August 9th, 2015 I received a phone call that changed my life forever. My most recent ex-boyfriend had a diving accident, shattering his C5 vertebrae, resulting in paralysis below his collarbone. As I looked around the room when I came into the hospital room I could feel the negative, depressing energy emanating from his loved ones. It was only the first week of his recovery from injury and they had already lost hope. I understood, they were hurting, they feared the possible outcomes, and they were expecting the worst. His friends would say things like “He’s not okay.” It broke my heart, it didn’t feel right to me. He had given me so much love throughout our relationship, he treated me so well, and looking into his eyes the first time I saw him, I could see the depth of his fear of the future, and the depth of the love he felt by my presence. So, I made the decision to stay by his side and help him through the most difficult challenge he would ever face.
I could only describe this indescribable feeling as divine intervention. It became clear to me that it was apart of my path to help him through his recovery. So I spent the next 4 ½ months living in 2 different hospitals and falling back in love with the strongest human I had ever personally met. I made it my mission to change the overall energy from despair to hope. I spent hours researching the strategies used by other spinal cord injury patients that fully recovered, and how to promote nervous system function through diet and other alternative health practices. Something that kept coming up was yoga. After dabbling in yoga and meditation over the previous 2 years, I knew of the benefits it had on my own body and mind, but there seemed like there was more, something I was missing.
I was in college when he first was injured, but left school in order to focus my full attention on his recovery. About a month before he left his rehabilitation center his parents approached me to ask me to become his full time caregiver when he returned home. It was important to me to be a big part of his daily routine, as I felt the methods I had researched were going to be most beneficial to his overall outcome, and so did he. So I moved into their home a month later, left my current job and started taking care of him full time. School was definitely out of the question for such a big responsibility but I thought yoga might be an option in the mean time, and would also support me in caring for him.
I started reaching out to studios to explore my options. It was important for me to find a studio that taught more than just the physical practice, infusing the 8 limbs of yoga rather than a workout class. I also wanted to find a studio that offered a Yoga Teacher Training so that I could take the course in the future. After doing some research it seemed most studios required you to have a year experience at their studio before you could enter their program so I figured I should start right away. Then I found HeartSong Yoga. The phone call with my teacher, Leslie, was just like moment I had with my boyfriend in our first moment in the hospital, everything seemed to line up perfectly and she was offering exactly what I was looking for, it was clear her program would be my next endeavor.
She was running an immersion based Yoga Teacher Training program that allowed for a normal working person to integrate yoga into their life over a 10-month period. The first four months were specifically designed to immerse the students in yoga and the remaining 6 months were dedicated more to teaching exercises, infusing the lessons from the first four months into actual teaching skills. This meant I only needed a year of experience in general instead of a year with her because she spent the first 4 months diving deep into proper posture alignment, muscle and joint functions within each pose and the full spectrum of what it meant to live the path of yoga, on and off the mat.
The program was challenging, internally and externally, but the amount of growth I experienced was worth every single bit of hard work and more. In fact, through that hard work I learned how to unlock the door to my full potential, within my body, mind and spirit. As I progressed through the program I was given the space to learn about myself in a much deeper way than I had before. My weakness became my strengths, and my fears and doubts transformed from these intimidating, painful blockages that prevented me from accomplishing my goals and going after my dreams, to mere obstacles that I now have the tools to navigate. I started to love myself deeply, I developed more confidence and the abundance of world seemed to open up to me, more doors opening that ever seemed available before. I was now creating my path, surrendering to it, if you will. I was no longer questioning my next move, and if there was uncertainty it was okay, because there will always be another horizon after each dark of the night.
Leslie’s program supported me in making the next decision that would change my life once again, the decision to travel. Since I was 16 years old I wanted to travel the world. There was always an excuse for why I didn’t, whether that be finances, the unavailability of others to travel with me, school or whatever it may be, there was always something. Well, about half way through my teacher training I met a lovely, kind woman at a yoga festival and we quickly became friends. She told me about a yoga program in India where she received her teacher training and her story sang to me. It was so enchanting, so exotic, and seemingly life changing. She planted a seed that would soon grow into a reality.
About 4 months later I finally looked into the program online and found out that they were discontinuing the program after their last course in March of the following year. I decided to inquire anyway and sent them an email requesting information about the reasons behind the closure. Within a day I received a response explaining the change in ownership and to my surprise they had a cancellation in the last program starting in March, so there was a spot available for me if I wanted to make a deposit. It was another one of those moments, everything lined up perfectly and my heart was exploding with excitement, I knew I had to go and I was done making excuses for not following my heart. I booked it.
6 months later I was on my way to India with a one-way ticket. I left my job, my friends, my family and the most difficult to leave, my boyfriend, who was still battling the challenges of paralysis. He supported me in following my dreams and he was excited to see where this next adventure would take me. We hired new caregivers and established a meticulously designed routine to support him in the undertaking of gaining independence. Now we both had a new path in front of us, with new and exciting challenges that would forever change our future.
I spent 7 weeks in Rishikesh, India in an intensive 300hr teacher training beneath the foothills of the Himalaya mountain range, just above the majestic, raging Ganges river, or as they would say in India, the Ganga. It was an ethereal experience living in Northern India, such an exotic and spiritual place for my first experience with travel. There were mischievous monkeys everywhere you looked, lurking on rooftops above the marketplace, waiting for some fresh fruit to drop to the ground. The streets were filled with mooing from hungry cows and barking dogs, eventually the noise became a musical backdrop to the city, filling the air as soon as the sun came up. Indian tourists hustled and bustled through the market place, here to see the Yoga capital, just as I was, expect they came armed with camera phones to snap photos with every westerner in sight. They treated us like celebrities
I remember my first walk through town, gazing in awe at the old concrete buildings, crumbling around the intricate designs carved into the outer walls. The beautiful, bright colors layering the shop doorways and covering the rolling carts selling treats. It was magical, even the air I breathed seemed different. There is just something about traveling to a new and alien place that warms your insides, causing a stirring of excitement in your heart, and it seeps out of the corners of your mouth pulling it into a constant grin. It was blissful. And the people were the most amazing part of it all, so full of spirit, their eyes deep with wisdom of their own experience below the sun. Every time you passed someone they bowed their head, sometimes places hands at heart and always saying “Namaste.” It soon began to feel like my heart had come home.
The yoga programs at the ashram I stayed in had 75 amazing students from all over the world. The opportunities to connect with people from each corner of the globe were immense. Not only that, but the conversations about yoga were rich and enlightening, each person with their own perspective, their own flavor. To be able to practice yoga everyday with these humans, and share this sacred space with them inspired so much growth within. The friendships I made will last my lifetime, even if I never see them again, they will always remain in my heart. As will the teachers, I will carry their knowledge with me where ever I may go.
Yoga pairs so well with travel because you are thrown into an unknown environment where you are encouraged to open your heart and your mind to the uniqueness of a new culture. In yoga your path is always in the direction of within, where you are asked to open your heart and your mind to the uniqueness of who you are. And when you develop that deeper relationship with yourself, the deeper sense of love for yourself, it translates in an external way, supporting you to be accepting of others, as they too are a brush stroke in the beautiful masterpiece of life, of humanity, of all beings on Earth. Yoga inspired me to see beauty in everything, and travel showed me how much beauty there is in this world.
I was very sad to leave India, but I was on to the next adventure. Over the next 5 months I would travel to Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, the island of Bali in Indonesia and then a quick stop in Maui to visit my sister before heading back home to Portland, Oregon. Maintaining a yoga practice was definitely difficult at times, and same with finding healthy food to support my body as I moved from place to place. I naturally gravitated towards the cities that advertised yoga and healthy eating, as those were the places I felt most grounded. I nestled into places like Pai, Thailand and Ubud, Bali for longer periods of time because they supplied a nurturing atmosphere and supported my desire for yoga and healthy, vegetarian-friendly foods. It’s so important to seek places that can do this for you if you are traveling with intent to stay committed to your practice, but to also allow yourself to truly experience the bliss of travel. The hustle-bustle is all apart of the adventure and supplied copious learning opportunities, but the feeling of finally settling in a place that you can really kick your shoes off and relax is the frosting on the cake.
I could share so many more alluring stories from my travels, but I would probably just need to write a book instead of a short blog. For now, I will leave you with this, get out there and travel. Experience life for what it is, and be enchanted by its magic. And more importantly, practice yoga in new and exotic places. Make connections with the humans of this bewildering planet and treasure these friendships. Explore as much as you can and seek out the places that feed your soul. Let the adventure draw you in and be open to all the lessons the world has to offer.
