5.12.08

Maria Duval - Practicing Staying Present to the Now

Practicing Staying Present to the Now
Transformational Counseling is about assisting others to transform their life. Transformational Counseling is a process of assisting others to learn how to let go of the past and live fully in the present. To live fully in the present is to become awaken to what is truly real and to our own natural power. Much of our life is spent living in the past, and in the process, attempting to fix it, to make it something that it is or was not. It is from living in the past that we also attempt to create our future, the result always being a living of life as it was in the past. Transformation takes place when we learn to exist in and be present to the Now.

The practice of staying present to our natural power and to that which is real is becoming conscious to what is so, to the Now, to the present. What is so, the Now, has no meaning and exists outside of thought and language. As human beings we tend to give meaning to everything, including other people, ourselves and even life itself. It is in our meaning making that we leave the present and create our life from the past, a life that can be filled with a great deal of anxiety, fear and stress. What is so merely exists and it is in the experience of the Now that we begin to live a life of power and freedom, a life and way of being free from our past.

A specific technique that is very powerful for practicing staying present to the Now is meditation. It is in meditation that one creates the space to experience a very deep state of relaxation, a state that is very healing to both the mind and body. As we know, in meditation ones metabolism slows down, including heart rate and blood pressure. The consistent practice of meditation will reduce anxiety and stress. For some the practice of meditation allows them to access true Being. For others it is way of reconnecting to the Spirit within us. It is in the consistent practice of meditation that the subject and object distinction inherent in language, thought and meaning making collapses thereby resulting in our access to the present, to the Now.

The meditative process can be enhanced by the use of therapeutic relaxation music. Music has always been a very powerful modality for promoting a very deep state of relaxation and even healings. I have found that musical compositions that are harmonically slow, repetitious, with sustained voices, which are rhythmically, random in tempo assists an individual in experiencing a very deep state of relaxation. A second important component of the use of therapeutic relaxation music is the use of binaural audio tones that have been interwoven into the music. The binaural tones, through a process referred to as entrainment or frequency following, gently guides or directs the mind/body to generate more of the targeted frequency of brain wave activity for an even more profound state of relaxation.

The meditative process of practicing staying present to the Now is as follows:

1. Take a comfortable position in an upright sitting position.

2. Allow your legs and arms to be open.

3. Allow your eyes to focus upon a chosen object. The chosen object could be a candle light in a darkened room or any point that you choose.

4. As you focus on the chosen object, allow your muscles to slowly relax from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

5. Take three slow deep breathes in through your nose as you inhale. Hold each breath to the mental count of four. Slowly exhale each breath out through your mouth. Continue to breath at a slow pace after the three breaths.

6. Continue to focus on the chosen object. When your mind wanders to some thought or thoughts slowly and gently bring it back to your focused concentration upon the chosen object. Simply let go of the thoughts that arise. The thoughts are from the past. Stay focused to what is so.

7. Continue the practice for a prescribed period of time and then go about your daily activities. Each day that you practice you may even choose to lengthen the time you spend with this technique.

The ability to stay in the present, to access the Now, can be enhanced with the consistent practice of meditation. What this will necessitate is one making the practice of meditation apart of his or her daily schedule. With the consistent practice of meditation one will also create the ability to stay even more present to what is so even when not actively engaged in the meditative process. It is through a commitment to the practice of meditation on a daily basis that one will begin to live more fully in the Now.

Harry Henshaw, Ed.D., LMHC
http://www.enhancedhealing.com

Dr Harry Henshaw is in private practice in North Miami Beach, Florida. http://www.enhancedhealing.com

