Saturday, September 22, 2012

A Nature Meditation


--by Robert Elias Najemy
 
 
 
 
 
You are sitting by a quietly flowing stream in the countryside. It is spring and life is green and moist? Sitting on a rock, the sights and sounds of the flowing water begin to work their mysterious way into your nervous system.


Gradually, with the simple repetition of the water's song and the harmonious beauty of the natural surroundings, the thousands of electronic impulses of your brain begin to discharge into the tension-absorbing air.

All of the concerns, problems and projects, which had filled your mind to bursting capacity begin to disappear.

There is nothing to try to figure out now, nothing to decide.

The flowers silently console you with their perfect peace and harmony.

The fresh air tingles in your lungs and your head becomes clear.

You feel somehow sedated, as if the forces of nature have conspired to put you to sleep - to put you at ease.

The wind massages your body with caresses of coolness as the sun unties your muscles with penetrating warmth.

There is nothing to do, nowhere to go and nothing to think of. Just lie back and absorb the peaceful vibrations which flow into every part of your being, whispering, "be at peace, relax my friend, all is well now".

A delicious sleep falls upon you; not really sleep but a half-conscious-half-sleep state, in which the trees, sounds and breeze begin to come inside and mix with all of the thoughts and feelings. It is as if the door of your mind has been opened and all of those conversations, actions and perceptions lying unresolved, floating at various depths in the sea of the mind begin to float upwards and outwards.

Reality now is a mixture of the inner and outer.

The peace and security of being in the womb of nature allows us to surrender to the sun, water and wind, while the earth-draws out our stresses and frustrations.

We swim semiconsciously at the level where the conscious blends into the unconscious.

We dance in our sea of consciousness, sometimes floating up to the surface catching the sensation of the breeze, or the warmth of the sun. Then we dive downward into a stream of upward floating thoughts, images, sounds - all the dislodged refuse from nervous stresses and unresolved problems.

We watch them as they float by and then dive deeper sensing by now there is something at the bottom of the sea, which is attractive to us.

Occasionally we get caught by an upward floating sensation of worry, resentment, an image or an attachment, and before we know it, we are at the surface again thinking, wondering, worrying, being rocked by the waves of attachment.

But the dance goes on, we begin to sink again, for by now we see that we cannot really dive because diving is too intense - there is too much effort - we get hooked too easily on upward floating garbage.

We instinctively learn the dance of the water, sinking, watching, letting go, being carried on the vertical currents of fresh water from the depths of our consciousness, like a seagull with wings spread gliding the air currents flowing against it without a movement, without an effort, letting the air do all the work.

By this time, we are no longer concerned about where we are going. The water becomes clearer, free of debris. We have gone beyond the levels of stress release, past wreckage of old memories, relationships, failures and traumas. We have danced through the caverns of resentment and worry.

The water becomes very clean, very still, very peaceful.

We are coming to the source of our life current, the spring of pure consciousness. Here we may encounter pure light or energy. Only subtle vibrations exist here. Our bodies become recharged with life. Our consciousness is renewed as we have cleared the way for a burst of fresh energy to flow up purifying the sea of consciousness, regenerating the mind, giving new life to every cell of our brain.

If we do not become enamored by the sensation of light, by the bliss of this energy which charges through our system, then we may sink a little deeper into the vast nothingness from which the spring of life flows.

Here there is not even energy; no body, no mind, no light, no sound - absolute nothingness - total vacuum - only tremendous potential unmanifest Divine Consciousness, from which all life and material creation flows.
Fran Hogan
 



 
COMING BACK TO THE SURFACE
 
The sound of chirping birds greets you as you slowly float to the surface. The branches dancing in the wind wave Chello. The sounds of insects buzzing and water splashing salute you with a "welcome back friend, you are part of us now".

It takes a while to remember where you are. You were only gone 20 minutes, but it seems you have been in this spot all your life. The mind is clear, refreshed and in the present.

There is nothing to do but take off your clothes and go swimming.

Have you ever been to this quiet stream in the countryside?

Most everyone has - either to a stream, river, mountain, sea, or forest. And how well and rejuvenated we feel when we return. Somehow everything is more alive, more harmonious.

It may not take long, however, to discharge all that energy and clarity. Once again we become upset, nervous and bored.

Can we go to the stream every day? It certainly would be nice, and life would be much less complicated. Of course for most of us it is completely impractical in terms of time, money and availability of such places - especially to those of us who live in the city.

Well, Mother Nature has a secret for us. We don't have to go anywhere at all. The stream of life, that place of peace and source of strength, knowledge and harmony - lies right inside every one of us.

What is meditation? It is nothing more than visiting this stream on a daily basis. Simply it is the sinking dance into our sea of consciousness, releasing the submerged stresses and coming to the point of inner stillness where there is no object of consciousness - but consciousness itself.

Done regularly, this inward dance leaves us fresh, more alert, relaxed, creative, healthy, and more in tune with ourselves and our environment.

