on the blue-black space in front of their closed eyes until their mind dissolves into it.

All these methods trigger, what is called, “the Kundalini Energy.”

This force is described by the ancient yogis, who noted that as the

Kundalini

rises

through

the

etheric

spinal

cord,

the

consciousness likewise rises through the different dimensions or planes of existence until it finally blows through the top of the head.

At

that

moment,

the

person

transcends

their

individual

identity and achieves a beatitude that is beyond space and time.

eniviD eht gnirevocnU

Is

this

sounds

remember

is

a

bit

that

by

mechanical.

attaining

a

The

important

mindless

state,

thing

your

to

inner

divinity is revealed to you. Meditation has the advantage that the more you do it, the more the texture of your consciousness is transformed.

Eventually,

your

life

will

become

a

meditation

in

itself, and you will be connected to your divinity throughout.

Maintaining

a

regular

practice

of

meditation

is

a

challenge

because there are so many distractions presented by this world.

There is plenty to keep us busy and occupy our mind. The world pulls

at

us

from

so

many

directions.

The

key

is

to

turn

our

attention inward and reverse the flow of our consciousness. This is not an easy thing to do.

Again, I have found meditation to be the best way to do this.

Meditation will foster a detachment from the world. Gradually its hold on you will diminish, and you will no longer feel its pull. A detachment thoughts

is

and

also

fostered

feelings

will

from

no

the

longer

body

seem

and so

mind.

Your

immediate

or

eniviD eht gnirevocnU

All

compelling.

Is meditation the only way to reach the divine? Prayer is also a way to open a spiritual channel; but in prayer, one generally prays to an

agency

outside

of

their

being,

hence,

a

certain

duality

is

maintained. In meditation, on the other hand, the being focuses on itself until no such separation exists.

For those looking for a specific technique of meditation, I provide a guide to what I call “space meditation” at the end of this article.

The second factor related to uncovering your inner divinity has to do

with

finding

someone

who

has

already

attained

that

knowledge, and who can help guide you to a realization of your divine nature. The relationship between a spiritual teacher and their disciple is a very personal one. You just have to make sure that the teacher is not only knowledgeable but egoless as well.

Finding the right spiritual teacher is not something that happens merely through an effort of the individual will. I believe the forces that pull the seeker to the teacher happen on a level that is not comprehensible to the human mind and has nothing to do with happenstance.

The teacher who is, himself or herself enlightened, will provide a mirror in which the divine is most directly reflected. Their very presence

will

consciousness. gaze,

and

lead This

even

you

to

presence their

states is

that

reflected

thoughts.

All

in

transcend their

can

human

words,

lead

to

their deep

transformations on the part of the disciple.

The final factor related to uncovering one’s divine nature has to do with desire. It is not enough just to think about it. If you want to

uncover

your

inner

divinity,

your

life’s

purpose

must

be

to

unfold the knowledge that your being was never born and will never die. This goes beyond faith and philosophy. It is more like an awakening of consciousness from the human to the divine.

25

A Space Meditation A

meditation

into

your

technique

divine

for

nature

is

tuning

to

focus

attention on the blue-black space in front of your closed eyes. You should not strain while gazing at the space, but rather keep your eyes relaxed. The gaze

itself

should

be

at

a

point

between the eyes and slightly above the line of sight. You can imagine that you are staring several inches in front of your face.

There

is

a

focus.

It

corresponds

reason

for

this

to

a

point

of

centre

of

energy known as the Ajna chakra or Third Eye. When the Ajna is activated, the

mind

gets

dimensions rational pressure

beyond

plane. is

blown

to

the

linear

Sometimes

felt

in

the

other or

heat

brow

or

chakra,

and its activation may result in seeing brilliant lights and interesting visions.

If you are wise, however, you will not get

preoccupied

with

such

exper-

iences.

The

important

thing

is

to

maintain

your attention on the space. The lights and curly-cues will eventually dissolve, but

the

space

will

always

remain.

At

some point, the fullness of the space will

envelop

background

you. of

That

pure

space

is

the

consciousness,

which permeates all.

When you

you

are

“out

are

not

there�,

focusing

focusing at

on

the

your

something

space,

attention

apart

from

your being. That is because you are not using your physical eyes to look out in front

of

you.

Rather,

your

being

is

focusing on itself. When you merge into the absolute space, your divine nature will then be revealed to you.