Meditation: Meditation for Improving Concentration
I was reading an article in an American Medical Journal a few days ago that talked about how keeping your mind active and improving your concentration will help you as you get older. The focus of the study was looking at how people aged 70 plus could ensure their minds stay active by improving their concentration. There are simple meditations techniques that you can use to improve your concentration that if you practice regularly will ensure your mind will maintain is stature. There are two meditation techniques for improving concentration that are easy to use. The first technique is using the number meditation technique; the second technique is using the object visualization meditation technique. The Number Meditation Technique: The first step in this meditation process is to find a comfortable place to sit and close your eyes. The potential distractions are a big issue with this technique because you will be challenged by noise both internally and externally. With both of these techniques I recommend that you do NOT use meditation music. The next step in this meditation technique is to ensure that your back is straight, with good posture. Start by breathing slowly and lightly. As you are breathing on the exhaled breath visualize the number one in your mind. When you see the number then breathe in. Whilst you are focusing on the number one, breathe out and then visualize the number two. Continue breathing and visualizing each number till you reach one hundred. Once you reach one hundred then you may stop the meditation session. Here is the catch, you cannot continue to the next number until you only have focus to the previous number. If at any time during your visualization that your mind wanders or starts thinking about something else, you must stop the counting process and start from the number one again. The objective of using this technique is to help maintain your concentration and ensure that you maintain the focus on the numbers you are counting. You need to practice this technique till you are able count to one hundred without losing focus on the first go. Continue to practice this technique till you have mastered it. Once you have mastered this technique and have control over your focus, the next step is to use the object visualization technique. The Object Visualization Technique: The object visualization technique is designed to help you visualize an object. To start this technique, begin your meditation just as you would any other meditation session. The first step is visualizing a common object that you know like a flower, a car or a cup. You will find that when you first try the object visualization technique that using a simple object will make life easier to help maintain focus and concentration during the meditation session. During your meditation session you need to visualize the object by literally drawing it with your mind. Start with an outline, making sure it looks as beautiful as possible. Visualize its shape of the object, the color of the object, any pictures or colors on the object, the texture of the object such as whether it is smooth or rough. Whether there are any words on the object and then rotate the object on a 3D axis. As you are visualizing the object, test to see if the object has a distinct smell in your mind. Visualize that smell clearly in your mind. Now during the visualization meditation session, should at any point you lose focus and visualize on anything else. Simply stop the visualization process and start again by redrawing the object in your mind. Continue this process for a period of ten minutes each day, till you are able to visualize the object without distraction. You should continue using this technique till you can meditate up to twenty minutes a day using this meditation technique. The number meditation technique and object visualization meditation technique are designed to help program your mind to concentrate. The more you practice this mediation technique the better your concentration will become and the easier it will be to attain focus during your meditation sessions.

We have Meditation Music available to help you with your meditaiton. If you are suffering Asthma then check out our Buteyko Breathing Method training program. If you would like to read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to learn how you can achieve greater success then you can get access to this book.

Beginner's Meditation - How Deep Can You Go?

When I teach Meditation classes, new students often ask: “What can meditation do for me?” To answer that question as genuinely as possible I draw upon my own twenty-something years of meditating experience. One of the core meditation benefits I enjoy is a continual feeling of inner peace. This is a true blessing compared to how things were many years ago. Enslaved by my own mind I was constantly pulled this way and that. My inner voice chattered ceaselessly: “Let’s go here. Let’s go there. Let’s do this. Let’s do something else.” My mind seemed to operate from somewhere on the surface of ego consciousness: a place of conflicts, dissatisfaction, restlessness and fantasy.

Now those aberrations have dissolved, leaving behind pools of perfect peace. And within these oases of peace there is a clarity of mind; a greater understanding of myself, of humanity and of the world in which I live. This in turn contributes to a general state of happiness and, sometimes, periods of pure joy.

But I am not unique. Anyone who practices meditation regularly can tell you that they too experience the core benefits of meditation - namely:

  • Inner peace
  • Clearer thinking
  • Greater understanding
  • Constant happiness
  • Being in joy

For those who wish to (re-)establish these natural ways of being, the easiest meditation technique to begin with is “witnessing.” A “witnessing” meditation is a means of being in the present moment; it is a way of giving your fullest attention to what is going on in your body and mind “now.”