The enriching wisdom my journey offered, from all of the teachers I met along the way, was just another layer on the foundation of my yoga practice. Through all the learning I soon realized I wasn’t on this yoga journey to heal others, I was here to heal myself. Through healing yourself, you will heal others, but it doesn’t happen the other way around. And as soon as you accept that, everything else falls into place. The synchronicities are no longer coincidence, and the perceived obstacles begin to dissipate, like an illusion, constructs of the mind. Everything you desire in your life is waiting for you to find your path to it. For me, my path was through travel and yoga.
]]>Over the last 2 weeks or so I've been having some pretty profound observations about my perception of things outside of me. Let me explain...
It started with two days where I just had this strong feeling that everyone was not separate from me, that we were all one. This applied to nature and even inanimate objects. I felt like I was connected to everything and this was very beautiful. When you feel like everything and everyone is an extension of yourself, it leaves only one way to treat them, and that is with love.
When I refer to myself, I don't mean "Robert O'Kruk", I mean the self that exists within each and every one of us, the self behind our egos. The real I.
You love yourself right? When you feel like everything outside of you is an extension of yourself and you love yourself it turns our day to day flow through life into a very pleasant experience.
It reminded me of an amazing women named Annie that I met while completing a yoga teacher training in India. She legitimately loved every single person she met (or had yet to meet!). Even strangers and those who might have not been the nicest to her. At the time it really blew my mind. You can truly love someone you don't even know? Wow...I wish that was how I felt too. It's one thing to hear someone say this, but another to watch them effortlessly feel it. It was inspiring.
I feel blessed because I have tasted a glimpse of what this feels like, to have this unconditional love for everyone is so powerful.
One example of how this manifested in my actions was through a daily walk I had been taking. After practicing yoga and leaving the studio, there was always a man waiting along the exit path asking people if they wanted a cab ride. Day in and day out he was here, and most days I would avoid his eyes, perhaps mumbling no thank you or even ignoring his question. As if treating him as he did not deserve a response or my attention.
Once I started to experience the feeling detailed above it changed these daily interactions. Instead of the passing by being an annoyance or making me feel awkward, I was able to feel compassion, after all we are one in the same, not separate people. I was able to meet his gaze and kindly remark no thank you each day, to really see him as an equal being, and to treat him like one. A small example but at least significant to me.
The feeling has faded slightly, but its undertone is there, and the path to reigniting the intensity in which I feel it is available to me.
This feeling has helped me observe my judgemental nature in regards to others. Every negative judgement cast upon others is truly a reflection of myself, not of them. There is absolutely no value in judging people, it is a waste of our energy that can bring no value to us. Catching these judgements and observing why we cast them brings power to divert this energy to love instead of judgement.
I feel humbled to have gone through this experience. I look forward to continuing to develop my self love that will help me feel this way strongly as often as possible. For me this is through living each day with as much intention as possible. Bringing awareness and intention to every action, making every action an opportunity for self love.
From my self, I, and you. Also from someone named Robert O'Kruk
:)
]]>But! I just found this platform called called YouCaring which has no fees for online fundraising. They rely strictly on donations to keep them running...pretty amazing!
So if you're trying to raise funds for a good cause, keep YouCaring in mind if online fund raising will be part of it.
Learn more about them here:
https://www.youcaring.com/c/free-fundraising
- Robert O'Kruk
]]>Hello friends, and gather round
Hear my words, and their sounds
I've a tale to share, it's about the heart
My only question, is where to start
We all have one, it beats inside
Its arch enemy, the intelligent mind
Sometimes they're friends, they get along
Other times at odds, a broken bond
You can try your best, to bring them together
But tonight we discuss, to forget one forever
I say out with the mind, it has no place
I chose my heart, its love I'll embrace
I come from the west, where the brain is king
But our culture is stiff, we're afraid just to sing
I've travelled for long, had some time to see
Other cultures so beautiful, other ways we can be
They've taught me old things, and to feel with zest
Meditation for one, not just closed eye rest
Through turning our focus, from out to in
We start to see signs, a new path to begin
Ways to live life, not involving a desk
Leaving fear behind, and all else we detest
Wait you exclaim, logic I love it's so great
Deciding my choices, leave nothing to fate
I'll share one truth, it's hard to believe
When you follow your heart, you can learn to just be
You don't have to plan, there's no reason to worry
Rest and relax, life's not a a great hurry
Surrender your thoughts, feel passion flow through your veins
Direction appears, no more action in vain
This way of life, it's yours to have
It's not an ideal, not too far to grab
Now you want to know, how to live this way
I'm sorry to share, that you won't hear me say
This is the trick, the ultimate hack
Welcome to life, don't look back :)
]]>
1. Physical reminder of positive intentions
The standard definition of intention is very much synonymous with an aim or a goal; it is something that you want to do or achieve. In fact, many psychological theories assert that intentions are important predictors of behavior (1). If we dig a little deeper, however, we find that an intention can have an alternate meaning. Phillip Moffitt of DharmaWisdom explains that ‘Setting intention, at least according to Buddhist teachings, is quite different than goal making. It is not oriented toward a future outcome. Instead, it is a path or practice that is focused on how you are "being" in the present moment.’ In other words, whereas the first type of intention pertains to what you will do – what we’ll refer to as a goal intention – a being intention is all about how you feel and think. Both types of intentions can play an important role in our lives: one to take care of ourselves in the more external sense, and the other of our innermost state. They can be applied to health, relationships, career, spirituality, hobbies or any other area that can use some improving.
Here comes the catch…
The problem with intentions is that they can quickly go from inspired preoccupations to failure to launch. Then, of course, comes guilt and disappointment. ‘Why couldn’t I just…’ – a dreaded phrase that eats away at the confidence needed to ever set another intention again. In North America, this has actually transformed into a sort of cultural ritual – yup, you guessed it – at the turn of the new year.
One of the difficulties of seeing through our intentions is that we forget or lose focus. Anxiety or low self-esteem are also factors that may stand in the way (1). So what is it that can help us go from an initial resolve to a successful climb to the top of our chosen mountain?
One answer to that question is a mala, or in the case of goal intentions: a mala with a plan.
I intend to BE
Placing an intention on a mala is the simplest way to use it to your advantage. You’ve probably heard this expression before, ‘Out of sight, out of mind!’ By letting your mala represent your intention, you have an ever-present visual cue that will keep it at the forefront. Since the mala is worn on your body, it’s also a way of always feeling your intention. It functions as a kind, gentle reminder to nudge you along the path that you desire.
The mala can represent just one major intention for you. Alternatively, you can be more fluid and set small new intentions for each day, before an activity, or prior to entering a particular situation. Regardless, the intention needs to pertain to the way of thinking and feeling that you know will be of benefit for you.
Melissa Eiser from Mindfulness Minutes explains these intentions can be ‘a word or phrase you’d like to align yourself with.’ Her examples of potential words include ‘peace’ or ‘love’ and phrases such as ‘act with courage’ or ‘open your mind and heart.’ You can take a few moments to meditate over the intention. This simply entails sitting down, closing your eyes, and focusing on the state of being that you wish to embody and that the mala will represent.
I intend to ACHIEVE
Similarly, a mala can serve as a much-needed reminder of goal intentions, but the addition of a plan will further increase your chances of avoiding what scientists call the ‘intention-behaviour gap’(2). The power of planning has been demonstrated in a number of studies that revolved around physical activity. For example, in one study, it was found that intentions helped predict exercise levels. However, action plans resulted in exercise even a year later, whereas intentions alone did not have such a long lasting impact (3). Other researchers tested the effects of both an action plan and a coping plan. Coping planning helped intention setters who had already started exercising and wanted to continue to do so. On the other hand, action planning helped improve exercise rates for those who had a high intention to get active, emphasizing the importance of a strong desire in this process (2).
So what exactly do these types of plans consists of?
Action plans describe when, where, and how particular actions will be taken to achieve a goal. A coping plan, on the other hand, details the difficulties that could be faced and precisely what will be done to overcome them (think ‘if-then’ scenarios). These could be regarded as goal intentions, called ‘implementation intentions’ (1). When they are formulated, people become less easily forgetful about their intention because behavior is being prompted through situational cues (3).
Intending to help others: A win-win situation
The benefits of using a mala to set intentions for yourself are pretty clear. Regular exercise whips your body into shape. Reducing stress supports your mental health and prevents damage to vital bodily systems. Being more grateful enables you to feel happier and more at peace, and so on.