The truth of these statements has been proved both subjectively and objectively through experimentation. Studies have been made on meditators and non-meditators over the years with respect to blood pressure, pulse and reaction time as well as with states of fulfillment and creativity expressed subjectively by the participants.

Hundreds of thousands of people today in all walks of life are finding that no matter what their goals, motivations, responsibilities or problems may be, they are able to act more clearly, more efficiently and more successfully with the aid of regular meditation.

Ultimately, the only way to know if meditation will be useful for you is to give it a try. To spend some time each day in the "dance of the soul".
 
If we care for our bodies and minds, they will care for us.  --Be Well







About the Author: Robert Elias Najemy is a spiritual empath, life coach and author of more than 30 books, 600 articles and 400 lectures on Human Harmony. His recently released book "The Psychology of Happiness" (ISBN 0-9710116-0-5) is available at Amazon. Robert makes his home in Athens, Greece. Please visit his website here.
 

What, In Fact, Is Humility?

--by Robert Elias Najemy
"...When I am humble, I do not feel superior to any one but neither do I feel inferior.  I feel neither more nor less important than others."


I realize that my place in the evolutionary movement of the universe is simultaneously very small but yet unique and precious. I am like a small dot of paint on the cosmic design of the universe. Although my presence is invisible the painting is not the same without me. I understand that, as a personality, I have neither power, nor duration. But as a vehicle of divine energy I am both powerful and useful.

When I am humble, I am simple and kind, pleasant and supporting. I respect and serve all without desire for recognition and without feeling that I have done something important. I am easy to communicate with because I do not play games of who is right or who is worthier.

When others want to feel "superior" more intelligent, more correct, more important than I, I perceived them with love and understanding, knowing that I too have that aspect in myself.
On the other hand, I have no need to affirm my self-worth as I understand that, in fact, my body and personality have no worth, other than as vehicles of expression for the Divine. I enjoy serving, thus when I serve, I keep no accounts. I never feel I am being used or taken from, as I give of my own free will and also have the ability to say no when I choose.

"...My words are few and essential while my dress is simple. I have no need to provoke attention. I feel comfortable with all persons. I have nothing to hide or to protect. I am not focused on social differences. All have the same value for me. I feel equally comfortable with all regardless of social status or life role."

Just as all the forms on the movie screen are expressions of the one projection light and thus have the same value, in the same way, I feel each including myself as an expression of the one divine consciousness on the screen of matter. When I am humble, I have no need to judge others or to compare myself with them. I greet all without being concerned about whether they respond or not.

I know that the results of my efforts do not belong to me. I am responsible only for my motives and the quality of my effort; God decides the results. My knowledge and talents are aspects of divine grace and I use them for the benefit of the whole. My body, mind and power are all temporarily borrowed from the divine source and are to be used towards my "Work" on the earth.

As my personality is purified, ever more power and beauty flow through it into the World around me.
And something strange.  As my ego diminishes, I become stronger.  Abandoning the need to control, everything happens for the best. Liberated from the need for recognition, I now have as much as I need. Freed from the need to have, I live in abundance. When I put my ego aside, all flows more abundantly and harmoniously. Yet, separateness is created both when we feel superior and inferior.
 
Finally, it seems that I can be humble when I need no affirmation, that is, when I accept myself as I am with all my faults. Thus, my humility is a direct result of my self-acceptance, self-confidence and self-love and not some type of self-rejecting self-demeaning attitude. Although humble and simple, I walk with my spine straight because, as all the others, I too am equally a pure and lovable Child of God. But most of all, when I am humble, I do not know that I am.  --Be well


Master the art of letting go.


 
 
About the Author:  Robert Elias Najemy is a spiritual empath, life coach and author of more than 30 books, 600 articles and 400 lectures on Human Harmony.  His  recently released book "The Psychology of Happiness" (ISBN 0-9710116-0-5) is available at Amazon.  Robert makes his home in Athens, Greece.  Please visit his website here.
 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Schiller, Hamburg and Maserati--


Schiller is an electronic music project founded by Christopher von Deylen and Mirko von Schlieffen  in Hamburg, Germany.  Christopher von Deylen doesn't provide any vocals for Schiller productions himself.  Vocals are sung by guest artists and Sarah Brightman is one of my favorites.
  

 

Maserati used two of Schiller's songs: "Drifting and Dreaming" for their promotional video of the Maserati Granturismo, and "Sommer Night" for their video on the GranTurismo S high performance version.  Here's their commercial for the Granturismo below.
 

