Categories
Body Huna Das Happiness Mind

Tips for a Peaceful Holiday Season

At times the Holiday time period can be fun-filled with parties, parades, family traditions and craft fairs. Other times, it can get quite stressful with buying gifts, getting places on time with mega traffic and unpleasant thoughts of past Holiday seasons.

When things get crazed for me, I do these 4 things that bring myself back into position to be better prepared, poised and peaceful. To continue on with the Holiday Season. If you are having stress, give one or all a try and let me know how it goes in the comment section.

Personally, I’ve gone to Unity Churches in Chicago, New York and Hawaii. But, I do go to the church for different reasons and lately I’ve been going to St. Clements because I like the Minister and the social events they do.

When it comes to the Holidays, Unity churches know where it’s at to provide you with a Peaceful Holiday Season. My all time favorite video is below. The message is simple yet so hard to remember during the hectic Holiday Season. I listen to this almost daily during December and sometimes around Thanksgiving and also Easter.

It shows you how you can be peaceful in ANY situation. Remember, from past posts: People, Places & Things Can NOT affect your Good Mood. You can ONLY control your OWN Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors.

Here is Unity minister Justin Epstein Choosing Peace & Joy This Holiday Season…. to elaborate on this theme. In my opinion, no matter what way you reach God, it is worth watching during the Holiday Season.

And here is one of my favorite Ministers at the moment from CUT in Chicago. If music and the word help you, this is a great one to check out. Or look for more videos from them on YouTube or Facebook. They work hard preparing & pack a lot of content into one Sunday service. Reverends: McDowell, Wells, Jackie and McGee put an abundance of prep work into their Sunday sermons.

And here is one of their newest videos from December 2024:

If you can, go to a live chanting session. On Ohau, we meet every Tuesday at Church of the Crossroads, if you are ever in town, stop by Tuesdays between 7p-830p. We are a small yet effective group of chanters and I ALWAYS leave more peaceful than prior to arriving. I’ve also been to many interesting and different chanting/Kirtan events in NYC. Just Google Kirtan in your town to see whats happening.

Or if you can’t, find a live Kirtan, turn on Spotify, get a CD or check YouTube for Krishna Das Kirtans and do it with the TV or your blue tooth sound system. I listen to a lot of extra spiritual music and chanting during the holidays as I drive around town. It keeps any possible road rage from attempting to invade my space.

Below is KD’s OM NAMA SHIVAYA, recorded on Maui in 2024. This one song, can elevate your mood and bring peace very quickly to your world. Many of the great sages have said, that Chanting is the Quickest way to reach GOD. And it’s quite easy to do. Give it a try if you can. I can vouch that it works every time I do it.

As you can see, It is my YouTube Channel. My good Friend Peter K recorded it for me as I stayed locked into Chanting. I do not use my phone during a Kirtan/Concert. And by showing you this is my channel, you can see that I DO Practice what I Preach. Or CHANT as I recommend you do too!

Or if you prefer the entire Kirtan/Concert, check out this Video of KD live in NYC 2023.

This should probably be the number one thing you can do for any Holiday Season. Run, Walk, Play Basketball, Swim, Surf, Ski, Do Yoga, Pilates, Ride a Bike, Do whatever you can to get some exercise. The immediate endorphins will INSTANTLY make you feel better and later on you’ll sleep better too. Both of which are great during the year and especially during the Holidays.

Not only will you feel better, but you’ll burn calories. And with all the extra eating one does at parties, while shopping or just nibbling on sugar cookies, your body will thank you for the exercise.

Here is what I do: When I wake up in the morning I don’t even put on shoes, I just start walking from the Window to the Wall. Back and forth for 1 hour. This way, I’m sure to get my exercise in for the day and any extra I do later on is just bonus for my body. This is what works for me. Hopefully, you can do something too. Make sure it’s fun to do too. When I walk I listen to upbeat tunes on Spotify like Bob Sinclar, Madonna or Audio Bullys. This helps the walk go by easier and many times quicker, which is great for my Heart.