But what about striving to make your community and the world a better place? Setting intentions with your mala doesn’t have to start and end with yourself – it can be something that you extend outward through yourself. The amazing thing is that regardless of what intentions your mala will represent – whether they are explicitly geared for improving your life or the lives of others – things will likely come full-circle. That’s because doing good for others does good for you, too!
Seriously.
Involving 2016 adults, a study found that providing help to others was a more significant predictor of mental health than receiving help (4). This has also been documented among the elderly: volunteers had drastically lower rates of depression and anxiety while a longer study discovered that providing instrumental support to family, friends and neighbors reduced death rates (5, 6). Aside from all these benefits, helping others simply feels good! There’s even a name for it - ‘helper’s high’ – something that two-thirds of individuals experienced in the study that first documented this phenomenon (7).
So what are the physical processes that may be responsible for some of these wonderful effects? Brain scans have shown that altruism reduced stress-related mechanisms and boosted reward-related and caregiving-related activity within the brain, something that receiving support did not do (8). There maybe other physiological process resulting as well: students who watched a movie about Mother Teresa’s charitable work in Calcutta had increased levels of immunoglobulin (S-Ig A ) – an antibody that is vital for immune function. It stayed high even an hour later in students that maintained their attention on the ‘loving relationships’ that were featured in the film (9).
So go ahead, set an intention that inspires and energizes you! Whether the intention is a personal goal, a way to be mindful of your innermost being, or something that will help those around you – your mala beads won’t let you forget.
2. Mantra meditation
If you’ve never heard about mantra meditation (also commonly referred to as ‘japa’ meditation), it may seem like a mysterious or complex concept. The reality, however, is that it is very straightforward. A mantra is simply a sound, word, or phrase that is continuously repeated to achieve relaxation or a particular spiritual goal (10). To enhance its effects, breath work is often incorporated and a mala may be used to track repetitions and maintain flow. Mantras have been recited for literally thousands of years across a multitude of religions (10), but this particular term is derived from the East. In the Sanskrit language, ‘man’ translates to ‘mind’ and ‘tra’ to ‘tools’ or ‘instruments’. Together, mantra translates to ‘instrument of thought.’ There are many variations of mantra meditation such as: transcendental meditation, mantram repetition program, relaxation response, acem meditation, and compassion meditation. (11). At their core, however, they all share the same goal of increasing well-being through focused repetition of sound.
Sounds (no pun intended)….interesting! But does it work?
Most of us have heard that meditation is highly beneficial, but what about meditation that incorporates mantras? Students who were taught four different meditation techniques commonly rated mantra or vipassana meditation as their first choice. Both incorporate breath work as a central component and were described as ‘easier, more enjoyable, and more relaxing to practice.’ The additional mental stimulation of sound in mantra meditation contributed to how easy and pleasurable it was to practice (12).
Similarly, it was shown to drastically boost a sense of fulfillment in self-potential (‘self-realization’) and was more effective at inducing relaxation than a popular yogic relaxation technique (known as shavasana or ‘corpse pose’) (13). This is not to say that other forms of meditation or yogic practices are inferior. Rather, mantra meditation is highly user-friendly and may be a particularly great starting point for novice meditators. What’s more: its benefits have been reaped by people from all ages and walks of life. Nursing home residents, for example, chanted the sound ‘Om’ as part of a yogic relaxation program. It contributed to a reduction in depression and anxiety, had an invigorating effect, and was enjoyable enough that they looked forward to their mediation meetings (14, 15).
Your brain on mantra
Research has been conducted to explore the exact processes that may occur in the brain during this practice. One study found that repetitive speech ‘induces a wide-spread unidirectional reduction in activation in the human cortex’ which causes a decrease in ‘thought-related cognitive processes.’ The researchers suggest that this deactivation of thought is part of what causes the relaxing feelings associated with mantra meditation (10). Additionally, during compassion meditation, regions of the brain associated with empathy and feelings of happiness were shown to become active. The experienced practitioner chanted, ‘Ohm manu Padma hum,’ a time-honored Buddhist chant, and visualized the deity Chenrezig (16).
How to practice mantra meditation with a mala
1) Choose your mala
You may already have a mala that you love. If you don’t, check out our beautiful malas here. We have several different collections, and even design customized malas! Best of all, 100% of proceeds are donated to Trees for the Future, a non-profit dedicated to alleviating poverty and environmental degradation through the planting of trees.
2) Choose your mantra
Before you sit down to perform mantra meditation, you will need to choose your mantra. But what is the best one to use?
One scientist found that despite the assertion in transcendental meditation that each person needs to be assigned a unique mantra by a guru - this is not exactly the case. He reviewed academic literature and summarized that the benefits of mantra meditation have been replicated with made-up mantras or other non-spiritual focus words. These included improvements for physiological indicators such as blood pressure and heart rate (17).
On the other hand, a study found that completing 3 rounds of the maha mantra with a 109 bead mala each day for 4 weeks significantly reduced stress and depression, more so than placebo mantras. The maha mantra is derived from the ancient Vedas and goes as follows: hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare/hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare. After a month of no chanting, the positive effects of the maha mantra subsided, demonstrating the importance of regularly incorporating meditation practices into your life (15).
So what does all of this mean? The conclusion that I draw from these contradictory results is this: Just choose a mantra that you like - if it’s not getting you the results you were hoping for, switch it up and try another one. The choice of mantras is limitless, so you can experiment with different ones. The meaning behind the mantra might really resonate with you, or the sounds of the words might be what appeals the most. Regardless, go with what feels the best to you.
There are many simple mantras that you can start with, such as the ones suggested by mindbodygreen.
3) Start meditating
Equipped with a mala in your hand and a mantra in your mind, follow the simple step-by-step instructions below to begin mantra meditation. You may also find this short video tutorial helpful for learning this method.
1) Find a comfortable and quiet spot to sit (once you familiarize yourself with the mantra mediation technique, it can even be performed while walking).
2) Position the mala in your hand by hanging the first bead (the one immediately above the largest bead, also known as the ‘Guru’ bead) over your middle finger. Place your thumb on top of this bead.
3) Say your mantra loud enough that you can hear it. For maximum effect, you may choose to synchronise this with your breath by breathing in deeply and saying your mantra as you breath out.
4) Reach with your thumb for the next bead (which rotates the mala clockwise as you do so) and repeat your mantra.
5) Continue this process until you reach the Guru bead.
6) After completing one full rotation, do as many additional rotations as you need to reach a state of calm and relaxation. You can start with a couple of rotations, and work your way up with time and experience.
Now that we’ve covered mantra meditation we can explore one more valuable practice. It also harnesses the power of repetition and can be performed with the help of a mala.
3. Self-affirmation
Affirmations seem to be all the rage within the self-help movement. Recently I came across an article by a woman who made an astounding 1 million affirmations within 101 days – reportedly with wonderful results. And then there was the TEDx talk where a man described how listening to a home-made affirmation tape improved his temper within 30 days. According to Louis Hay, a popular motivational author, ‘Every thought you think and every word you speak is an affirmation. All of our self-talk, our internal dialogue, is a stream of affirmations.’ The problem is that much of this self-talk is negative. One blogger collected an illuminating list of statements from experts on the effect of negative thinking on our physical and emotional well-being, which in turn can affect our behaviour as well.
Self-affirmation is about taking control of these thought processes and consciously deciding to ruminate on what is positive and beneficial. More specifically, it is a process of reflecting on personal values and strengths (18). In psychology, self-affirmation theory contests that people, at their very core, are driven to protect self-integrity by preserving a ‘positive, moral and adaptive self-image’ (19). It is a way of adjusting our perspective - it moves our attention to the wonderful resources within ourselves and our lives.
This adjustment in perspective can reduce stress and defensiveness, expands our view from ourselves to see the bigger picture, helps us find meaning in what we’re facing, and allows us to respond to these challenges in healthier ways (20). In fact, self-affirmation has been shown to have a multitude of benefits through hundreds of studies (21).
Self-affirmation for the win
Self-affirmation can improve what scientists refer to as ‘hedonic’ and ‘audaimonic’ well-being – two very fancy words that pretty much amount to the same thing…happiness! To be more specific, the former occurs when positive emotions prevail over the negative ones. The latter, when psychological needs are satisfied, life feels meaningful, and experiences feel enjoyable, immersive, and energizing (22). It’s no surprise then that in a 3185 person study, engagement in spontaneous self-affirmation resulted in ‘greater happiness, hopefulness, optimism, subjective health, and personal health efficacy, and less anger and sadness’ (18).