Meditation For Beginners

  1. Sit upright, spine straight, feet flat on the floor. Keeping your spine erect let your shoulders relax downwards. Place your hands openly on your lap, passive hand resting in the active. Focus on letting your body relax. Try to be aware of your entire body from head to foot.
  2. While maintaining a steady awareness of your body, bring your attention to your breathing as you inhale. Focus on your breath as it enters your nostrils. Follow the course of your breath as it passes down your throat and into your lungs.
  3. Watch the passage of your breath as the inhalation reaches its maximum, pauses, and then becomes an exhalation. Continue watching the outflow of breath to the point where it pauses briefly before becoming an inhalation once again.
  4. As you breathe in and out, pay attention to the expansion and contraction of your rib cage, and the rise and fall of your stomach. Notice how your breathing becomes longer and smoother. Watch your breathing cycles and each time you breathe out imagine all the muscles in your body relaxing more and more.
  5. Now bring your attention to your mind. Observe the thoughts passing through your mind. After a time you will notice how your thoughts slow down and become easier to watch.
  6. In time and with practice you will reach the stage where thoughts cease to enter your mind. It is then that your mind becomes like a cloudless sky.
  7. Once you arrive at this state of what Buddhists call “no mind” you will quickly become familiar with “The Witness” �" that eternal part of us that exists beyond everyday mind.


About The Author

Michael Connolly is a retired Hypnotherapist and Psychoanalyst. He has accumulated extensive knowledge of parapsychology and metaphysics over a period of three decades. These days he enjoys sharing his knowledge on the Internet. Ultra Deep Meditation. Author's Blog: http://blog.seeitlive.info