The word Meditation sounds daunting to some, thus the added Breathe work in the Heading. The reason I put this in is because just 2 Minutes of breathing will calm you. Here is the simplest and a very effective thing to do: Set your clock for two minutes, close your eyes and deeply breath in ONE, let out ONE. Then breath in TWO and let out TWO slowly. Do this from ONE to TEN. If you still have time, start another round. Guaranteed, you will feel better, calmer and more peaceful from this simple technique. And it only takes 2 minutes. It’s a mindfulness technique I learned at DBT class in 2024.

I also recommend Box/Square Breathing. Picture a box in your brain, breath in for 4 seconds, going up the square. Hold for 4 seconds going across the box, then close the box with a giant 8 second out breath, going down and back to where you started. It’s upon the out breath that the relaxation happens, thus make sure your out breath is longer than your in breath. Feel free tweak this technique up or down in seconds depending on your fitness level.

And third, turn on a guided meditation on YouTube. There are so many to choose from. Do 5-10 minutes to start and build up to 20-30 minutes. All three of these techniques are 100% guaranteed to bring you Peace. If it doesn’t work on your first try, do it again and maybe again, until you feel calm.

Categories
Huna Das Happiness Mind Tool Kit

God First, Good comes Next

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

During my latest class at CUT with Reverend Dr. Jacqueline Triche Atkins, I learned an immense amount of knowledge. It was like taking a graduate class on Spirituality and brain growth. We studied Living an Inspired Life by Wayne Dyer. There was a lot of great information in this book and most of us read the book 2-3x. There was So much good in this book.

The Biggest takeaway I took from the class and the book is Seek first the Kingdom of God and your life will work so much better. Here is the quote from the Bible and my metaphysical interpretation is below this:

BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED TO YOU. Matthew 6:33

Ok, to start, this may be a bit different than some writings on other spiritual websites. This is totally my interpretation on what this all means without notes, without looking on the internet, it’s all from my brain, my spiritual education and my experience. It may sound different than some, but it is worth reading. And could be helpful for your day/week.

I will relate this to my day job: I work in media sales and there are days that include many rejections and other days with big wins. Just the other day I pitched 22 XYZ packages and didn’t sell any. To say the least my mind could have gone the wrong way from right.

If I took the 22 rejections and continued my day or even my week being bummed, stressed and generally in a sad mood. That would not have worked in my favor for good health or to sell other custom deals and meet new people/prospects. This is when I really needed to dig deep and remember my spiritual teachings. This is where seeking God first is the way to go.

Here’s the juicy main point of today’s teaching: When one seeks God first they will see the Good, because God is Good, When? All the time! This will help you realize that “It’s all Good, there is only God, and wherever you are God is and all is Good” Things may seem sad, but look for the Good and ye shall find it, I promise, it is there!

Seeking God first can also mean to take a step back from what you may feel the real world is putting upon you and taking a moment to meditate, chant, go on a walk around the block or in nature or read some positive information like a Wayne Dyer book, the Bible, or the Bhagavad-gita. You could also turn on YouTube and watch a Sister Shivani video. She teaches some great information about Not letting people, places or things around you affect your Good mood. Only you control your inner Peace. You can not control others, but you can control your own thoughts anytime even when you don’t sell enough packages to make quota.

Here is a real life reason and the way I am able to relate to seeking God first. If you have something you think goes wrong today, someone calls you ugly or a loved one gets hurt. Seek God first and do some of things listed above or change your mood to Happy and not Sad. You and I can both do it. Yes, it is hard especially in the moment of sadness/rejection/fear, but it is possible.

When something in the outside world affects your inner peace, remember to seek God first. God thoughts, Good thoughts, Find the positive in the situation and get out of your sad mood and change it to happy. I realized this after I didn’t sell any of my 22 packages. For about 10 minutes, I felt bad, bummed out, sad, and had a sour face on. But, what good would that do when I call another customer or even request a cafe order? It will do no Good. There’s a much better chance I can sell the 23rd package or order a coffee easily in a Good/God mood instead of a bummed out sad face/vibe.

And do you know how hard it is to order a Starbucks coffee on a good day, try doing it when you are not seeking God first and are attempting to get coffee mad, sad or depressed. It will most likely taste funny or you will get a confused look from the barista. I know from the times I forget to put God first and act as I think I feel sad and bad and not Good.

Seek God first when things feel bad. It won’t always come naturally or be easy to do, but once you are able to do it, you will enjoy your life much better, I guarantee it.