Performance is another area that can benefit from some positive self-talk. When students were made to complete 30 challenging problems - within a time limit and under the presence of an evaluator…yikes! - chronically stressed students who participated in brief self-affirmation performed better than those who had not (23). Additionally, self-affirmation can help maintain self-control. Researchers believe this is likely because it increases what they refer to as ‘mental construal’ – how a person perceives the world around them. They provide the example of voting. One can view it as merely marking a ballet, or, as a chance to influence an election outcome. The latter interpretation encompasses the ‘global, superordinate, abstract features of an event’ – a part of the healthy, invigorating mindset that self-affirmation supports (24).’
In the face of criticism, self-affirmation can help reduce defensive physiological responses. The blood pressure scores of essay writers returned to normal after their evaluations quicker than their non-affirmed counterparts (25). But what if your social life is what gets your nerves going? A short, 15-minute affirmation was shown to boost both relational security (essentially how confident one feels in their interpersonal relationships) and social behaviour (reaction to self-threat and openness toward others). Astoundingly, these positive effects continued for several weeks (26).
Many of us are striving to get healthier, and self-affirmation can play a role here by boosting acceptance of valuable health messages (27). After women were educated on the importance of plant foods, for example, self-affirmation increased their fruit and vegetable intake. In fact, intake went up by about 5.5 portions throughout the week following affirmations in comparison to those who did not affirm (28). Having a healthy view of our bodies is perhaps as important as actually having a healthy body. Teenaged girls who self-affirmed had much higher levels of body satisfaction and felt less threatened from having to rate their shape and weight. This occurred not only due to an increase in their self-esteem, but also because their source of self-esteem was shifted away from their appearance (19).
Your brain on self-affirmation
Just like with mantra meditation, research has been conducted to pinpoint the effects of self-affirmation on brain processes. While reflecting on personal values, neural reward regions in the brain called the ‘ventral striatum’ are stimulated (21). Self-affirmation can also boost activity in areas of the brain responsible for self-processing, such as the medial prefrontal cortext and the posterior cingulate cortex. The parts of the brain that are responsible for valuation (the ventral striatum and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex), also show activity during future-focused value affirmations (29).
How to use a mala to affirm yourself
There are different ways of affirming yourself, such as writing about a major personal value and why it’s so important to you – a method employed in some of the aforementioned studies. Another way that is easy and convenient employs a mala. It is very similar to mantra meditation, but instead of repeating a Sanskrit mantra, a chosen affirmation is repeated for each bead.
1) Choose an affirmation
In order to choose the right affirmation for you, think about what it is that you are facing. What areas of your life would you like to improve? What behaviors have been holding you back? Which thoughts, feelings, and attitudes are counterproductive? Once you choose what you would like to address, you can begin formulating your message.
Here are a few important things to remember:
• An affirmation needs to be fairly specific – a ‘wishy washy’ general statement that doesn’t directly pertain to what you are addressing will not be of much good.
• It should also be in the present tense – we want it to feel real and possible right now, rather than a continuously out-of-reach future state of being.
• Keeping affirmations realistic is also very important - they need to be attainable.
• One study found that a value affirmation (e.g. ‘This is what’s most important to me and here’s why..’) had a different effect than attribution affirmation (e.g. ‘I am attractive’ or ‘I am intelligent’). Whereas a value affirmation boosted ‘self-clarity’ (or in other words, heightened the sense of integrity and assuredness in identity) – it did not do the same for self-esteem. Attribution affirmation, on the other hand, boosted self-esteem but not self-clarity. This makes value affirmations better for conquering threats to integrity and self-image (for example, like the kinds that occur when you do something that doesn’t align with your values). Attribute affirmation is better for addressing and preventing the self-esteem issues that result from ‘self-depreciating social comparison’ (30).
If you don’t want to formulate your own affirmations or just need some ideas, there are plenty of examples on the internet. Here are some affirmations from livebold&bloom for happiness, love relationships, success, confidence, self-esteem, health, peace, mindfulness, and inner calmness.
2) Use your mala to repeat the affirmation
The beads on a mala can help keep you on track during your affirmations, serving as a sort of watch or guide that paces you along and prevents you from doing too few affirmations. You can be totally spontaneous about it, or develop a routine that you enjoy. For example, every morning you may choose to do one mala round of an affirmation to remain positive and grateful, such as: I choose to focus on all of the good and abundance that permeates every single moment. If you repeat it twice more during the day, that’s a total of 324 affirmations. Over the course of a week, you’ve listened to 2268 positive messages!
The beauty of mala affirmations is that you can do them whenever you feel like it. You can also come up with appropriate affirmations as the circumstances change in your day. Don’t shy away from putting some feeling into the words as you repeat them –silently or out loud - or evoking images of yourself achieving that which you seek to accomplish through your practice. You might also find it helpful to listen to relaxing music while you affirm.
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So there you have it. Intention setting, mantra meditation, and self-affirmation.These are the three brilliant practices where mala beads can be employed to help you become the best that you can be. Do you already use a mala for anyone of these or are you planning on giving it your first try? Have you heard of any other interesting ways to put mala beads to good use? Leave your comments down below
Academic references:
(1) Suchodoletz, A.V. & Achtziger, A. (2011). Intentions and their limits: Perspectives in psychological science. Social Psychology, 42(1), 85-92.
(2) Scholz, U., Schüz, B., Ziegelmann, JP., Lippke, S., & Schwarzer R. (2008). Beyond behavioral intentions: Planning mediates between intentions and physical activity. British Journal of Health Psychology, 13(3), 479-94.
(3) Ziegelmann, J.P., Luszczynska, A., Lippke, S., & Schwarzer, R. (2007). Are goal intentions or implementation intentions better predictors of health behavior? A longitudinal study in orthopedic rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Psychology, 52(1), 97-102.
(4) Schwartz, C., Meisenhelder, J.B., Ma, Y., & Reed, G. (2003). Altruistic social interest behaviors are associated with better mental health. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(5), 778-785.
(5) Hunter, K.I. & Linn, M.W. (1980). Psychosocial differences between elderly volunteers and non-volunteers. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 12(3), 205-213.
(6) Brown, S.L., Nesse, R.M., Vinokur, N.D., & Smith, D.M. (2013). Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it: results from a prospective study of mortality. Psychological Science, 14(4), 320-327.
(7) Post, S.G. (2005). Altruism, happiness, and health: It's good to be good. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12(2), 66-77.
(8) Inagaki, T.K., Haltom, K.E.B., Suzuki, S., Jevtic, I., Hornstein, E., Bower, J.E., and Eisenberger, N.I. (2006). The neurobiology of giving versus receiving support: The role of stress-related and social reward–related neural activity. Psychosomatic Medicine, 78 (4), 443-453.
(9) McClelland, D.C., & Kirshnit, C. (1988). The effect of motivational arousal through films on salivary immunoglobulin A. Psychology and Health, 2(1), 31-52.
(10) Berkovich-Ohana., A., Wilf., M., Kahana R., Arieli A., & Malach R. (2015). Repetitive speech elicits widespread deactivation in the human cortex: the "Mantra" effect? Brain and behavior. 5(7), 1-13.
(11) Lang, A.J., Strauss, J.L., Bomyea, J., Bormann, J.E., Hickman, S.D., Good, R.C., & Essex, M. (2012). The Theoretical and Empirical Basis for Meditation as an Intervention for PTSD. Behavior Modification 36(6) 759–786.
(12) Burke, A (2012). Comparing Individual Preferences for Four Meditation Techniques: Zen, Vipassana (Mindfulness), Qigong, and Mantra. Explore 8(4):237-242.
(13) Janowiak, J.J., & Hackman, R. (1994). Meditation and college students' self-actualization and rated stress. Psychological reports, 75 (2), 1007-1010.
(14) Kaye, G. (1985). An innovative treatment modality for elderly residents of a nursing home. Clinical Gerontologist, 3(14), pages unavailable.
(15) Wolf, D.B., & Abell, N. (2003). Examining the effects of meditation techniques on psychosocial functioning. Research on Social Work Practice, 13 (1), 27-42.
(16) Engstrom., M & Soderfedt, B. (2010). Brain Activation During Compassion Meditation: A Case Study. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine, 16(5), 597–599.
(17) Delmonte, M.M. (1983). Mantras and Meditation: A Literature Review. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 57(N/A), 64-66.
(18) Emanuel, A.S., Howell, J.L., Taber, J.M., Ferrer, R.A., Klein, W.M.P., & Harris., P.R. (2016). Spontaneous self-affirmation is associated with psychological well-being: Evidence from a US national adult survey sample. Journal of Health Psychology, N/A, 1-8.
