Public Speaking and Panic Attacks

 By Barry McDonagh

It is often observed that many people’s top ranking fear is not death but having to speak in public. The joke is that these people would rather be lying in the casket at the funeral than giving the eulogy. Public speaking for people who suffer from panic attacks or general anxiety often becomes a major source of worry weeks or even months before the speaking event is to occur.

These speaking engagements do not necessarily have to be the traditional “on a podium” events but can be as simple as an office meeting where the individual is expected to express an opinion or give verbal feedback. The fear of public speaking and panic attacks in this case centers on having an attack while speaking. The individual fears being incapacitated by the anxiety and hence unable to complete what he or she is saying. The person imagines fleeing the spotlight and having to make all kinds of excuses later for their undignified departure out the office window…

This differs slightly from the majority of people who fear public speaking because their fear tends to revolve around going blank while speaking or feeling uncomfortable under the spotlight of their peers. The jitters or nerves of speaking in public are of course a problem for this group as well, but they are unfamiliar with that debilitating threat which is the panic attack, as they most likely have not experienced one before.

So how should a person with an anxiety issue tackle public speaking?

Stage one is accepting that all these bizarre and quite frankly unnerving sensations are not going to go away overnight. In fact, you are not even going to concern yourself with getting rid of them for your next talk. When they arrive during a speech/meeting, you are going to approach them in a new manner. What we need to do is build your confidence back to where it used to be before any of these sensations ever occurred. This time you will approach it in a unique, empowering manner, allowing you to feel your confidence again. It is said that most of the top speakers are riddled with anxiety before speaking, but they somehow use this nervousness to enhance their speech. I am going to show you exactly how to do this, although I know that right now if you suffer from public speaking and panic attacks you may find it difficult to believe you can ever overcome it.

My first point is this and it is important. The average healthy person can experience an extreme array of anxiety and very uncomfortable sensations while giving a speech and is in no danger of ever losing control, or even appearing slightly anxious to the audience. No matter how tough it gets, you will always finish your piece, even if at the outset it feels very uncomfortable to go on. You will not become incapacitated in any way.

The real breakthrough for if you suffer from public speaking and panic attacks happens when you fully believe that you are not in danger and that the sensations will pass.

“I realize you (the anxiety) hold no threat over me.”

What keeps a panic attack coming again and again is the fear of the fear—the fear that the next one will really knock your socks off and you feel you were lucky to have made it past the last one unscathed. As they were so unnerving and scary, it is your confidence that has been damaged by previous anxiety episodes. Once you fully understand you are not under any threat, then you can have a new response to the anxiety as it arises while speaking.

Defeating public speaking and panic attacks…

There is always a turning point when a person moves from general anxiety into a panic attack, and that happens with public speaking when you think to yourself:

“I won’t be able to handle this in front of these people.”

That split second of self-doubt leads to a rush of adrenaline, and the extreme anxiety arrives in a wave like format. If, however, when you feel the initial anxiety and you react with confidence that this is not a threat to you, you will move out of the anxiety rapidly. Using this new approach is a powerful ally because it means it is okay to feel scared and feel the anxiety when speaking–that is fine; you are going to feel it and move with and through the sensations in your body and out the other side. Because he or she is feeling very anxious, often before the talk has begun, that person may feel they have already let themselves down. Now, you can relax on that point. It is perfectly natural to feel the anxiety. Take for example the worst of the sensations you have ever experienced in this situation—be it general unease to loss of breath. You will have an initial automatic reaction that says:

“Danger–I’m going to have an episode of anxiety here and I really can’t afford that to happen.”

At this point most people react to that idea and confirm it must be true because of all of the unusual feelings they are experiencing. This is where your thinking can lead you down a train of thought that creates a cycle of anxiety that produces a negative impact on your overall presenting skills.