Instead of Ah em… ah ..can I have a, have a… uhm, medium, one of those…uhm, coffees without too much caffeine, with ice that has some of that fake milk, I think it’s…uhm. aah…almond milk. You will request your coffee like this: I’ll have an Iced Venti Half Caff Almond Latte Please. You will get the correct coffee easily and at the same time, you will make the barista happy for asking for it the best way..or let’s even say … The Kingdom of God Way!

Best wishes to you this month, whichever month you read this. Make it the best month of the year for you and all of those around you.

Have a Positive, Pleasant, Peaceful Day!

Photo by ANDREW PETERSON on Pexels.com
Categories
Mind Sunday Sermon

The 2 Worlds

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

There are 2 worlds out there. You get to choose which world you are in at all times.

There is the world of appearance in which you may think you are being verbally attacked, you think someone has rocked your world so bad you want to fight, or simply a world where your mind believes everything you see.

Then there is the Secondary World, some call it Christ Consciousness, I just like to call it the Secondary world. In this world, there is only Peace, Love and Happiness. Nothing else exists, although you can include Joy, Wisdom, Happiness, Prosperity and Health.

To be in the Secondary world, you need to watch and train your thoughts. Remember, no one or nothing can make you feel bad. You are in control of your thoughts and emotions at all times.

You can think yourself well or you can think yourself ill

In the world we live in 2022, it can be challenging to stay in the secondary world. You may see road rage, being berated by the boss, or just feel over worked and stressed out.

Lack of sleep, lack of food and lack of spirituality in your life can easily put you in the world of appearance. By sleeping enough, eating fresh fruits, veggies and lean proteins, exercising and doing some work on yourself will put you back into the Secondary world.

I can not tell you that I live in the secondary world at all times, I slip up especially when I drink too much caffeine, watch Netflix until 3am and go to work at 9a and when I don’t do any physical exercise.

Here are some things you can do to stay in the Secondary world MORE than the world of appearance. Even 5-10% more into the Secondary world will help your life to improve for the better. Pick one or more and try them out. And always remember that No One or Nothing can make you feel bad. You are in control of how you feel at all times, even if someone dies, you can still stay in your Power. Think of all the great memories, the time you did spend with that person, all the happy moments. Be Glad not Sad. And as the song says, Don’t worry Be Happy!

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

TIPS FOR THE SECONDARY WORLD

  • Take a walk: Even for 10-15 minutes. If you can, take a walk outside in nature, but a stroll back and forth in your condo/house will do the trick
  • Eat Breakfast: If you drink coffee like me. You may not be hungry. Eggs are quick and easy. Even an Apple will help. Piece of whole wheat toast is also a quick and easy option to help soak up the caffeine. My doc says to have some source of protein and a bit of carbs. In 2022 Protein seems to be very important.
  • Meditate: Take 5 minutes out of your day and just breathe. I like the square box breathing method. Close your outer eyes and Breathe in 4 seconds, hold for 6 seconds and breathe out s l o w l y for 8 seconds. It is on the out breath that your body will relax. If it’s hard to sit still all alone, try a YouTube video or use the CALM app. If I can’t get right on the square box breathing, I go straight to the Panic SOS meditation on the CALM app. Just 4 minutes does wonders for your secondary world.
  • Use Affirmations: When appearances seem to be going off the wrong road. It’s good to have some pre-made affirmations in your pocket. Pull them out and read them over and over for the next 5 minutes and throughout the day. Or you can have your favorite affirmation memorized so when the boss yells at you, just repeat in your mind, your favorite affirmation over and over as the appearance fades into the secondary world. Affirmations can also be called Affirmative Prayer. Keep your mind on the Good and the Positive. I use this memorized affirmation: I am Happy, I am 100% Healthy, I am Peaceful and Prosperous, I am in my Power.. Right Now.
  • Watch Eric Butterworth’s You Always Have a Choice on YouTube. He will remind you that no one or nothing can affect your happiness and Secondary World.
  • Hobby It: You know, it took me a long time to realize that doing a hobby can be just as good for you and affect the same chemicals in your brain as mediation does and its fun to do! I like to check out and make collages, paint, play basketball, swim, surf, write various blogs and make clothes. Getting lost in a hobby is a great way to get you into the Secondary World.
  • Shop: I may get some flack for this one. But one of my favorite ways to space out, feel calm and tune in, is to shop for clothes and shoes at real stores. My perfect day would be a nice breakfast, some cardio, then jumping in a cab and going to Soho in NYC to shop. I like to touch and feel the fabrics and take pictures of the fashions on the street. And of course buy some nice shoes, shirts or pants. Retail therapy does work. But, be careful so it doesn’t get out of hand. Pro Tip: Use Cash Only.
  • Pray: You can do morning mid day and nightly prepared prayers. Or just thinking good thoughts all day is also another way to pray. Think of all the good in the world, all day throughout your day.
  • Help others: Help out at the soup kitchen, Usher at Church, donate your time at a non-profit. I like to randomly put shoes and clothes by my local basketball court (Cartwright Park) for others to stumble upon to lighten up their day with a big smile.
  • Read: Settle in and read some good spiritual books like Fear Not, Think and Grow Rich, Discover the Power within You, the Bible, Lessons in Truth, the Power of Now, the Revealing Word, I of the Storm, the Teachings of Buddha, Psycho-cybernetics, Mind-the Master Power, and When everything changes, change everything. Just 10 minutes of enriching reading per day will change your life.
  • Practice Gratitude: Every morning when you wake up write down 10 things you are grateful for. Then before you go to bed write down another 10 things your are grateful for. Write them down, then read them out loud. It’s hard to be in the appearance world when you are grateful you will easily flow into the Secondary World…Pretty immediately.