(19) Armitage, C.J. (2012). Evidence that self-affirmation reduces body dissatisfaction by basing self-esteem on domains other than body weight and shape. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53(1), pp 81–88.
(20) Cohen, G.L., & Sherman, D.K. (2014). The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention. The Annual Review of Psychology, 65(N/A), 333–71.
(21) Dutcher, J.M., Creswell, J.D., Pacilio, L.E, Harris, P.R., Klein, W.M.P., Levine, J.M., Bower, J.E., Muscatell, K.E. and Eisenberger, N.I. (2016). Self-Affirmation Activates the Ventral Striatum: A Possible Reward-Related Mechanism for Self-Affirmation. Psychological Science 27(4) 455–466.
(22) Nelson, S.K., Fuller, J.A.K., Choi, I., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). Beyond Self-Protection: Self-Affirmation Benefits Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40(8), 998–1011.
(23) Creswell, J.D., Dutcher, J.M., Klein, W.M.P., Harris, P.R., & Levine, J.M. (2013). Self-Affirmation Improves Problem-Solving under Stress. PLoS ONE 8(5), 1-7.
(24) Schmeichel, B.J. & Vohs, K. (2009). Self-Affirmation and Self-Control: Affirming Core Values Counteracts Ego Depletion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(4), 770–782.
(25) Tang, D., & Schmeichel, B.J.(2015). Self-affirmation facilitates cardiovascular recovery following interpersonal evaluation. Biological Psychology, 104, 108-115.
(26) Stinson, D.A., Logel, C., Shepherd, S., & Zanna, M.P. (2011). Rewriting the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Social Rejection: Self-Affirmation Improves Relational Security and Social Behavior up to 2 Months Later. Psychological Science, 22(9) 1145–1149.
(27) Cooke, R., Trebaczyk, H., Harris, P. & Wright, A.J. (2014). Self-Affirmation Promotes Physical Activity. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 36(2), 217-223.
(28) Epton, T & Harris, P.R. (2008). Self-Affirmation Promotes Health Behavior Change. Health Psychology, 27(6), 746–752.
(29) Cascio, C.N., O’Donnell, M.B., Tinney, F.J., Lieberman, M.D., Taylor,S.E., Strecher, V.J., and Falk, E.B. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11( 4), 621–629.
(30) Stapel, D. A., & van der Linde, L. A. J. G. (2011). What drives self-affirmation effects? On the importance of differentiating value affirmation and attribute affirmation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(1), 34-45.
]]>Mindfulness is a form of meditation or mental training that helps us to live in a state of awareness of our life experiences without judgment. The practice of mindfulness has a diverse set of benefits such as stress reduction, improved memory, heightened concentration and even improved physical health.
In today’s complex and busy world our time is always consumed by something or other. We forget to set aside time for ourselves to connect with our life experiences and existence. Practicing mindfulness and mediation will equip you with the abilities to embrace the happiness and positive aspects of your life. If you’re like me, time is a valuable resource to be used as effectively as possible. Luckily with these meditation apps you can practice mindfulness anytime or anywhere.
Check out these best meditation and mindfulness apps that will have your mind feeling fresh and powerful in no time.
This meditation and mindfulness app has been downloaded over two million times and we can see why. Pledging that after a few weeks you can create your own personal forcefield of calm and peace, this app can get you meditating within 5 minutes with their user-friendly interface. Stop, Breath & Think will recommend meditations for you to practice each day based on how you feel so that all you have to do is select one and hit play.
Treat your head right with a personal trainer for your mind from the meditation app, Headspace. This app is great for people getting started with meditation. The first level in the program teaches you meditation in easily digestible ten-minute sessions. Once this starter program is complete, you can subscribe to access thousands of hours of content available at your fingertips. What’s unique about Headspace is that with over five million users, you can buddy up with friends to motivate each other and keep on the path to a healthier mind.
You don’t have to munch on a Kit Kat to enjoy this mindfulness app! The Take A Break app allows you to choose between a short or long meditation break. You can even decide to listen to the ocean, rain or even your own music if you’d like. Although we wouldn’t recommend cranking Drake during your meditation period, having the flexibility to shape your own experience is a nice feature. The app also features a simple design so that you spend your break meditating and not fumbling with a million app features.
We obviously couldn’t write a blog about mindfulness apps without reviewing this app. Although the Mindfulness App is not free ($1.99), it is a great tool for finding moments of peace to appreciate life and relax your mind. What’s great is this app allows you to select guided or silent meditations at the length of your choice so no matter what level of meditation experience you have you are covered. Users can also purchase in-app meditation lessons from renowned teachers such as Tara Brach and Eckart Tolle.
I wanted to end this article with an app designed to help improve sleep quality because if you’re anything like me sleeping soundly Mon-Fri is anything but possible. What’s unique about this app is that each user can select the sounds and melodies they like and mix them together for a playlist. It’s that straightforward. You can also set an alarm so you don’t have to worry about draining your battery overnight. Make this app go further and try it out during your next meditation or yoga session. Completely customize your experience with this app and tailor it to suit your relaxation and sleep preferences. Try it out and get back to sleep in no time!
Whether you’re looking for a gym for your mind or sleep aid, the convenience and simplicity of these apps make it easy to start leading your healthier life today. Let us know your experience with apps in the comments below!
]]>'I think, therefore I am.’ Sound familiar? It does to me. In today’s information and opinion-centric world, most of us have literally become absorbed in the contents of our minds. We even define ourselves and others based on these thoughts, using them to delineate between ‘you’ and ‘me’ or ‘us’ and ‘them.’ This is our reality. But according to spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle: This reality is a chronic delusion that results in widespread suffering.
And there is a way out.
In his book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart explains how the delusional egoic mind prevents us from living in the now. When we are cut off from the current moment, we are also cut off from our true selves where inner peace and happiness await. Much of the emotional pain we experience, as well as the violence that humanity has unleashed (onto ourselves, and most of all, other life forms) can be attributed to our inability to SIMPLY. BE. PRESENT.
But there is even more to it. When we overcome the ego and enter the now, we have access to the most extraordinary of truths: We are literally one and the same with everything that exists! We are never alone, and always whole.
Pretty profound stuff, huh?
Like me, you may be a very skeptical person. ‘Spiritual’ might not be the first word that you’d use to describe yourself. Still, I was able to find value in Eckhart’s teachings. Many of them rang true and actually seemed fairly logical, even if they did leave me with some questions. Most of all, I can see how his practical words of advice (if applied – no easy task for most) can help people transcend their suffering as well as rid our species of some of its trademark destructiveness.
Discover how MALA FOREST protects the environment and alleviates poverty!
I should point out that when I first came across The Power of Now, it didn’t click with me at all. I didn’t really like it and quickly gave up reading it. It was only many months later, during a difficult point for me, that I ended up coming across this book again…and saw it with entirely new eyes. So do bear in mind that his teachings may not make sense immediately, but perhaps later on they will.
Without further ado, let’s delve more deeply into The Power of Now.
The time traveler in your head
Have you noticed that as soon as the mind generates a thought, you feel an emotion? Often these thoughts can be negative, and by extension, the emotions will be as well. Worse yet, it can seem impossible to shut these thoughts off as they quickly run towards the future or the past, mercilessly dragging you along. Far, faaaaaaar away from the now.
But the now is the only thing that exists or ever will exist – making it the absolute most IMPORTANT thing that you'll ever have.
‘I wish I could just turn off my mind and STOP THINKING!’ You’ll hear yourself say. But we need our minds, don’t we? And removing our minds (if that was even possible) equates to being dead, RIGHT?
And the answer is…[drum roll please!]
No.
Eckhart makes an important distinction. There is the practical mind which utilizes ‘clock time’ and the egoic mind that compulsively dwells in ‘psychological time.’ The former is a tool that helps us function in this world; maneuvering us through our daily lives, enabling us to learn, understand, and do what needs to be done. The latter, well, that’s a whole other story!
So what exactly is the egoic mind?
Ego is ‘a false self, created by unconscious identification with the mind.’ Hence we can refer to the mind as the ‘egoic mind’ when we identify with it. For the majority of people, this is the voice inside their head that tells them the story of who they are. They believe they are hearing themselves, and they believe the story this false self is telling them. The egoic mind literally depends on the concept of the past to survive. Without it, it is nothing. A novel without a story, for example, isn’t a novel anymore. This actually puts the egoic mind (or you – when you identify with it) in a state of resistance to the present, because it knows that through the present it dies. It tries to find salvation in the future: ‘One day, I will be fill in the blank and then I’ll be happy.’ But the future doesn’t exist (only the present moment does, remember).