So let that initial “oh dear, not now” thought pass by, and follow it up immediately with the attitude of:

“There you are–I’ve been wondering when you would arrive. I’ve been expecting you to show up—by the way, I am not in the least threatened by any of the strange sensations you are creating—I am completely safe here.”

The key to controlling your fear of public speaking and panic attacks is that instead of pushing the emotional energy and excitement down into your stomach, you are moving out through it. Your body is in a slightly excited state, exactly as it should be while giving a speech, so release that energy in your self-expression. Push it out through your presentation not down into your stomach. You push it out by expressing yourself more forcefully. In this way you turn the anxiety to your advantage by using it to deliver a speech where you come across more alive, energetic and in the present moment. When you notice the anxiety drop as it does when you willingly move into it. Fire a quick thought off when you get a momentary break (as I am sure you have between pieces), asking it for “more.” You want more of its intense feelings as you are interested in them and are absolutely not threatened by them.

It seems like a lot of things to be thinking about while talking to a group of people, but it is not really. You’d be amazed how many different non-related thoughts you can have while speaking. This approach is about adopting a new attitude of confidence to what you might have deemed a serious threat up until now. This tactic will truly help you with fear of public speaking and panic attacks you have associated with them.

If your predominant fear of the speaking engagement is driven by a feeling of being trapped, then I would suggest factoring in some mental releases that can be prepared before the event. For example, some meetings/speeches allow for you to turn the attention back to the room to get feedback etc. from the group.

If possible, you might want to prepare such opportunities in your own mind before the engagements. This is not to say you have to ever use them, but people in this situation often remark that just having small opportunities where attention can be diverted for the briefest of moments can make the task seem less daunting. It my even be something as simple as having people introduce themselves or opening the floor to questions. I realize these diversions are not always possible and depend on the situation, but anything you can factor in that makes you feel less trapped or under the spotlight is worth the effort and can help alleviate fear of public speaking and panic attacks.

To learn more about how to end panic attacks and general anxiety fast then Click Here

Barry McDonagh is an international panic disorder coach.

All material provided is for informational or educational purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.

Stress Management Tips and Techniques

By Cheryl Cattarin

Introduction To Stress Management Tips
Stress is a part of day to day living and adjusting to our environment. Family, friends, employment and life experiences can all affect our level of stress. Mild forms of stress can act as a motivator that propels you to complete tasks that excite you. However, if your stress level becomes too high, physical, mental / emotional problems can result. This is when stress management tips come in handy to help you to cope more effectively.

What causes Stress?
How we react to external events is what causes stress. In themselves, events are not stressful. We all differ in how we respond to the events taking place around us and it is our internal reactions, thoughts and choices that either create or alleviate stress. What one person finds stressful another does not. For example, one person may fear speaking up for themselves and worry that this may cause conflicts to arise. Another person though, may view speaking up as a way to achieve their desires and is motivated to do so.

Both positive and negative life experiences can be stressful. Major changes though contribute to higher levels of stress and require stress management tips and techniques to help you to cope at these times.

Major changes that influence our level of stress include:

• Changing homes
• Divorce
• Death of a loved one
• Losing your job
• Changing jobs
• Conflict in the workplace or home
• Increased workload
• Getting married
• Starting a family
• Illness
• Financial issues / problems
• Noise / distractions
• Feeling let down

A combination of two or more of these stressors is more likely to raise your level of stress.

How do you know if you are stressed?
There are a number of symptoms that indicate that you may be experiencing stress. You may notice that you:

• have mixed feelings
• feel anxious
• experience mood swings
• feel irritable
• frustrated
• or are easily annoyed

You may notice a change in your behaviour, for example:

• crying when you think about what is causing you stress
• acting impulsively
• grinding your teeth
• increasing your level of smoking, drugs or alcohol
• Losing interest in your environment or social interactions
• You may notice that it is difficult to concentrate or you suffer a loss of productivity
• You may be preoccupied or worried with thoughts / tasks to complete
• You may feel inadequate
• Loss of appetite or increased binge eating

Stress can also affect the body, you may notice any one of the following symptoms:

• Increased perspiration
• increased heart beat
• feeling nervous
• sleep problems
• digestive problems
• tense muscles
• illness prone

It is important to be aware of the indicators of stress. In the last year, both of my beautiful parents died and then my workload increased dramatically due to changes in my work role. It wasn't until a colleague pointed out that I was behaving differently (snappy, irritable, memory fading) that I stopped and fully realised that I had experienced three major stressors in a period of twelve months, which were contributing to how I was feeling.