The Philadelphia Experiment: New Evidence Surfaces 4
It's taken me some time to be able to write this article. That's because I am in awe of the time travel prophecy that came my way just a year and a half ago. I shouldn't be because it's happened before. I clearly remember sitting in a quiet room in the late 1980s when Preston Nichols, Al Bielek and Duncan Cameron spoke of a cataclysmic event that would occur sometime in the future of New York City. As my video camcorder captured their every word, I remember how reluctant they were to talk about it. Their reluctance seemed almost dutiful and preprogrammed. Watching that video today, I know they were describing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. To recap from previous articles: On February 12, 2004, a woman that I'll refer to as Virginia was joined by her husband and two friends to clean out a small room that existed on the second floor of their newly purchased retirement home in Maryland. The eighty-five year old house needed an interior facelift. With Contractor work set to begin shortly, the four had the task of removing items from a smaller room that was going to become part of a larger open area when everything was completed. As the small group of people prepared the items for removal, they suddenly felt sick to their stomachs. A green mist appeared in the room accompanied by the form of a man and the odor of over-heated circuitry. He looked like a sailor wearing a long out of date naval uniform. Before anyone could react, the sailor looked at the group and said, "2005. Watch out for 2005! They're playing with your future!" After that, the Sailor faded into the wall and the green mist quickly dissipated. All agreed later that they had heard his voice and everyone heard the same thing. They described the Sailor's voice as deep and full, but sounding a bit muffled. Despite the seemingly over-dramatic words and manner of the misty sailor, it would be a mistake to dismiss the incident out of hand. I have carefully researched this event as time and finances have allowed since it first occurred over a year ago. My investigations have leaded me to believe that it's not a work of fiction and likely occurred as reported. Although I have dutifully reported the progress of my investigation through follow-up articles, I have not turned the entire situation into some sort of carnival atmosphere. I knew that this event would somehow play out and now it has. Hurricane Katrina was more then just a weather event; it was a catastrophe of almost unprecedented proportions. Was that the nature of the sailor's warning? It's hard to say because there doesn't seem to be any direct connection between the two events, at least on the surface. Digging deeper has uncovered some disturbing facts that we all may want to consider before drawing any final conclusions. The manipulation of weather has long been a priority for the United States. One need only look at HAARP (High frequency Active Auroral Research Program). The notorious HARRP array in Alaska is said to have the ability to bounce electromagnetic beams off the upper atmosphere and focus them for the purpose of heating the ionosphere. Although touted as the building block for an advanced military communication and tracking system, there can be no doubt that HAARP has the ability to cause some type of weather changes. It may be no accident that HAARP is also a direct descendent of ELF and Radiosonde research. ELF is a special low frequency radio system used to allow for communication with submarines deep under the sea. The Radiosonde is a radio sounding device. These devices are used by the National Weather Service and often placed on weather balloons. HAARP, ELF and Radiosonde devices have long been connected to research that goes hand in hand with the Philadelphia Experiment technologies. The mind control aspect of the Philadelphia Experiment was said to have involved the use of microwave, Radiosonde and other technologies that could have preceded or coincided with the development of ELF and HAARP. The technology used for the invisibility effect achieved during the original P.E. experiments affected the minds of those involved. This left the door wide open to explore the possible use of that technology for mind control. Imagine the military or political benefits that could be derived from the successful deployment of mind control devices? However, those devices would only be as good as their ability to operate over a widespread area. The development of additional technologies to assure that would be possible may have also assisted in the discovery and deployment of things like ELF, HAARP and Radiosondes. However, there can be no doubt that the use of these technologies to control weather would be equally as beneficial from a political or military standpoint. Weather manipulation can provide obvious benefits in terms of record harvests, national revenues and tourism. The danger, however, is the same one that exists with time travel. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. You cannot attempt to alter the past or future without the potential of doing serious damage to yourself or others. That's because we do not yet possess the ability to fully manipulate time. To do that, we would have to have a complete database of its ebb and flow. Most would concede the implausibility of being able to create such a concise record. However, that would not stop us and probably has not stopped us from attempting to control weather or time. Our Space Program provides a good model for this. Once we discovered that the technologies to take us out into Space could be developed, we went ahead full throttle. As with Time Travel and Weather Control technologies, the potential political, economic and military benefits derived from diversified missile and rocket projects were just tempting to ignore. No one was concerned about being able to control how many missiles were eventually deployed, the amount of space junk that would end up in orbit or the number of people who might die during space missions. Worrying about all that would come later. Despite the horrendous damage we might due to our planet in trying to control the weather, I have no doubt that such considerations play a secondary role. I am certain that many scientists have convinced themselves that we now know enough about our ecosystem to be able to predict almost any potential problem with weather control. Likewise, the scientists and engineers working on time travel projects have likely adopted the popular theory that says that Time is actually a big circle with no beginning or end. That would allow for movement anywhere within that circle. Any changes would merely become part of the norm, despite the fact that large numbers of people, places or things may be permanently altered or simply cease to exist. Acceptance of the big circle theory when it comes to Time Travel may have opened a Pandora's Box that can never be closed. It might not be unreasonable to suggest that the government would use available weather alteration technologies to cause what seems like a catastrophe to fix or prevent a problem created or detected by their Time Travel program. Such a problem could end up being ten times worse then the disaster they may have caused to fix or prevent it. Most people think in the now. When considering the past, present or future, they do so in relation to the reality they know. Suppose it were possible to consider any number of possible realities, choose one and replace those less desirable? The problem is that accomplishing that switch may come with unforeseen consequences. When it comes to time travel, little problems can quickly become big ones requiring more then just a little tweaking of a desired time line. Because New Orleans is one of America's largest ports, it's not unreasonable to consider the possibility that something terrible may have happened requiring a PE-style time travel fix and subsequent alteration of the present as a preventative measure. There could have been a dirty bomb or biological attack by terrorists bringing something into that port. A hurricane might have been just the distraction needed for U.S. Authorities to deal with the threat in a quiet way. Less then a year ago there was a story on the major cable news networks of a cargo ship carrying something dangerous on board. The ship was headed toward the east coast of the U.S. The last I heard was that the Coast Guard was going to intercept the ship far offshore because they had word of a credible threat. Following those reports, the story and the ship just vanished. Nothing more was said. I went to the CNN and Fox News websites looking for the story that both networks had reported. The story was gone. This is not conjecture or guesswork, it's fact. Hurricane Katrina and the possibilities it has provided as a fulfillment of the time traveling sailor's prophecy is something we should all carefully consider. For me, the shoe fits and fits very well. We can only hope that the next warning we receive will be one that allows us to take some preventative action. The very nature and dramatic accent of the 2004 warning leaves me with the sinking feeling that it was motivated more by desperation, then the hope that anyone had the ability to stop what was coming. NOTE: You can read the previous three articles on this subject at http://www.ufoguy.com

Author: Bill Knell Author's Email: billknell@cox.net Author's Website: http://www.billknell.com Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address of http://www.billknell.com A native New Yorker now living in Arizona, Bill Knell is a forty-something guy with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He's written hundreds of articles offer advice on a wide variety of subjects. A popular Speaker, Bill Knell presents seminars on a number of topics that entertain, train and teach. A popular radio and television show Guest, you've heard Bill on thousands of top-rated shows in all formats and seen him on local, national and international television programs.