Love of animals is a universal impulse,

h c i h w n o d n u o a common gr . t e e m y a m s all of u

By loving and un derstanding anim als, l l a h s s n a m u h e w s p perha come to understand each other.

LOUIS J. CAMUTI

27

l u o S l u f d n i M e h T e h t e g v n o i c L u g d o o r D t In er's new line of Cent products Click on any of the images below to visit the site and purchase a cozy graphic t-shirt, tank-top, yoga shorts or lap top cases and support the dogs.

Women's Cap Sleeve Top

Every time you buy a 'dog love' t-shirt, tanks, yoga shorts and more!

A donation ranging from $7 to $15 (determined by product) is made to

White

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$29.95

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support 16 rescue dogs.

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The Mindful Soul Center Fundraising Effort

You can find more Dog Love products in the shop

$38.50

The Mindful Soul Center Fundraising Effort Anywhere from $7 to $15 USD from items sold in the Dog Love product line will go towards the purchase of items listed below to help 16 rescued dogs to be cared and provided

for

the

rest

of

their

lives.

When

you

support

this

effort

you

get

something in return - knowing you are helping the dogs and a cozy t-shirt or cute tote bag. 15 of the 16 dogs are over 7 years old. One is only 3 and was dumped on the

side

of

the

road

with

2

other

pups.

Because

this

shelter

exists

they

have

shelter, food, volunteers who pet them and visit them daily.

Current needs for the shelter at this time:

For every t tote you pu -shirt or $15 goes trchase $7o aid the dog shelter

Special food for Lourde - Lourde is allergic to most dog foods. He cannot eat the same foods that are given to all the other dogs.

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A water pump to bring water onto the property.

If we can get the pump installed we will be able to have fresh water for the dogs year round and we will no longer need to refill the plastic water

bins

that

freeze

during

the

winter

so

they are only good for approximately 8 months

New roofing is needed over some of the dogs compartments. Some leak and need immediate repair before the harshest months of winter come.

per year. Cost is 4k.

A solar powered motion detector light to help protect the premises (no electricity on the property)

29

SACRED SPACE: THE BUDDHA OF OAKLAND Drug

dealers,

sex

workers,

and

a

lot

of

garbage, including old furniture, piled up and became an annoyance and an eyesore in

the

Eastlake

neighbourhood

of

Oakland in Northern California where Dan Stevenson

and

his

wife

Lou

live.

They

were exasperated. One day they decided to take action and put a concrete Buddha in the area across from their home where the garbage was frequently piling up. Dan affixed the Buddha to a slab of concrete.

That was in 2012.

About

four

carefully people

painted

started

Buddha was

months

-

the

white

offerings

pears,

gold

someone

Buddha

leaving

oranges,

painted

later,

and

and

his

and

to

the

coins.

eyes

He

were

carefully painted in over time.

They inadvertently created a sacred space.

Eventually, an entire shrine was erected around

the

Buddha

joined

him

mercy

Quan

people

-

and

including Yin.

began

to

As

other the

time

come

to

‘friends’

goddess

passed,

of

local

venerate

the

Buddha and leave offerings. Every feast day

the

local

Vietnamese

community

comes and brings Dan and Lou gifts. At least

70

people

come

each

day

to

venerate the Buddha.

31

Over time the local drug dealers, users, and

sex

Crime

workers

neighbourhood. when

moved

dropped

Phoebe

podcast followed

the

area.

82%

in

the

in

2015

That

was

Judge

of

interviewed up

from

over

Dan

four

back the

Dan.

Criminal Criminal

years

later.

He

reported that more and more people have come.

It’s

even

on

Google

maps

with

reviews.

Click on the Buddha to go to RadioPublic and listen to CRIMINAL'S podcast episode 15 entitled: He's Neutral

Periodically

some

damage

is

inflicted

upon the site and each time something is destroyed it just gets bigger. What was once a single statue of Buddha has now become

not

just

a

sacred

space,

sacred place.

Videos & photos: Gillian Maxwell

but

a

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Every issue in Volume One of the Mindful Soul Center magazine is free to read online as a flipbook. Sometimes though reading a print copy is preferable, or you might want to keep something like a recipe, a worksheet or even the meditation from this edition without having to search for it again. The magazine is available to purchase. Get the details below.