Whilst I "should" have been aware that I was suffering the effects of stress, I had not acknowledged it because I was trying to cope with grief and the increased workload. I am truly grateful that my colleague brought it to my attention. This is when I began to empower myself again, by using many of the techniques listed below.

The benefit of using these techniques is to increase your level of happiness and well-being. Remember you are never alone if you are suffering from stress and there is always someone who can assist you. But the first step you must take is to recognise that you are experiencing stress and then decide what you wish to do about it.

Stress Management Tips and Techniques
Here, we will cover some of the stress management tips and techniques that you can use to reduce your stress. Do not hesitate though to seek the services of a professional counselor or your doctor if symptoms persist. Ongoing stress can affect your health and well being. Learn to recognise the signs and choose to help yourselves to lessen stress.

To reduce your level of stress you can:

• Exercise - Practice some form of exercise daily to promote optimal health and well being. This is a wonderful way of reducing the impact of stress on your physical and mental well being.
• Change the way you think. Reinforce positive self-statements. People grow from strength rather than weakness.
• Practice a relaxation method that incorporate the Mind Traffic Exercise. The Mind Traffic Exercise is where you have a pen and paper beside you as you relax where you can dump all of your thoughts onto the paper.
• Learn to recognize and accept your limits. Do not judge yourself or place expectations on how you think you 'should' cope. Each one of us is unique in how we handle stress.
• Find ways to have fun. Start a new hobby or rekindle an old one.
• Eat a balanced diet daily.
• Talk with friends, family, a counselor, teacher or someone you can trust about your worries/problems.
• Develop time management skills. When you have many tasks to complete, setting priorities will help you to manage more effectively. Remember to set realistic goals.
• Practice relaxation techniques on a daily basis.

Having worked in the Personal Development field for over twenty years, Cheryl Cattarin has taught thousands of people the skills to improve their lives. Her latest book "From Crappy to Happy" teaches how to transform throughts from negative to positive and remove self-sabotaging patterns that hinder success.

Find out more about Cheryl's work and gain valuable Personal Development Tips at http://www.fromcrappytohappy.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cheryl_Cattarin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Stress-Management-Tips-and-Techniques&id=1553193

Angel lies

By James Kyle

Did you think that angels are just messengers, a body of spiritual beings intermediate between God and men? Oh no. it is much more complicated than that. It transpires that there are in fact nine orders of angels.


First Sphere
1 Seraphim who have six wings
2 Cherubim who have four faces
3 Thrones or Ophanim take the form of a wheel within a wheel, their rims covered with hundreds of eyes.

Second Sphere
1 Dominions - divinely beautiful humans with a pair of feathered wings
2 Virtues who supervise the movements of the heavenly bodies in order to ensure that the cosmos remains in order
3 Powers or Authorities who are the warrior angels

Third Sphere
1 Principalities or Rulers who oversee groups of people
2 Archangels - guardian angels of nations and countries
3 Angels - last but not least?


Oh, and so as not to be confused please do note that chubby male children with optional wings are in fact putti and not cherubim.

But then again, from the great wide web: "Angels are pure intelligences, not material, but limited, so that they have location in space, but not extension". Wait, no extension, not material? What about those six wings / four faces?

We need to look deeper. More internet researches reveal: "Angels are beams of an ethereal light energy consciousness and within these beams of light are shards of energy that transforms themselves into light beings; these are known as transcendent ethereal beings which can transform themselves into a reality that can connect with each individual soul/spirits energy".