The egoic mind is in a perpetual state of resistance – a non-forgiveness – toward the present.
For many people, there is little wrong with the present moment, and much of what’s wrong comes about because of what we perceive (i.e. when we label things ‘good’ or ‘bad’ via the egoic mind). If you are feeling negative, than your mind is likely hijacking the present. For example, feelings of anxiety and stress mean that your mind is on the future, whereas feelings like guilt and anger indicate that your mind is preoccupied with the past.
This suffering is what Eckhart coins the emotional ‘pain-body.’ He defines it as 'a negative energy field that occupies your body and mind…the dark shadow cast by the ego.’ The pain-body can lay dormant until a trigger brings it forth. But some people actually spend most of their lives – if not ALL of their lives – living through their pain-body.
When we identify with the egoic mind, we allow the negative emotions that it generates in our bodies to take over. We hear that egoic voice, we feel the emotions that it stirs, and often times, we actually act on them. We ‘become’ this pain-body. This trans – a deep, pervasive identification with the egoic mind and its emotions – is what Eckhart calls ‘unconsciousness.’
Little me against the WORLD
Aside from the egoic mind’s pull into often worrisome past and future circumstances, when we identify with it – a unique little narrator – we feel like mere vulnerable little fragments. Being small and alone, and hence constantly under threat, we experience a myriad of negative emotions. Many of these, if not all, are manifestations of fear. But the egoic mind is a clever little bugger and comes up with elaborate schemes to try and protect itself. How? By serving and building itself up.
The hunger for power, wealth, and fame (among other ambitions) can all be attributed to the egoic mind’s need to feel more validated. But such things are only satisfying temporarily, so it is perpetually in search of the newest, most promising experience to try and fulfill it. Every moment becomes a means to an end (the future), where, perhaps this time, salvation will be found.
But there is more you should know...
Through identification with the egoic mind, conflict can easily come about. If somebody says something disrespectful toward you, for example, they didn’t hurt you – they hurt your ego. But since you believe that is who and what you are, you feel threatened and attack to protect that false self. This can translate into an obsession to always be the one that’s ‘right’.
Addictions of all sorts can also be a result of the egoic mind’s vulnerabilities. For many people these vulnerabilities can actually manifest as a desire for relationships. Eventually, problems develop (likely due to the dysfunctional nature of the ego) and the euphoric effect of the ‘love’ wares off. Anger and disappointment kicks in because the other person is not the salvation that they were looking for. Such ‘love/hate’ relationships merely unearth the misery that had always been there due the ‘egoic state of consciousness.’
Eckhart points out that the many problems and conflicts that arise in our lives due to ego-identification are actually required for the ego to maintain its separate identity. This not only puts us in a defending or attacking mode, but also makes many people attached to ‘their’ issues and the suffering that results from them. Deep down, they want and need problems to feel like ‘themselves.’
No peace within = No peace without
Eckhart explains that the ego on the micro scale of the individual can also be seen in social, political, and economic structures. The need to constantly grow bigger, stronger, and more ‘developed’ as a society can be attributed to it. Think about war, fixation on economic growth, and the formation of collective egos through nationalism. Things like racism, sexism, speciesism, and classism have come about due to a deeply instilled sense of ‘this is the superior me/us and this is the inferior you/them.’
Environmental destruction can hence be attributed to humanity’s seeming inability to live in the now. Attached to our egoic entity, we refuse to appreciate the present – and all that lives within and through it. We are disconnected from nature and seem to have no problem utilizing it as the means to our delusional ends. Unsurprisingly, nature –and to a great extent non-human animals – are truly in a state of presence (a major part of why it can feel so good to stroll through a forest or interact with an animal companion). Living in a way that is in direct opposition to this presence has resulted in unspeakable atrocities:
Image courtesy of Mercy for Animals
Almost half of the Earth’s trees have been removed since the beginning of civilization. Two hundred species go extinct everyday. 56 billion animals (yes, BILLION…with a b!) are tortured and killed every year in factory farms and slaughterhouses (this is not even including marine life!). And global warming continues to go unchecked.
The list goes on.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel in all of this. What you really are cannot fully be grasped by the limited intellect – it is too profound. But the way that Eckhart describes it is an essence, a ‘conscious presence’ which he refers to as Being. The invisible Source of this Being is the ‘Unmanifested.’ The Unmanifested is an ‘eternally present…state of oneness and perfection’ – a truly unfathomable creative power – from which all things spring.
Everything that exists has consciousness – or Being. To reconnect with this, you have to become aware of the egoic voice inside your head and step outside of it – into the present moment in which Being is always deeply anchored.
(Excuse me for quoting Eckhart so much in the following paragraph, but he articulated things so perfectly that I just couldn’t help myself!)
It is here, in the present moment, that you become aware that ‘you can improve your life situation, but you cannot improve your life.’ This means that when we identify with the egoic mind and become preoccupied with accomplishments, we are trying to fulfill an outer purpose. Our inner purpose, however, is already complete. There is only one step to it: to simply be! Eckhart also points out that ‘Being energy is…infinitely more powerful than mind. The mind runs our civilization, whereas Being is in charge of all life on our planet.’ This state of Being is the true you, and is ‘the eternal One Life underneath all the forms of life.’ One may be inclined to call it God. You experience love when you ‘feel the presence of that One Life deep within yourself and within all creatures.’
Each person is always connected to everything and everyone that exists on this planet (and the entire universe, for that matter). It’s precisely why we do our work here at MalaForest: mala jewellery not only serves as a physical reminder of positive intentions, but 100% of proceeds go toward planting trees to stop environmental degradation and end poverty. We are not little fragments, but rather drops of water in a vast and beautiful river. Everything differs in form (and the egoic mind likes to attach to it), but at the heart of all of these many forms is the same thing: the eternal One Life, as Eckhart calls it.
By severing our connection with the now, the egoic mind carries out an enormous disservice.
There are many methods of connecting with the present, but it is always something that you access from within (you should never try to seek outside of yourself, or somewhere in the ‘future’). One method that has become very popular is meditation. You can check out our Breath Awareness Meditation Guide for step-by-step instructions.
Two ways that Eckhart advocates in The Power of Now are: paying full attention to your senses and witnessing your thoughts through conscious awareness (i.e. Being). In the latter process, you reconnect with yourself as ‘the Watcher’ – that consciousness that is simply there, sitting quietly, ever presently, existing peacefully in the moment. This is the part of you that can listen to the voice in your head. When you pay attention to your thoughts (and the feelings they instigate), watching them without ANY judgement at all, you automatically bring presence. You are able to see the mind for what it is – a story – and stop ‘becoming’ your mind by buying into that story and allowing the emotions to take hold of you. You are no longer identified with the story as being YOU.
Doing this can be particularly difficult when an intense pain-body has been triggered. When it has, you can quickly find that you lose ‘consciousness’ and ‘become’ the egoic mind again. The trick is to be attentive and bring alert presence BEFORE the emotions have taken hold, often a small window of opportunity. When you bring consciousness to these emotions, they can finally begin to dissolve.
When it comes to your senses, think of them as anchors to the present. By fully tuning into them – really paying attention – you actually experience what is happening to you in real time (as well as the world around you). It’s good to get into the habit of devoting your full alertness to the senses during moments that are severely underappreciated. You know, those means to end type of activities where we might completely tune out and maneuver on auto-pilot. This can include washing our hands before dinner (or the dishes after a meal), folding laundry, putting shoes on, or walking through a hallway to get to the next room, etc.
Next time you wash your hands, for example, how does the water feel against your skin? Can you smell the aroma of the soap? Or when you walk through a hallway, can you feel the light breeze glide against your face? And what about the thud in your feet as they hit the floor?
There is also a technique where you tune into the sensation of each of your body parts – and feel Being. Start with your hands. Devote all of your attention to them. If you closed your eyes and couldn’t see them, how would you know they are there? Can you feel that warm, tingly, buzzing sensation of energy – the aliveness? What about just your pinky fingers, or just your thumbs? And now, what about your feet….your legs…your back…the back of the head…the lips…and what about the tip of your nose (can you feel a pulsing)? Tuning into your body in this way helps you tune into the now.
Eckhart recommends learning to maintain a connection to your inner body at all times. It is a means of connecting to the present – to Being – and preventing the mind and other external matters from taking over. It also makes the practice of dwelling as the Watcher of your mind a whole lot easier.
