Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Presence

Whangapoua Beach, Coromandel, New Zealand

Every moment of every day we make a choice. One choice brings us peace, love and joy. The other choice keeps us in a cycle of desire, fulfillment and frustration, anxiety and avoidance, fear and hope. We can choose to be identified with our thoughts and beliefs, or we can bring our awareness to the Present. There is no judgment. Either choice is fine. There is nothing we can do that will cause us to fall from Grace.

We choose whether we know it or not.

Let's choose consciously.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Being

Long Bay, Coromandel, New Zealand

Is it worth it? Is it worth giving up all of our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves, our desires, our likes and dislikes and our social identities? If we are generally contented, our relationships are satisfying, we are passionate about our careers there is no need to change anything as we are already living in harmony.

However, if we are often unhappy, frustrated and angry, dissatisfied with our lives and wish that there was another way to live, there is! We can change in an instant. We only have to be who we truly are, not who we think we are.

By bringing our attention away from compulsive thinking and towards the present moment, our lives will be in harmony with the infinite energy source, which is what we are. We will experience the peace, love and joy which cannot be taught or understood through thought. It can only be experienced by surrendering to the now.

Let's be what we really are.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Meditation

Kamakura, Japan

Over time, stress builds on itself until we have layer upon layer of unresolved issues. It causes us to lose perspective and view the world as our enemy. We are often not even aware it. It can kill us and, at the very least, causes nervousness, anger, frustration and unhappiness.

The quickest way to relieve stress is through meditation. It is quicker than any other activity, including exercise, being in nature, talking to a psychiatrist, etc. Of course, meditation is not an activity. It is the opposite of activity. It is stillness. It is being. Thirty minutes of meditation can release a lifetime of stress. If we incorporate a daily practice into our lives, everything will be better. We will be relaxed, think clearly, and always keep things in perspective. People will react differently to us, as we react differently to them. We will see the beauty in simple, every day things. We will treat our loved ones and ourselves better.

Study after study has proven that meditation has an enormous beneficial effect on our health and well-being. How do we meditate? It is easy, but not simple. It is like a muscle. The more we exercise it, the better it is. We can sit with our back stright and bring our attention to our breathing. As our mind wanders and we are distracted, we gently bring our attention back to our breathing, without judgment of any kind.

Let's have the discipline and the courage to be still in meditation.