Because of course, "It’scientifically proven that everything in the universe is made up of energy vibrating at different frequencies".

Ehmmm, right.

And of course, "If you would like to hear, feel, and see the angels, you need to raise your vibration to become one with their energy".

Does one need a tuning fork?

Perhaps a clue here: "the light waves for the seven angel colors vibrate at different electromagnetic energy frequencies in the universe, attracting the angels that have similar kinds of energy."

Ah - this has something to do with a rainbow. Now we are getting somewhere. So that is where these angels are to be found - dancing around, pinheads optional, with the leprechauns guarding the pot of gold at Rainbow's end.

Mystery solved.

Next time, starting with rainbow bridges and Thor, and the gods of Asgard, we can look at different conflicting definitions of gods and the afterlife. Or do you just want to take that as homework for yourself?

Universal quotes

Shame about the Guilt Trip

By James Kyle

I called this blog "Personal Power Now" and I would hope that at least some of you, in response of what I have to offer, can significantly improve your life. I say this in relation to this post because I truly believe that if you really take in the following recording then this could become for you a personal transformational experience.

It is by Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) and is 10 minutes long. I will have more to say on RET in subsequent posts.



To reinforce the above the essence of the required shift is this:

1) Guilt blocks self-awareness
2) Self awareness is needed for change
3) To facilitate self-awareness we need to learn to be self-accepting
4) Accepting self responsibility kickstarts the process by personally taking on the role of shifting our paradigm from one of guilt to that of self-acceptance
5) A key is to realise that all of us, you and me, and everyone else always do the best we can do at the time.

So just let go of the guilt, move into self acceptance, use self awareness to change, and watch your life transform. Simples.

"If I'm Perfect, No One Will Reject Me" - Healing Perfectionism

by: Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

Do you believe that being "perfect" gives you control over how people feel about you?"

If you do, then you are coming from 3 big false beliefs that are causing you much unhappiness.

FALSE BELIEF #1 

"I can have control over how people feel about me."

Think for a moment whether or not others have control over how you feel about them. Can someone do everything "right" and be "perfect" in their own eyes, yet you don't enjoy being around them or you don't feel connected with them?

Of course!

Others may influence how you feel about them, but they have no control over how you feel about them. If you are a basically accepting person, then you might like them even if they get angry or withdrawn. If you are generally a judgmental person, then there may be little they can do for you to like them.

Now turn this around regarding how others feel about you. Since you have no control over whether or not another person is accepting or judgmental, it stands to reason that you also have no control over how they feel about you, regardless of how perfectly loving, open, caring, giving, understanding, handsome, beautiful, or rich you are.

FALSE BELIEF #2 

"There is a standard of perfectionism and I can reach it."

I grew up believing that there was a "right" and "perfect" way to be. Then I learned that what I thought was right and perfect was not necessarily what others thought was right and perfect. In fact, it seemed that each person had a completely different understanding of what it means to be perfect!

This was quite distressing to me, as it took away my illusion of control over how people felt about me. At that time many years ago, I was terrified of rejection, so it gave me great comfort to believe that if only I was perfect enough, then I would never be rejected. Without a standard of perfection, what would be my guiding light to feel safe?

FALSE BELIEF #3

"I am basically flawed and need to strive to cover up my flaws and appear to be better than I am."

As long as I believed that I was basically flawed in some way, I was afraid of rejection. When I learned how to connect with my spiritual Guidance and see myself through the eyes of truth rather than through the eyes of my parents and others, I was able to see that my soul essence - my core Self - is already perfect, a perfect individualized expression of the Divine.

What was flawed were my beliefs that were programmed into me and needed to be healed.

HEALING PERFECTIONISM 

Imagine how life would be for you if you knew that you were already perfectly wonderful and incredible just the way you are in your true Self? What if you could separate out the flawed, wounded, programmed part of you - the part you created to help you survive pain - from the magnificent part of you that God created. What if you could see that your ego wounded self - with all your fears and protections and ways of trying to have control over getting love and avoiding pain - is NOT who you are.