Pick one or more thing on the list above and give it a try, I guarantee you will be more and more in the Secondary world and less in the world of appearance.

Do you believe that there are 2 or more worlds out there? What would you add to the list of things to do to access the Secondary World? Let us know in the comments section below.

Photo by DTS VIDEOS on Pexels.com

*Today’s blog post done by Scott Mackenzie without notes, videos, or internet quotes. From the always present, always available, Great World of the Secondary World.

Have a Positive, Pleasant, Peaceful Day!

Categories
Mind Tool Kit

Quick & Easy Vibratory Increase

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Praise your way to a higher Frequency

Some days you may be in a bigger hurry than others, you may forget to pray or meditate. If you need an quick and easy fix, just read Philippians 4:8. Read it 5 times and immediately change your state of being.

feel old, if you think and say great thoughts, you will have an awesome day. Today, I had a stomach ache, so I concentrated very hard on Healthy, healing, uplifting thoughts and in doing so, I ran into Philippians 4:8 three times. First: I read it on my fridge door Second: I heard it in my spiritual class Third: It showed up on my bedtime YouTube Video. Seeing it so many times today, I decided to share it with you. Hope it helps with your situation. It’s a classic, yet still quick and effective way to praise your way to the top of the mountain

The following is Philippians Chapter 4 Verse 8 (4:8) AKA The Main Letter from the Apostle Paul

FINALLY BELOVED, WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS HONORABLE, WHATEVER IS JUST, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS PLEASING, WHATEVER IS COMMENDABLE. IF THERE IS ANY EXCELLENCE AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING WORTH PRAISE, THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS!

Read this daily or when you are in a crunch. Keep it on your wall, in your phone, near your car’s steering wheel. Use it, review it, and praise your way to a higher frequency

Photo by Grafixart_photo Samir BELHAMRA on Pexels.com

Have a Positive, Powerful, Peaceful Day!

Categories
Huna Das Happiness Mind Sunday Sermon

Give and You shall Receive

Photo by Suraphat Nuea-on on Pexels.com

Bible Verse: I pray that out of his Glorious Riches he may strengthen you with Power through his spirit in your inner being. Ephesians 3:16

Affirmation: The Power of God flows through every cell in my body. Today, I am prosperous+powerful, strengthened by God filled with over flowing Abundance

Metaphysical interpretation/The teaching:

Awaken this morning Knowing that you are Prosperous and Abundant. Prosperity, Joy, Peace, and Happiness is always available to you, no matter what may seem to be happening around you. You are in charge of your own thoughts and reality. So make your world Prosperous, Joyful, Peaceful and Happy

To increase your abundance. Give something to someone or many ones today. Be it cash money, some AJ1’s from your back closet, or pay the food for the person behind you in line at the Grocery store.