How To Change Your Life In Just 15 Minutes
Meditation is a powerful process - very powerful. It has the power to transform your life but many people never try it because they don't know how to begin. The truth is that meditation is a simple, easy and natural process. And, to prove it to you, I’m going to teach you an easy meditation technique. Ready? Let’s get started. Every day for 10 or 15 minutes, sit quietly by yourself somewhere peaceful. Maybe under a tree, maybe in your car, maybe in the bathroom, just someplace where you are not going to be interrupted. Now, for this particular meditation technique, do your best to shut down your physical senses. Draw the curtains if it is bright and close your eyes. Put yourself in a place where there is not much sound. Some people play music in the background but even that can be distracting. However, something like the ticking of a clock, or the dripping of a faucet, or the trickling of a waterfall can be very soothing. And some music, it has to be said, does fall into that same category. But even then it must be something that does not stimulate your thoughts. Now focus inwardly, perhaps on your breathing. Be consciously aware of the air flowing into your lungs, and be consciously aware of air flowing out again. Concentrate on long breaths in, and then concentrate on long breaths out. When you breathe in and you think it is all your lungs can hold then try breathing even more air in until your lungs feel like they are almost ready to burst. Then, at a place of full expansion of lungs, take a long, slow, relaxing, breath to let all the air out again. Let your intention be nothing more than being in this moment right now, and just being consciously aware of breathing. Don't think about cooking breakfast, or combing your hair, or wondering how someone is doing, or thinking about yesterday, or worrying about tomorrow, or focusing on anything else in this moment except air in, and air out. Now, during this process, within a few days of doing it, you're going to begin to feel a kind of physical detachment from your body. A very common thing that you will feel is a sort of numbing sensation. Some describe that they cannot tell their toe from their nose. Some, if their eyes are closed, may begin to see movement of light around under their eyelids, or even flashes of color. There is no right or wrong in this meditation technique. There is nothing that you should be reaching for. This is a state of peace. This is a state where, for just a few moments, you stop running the show. You stop trying to make anything happen. This is a time when you just let everything go. Fifteen minutes a day of this will change your life. This is because it will put you in the state of letting your natural energy flow more strongly through you. You'll feel better in the moment. You'll feel more energized when you come out of it. This meditation technique is far more powerful than it might at first seem. In just a few days of consistent practice, you’ll begin to notice the powerful effect it is having on your life. So there you have it. This method will transform your life but there's one catch. It will only work if you do it!

For more Free Mind Power Knowledge, visit http://www.PsiTek.net/index2.html

6 Ways Brainwave Entrainment Made Me A Better Businesswoman
Brainwave Entrainment is the use of recorded tones, pulses and rhythms to induce a desired state-of-being. The desired states can be anything from healthy sleeping patterns, to energy and motivation in waking times, and even Astral Projection. Any mental state you wish to achieve has a corresponding frequency, and by “entraining' your brain to create that frequency, you can enter that state.

Some examples include: Enhanced Meditative States-Meditation comes with its own broad spectrum of benefits. Physical, Psychological and Spiritual healing being some of the more well-known. By using Brainwave Entrainment Techniques, deeper states of meditation are achieved by novice practitioners that are usually reserved for those more experienced in this field. It is possible to meditate “Deeper than a Zen Monk” on your first try, using brainwave entrainment.

Healthy Sleep Patterns-Those of you with small children will appreciate this benefit. If you take a long time to fall asleep, or go to sleep too quickly, you risk not having the appropriate amount of time spent in the various stages of healthy sleep. Using Brainwave Entrainment for Sleep Induction can help you drift off to sleep at a predetermined rate, allowing your body and mind to regenerate at the proper levels for the optimum amount of time required for maximum results. You'll wake feeling refreshed and rested, even with fewer actual hours of sleep, because you got the right amount of regenerative sleep.