Then, instead of perfectionism being your guiding light, being fully and passionately yourself becomes your guiding light!

I assure you, this is a MUCH easier way to live!




About The Author

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a best-selling author of 8 books, relationship expert, and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding process - featured on Oprah. Are you are ready to heal your pain and discover your joy? 

Click here for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com/welcome and visit our website athttp://www.innerbonding.com for more articles and help. Phone Sessions Available. Join the thousands we have already helped and visit us now!

Smart Tech

by James Kyle

I came across this article on wearable tech and it made me think about how technology is rapidly changing the way we lead our lives. Some think not all for the better as per the youtube clip below. (With my thanks to Liz Krane on Google+ for sharing this)




However I know personally that there are many ways that I have found to make good use of the new technology. I still remember being amazed - just over a dozen years ago - to see someone walking round a corner of a Dublin street apparently talking to themselves. They were of course using a combination of blue tooth and the newly emerging power of the mobile phone to talk to someone as they were walking about town. Nowadays you find it hard to recall just how did you manage to meet up with someone without the last minute texts and calls to adjust the timing or to confirm that yes, you are there, but at the other tube exit.

I was recently astounded to find that the technology has matured to the extent that I can SAY to my phone "translate to Spanish, I want a glass of wine please" and the phone will dutifully translate this phrase and say out loud the Spanish equivalent. Google translate and the like are transforming our ability to reach out and communicate with others around the world. Google+ too is bringing us more into a shared world with people with different cultures and interests around the world. And when it comes to texting, with software like swiftkey flow, it is now possible to write whole phrases without lifting a finger. Wonderful! - even I can now text without re-educating my thumbs to a whole new way of interacting with my world.

As I go to bed, using a combination of Sleep Now! Utter! and Tasker, I tell my phone how long to wait before the calming sound of waves lapping a beach kicks in to soothe me to sleep just after Sleep Now! plays a clip of a downloaded BBCi mp3, picking up from where it left off the night before.

And I can go to sleep with a clear mind as I know that my shopping list is up to date on Out of Milk so the items I need to recall tomorrow are already accounted for. To do what you need to do, know what you need to do. In this context, many of you many have heard of David Allen's GTD. I actually met David in LA just before I went to the University of Santa Monica. He is an inspiring speaker and central to his message of leading a more effective life is focusing on the right things at the right time and the importance of organisational tools to assist you with this. And if you do get stressed, you could always take time to have a look at the Stress Management Techniques in the Mind Tools app!

And for those that like lists: The 64 Best Health and Fitness Apps of 2013 (With my thanks to Steve Davis on Google+ for sharing this one).

And finally of course don't forget the fun that apps can bring into your life. And what about exploring beyond the universe of astral enraged feathered creatures. For example, what do you get when you combine a fun app with exercise and our zany pre-occuaption with undead coming back to devour us - Zombies, Run! of course. Now that is transformational technology - going to the gym suddenly becomes fun!

So, what about you? How has technology changed your life?

The Wisdom of Jiddu Krishnamurti

This is another in an occasional blog post that will focus on a book or author that has influenced me -  with a corresponding recommendation to consider having a look at specific books. Today's author is Jiddu Krishnamurti.

From the official site at http://www.jkrishnamurti.org

Jiddu Krishnamurti was born on 11 May 1895 in Madanapalle, a small town in south India. He and his brother were adopted in their youth by Dr Annie Besant, then president of the Theosophical Society. Dr Besant and others proclaimed that Krishnamurti was to be a world teacher whose coming the Theosophists had predicted. To prepare the world for this coming, a world-wide organization called the Order of the Star in the East was formed and the young Krishnamurti was made its head.