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d n a t s

g o d t o h

a

o t

p u

s e o g "

! g k n n i o h m t

y t r s e i v A Buddh Make me one with e and says: " Why did the Buddhist coroner get fired? He kept marking the cause of death as “birth" What happens whe totally absorbed w n a Buddhist becomes working with? He ith the computer he is enters Nerdvana : -)

35

Balance a guided meditation If you're feeling anxious or stressed take a few minutes to get it together and connect with your intuition. This music meditation will relax your mind and body so you can reset and find your place of center. When we're centered and calm, we are more connected to intuition allowing us to make choices with more ease. Heavy tasks become lighter.

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Buy this issue

Finding Balance Through Ahimsa Making Facemasks: A Lesson on Ahimsa

By Christine Boyd Miller

Ahimsa is an ancient yogic principle rooted in nonviolence. It means causing no harm toward any living thing; the earth itself. I’ve been trying

to

live

my

life

according

to

this

principle

and

it

has

had

a

profound effect on my general outlook and how I react to conflict. My greatest conflicts lie within though, and practicing ahimsa inwardly is more challenging for me than practicing it toward others. As I grow daily through my ahimsa practice toward the earth and other living beings, I am becoming kinder to myself.

I

have

struggled

on

and

off

with

depression

for

several

years

and

recently have been trudging through the deepest depression of my life since my sister died seven months ago. In the dense fog of tragedy and pain, practicing ahimsa has been a saving grace. It has also become crystal clear to me that if I don’t take care of myself with love and kindness, I don’t have the energy to express ahimsa outwardly.

I’ve always thrown myself into taking care of others as a way to avoid dealing with my problems. After a while, my reserves become depleted and I have a convenient excuse for not taking care of myself. Like the proverbial oxygen mask - if I’m not healthy, I can’t practice ahimsa toward the earth and all its beings.

When the shelter-in-place (SIP) orders began, I used the opportunity to throw myself into my yoga practice. My local yoga studio took all of its classes online so I could, and still can, practice yoga in real-time with my

teacher

and

fellow

yogis

every

day.

In

the

beginning,

I

even

attended two classes a day sometimes. My goal was to bring yoga into my quarantine routine. After a few weeks, a combination of factors interrupted virtual

my

classes.

new I

was

routine, hard

I

on

pretty

much

stopped

myself

about

it

at

attending

first,

but

my

once

I

remembered to look at the disruption through an ahimsa lens, I started to feel better about it. I’m struggling to get back to a regular yoga practice, perhaps a less ambitious one. I’ve realized that practicing ahimsa every day keeps my yoga practice alive even if I’m not attending class.

Shortly after the SIP, a friend of mine started a mask drive for our county’s homeless population. I have a sewing machine that, until a couple of months ago, I could barely figure out how to thread. Next to my barely used sewing machine was a bin full of fabrics that I had intended for years to turn into beautiful clothes. I’ve always wanted to learn how to sew but have never been able to move it up the chain of ever-piling priorities. The mask drive was the ideal opportunity to both practice ahimsa toward my community and learn how to sew.

37

Making Facemasks: A Lesson on Ahimsa For weeks, I threw myself in making masks for the drive and anyone in our

small

town

who

needed

one.

It

felt

energizing

at

first

to

do

something helpful for my community. Ultimately though, I fell into my typical pattern of helping others as an excuse to neglect my own needs.

The weeks of mask-making coincided with the six-month anniversary of my sister’s death, her birthday, and my canceled trip back east to plant an

oak

sapling

above

her

body.

Making

masks

became

a

good

distraction from the pain. I kept myself too busy to confront my pain and work on healing it.

Eventually, the masks took over and I found myself exhausted from staying up too late. An old rib injury flared up from sitting for hours at a time, hunched over the sewing machine. I could no longer keep up with the constant mess scattering the house as my four-year-old who I was too busy to play with, turned every room and piece of furniture into some new imaginative, and very messy world. I haven’t attended more than a yoga class every week or two since I started making masks. The lack of exercise and exhaustion combined with avoiding my emotional pain and depression predictably led to the resurgence of bad habits and

self-neglect.

How

quickly

mask-making

went

from

a

conscious

practice of ahimsa to a breakdown in its purpose.

I still have a tall pile of mask squares cut out and ready to sew. I haven’t sewn a mask in six days. I will sew them when I can do so with balance.