Improved Immune System Function-Your body responds immediately to the stress hormones you create during everyday activity. Cortisol, the most dangerous stress hormone, causes you to age quickly, and breaks down your body's ability to fight disease and infection Proper meditation entices the brain to produce more of the opiates and stress fighting hormones required to slow the aging process, and nudge the immune system back into a healthily functioning state.

Increased Sense of Peace and Wellbeing-When your brain produces more of the chemicals that help you fight stress and keep you from aging quickly, another benefit is that you feel more at peace, and are less easily agitated.

Increased Concentration-Certain frequencies help your brain to focus on the task at hand, whatever that may be, with laser focus and absorb and retain more of the information you read. This is a huge benefit for students and those in creative fields, such as graphics, artists, writers, and marketers.

Depression and Anxiety Relief-Your brain produces seratonin, the chemical needed to thwart depression, at a certain frequency, and you can induce that frequency with simple Theta Entrainment. Entering a relaxed state, and producing a more relaxing, calm state is just as easy, and can help you raise your stress threshold, lessening the effects of anxiety, depression, stress and addictive behaviors.

It has also been proven that there are relief options for some mental and psychological problems using Brainwave Entrainment, however you should be cautioned that pregnant women and those with seizure disorders should work closely with their doctor to monitor progress.

Resources: Transparent Corporation Resources and Products Susan Denham is a Freelance Writer and Publisher of www.AbundanceFeelsGood.com

JFK Conspiracy And Other Historical Secrets
The prophecies of Nostradamus, today popularly believed to be the work of a charlatan, are given new life in Morten St. George\'s Incantation of the Law Against Inept Critics: A Guide to Cryptic Thinking. St. George discovered that some of the famous stanzas masked their message by means of a unique type of cryptography involving the deployment of a wide array of deception devices. Nonetheless, a rigorous and systematic unraveling of these devices does not always wind up with the prophecies confirming recorded history. Unperturbed, St. George allows his decoding techniques to take the prophecies to where they lead: * Napoleon Bonaparte was murdered on his island of captivity by poison in the wine, instigated by a woman enraged over the defeat of his army in 1813. * President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a group of conspirators led by his vice-president, Lyndon Baines Johnson. Officially accused by the Warren Commission, Lee Harvey Oswald was completely innocent since the bullets that killed Kennedy were fired from a rooftop, not from an open window. * The JFK conspirators were also behind the assassination of Kennedy\'s brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, several years later. * Martin Luther King was assassinated because of his opposition to the Vietnam War, not because of racism. * Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was assassinated because of his support for the anti-Islamic Shah of Iran, not because of his efforts to make peace with Israel. * The Russians paid the Bulgarians with a suitcase containing gold and more than a hundred thousand rubles to attempt the assassination of Pope Juan Paul II. * American satellites over the Falkland Islands guided a British submarine to an Argentine cruiser, which was torpedoed resulting in the death of hundreds of Argentine sailors. St. George claims that this information, as well as a clear allusion to all the major events of world history from Hiroshima to September 11, are conveyed by a mere forty-two stanzas that interconnect in intricate ways to supply the needed details. According to St. George, these forty-stanzas were originally part of a group of one hundred stanzas written in the sixth century, a thousand years before the time of Nostradamus. St. George, however, does not view this as a strategic problem for the prophecies: \"If the prophecies foresaw historical secrets, it is safe to assume that they also foresaw their translation into French; consequently, what we see in Nostradamus\' book are the intended prophecies. Even the destruction of the remaining fifty-eight prophecies can be deemed as foreseen and thus intended.\" As for the other nine hundred stanzas (Nostradamus published a total of 942 stanzas), St. George says they are largely re-writes, re-combinations, or thematic derivatives of elements of the original one hundred stanzas, with lots of new place names thrown in for good measure. Indeed, meticulous analysis of the 942 stanzas reveals a large number of repeating terms and concepts. Consequently, according to St. George, the other nine hundred stanzas have no prophetic merit at all; their purpose was only to mask or conceal the forty-two stanzas of the sixth century, and they were very successful at doing just that. When asked if the forty-two prophecies were the product of extraordinary psychic powers, St. George asserted: \"The future cannot be foreseen by means of psychic powers, nor by means of astrological calculations, tarot cards, black magic, crystal balls, or any other such thing.\" Then pressured to explain the prophecies, St. George replied: \"Super-civilization technology. Very simple, really. You gain access to the time stream by orbiting our planet at the speed of light.\" The final question was: What was the motive for writing one hundred prophecies in the sixth century? To this, St. George responded: \"The gloom of the Dark Ages was already upon the scene, and ignorance became perpetually self-generating. It\'s a common misconception that technological progress is an inherent characteristic of humankind. Without intervention, western civilization today would be exactly like it was back then, embroiled in an endless cycle of famine, plague, and petty warfare. It took the prophecies fourteen hundred years to achieve their objective, which seems like a long time by the standard of a human lifetime, but might not be such a long time by other standards.\" # # # Article by Gersiane De Brito, with special thanks to Morten St. George and the www.crypticthinking.com web site. In an upcoming article, tentatively entitled \"The Mechanics of Deception Cryptography,\" Morten St. George goes into detail on how the prophetic verses technically manage to convey historical secrets and other information.