If you don’t have a physical donation to give or money in your pocket. Give blessings and good wishes to all that you meet and greet throughout your day. You could say in your mind. You are Blessed and Prosperous today, I am Blessed and Prosperous today. Say this in your mind to everyone you meet today and see the rewards.

Remember, its not just the words that come out of your mouth that radiate vibrations. Your thoughts will radiate light + love sending a higher (or lower) Vibration into the world. Watch your thoughts, whatch your talking, If they are of lack ore negativity…Stop those thoughts now and change to positive prosperous thoughts

Today’s the day to give cash money, donations of food, clothes or kicks. Or send Good blessings to all you meet. Give and ye Shall receive. This is the Law of Giving and Receiving. Since it’s labeled a law it will manifest and it becomes your reality

Do not fret or worry, remember worry is a negative form of prayer. Stay Strong, Prosperous and Happy. God is within you all the time and with God all things are possible.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Have a Positive, Powerful, Peaceful Day!

Categories
Mind Sunday Sermon

You can do it but at what cost?

Photo by John Guccione http://www.advergroup.com on Pexels.com

In the month of November 2021 I repeated the words I am Prosperous and Abundant Right now. I started with 2-4 times a day and by the end of the month I was up to 30-40x per day. I had a goal of hitting my sales budget at work. Even though we were still in a semi lock down due to Covid, I decided I could do it.

I repeated the affirmation so many times that I came within 3k of hitting my November goal and it helped me with my December numbers, which is at 120% of budget. This came from a lot of the work I did in November. (Today’s date 12/12/21)

I like to think I usually stay in a pretty good state of balance. Money, Relationships, Food and Shelter, Exercise, Spiritual and controlling my Mind Power. In November, I slipped on pretty much everything except Prosperity. I can tell you from this experience, that things you may not think you can do, you can. But it may take a toll on the other aspects of your state of being.

In December it caught up to me. I got extremely bloated, was tired, and had headaches. This past Saturday, my stomach got so bloated it was Hard like a Rock and I couldn’t go to the bathroom for 2.5 days. I thought I had a bowel blockage and they wanted me to come to the ER. I calmed myself, ate only fruit and vegetables and got exercise and SLEPT. I fell better now (Monday). The cause of my body getting out of whack was due to not eating right, not enough exercise, I had stopped meditating and was basically just doing one thing. Trying to hit my numbers through affirmation and action.

I do not recommend being on a one track plan. I do want you to know that you can do anything thru God who strengthens you. Things are possible. But to sacrifice your health is not Good. God would not want you to do that.

I am proud that I almost hit my numbers in November and over achieved in December. But I am not happy that I could have ended up in the hospital.

Ya know, what else happened during all of this. 6 people at my job quit. We only have 34 people, now we have 28. I was so set on hitting my budget and staying out of any fray. I must not have noticed anything around me. I worked on myself to be prosperous so much that I lost touch with my co-workers. It’s not a normal month, when 6 people disappear. Good thing is I’ll never know what they THOUGHT they saw happening around and to them. Because I was just working on myself to get to my goal.

PRO TIP: I picked this tip up in November. People like to gossip and talk about why people left. This or that or whatever it was. Number one: Remember No one or Nothing can affect your good mood. Number two: If asked why did they leave, just say: You gotta ask them, I don’t know. And you really don’t know. I love this saying and will use it more often when confronted with unwanted gossip.

Today’s lesson: You can achieve whatever you set your mind to do. Use affirmations, action and a positive attitude. But do not forget about the other quadrants in your life. You could end up hurting yourself badly. It may be better to hit 80% of your goal and stay healthy.

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com

Have a Positive, Powerful, Peaceful Day!

Categories
Mind

God is Good + You are Good

Photo by Andre Furtado on Pexels.com

I am Happy, I am Healthy, I am Powerful, I am Abundant Right Now

You are the Thinker that Thinks the Thought that Thinks the Thing-Jonny Coleman Christ Universal Temple

Nothing or No one can affect my Good Mood. I am always having the experience of my oneness with God. God is Good all the Time. Thus, I am Good always everyday.