I’m taking some time off to think about what it means to practice ahimsa. If I am neglecting my own needs, I cannot practice ahimsa toward others. These last few days, I’ve caught up on overdue playtime with my son and am slowly cleaning my way through my messy house. I am allowing my pain and grief to surface, so I can process it, difficult as it is. I have a long way to go before I break free of the deeply learned self-harming tools that only serve to indulge my depression.

Practicing ahimsa requires balance as well as the acknowledgment that I am a living being so therefore worthy of receiving the very ahimsa I seek to spread toward others. Taking the time to make a healthy meal, brush my teeth, or go for a walk in the woods with my son all contribute to living my life with ahimsa as my guiding principle. So does making masks for my community, just not too many.

Self-care Check-in EAT THREE MAIN MEALS GO ON A 24-HOUR SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX FIND A QUIET SPOT TO MEDITATE LIGHT AN AROMATIC CANDLE DO A GRATITUDE LIST PRACTICE DEEP BREATHING LISTEN TO GOOD MUSIC MOVE YOUR BODY CATCH UP WITH A FRIEND VISIT A FAMILY MEMBER SPEND TIME OUTDOORS HAVE A MINI PAMPER SESH CUDDLE A PET TRY SOMETHING NEW READ A BOOK

CLAY FACIAL MASK SOFT SOCKS WALK YOUR DOG OR CAT :-) WARM BLANKETS LUNCH BY MYSELF GO FOR A WALK TIME WITH FRIENDS TIME WITH FAMILY AFTERNOON NAP DAILY MOOD TRACKERÂ COOK A MEAL

Make it a habit to take care of yourself !

39

the Jain symbol for Ahimsa

What is that? Ahimsa and the Yamas...

What? What is that?

Ahimsa

or

principles

non-harming that

form

is

the

the

first

Yamas

or

of

five

ethical

self-restraints

in

Patanjali's seminal work, the Yoga Sutras. These ethical principles

are

first

found

in

ancient

Vedic

texts

long

before Patanjali set out to codify the yogic path to selfrealization. It is part of the Raja* yoga system as the term

is

used

in

modern

times

and

is

sometimes

used

interchangeably with Ashtanga yoga. Ahimsa is also the first of the five precepts taught in Buddhism. Before we delve into the concept of non-harming, let's talk about the purpose of the Yamas and briefly list them.

The Five Yamas The

Five

Yamas

or

self-restraints

are

a

set

of

ethical

guidelines meant to help us manage our desires and to create

healthy

relationships

with

others

creating

balance in our lives. Meant to regulate our bodily and minds' desires the five principles known as Yamas are: Ahimsa or non-harming, Satya or truthfulness, Asteya or non-stealing, senses, five the

and,

Brahmacharya Aparigraha

self-restraints, eight-fold

yoga,

make

path

up

the

or

or

together of

Raja

code

moderation

of

non-possessiveness. with Yoga

of

the

second

taught

ethical

in

the

These

limb

of

Ashtanga

conduct

in

Yoga

philosophy.

Ahimsa aka Non-violence or Non-harming The principle of non-violence applies to all living beings since

not

spiritual another

only

do

energy being

they

possess

the

we

also

recognize

to

hurt

oneself.

is

essence it.

To

of

Hence, cause

divine

to

no

hurt

injury

includes deeds, words, and thoughts. When we live our lives by this principle, we create space for peace and trust

and,

by

extension,

we

reduce

insecurity

with

others as well as reducing the fears that taint the mind. *Raja

The Yoga Sutras

century

Patanjali did not create any of the Yamas or propose new path

ideas of

in

the

Yoga

Yoga

Sutras,

towards

yoga

modern

instead,

he

self-realization.

outlined During

a

his

lifetime and for hundreds of years following his death the Sutras were memorized by practitioners until one day, they were finally recorded in print.

raja

a

the

Swami

yoga

PataĂąjali. is

-

with

took

when

Vivekananda the

on

the

Yoga

this

19th-

equated

SĹŤtras

of

We can surmise to say that

misnomer

meaning

term

meaning

in

since

Hatha

it

has

Yoga

another

and

other

historic and modern meanings as well, including a path of meditation.

Probably the most well-known modern proponent of the ethical principle of Ahimsa was Mahatma Gandhi.