In 1929, however, Krishnamurti renounced the role that he was expected to play, dissolved the Order with its huge following, and returned all the money and property that had been donated for this work.

From then, for nearly sixty years until his death on 17 February 1986, he travelled throughout the world talking to large audiences and to individuals about the need for a radical change in mankind.

Krishnamurti is regarded globally as one of the greatest thinkers and religious teachers of all time. He did not expound any philosophy or religion, but rather talked of the things that concern all of us in our everyday lives, of the problems of living in modern society with its violence and corruption, of the individual's search for security and happiness, and the need for mankind to free itself from inner burdens of fear, anger, hurt, and sorrow. He explained with great precision the subtle workings of the human mind, and pointed to the need for bringing to our daily life a deeply meditative and spiritual quality

Krishnamurti constantly stressed the need to reject all authority. When we look for truth, the place to look is inside each one of us.
 


My favourite of his books is "Freedom From the Known." For a start, just contemplate the title of the book.



"Most of us walk through life inattentively, reacting unthinkingly to the environment in which we have been brought up, and such reactions create only further bondage, further conditioning  but the moment you give your total attention to your conditioning you will see that are free from the past completely, that it falls away from you naturally".

The following is a link to the book on Amazon: Freedom From the Known

Living beyond limits

When she was 19, Amy Purdy lost both her legs below the knee. And now ... she's a pro snowboarder. Inspirational!

This video is just under 10 minutes long.

Authenticity - Why people aren't themselves and what that costs them

by: Bella Enahoro

Why should you be yourself? The simple answer is 'because everyone else is taken' - it's both the simple answer and an accurate answer. The important question is 'why are we not ourselves?' What is the pay off for not being ourselves? Ahhh, now we're talking.

To begin with, what would cause us to not want to be ourselves? For some of us, we may have been raised in environments where it was dangerous to be who we are. Even as adults we may be working in environments that demand that we be other than who we are in order to ensure job security. So we conclude, I have to be other than I am to get what I want i.e. love, safety, income etc.

We may have learned to believe 'who I am is not good enough to be loved, guaranteed safety, approved of'. We may have been told 'who you are is not worth treating well'. We may have learned 'who you are is not good enough to meet my standards for 'being good enough'. We may become convinced that we are less than we should be.

When we feel not good enough what happens to our lives? We end up putting things on hold until we feel we 'deserve' by becoming good enough. We spend so much time striving to feel that we're good enough. Have I accomplished enough, am I good looking enough, is my car big/fast/exclusive enough, is my job title high enough, do I have enough awards to be good enough? Exhausting isn't it?

Self worth and authenticity are intrinsically linked. The worth we have in our own eyes, a sense of worth not built on acquisition, job title, appearance, credentials - is the only worth, worth living out of. How many of us realise that we have an intrinsic worth greater than anything on the outside? If we go through life with a sense of being deficient then we are motivated to acquire value - the things that others value in the world then become our aim in life. I may not be good enough in and of myself but look what I've got, becomes our calling card.

Sooner or later, things fall apart, if we're lucky. It can take many forms e.g we can lose everything we spent our whole lives accruing or we meet someone or a situation who places no value on our 'social bling'. We run helter skelter trying to get them to 'see' us as our bling or we go somewhere else. But there's a crack in the tea cup. When it finally breaks open, our break down becomes our breakthrough.

We begin to look for another way. What we've been looking for is a way to feel good about who we are, under all circumstance. We don't always realise it at first since there's much howling in pain and hanging onto fast disappearing 'bling'.

The breakthrough cracks us wide open and everything we've been taught is 'wrong' with us, all the things we've been taught make us 'not good enough' stare us in the face. Excruciating at first but if we stay, refuse to take flight, we can transform. Now begins the re-acquainting ourselves with the 'real' us, all of it.