I am Happy, Healthy, Powerful, and Abundant Right Now. Nothing will interfere with this. I always have a choice and I choose God.

I give Love, I receive Love

I give Prosperity, I get prosperous

I Praise others, I am praised

Whatever I give to the Universe I receive it back to me multiplied by Seven. I do not give only to receive. I give so that others will see their own Light, Be happy and let them know God is always within them. And all things are working for their Good. God is Good all the Time.

I do not let lack or despair creep into me. I put myself into the Vortex of Good.

Lesson to get out of Lack. You’ll want to be creative with a steady stream of ideas and free flow of divine ideas. If you feel you are unwell in Mind Body or Spirit. Do something about it now! Some thoughts on what you can do now are:

Meditate, Pray, Exercise, Read affirmations, Chant. Give clothes, shoes or food to others. Do something now to feel better. Feeling best is good, but feeling better is where you want to be.

I am Happy, I am Healthy, I am Powerful and I am Abundant Right Now.

No one or nothing can change my grateful attitude. At times you may think others are upsetting you. But it is YOU who determine how you feel. You can not control others, You can not control what people say to you, You CAN decide how to receive and react to the world. Today, tomorrow and always. You have a choice. Decide right now to choose Good, Positive thoughts, feelings and Actions.

I gotta say it one more time. No One or nothing can affect your mood. Only YOU can affect your own mood. If someone berates you. Stay above it and don’t let it affect you. And don’t react either. Maybe take a deep breath or repeat an affirmation. I know it is hard to do, but it is possible, just takes some practice.

Stay strong and be all the Great you are meant to be. Step forward in your Power and Glory of your God/Christ Mind. Remember God is always Good, thus you are always Good.

It only takes one idea to change your life. Take time to think abundant ideas to help others and to help yourself. Think God thoughts. Think Good thoughts. No pity parties allowed.

Have a Great and Wonderful Day!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The above was written after week 6 of 12 in my class entitled Fear Not taught by Reverend Valerie McGee. I just stayed in the mood from the class and let my mind flow to produce the words on the paper. Thank You to Reverend Val and the Book Fear Not by Martha Smock.

Have a Positive, Powerful, Peaceful Day!

Categories
Mind Sunday Sermon

Letting Go Now

Photo by Sippakorn Yamkasikorn on Pexels.com

Letting go of grudges, negative stories, & traumatic events can be hard to do. But it is possible. This story keeps appearing to me through various YouTube Videos. It’s everywhere lately (Month of September 2021). So, I figure I’d tell it to you. It’s a nice way of seeing how easy and how hard it is to let unwanted thoughts go away.

Two Monks, one Lady, a River and the Forest

Part One:

Dressed in Orange robes, two monks set out on a long hike through the forest. The two hiked for a few miles through the dense green forest. They arrive at a bustling greenish brown river, where they encounter a beautiful woman. She says that she has been there for hours, unable to cross the rough river by herself.

Part Two:

Knowing that they are not supposed to touch a woman, the first Monk takes a look at her and crosses the river. The other, asks her name and where she’s from. She responds and asks for his help in crossing the river. With compassion and fortitude Monk number Two picks her up and carries her on his back across the raging river. He stops every 20 feet or so to rest, since it is quite a journey to cross the river with the weight of the woman on his back. He eventually makes it to the other side where he lets the woman down. He says Goodbye and she gives him a very gracious Thank You. He then catches up with Monk One and they continue their hike through the vast forest.

Part Three:

They walk through shrubs, bushes and prickly twigs. One Mile, two miles, three miles. Not talking much, just enjoying nature, listening to the birds and continuing on their journey for the day. Monk Two all the while a bit more happier than Monk One. Monk Two even whistles a sweet little tune here and there as they tread across the the uneven terrain. Somewhere around Mile six, Monk One stops and tells Monk Two to also stop. He looks at him and exclaims: What’s going on here? You know we can’t touch women. And you, You carried that lady all the way across the river. What’s your Problem? Monk Two replies. I haven’t a problem, I was just being nice and helped a lady in distress. It is you who may have a bit of a problem. I dropped the lady off 6 miles ago and you are still carrying her!