41

october 2020

Free the

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CHAKRA BASICS MASTERCLASS FREE in the FB Group October 2020

Paid workshops WORKSHOP NO. 1 GROUNDING & BALANCE Focus on the Lower Chakras

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-

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We but

find ways to balance and unblock

WORKSHOP NO. 2 CONNECTING TO YOUR INTUITION Focus on the Upper Chakras

our

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meshed For

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chakras connecting us with earthly life and our heart. In part two, we'll move from

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TMSC PLAYLIST FOR YOGA #5

one of the

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Ambient.Oleg

began

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less

P O D C A S T S START WITH THIS Jeffrey bad

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good

laugh

have

a

listen.

TMSC RECoMMENDS 43

Cobra The snake, a yoga pose, an effect and symbolism The cobra, like other snakes and serpents, can trigger a primal fear in human beings. After all, they are part of the reptilian family one of the most ancient and adaptable forms of life on this earth. Almost all can bite, some are poisonous and,

some

eyelids,

unnerving tongue,

will

they

for

and

strangle

cannot

humans.

their

their

blink

jaws

prey.

which

They can

can

smell

Without be

quite

with

their

unhinge,

allowing

them to swallow all the nourishment they need at once. Their skin is a conglomeration of tough scales that appear smooth and sometimes shiny.

Although it is quite dry, it helps them to move with ease and protect them from adversity.

All of the known cobras are venomous. Many of them

are

capable

producing

a

hood

of

when

rearing

upwards

threatened.

The

and black

desert cobra and the coral snake are cobras that do not rear upwards, nor do they produce a hood when threatened. However, they are still highly venomous.

a yoga pose: cobra aka Bhujangasana In cobra pose, your body reflects back the look

In

of a cobra’s raised hood as you raise your head

muscles

lifting the chest with an inhale, then we exhale

length of your spine and keep our body upright -

lowering

When

the erector spinae. It also helps to strengthen

with your

the gluteus maximus muscles. More important-

down

to

a

relaxed

state.

mimicking the alert state of a cobra — head

raised

as

your

lower

body

rests

on

the

ly,

fact,

cobra

cobra

and

pose

strengthens

tendons

can

that

strengthen

the

extend

other

group

the

lesser

of

whole

‘worked’

ground — there is something very empowering

muscles like our gluteus medius and minimus of

as

ancient

the buttocks, both of which help to stabilize the

animal. Like the cobra, we become powerful as

you

embody

pelvis. Hence, we experience the benefits of a

we

more

strengthen

the

our

energy

spine

and

of

this

increase

agility

able to move with more ease in our daily lives.

agile

and

supple

spine

and

improved

posture through the practice of this pose.

45

practising cobra pose Cobra pose is an energising backbend. As with all yoga poses our level of flexibility and opening can differ as we bend and stretch our back. Start with a lower cobra or ‘baby’ cobra as you warm your body and build from there. Warm your body sufficiently before

fully

expressing

the

pose.

Also,

keep

in

mind that inhaling and exhaling plays an important part — as we bend and stretch — as we open, we inhale and exhale as we release.

in sequences It is also an essential part of the traditional sun salutation aka Surya Namaskar practised in Hatha yoga. This pose is frequently practised as the first in the series of back bending asanas followed by Locust aka Shalabhasana and Bow aka Dhanurasana postures.

how to practise the pose How to practise the pose:Begin by lowering your body down to the ground. Your body is facing downward. Your hands are underneath your shoulders, and your feet pointed to the back wall.

Keeping your hands and feet in place, you slide and raise the chest forward and up, open your shoulders - pulling them away from your ears. Be aware of the point of extension as you lift, going as far as you can without straining your back. Keep your elbows slightly bent, arms close to your body pushing up to a comfortable position. Tilt your head back and lookup. The best way to check if you are not too high is to take your hands off the floor for a moment so that the height you are at will be comfortable and safe. Your hips and thighs remain grounded on the mat.

As you hold

this pose, your legs are active; they are extended downward from the hips, with the tops of your feet pressed into the mat.

benefits This pose nourishes the spine and strengthens and tones the lower back increasing agility rejuvenating the spinal nerves

and

stretches shoulders,

relieving

and

stress.

strengthens

abdomen

and

This

the

powerful

muscles

buttocks

-

in

backbend the

chest,

strengthening

each

opens

vertebra

the

chest,

of

the

spine

allowing

for

in

this

deeper

pose.