Gersiane De Brito was born and raised in Fortaleza, Brazil. An English language student and aspiring writer, she works part time as an assistant to author Morten St. George and the www.crypticthinking.com web site.

Meditation Techniques
Meditation Techniques Meditation refers to a state where your body and mind are consciously relaxed and focused. Practitioners of this art report increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook in life. Meditation is most commonly associated with monks, mystics and other spiritual disciplines. However, you don’t have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits. And you don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it. You could even try it in your own living room! Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same. The most important among these principles is that of removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming the mind with a deep sense of focus. This clears the mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of activity. The negative thoughts you have �" those of noisy neighbors, bossy officemates, that parking ticket you got, and unwanted spam�" are said to contribute to the ‘polluting’ of the mind, and shutting them out is allows for the ‘cleansing’ of the mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful thoughts. Some practitioners even shut out all sensory input �" no sights, no sounds, and nothing to touch �" and try to detach themselves from the commotion around them. You may now focus on a deep, profound thought if this is your goal. It may seem deafening at first, since we are all too accustomed to constantly hearing and seeing things, but as you continue this exercise you will find yourself becoming more aware of everything around you. If you find the meditating positions you see on television threatening �" those with impossibly arched backs, and painful-looking contortions �" you need not worry. The principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration. This may be while sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and even walking. If the position allows you to relax and focus, then that would be a good starting point. While sitting or standing, the back should be straight, but not tense or tight. In other positions, the only no-no is slouching and falling asleep. Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot in the process since tight fitting clothes have a tendency to choke you up and make you feel tense. The place you perform meditation should have a soothing atmosphere. It may be in your living room, or bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in. You might want an exercise mat if you plan to take on the more challenging positions (if you feel more focused doing so, and if the contortionist in you is screaming for release). You may want to have the place arranged so that it is soothing to your senses. Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you may want a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine. Pleasing scents also help in that regard, so stocking up on aromatic candles isn’t such a bad idea either. The monks you see on television making those monotonous sounds are actually performing their mantra. This, in simple terms, is a short creed, a simple sound which, for these practitioners, holds a mystic value. You do not need to perform such; however, it would pay to note that focusing on repeated actions such as breathing, and humming help the practitioner enter a higher state of consciousness. The principle here is focus. You could also try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping your eyes open, focus on a single sight. One sample routine would be to �" while in a meditative state �" silently name every part of you body and focusing your consciousness on that part. While doing this you should be aware of any tension on any part of your body. Mentally visualize releasing this tension. It works wonders. In all, meditation is a relatively risk-free practice and its benefits are well worth the effort (or non-effort �" remember we’re relaxing). Studies have shown that meditation does bring about beneficial physiologic effects to the body. And there has been a growing consensus in the medical community to further study the effects of such. So in the near future, who knows, that mystical, esoteric thing we call meditation might become a science itself! Written by http://www.diyconservatories-and-windows.co.uk/ of http://www.digital-view-web.co.uk/

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