The Teaching:

It can be very easy to let things go or as Monk One shows us, quite hard to do this. But as you can see by the story, letting go is the way to go. Let go of old fears, let go of disliking others, let go of negative thoughts, let go of everything that does not serve your higher & highest Good. You’ll feel much happier, freer and sublime. Let Go and Let God take care of Everything for you Now.

Story as told by Huna Das from hearing it on 5 different platforms in the Month of September 2021. Took what I heard and added in a bit of flavor so that your mind could picture the story in your imagination. I do hope it helps you and encourages you to Let Go of any and all unwanted thoughts.

“Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Watch your character, it becomes your Destiny.”

– Lao Tzu –

Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com

Have a Positive, Pleasant, Peaceful Day!

Categories
Body Mind Spirit Sunday Sermon

Shi Heng Yi

The 5 Hindrances to self-mastery. Shi Heng Yi…A Ted Talk

Photo by Wouter de Jong on Pexels.com

I’ve been without a remote for a few days. Thus, I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube. Mainly talks and exercises by Shi Heng Yi. The videos just keep playing one after another, after.. It’s a new path for me. But like all spiritual paths, it can and will help you if you apply it. As I’ve said before, All spiritual efforts lead to one place-GOD. I believe, take the tools that resonate best with you and mix and match them for your own spiritual success or as they say in 2021-Your own Self Mastery. Everyone is different. Take what works for you and Use it. The main thing to do is to do whatever it is. Don’t just read about it.

Much of the info I wrote out is from Shi Heng Yi and some is the authors own thoughts. Just want to let you know that ahead of time. Because Yi does mention, he isn’t going to show you the way, just give suggestions. Thus I added on some decent definition to help you out. If you want just Yi’s information the video is down below

When you see more clear. Human interactions become easier. Goals and Inspirations become easier to attain

Find a Way to get to do the things you like to do

Clarity: You see more clear, You feel more clear, you can decide for yourself what to do to reach your goals and aspirations

There are two mistakes along the way to Self-Mastery: Not starting it and not going all the way

The Shaolin Temple Europe labels 5 states of mind that you don’t want to be in, which are the 5 hindrances. Being in any of these 5 states makes it difficult to find your way

Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Pexels.com

The 5 Hindrances

  1. SENSUAL DESIRE: A Positive emotion that can appear through the 5 senses. Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Tasting, & Feeling. These can be good for a while. But once you follow the temptation too many times and want to stay too long in this area, it becomes an Obsession, which is bad. It’s hard to find clarity by staying to0 long in Sensual Desire. Stay for a bit then get out. Like 2 drinks in a night might be ok, but becoming a hardcore alcoholic is not what you want to do
  2. ILL WILL: State of the mind that provides negative emotions. A dislike about an object, a situation or a person. If you dislike something, You must learn to let go of Ill Will. One of the reasons I’ve watched this video 5x today, is during my day today, I got stuck getting irritated with a situation at work. I did the Shaolin Qi Gong for an hour. Meditated 3 times and took a walk. These all aided me to get rid of my ILL Will. But after writing this I will do one more thing, Yoga Nidra. Some days, it’s just harder to get peaceful. Today was one of those days for me. But I took action and am almost at peace. I know I should just say, Peace is within me now and be done with it. That’s supposed to work from all that I teach and think. Just sometimes, you or I need to do more to chase the Ill Will away
  3. DULLNESS/HEAVINESS: Sleepiness, lack of energy, non motivation, can manifest into depression. You feel imprisoned. And it it hard to make a mental or physical decision. You need to Find a way to get out of this state of mind
  4. RESTLESSNESS: An unsettled mind that worries about the future or travels to the past. This is the monkey mind. Jumping around from past to future without staying long enough in the present moment. Try not to judge things and get out of this state of mind
  5. SKEPTICAL DOUBT: Indecisiveness. Lost in thoughts. Can I do this? What will people think? Is this the right path? You may have many doubts and get stuck instead of moving on. Too much doubt will get you stuck. Get Out and feel decisive, positive and free

What to do about the 5 Hindrances. Prevent them from arising. Use techniques to rid yourself of them. In other videos Shi Heng Yi teaches various movements of the body while breathing. Meditation is also good, so is doing a hobby like sewing, painting and sports. These keep your mind calm and in the present moment. One does not need to do real mediation (but it does help). You can do your hobby and it will work very well also. Or of course you can mix the 2 options. I personally do the Calm app SOS, Yoga Nidra, Kirtan, write, read, walk, play basketball and sometimes paint and surf.