The more you practice using these two techniques – creating consciousness-filled gaps in which you are fully devoted to being present – the less powerful the egoic mind becomes. You are tapping into a deep inner peace and depleting the egoic entity of its beloved fuel source: identification. The negative, false self-generated effects on your life will diminish. Ultimately, if enough people learn to live in the now, so will the negative effects on the world.
I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts on this fascinating topic! If you have any questions of comments, please don’t hesitate to leave them down below.
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It's important that we understand how our environment is effected by us living on it. One of the biggest impacts humans have on our planet earth is through factory farming. In this article we'll give you an overview of this practice and let you know some ways that you can help to combat it! Enjoy:
Sometimes we have the tendency to focus only on the details that are in front of us, and we forget to see the bigger picture. The rapid decline of our forested land is not about losing a few trees here and there, but the major impact this is having on us and generations to come. Don't just look at the tree but see the whole forest.
As we are aware, trees are crucial for sustaining life on Earth; unfortunately our forests are being destroyed. It is estimated that 42 million acres of forested land in Asia, Africa and Latin America are being destroyed annually, along with it we lose over 135 species of plants and animals with the loss of their habitats(1).
One of the driving forces for deforestation, especially in the Amazon, is the animal agriculture sector. The livestock industry is reaching profits that are approximately 100 billion USD a year in America alone, sparking farmers around the globe to want in on the profit(2).
With increasing demand for meat, dairy and eggs over the last decade, it has increased the pressure on farmers to grow more crops to be used as feed for the livestock.
If this continues with our population growth along with the demand for more animal products, it is estimated that this will almost double the amount of crops we grow in the next 30 years; at the expense of our forests(3).
Forest destruction is caused by clearing forested lands and converting it into crops to grow feed for grazing, livestock and housing; even though the forested land may not be appropriate for farming. The negative effects of deforestation is increasing at an alarming rate globally. In the US, roughly 260 million acres+ of forested land has been cleared to make room for more crops, most of which will solely be used to grow feed for livestock(4).
These crops could be used to feed people around the world. One thing I do to make my carbon footprint on the world smaller is to reduce my intake of animal products. Imagine a world where everyone ate fewer animal products? Hard to believe, right? We could send those crops that would typically feed livestock, and instead give it directly to people who would otherwise starve.
Each year 70 billion farm animals are raised solely for our food. Intensive animal farming also known as Factory Farming is on the rise(5). This method of farming is to produce vast quantities in a short amount of time. Case closed, nothing else matters except profit. Whether it be the negative impact this farming method has on our ecosystem and environment, or the cruelty and poor living conditions these animals suffer on a daily basis.
Each person can make a difference in the fight to save our forested lands; now the question becomes, how do we do this?
It's simple. Consumer power. As everyday consumers we have more power than the major corporations let on. If consumers demand change, then we take control of the market.
Here are some ways that you can help to combat deforestation;
Each day that a person chooses to eat a vegan diet they are saving over 1,000 gallons of water, 45lbs of grain, 30 square feet of forested land and 1 animal’s life(6). While the undeniable truth remains that animal agriculture has increased the availability of animal products at more affordable prices, we cannot deny the fact that this is at the cost of our environment, our animals and our overall health.
If you are interested in learning more about the effects that animal agriculture has on our environment I highly recommend checking out the documentary ‘Cowspiracy’ available on Netflix.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to reach out!
With Love,
Steph O'Connell
Sources Used for this article;
1. http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/adopt/conservation
2. https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.phpht=d/sp/i/47465/pid/47465 ;
https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40152.pdf
3. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/feeding-9-billion/
4. http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/03/04/eating-meat-destruction-of- environment/
5. http://awfw.org/factory-farms/
6. http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/
Everyone can agree that feeling calm, having the ability to focus and being happy are things we all want to achieve. Not just temporarily but long term!
In this article we will explain how to practice one of the most simple and enjoyable forms of meditation so that you too can achieve these states of mind.
We'll walk you through an overview of meditation and then step by step on how you too can practice it :)
So what is meditation?
What Is Meditation - How Can It Benefit You?
Meditation is an absolutely amazing tool and practice that we can use to calm our minds, improve our focus and become and be happier. There are many different ways to practice meditation, and the meaning / purpose of meditating may differ from person to person. This guide is an excellent starting point that will pave the way for almost any other type of meditation you may wish to learn and practice in the future.
I'm going to share an overview of the style I have experience with and teach you how to practice one of the simplest and most effective styles of meditation, commonly called "breath awareness meditation". Breath awareness meditation is great if you would like to achieve any of the following:
This is just but a small list of the benefits meditation can bring into your life. We would love you to share other benefits you've noticed in the comments below!
So how does one actually meditate?
Get Comfortable & Find a Quiet Place - Make It Easier For Yourself
To start, get comfortable and find a private and peaceful location where you won't be bothered and is ideally quiet. If you're unable to find a quiet place you can use headphones or earbuds and listen to some white noise, or relaxing meditation music (just search for some on YouTube). Binaural beats audio is very cool too!
Personally I like to practice without the aid of anything electronic because this means I am cultivating a practice that I can do anywhere without needing something external to allow me to practice meditation.
There's no problem with background noises or music in your location, just as long as you're hearing it more so as background noise rather than active noise that you find distracting. As you continue to develop your practice, your ability to tune out background sounds will likely improve. One day noises that you find distracting may become completely unnoticed.
Here's something you might be wondering...
Timing & Repetition - How Long Should I Meditate & How Often Should I Practice?
Many people ask how long they should meditate for and the truth is there's no one right answer. People new to meditation may find overly long practices to become tedious, boring and difficult. To avoid this, I recommend beginners starting with 5-15 minutes per session until they feel comfortable trying longer sessions.
If you have never meditated before I would just start with a quick 10 minute session. What's far more important than the length of your meditation is turning it into a frequent habit. With habit, your desire to increase the duration of your meditations will naturally increase, but the opposite is not true in my experience.
One off meditations can be great for experiencing some of the benefits I listed above. Typically, to enjoy these benefits even when you're not meditating, a daily practice is highly recommended.
For this reason, just starting with a nice and easy 5-10 minutes per day can be a great way to start cultivating your practice and habit.
When I am meditating alone I like to use an alarm on my phone to time my meditations (be sure to put your phone into airplane mode to avoid distractions).
This helps me to avoid thinking about whether I have meditated long enough and instead allows me to more easily focus on meditating. Use a low volume and unjarring alarm sound to help come out of meditation nice and calmly.
However! As I mentioned above, relying on external tools to practice meditation is not ideal in my opinion. Another option is to simply meditate for as long as you can comfortably without relying on a timer of any sort. Experiment with both ways, find what works best for you!
There's more you should know...
Get Into Meditation Position - Ensure Your Body Supports Your Mind
The key to your bodies meditative position is any position where you can support your spines natural curvature and posture. Good posture during meditation is absolutely essential!
Two of the most common meditative positions are sitting cross legged or lying on our backs on the floor.
If your body is not active and you don't normally sit cross legged, you may find it very uncomfortable just to sit cross legged for a few minutes on the floor. Your meditation should not be a physical torture session, so if you find discomfort in this position, don't sweat it! Simply use the next body posture we will discuss down below. You may be interested to know that many styles of yoga (particularly hatha yoga) are practiced with one of the main reasons being to get the body into a state where it can be comfortable in meditative positions.
If you chose to sit cross legged, ideally sit outside! If you can't, inside it completely fine too. Sitting on a thin blanket, carpet, or any other soft support (but not too soft!) will help keep the points of your body touching the ground comfortable.
While sitting cross legged, gently pull the top of your head upwards to bring length into your spine. This will also help you support the natural posture/curvature of your spine. You do not need to hold this movement throughout your meditation, because you will not be able to relax if you are actively using your muscles. This movement should be used to help find a spine supporting position. Your shoulders should be pulled back and down with your heart shining forwards. Again not holding, just using these general alignment tips to help find a comfortable seated position.
The second posture that might be better for your unique body is simply lying face up on the ground (also called savasana). Again, lying on a thin blanket, carpet, or any other soft support (but not too soft!) will help keep the points of your body touching the ground comfortable. Your legs can be spaced at about hip-width distance apart or even a bit wider with your feet comfortably facing upwards or hanging outwards to the sides. Your arms can be slightly spread with your palms facing upwards.
The choice is yours, simply find a position you can stay in comfortably for 5-15 minutes (or however long you wish to meditate). Comfort is important because movement will distract your focus during your practice. While your are meditating, try your best to remain completely still (aside from your breathing).