Cobra

breathing.

pose

Also,

it

stimulates digestion and helps relieve constipation. This posture is an excellent tonic for women as it significantly helps

to

alleviate

menstrual

problems.

It

is

also

recommended as a remedy to alleviate sciatica and low back

pain.

Some

traditional

yoga

texts

assert

that

pose increases body heat and destroys all disease.

this pose

the

spine and improving posture. A rich supply of blood flows to

when to avoid

this

1. Cobra pose should be avoided if you are suffering from a hernia.

2. If you have injured your back only do

this

with

pose

your

physical

after

family

consult-ing

chiropractor,

therapist,

or

another

health specialist.

3. Pregnant this pose.

women

should

avoid

47

symbolism These ancient creatures are found

in

art

and

throughout

the

worldwide. part

As

of

creation

symbols ages

an

intrinsic

the

whole

of

the

snake

is

associated with danger and death,

death

and

rebirth,

and initiation. It correlates with all of these things for a variety the

of

reasons.

most

obvious

process

of

One is

of

the

shedding

its

skin. As it outgrows its old skin, the shedding process begins begin

first to

snake

as

its

cloud

eyes

over.

enters

The

into

a

trancelike state and, as the shedding

begins

its

eyes

clear as it begins a new life.

There are numerous meanings which warrant its own detailed lay

eggs

When new

analysis. and

the

life

Snakes

bury

egg

the

a

world

alone fending for itself. To survive,

it

must

be

The

cobra

effect

is

when

a

strategy is implemented and yields

unintended

conse-

quences making the problem worse.

Usually,

the

used

concerning

mic

stimulus

policy.

The

term

an

or

term

is

econopolitical

originated

in India under British rule.

them.

hatches,

enters

cobra effect

self-

sufficient and resilient.

“The British government was concerned about the number of venomous cobras in Delhi.

The

government,

offered

a

therefore,

bounty

for

every

dead cobra. Initially, this was a

successful

large

strategy

numbers

were

killed

for

Eventually, prising

snakes

the

reward.

however,

people

as

of

enter-

began

to

breed cobras for the income.

When

the

government

became

aware

of

reward

this,

program

the was

scrapped, causing the cobra breeders less

to

snakes

cobra

set

the

free;

population

increased.�

worth-

the

wild

further

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A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Stones

Flowers

blue sapphire

aster and morning glory

Holidays 7 Labor Day in the US Labour Day in Canada 18 Rosh Hashanah, at sundown 22 Autumnal Equinox at 1:31 PM UTC or 13:31. There are equal hours of daylight and darkness at this time 27 Yom Kippur 29 Michaelmas an ancient Celtic “Quarter Day” marking the end of the harvest season

Moons & Astrological Events 2 — Full Corn Moon 17 — New Moon

Astrological Signs Virgo and Libra

In the next issue of

Mindful Soul Center Vol. 1, Issue 6, Nov/Dec 2020 In the next issue of Mindful Soul Center magazine, we’ll explore shadow and light as we move into winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

What is that? Spiritual Materialism or Spiritual Bypassing The Mother: Dark and Light Eclipses Solar and Lunar Our Shadow Sun Salutations Recipes for pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, amazing and delicious chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and more for the holidays!

You can also look forward to our upcoming Holiday Shopping Guide for Yoginis and Mindful Souls :-)

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OCTOBER 2020 Stones

Flowers

opal and tourmaline

cosmos and calendula aka marigold

Holidays 1 Chinese Moon Festival 12 Canadian Thanksgiving 12 Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the US —a holiday that celebrates the history and cultures of indigenous peoples native to what is today the United States.

24 United Nations Day 31 All Hallows’ Eve

Moons & Astrological Events October 16 — New Moon October 1 — Full Harvest Moon October 31 — Full Hunter’s Moon and Blue Moo October 13 — Mars at OppositionFor most of the month of October, the light of Mars will grow brighter the

than

second

even

Jupiter,

brightest

which

planet

in

is

generally

the

sky.

The

brightness of Mars will peak on October 13 when the

planet

reaches

opposition.

Earlier

in

the

month, on October 6, Mars will get as close as 38.6

million

miles

from

Earth,

its

closest

approach until 2035, according to EarthSky.

Astrological Signs Libra & Scorpio

Upcoming Astrological Events November & December 2020 November 29-30 — Lunar Eclipse December 13 — Geminid Meteor Shower December 14 — Total Solar Eclipse December 21 — Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

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