Photo by Wouter de Jong on Pexels.com

4 Things to do about the 5 Hindrances

  1. Recognize: What state of mind you are in
  2. Accept: Learn to accept how a situation is, why people are like this. Allow things to be how they are, let people be as they are. You can not change them. but you can change how you perceive them. Stay calm when faced with verbal bullying. Learn martial arts for physical attacks.
  3. Investigate: Your emotional and mental state and question it. Ask questions? Why? What will be the consequence when I stay like this
  4. Non Identify: It is the practice. I am not the Body, I am not the Mind, I am not my Emotions. I can see these 3 aspects about me, but they are not me. I am a spiritual being living in a human body

Be Unique. Try not to copy others. Bring meaning to your life. Learn and master yourself and don’t let the hindrances stop you. Learn to live a healthy life. Healthy Body and Healthy Mind

Three Main Things to Do:

  1. Physical Movement Qi Gong, Kung Fu, Martial Arts
  2. Intention of the Mind/Mind action/control
  3. Learn How to use your Breathe

I know it’s a lot of words today, take what works for you and leave the rest on the page. Or watch the video and formulate your own plan. Today, I needed to do what I like to do to get our of a hindrance. And that is to write and to hopefully help someone else on their journey.

For more on Shi Heng Li, check out his website here

Here is the Mind, Body and Soul exercise session that I did today to help me get out of Ill Will. It helped but did upset my back a bit, so be careful when doing any of the various trainings. Glad I didn’t try the Kung Fu today.

Have a Positive, Pleasant, Peaceful Day!

Categories
Mind Tool Kit

Challenges Come & Go

The Guest House by Rumi

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels.com

Sufi Mystic & Poet, Rumi wrote the Guest House all the way back in the 13th Century. Today it was on the Daily Calm 7/25/21. It reminds us that when challenges come our way, they will pass through and go away. Tomorrow is a Brand New Day. Actually your next moment in time is brand new, it’s up to you, to do what is needed to stay calm, centered and peaceful.

This past Friday, I was complaining to my spiritual teacher about some money issues. He actually got pretty pissed off, because of all that has been taught to me and reminded me to Meditate. (And never speak of lack, because our subconscious minds Don’t differentiate your positive or negative thoughts. So its best to think in abundance).

My instructions for the week were to meditate every evening for 3 minutes. I just did 3 days in a row at 2 x 12 minutes cycles per day. The meditation brings calm, peace and is good for overall health and wellness.

Rumi even goes on to tell us that some challenges, may just be stepping stones to bigger and better opportunities to come our way. Today’s challenge, will be tomorrows victory!

When things feel rough and tumble, take a moment and meditate. It may feel difficult at first, but the more you do it, the more peace meditation will provide.

Some Tips: The Daily Calm app provides a new meditation every day. It only takes 10-12 minutes. This app is my favorite. And it has an emergency SOS meditation, that I do when work feels like it’s too frantic and frustrating. I would recommend the Daily Calm App.

Or go on YouTube and choose a guided meditation. There are so many to choose from. Something for every challenge, difficulty or dilemma.

It’s in the silence that our best ideas are produced. There’s no right or wrong way to meditate. I would recommend to “Just Do It” Daily if you can. Don’t even worry about sitting perfectly or anything like that. Just close your eyes, listen and breathe.

I’m actually still a bit wound up from this past week and will stop writing and dial up another meditation. This time, my 2nd all time favorites-Yoga Nidra by Brenda Kwon. No matter how many house mates invade my brain, Yoga Nidra is a great go-to stress reliever. Try and do 20-45 minutes if you can. I guarantee Yoga Nidra will work. I even did it at the dentist one time and didnt even feel the new tooth being inserted into my mouth.

Yoga Nidra, The Daily Calm and even the quick and effective SOS will provide relief for whatever it is your mind thinks is happening. Remember, it is us that chooses our thoughts, not our boss, partner or surroundings. Give Meditation a try. Be Grateful to be alive. It’s a precious gift we are given.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Have a Positive, Pleasant, Peaceful Day!