Once your are settled, close your eyes and allow yourself to relax, thank yourself for taking the time out of the day to practice self care through meditation. Give yourself permission to forget about everything else for the duration of your meditation practice, these precious moments are yours to enjoy completely.
Now...the moment you've been waiting for:
Breath Awareness - Learn The Core Principle Of This Practice
Begin to take slow and deep inhalations through your nose followed by exhalations through the nose. The breath should start and end from the bottom of your belly. The belly should be moving inwards and outward. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. With each inhalation and exhalation, simply focus your mind on the action of breathing. Focus on the sensation of air coming in your nose, filling your lungs, and as you exhale the sensations you feel as your lungs naturally complete a breath cycle.
As you begin your meditation your may consciously help your lungs get into this deep, rhythmic and diaphragmatic breathing. But as you continue your practice, simply having your focus on your breath should help to sustain this style of breathing, you do want to consciously exert your control over your lungs throughout the entire practice. You are here to focus and observe. To relax and enjoy.
As you focus on your breath, you may have all kinds of thoughts pop into your mind and distract your focus from your breath. This is completely normal! Let the thoughts come, don't try to stop them because it's impossible. Simply let them come and pass by. Avoid bringing your attention and focus to the thoughts and following them down their story lines. When you catch your focus coming off the breath and onto the thoughts, gently bring your focus back to the breath and let the thoughts float away.
This is the hardest part! Focusing is similar to flexing a muscle, and just like a muscle, we need sustained practice to achieve progress and growth. Like anyone new to exercising, your mind may find focusing challenging and difficult, but if you keep at it with some discipline, your ability to focus will massively grow.
The best part?
The Effects Of Meditation - What Can You Expect To Happen From Meditating
During your meditation, your mind and body may become calm, or they may not. What is certain that if you frequently meditate, relaxation will eventually come. It is common to experience some relaxation during meditation and directly afterwards. But! These feelings can be yours all the time. Continued practice will helps bring these lovely benefits into every moment of your life.
Longer and more frequent meditations can help to accelerate the journey of strengthening your focus, within reason. Like most things, a natural balance between the rest of your life and meditation will likely result in the most vibrant growth for yourself.
That's not all...
Additional Thoughts On Meditation - Help Make It a Habit
Meditation groups can be a great way to promote accountability for yourself to ensure you do it. They're also a great way to meet like minded individuals who are interested in self growth and will certainly be happy to share their knowledge with you. Just do a quick Google search "your city name meditation group" to find one near you, they're typically free or extremely cheap to attend.
Many will meet on a weekly (or more frequently basis) and you will meditate together. The meditations are often followed by group discussions about healthy and happy living in some way.
Comments & Questions - Get Extra Support & Share Your Opinion!
It was awesome to put into words how to practice breath awareness meditation. If you have any questions or comments about this article, or anything else, I would love to hear from you. Join our free community meditation forum here: Community Meditation Forum
If you think you know someone who might benefit from learning how to meditate, please share this article with them.
Thanks :)
- Robert O'Kruk
]]>Our minds are magnificently powerful tools. Capable of using everything we’ve learnt, we often try predicting what we think may happen in the future based on what we know about the past and present. The downfall to our powerful minds is that sometimes it can feel like they’re not on our side. When thinking about the future our minds can often come up with potential scenarios that are simply not going to happen. Regardless of this fact we may still feel the negative emotions associated with our projected vision of the future.
A popular topic across the health and wellness community is the practice of “living in the moment”. When we forget about the past and future and focus on the present, we can avoid thinking negatively about things that in reality, have little to no in the present we’re currently experiencing. The only time frame that will ever truly exist is the present. The past is over, and our choices in the present are the only thing that we can control.
One of my favourite personal reminders to help our mind avoid thinking negatively about the present and future is what I like to call “Don’t Know Mind”. The way it works is like this:
Example 1 - A Friend Bails
Mark & David are two friends with plans to head out to go swimming at the beach in the morning. David is going to pick up Mark to drive them both over. When the morning rolls around, David sends Mark a quick text to let him know he can’t make it, that’s all Mark knows.
Mark thinks back that just a month ago another friend Jake bailed on him at the last moment similarly to this time with David. When thinking about the situation with Jake, he remembers that Jake bailed on him to do something else and actually lied to Mark about why he couldn’t come anymore.
Mark begins to imagine that David has bailed on him to do something more fun with someone else. While he does not know if this is actually the case, he begins to feel bummed out that one of his friends would bail on him. He feels sad.
A few hours pass and David texts him again saying that we was so sorry that he had to bail, his dad had slipped on some stairs and broke his ankle. He had to drive him to the hospital. Later that week Mark sees Davids father with a cast on his ankle, confirming that he indeed broke his ankle.
This is the moment where Mark should take a moment to say to himself “Don’t Know Mind”, and reflect on the fact that what he imagined might have happened, did not happen at all! His imagination unfortunately even led him to feel sad about something that didn’t even exist. There was no point to have those negative thoughts.
Example 2 - Work Stress
Mark is at work and his boss lets him know that on Wednesday there might be some new clients coming into work for an afternoon meeting. He'll need Mark to meet with them for the entire afternoon if the meeting happens. It has not been confirmed yet.
Mark realizes that he normally uses all of Wednesday to write his weekly reports. Mark begins to stress out as he really dislikes squeezing time to complete the reports into Thursday or Friday. In fact, Mark's day is ruined by the worry that he may have to spend the end of his week writing reports.
Wednesday morning rolls around and Mark's boss pops in to let him know that the meeting has been cancelled and it won't be necessary moving forward.
This is yet again the moment for Mark to remind himself of the "Don't Know Mind" process. There was really no reason for him to stress about the reports this week as he ended up having all of Wednesday to complete them in the end.
How "Don't Know Mind" Works Over Time
To start, a great way to use "Don't Know Mind" is to simply remind yourself of this phrase and the meaning (essentially unnecessary negative emotion) every time you catch a situation working out in a way that was better than the way you worried or stressed out about it potentially happening.
Over time, if you continue to remind yourself of "Don't Know Mind", your brain will begin to catch your thoughts when you're worrying or stressing out about potential future outcomes that you have no control over. You will have countless reminders of times where there was no need to worry to help calm an irrationally worrisome mind.
This technique can be an absolutely great way to stop feeling negative emotions related to the future, and help you to live and focus on the present.
- Robert O'Kruk
P.S. If you enjoyed this article please check out our Get Involved page. We'll show you how you can easily get more awesome content like this.
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If you think about it for just a moment though, life is really too short to focus on negativity and what you don't like. Whether the thought is external or internal, it doesn't matter, your mind deserves to be occupied by thoughts that help your grow, not hold you back. You owe it to yourself.
You can use an amazingly simple positivity life hack that I like to call "But What Do You Like" to combat negative thinking or ranting both from yourself and from others.
Example time!
Bob: "I can't stand that chair! It's the ugliest shade of yellow, who in their right mind would have designed a chair like that. They must have been an idiot!" (bad vibes)
Luke: "but what do you like about the chair?
Bob: "Well, I guess I did get a really good deal on it, and it's actually really comfy"
Now you might be thinking to yourself, that's a pretty cheesy example...I'm not going to disagree haha. It's just a way to share the principle of the technique.
The thing that makes this technique extremely effective is that it really catches people off guard and more often times than not, derails their negative thinking train. In a way, it's almost a very polite way of asking someone to stop complaining (a massively awesome thing to know how to do).
Doing this once is not going to dramatically change your life. This technique is no different than several other positive and healthy habits. It benefits from consistent usage and so does yourself and those around you. Making it a habit will be essential to fully benefiting from it.
If you continue to use this tip, you will really notice over time that anytime you start to complain about something, you'll catch yourself and derail your own negative thought train with a personal invitation to think about things positively.
If you have any doubts, just try it out a few times! We're literally talking about saying a few words, either in your head to yourself or potentially out loud to others (or both!). It's not a massive commitment, it's a minimal (and surprisingly impactful) one.
I've been using it personally for a few weeks now and I've been shocked at how helpful it can be for derailing both my own complaints, and those of others around me.
Enough about me though! I would absolutely love to hear how it goes for you. After reading this article, you have an opportunity! Try it out and write a quick comment sharing your results below. You can also easily share it using the share icons on the left side of the page (on desktop) or at the bottom of your screen (on mobile).
Much love.
- Robert O'Kruk
P.S. If you enjoyed this article please check out our Get Involved page. We'll show you how you can easily get more awesome content like this.
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