 
 


Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The most exotic scent in the world--

 Samsara by Guerlain--
Samsara by Guerlain is from Samsara, a sanskrit word that signifies the cycle of birth and rebirth and the ever-turning wheel of life. It is an invitation to serenity and harmony with oneself and the world, a voyage between East and West. Samsara by Guerlain is a worldly scent for the ever-evolving woman, who strives for balance and harmony. The sophisticated woody-oriental fragrance was launched in 1989, based on a fragrant blend of amber, rose, iris, violet, vanilla and sandalwood.  Guys, you won't go wrong with this one, trust me!  Sorry, this item is not for sale in Catalina Island
(and don't say I didn't warn you)
***


Corfu, Greece | Petr Kratochvil
 
 
[VIDEO] - Enjoy an hour-long set of ambient music from Cafe del Mar (YouTube) 
and please stay with me.  I've got more exotics to share.
  
 

Sunday, September 16, 2012

All Things Enya--

Enya     (tvtropes..org)
I don't quite remember who or even when, I was introduced to the songstress Enya. All I know is I've loved her voice and musical orchestrations since forever. When "The Memory of Trees" was released, I played the entire CD over and over, 24 hours straight-- maybe three days straight. I woke up the next morning to the sound of track #8, Tea House Moon playing! My daughter Kelli couldn't believe I'd played the CD all night long. When Kelli came home from school later that day, the music of Enya was still playing on the stereo; and, she had little choice but to fall in love with Enya too. So, I'm dedicating this Blog post "All Things Enya" to my daughter Kelli Michelle, now a mother herself, to daughters Collage and Corrine.

This is for you Kelli. ~~Mom


Enya Brennan is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter.  She gained recognition for her music in the 1986 BBC series The Celts but it was with the release of her 1988 album Watermark that propelled her to international fame.  Enya became known for her distinctive sound, characterised by voice-layering, folk melodies, synthesised backdrops and ethereal reverberations.

There are truly some crazy people out in the world.  I was surprised to read in Wikipedia that  beginning with Watermark, Enya began to attract the attention of stalkers, several of whom succeeded in breaking into her castle and attacking some of the staff.  As a result, Enya spent an estimated €250,000 on security measures for her home, Manderley Castle in Killiney.  In 1996, a man who had been seen in Dublin wearing her photograph around his neck, stabb himself after being ejected from her parents' pub in Gweedore. 

Enya has an extensive body of work and has enjoyed many rave reviews in her career.  A few of my favorites have been uploaded for your listening pleasure below.  These videos will open in a new window so that you can continue working uninterupted on your computer.   I'll be writing about other interesting singers so please  Subscribe to All Things Zen by Email  to get the lastest and greatest.  And, your suggestions for new subjects are greatly appreciated.  ###







 
Mt. Kilimanjaro | by Anna Langova
 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Composer Extraordinare... Vangelis


Vangelis at ElGreco premiere 2007  
 
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou (Vangelis) was born near Volos, Greece. Largely a self-taught musician, he reportedly began composing at the age of four. He refused to take traditional piano lessons, and throughout his career did not have substantial knowledge of reading or writing musical notation. He studied painting—an art he still practises—at the Academy of Fine Arts in Athens. When he was six, Vangelis's parents enrolled him at a specialist music school in Athens. Vangelis said in an interview with Life, when asked about his lack of ability to read music:  "...when the teachers asked me to play something, I would pretend that I was reading it and play from memory. I didn't fool them, but I didn't care".

For an artist of his stature, very little is known about Vangelis' personal life and he rarely gives official interviews to journalists. However, in a 2005 interview with The Telegraph, Vangelis talked openly about various parts of his life. He stated in the interview that he was "never interested" in the "decadent lifestyle" of his band days, choosing not to take drugs, or drink alcohol.   At the time of the Telegraph interview, Vangelis was involved in his third long-term relationship. When asked why he had not had children, Vangelis replied:  "…because of the amount of travelling I do and the nonsense of the music business, I couldn't take care of a child in the way I think it should be taken care of ".
 
In an interview with Soundtrack, a music and film website, Vangelis talked about his compositional processes. For films, Vangelis stated that he would begin composing a score for a feature as soon as he sees a rough cut of the footage. In addition to working with synthesizers and other electronically based instruments, Vangelis also works with and is a conductor to orchestras. For example, in the Oliver Stone film Alexander, Vangelis conducted an orchestra that consisted of various classical instrumenets including sitars, percussion, finger cymbals, harps, and duduks.

 




Monday, September 3, 2012

Relax and Master the Art of Letting Go--

 
Buddha Board is based on the Zen concept of living in the moment. You simply paint on the surface with water and your creation will come to life in bold design. Then, as the water slowly evaporates, your art will magically disappear leaving you with a clean slate and a clear mind - ready to create a
whole new masterpiece
 
 .
For those in search of the perfect holiday, bridal or house gift, for the hard-to-please--  the Buddha Board may be just the ticket.

A playful conduit to the art of living in the moment, this combination philosophical toy / art project gently encourages the user to value the here-and-now. Paint on the board's special surface with water; the image darkens and then slowly fades away. Soon there is nothing. Create your work of art, appreciate it for what it is, and then let go and start again - it's about tapping into a part of ourselves many of us never knew
existed.


 Master the art of letting go.


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