There are many transformation technologies from journaling, meditation, prayer, walking, to body work, among others. We tend to gravitate towards one that works for us. Soon the pain subsides, loses its edge. We don't feel so raw. Our lives may be in shambles around us but we can stand to be alive and increasingly we can stand to be ourselves. We live in a time of infinite help with wonderful teachers who can assist us in moving out of our debris; emotional, psychological and spiritual.

Not being who we are, may be something we picked up at our beginning but was never a part of our being and we need not continue with it.


Bella Enahoro is the founder of http://www.livewellaudio.com a Motivational company that helps individuals,non-profits and companies improve their lives, build communities, profts and positive impact.

Visit her website for the latest on audiobooks, downloads and articles on self-help, personal growth, professional development and spirituality.

Synchronicity or is that coincidence?

By James Kyle

The source of today’s article is a pretty serious misunderstanding I have just had with my girlfriend, Linda.  Now that in itself could lead to a series of articles about miscommunication and trust.  However what happened next was that having just sent a text to my girlfriend about these issues I received one in reply. Thinking this was from Linda I looked at my phone only to see the message was from someone else entirely. Having read the message I returned to my mobile phone’s music player screen to then notice the next song about to play – a song I was unaware I had on a compilation album. It was called “Looking for Linda.” That then led me to think about other events in my life where there had been synchronicity in the past.

Now for those of you reading enough of my previous articles you will have realised that I come from a scientific background and am not really convinced that “the universe” tries to send us messages by throwing up strange coincidences. However there has been at least two other occasions when this attitude has been sorely tested. Many years ago in one of my efforts to move outside my comfort zone I signed up for singing lessons. It was interesting and challenging and quite fun. This was before the days of the all pervading internet so when I decided I wanted to sing “Wind beneath my wings” I went to a music shop in central London to buy the sheet music. The shop itself however had an electronic display unit where you could select any sheet music to be printed. So I went up to this unit and brought up the first page, where the previous customer had left it I guess, and there it was displaying the sheet music for “Wind beneath my Wings” without me selecting anything. How many songs have ever been written? Or at least how many thousands of these were on this machine? Was the universe telling me I should be taking up signing as a career?  Well if you had ever heard me sing you would probably quite quickly come to the conclusion that this was not the case. So moving on…

On another occasion, In LA at this point, I received a call from someone I did not know and had never met, associated with the university I attended, inviting me to a “faith healing” session. Now again recall my scientific perspective on life, so although this was during the long period where I was chronically Ill, I gracefully declined. That evening I was going to the theatre to see “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead (I love Tom Stoppard plays). Now this theatre was many miles away from where I lived in Santa Monica and nowhere near the university I attended, towards downtown LA in fact. On arriving at the theatre I went up the ticket booth to collect the tickets I had reserved and the person giving them out handed them to me and said “I recognise your voice – I invited you to a faith healing earlier today” And yes, she had. How many people live in LA? Nah, I still didn’t go. But the play was good.

Now for me the overriding perspective on all of these is that very unlikely events do happen. Despite all the odds people do win big lottery prizes. The chance against an individual winning big is huge – but even so, the universe rolls the dice or bounces the balls in such a way that the correct numbers come out for a particular someone and against the odds that someone becomes a millionaire. When I met that person in LA I just thought to myself, what were the odds against that? ... and by the way Mr Universe, if you were going to go out of your way to make such an unlikely event happen in my life – why couldn't it be me having my 6 chosen numbers being the winning lottery numbers! (Oh and don’t even get me started on the fact that my mother wrote down all 6 winning UK lottery numbers one time, misplaced the piece of paper and ended up putting on completely different losing numbers).

But hey, on this one I am not going to say anything further. What do you think? Do we live in a conspiring universe?

Koan Meditation

By: Sandra Markcrow


A Koan is a question or a puzzle given to a meditator to contemplate during a meditation session. The object is to think long and hard about the question and try to solve the puzzle. It does not matter whether you are right or wrong in your conclusions, only that you have tried to solve the puzzle in depth. Even if you believe you have the right answer to the puzzle, you need to continue contemplating it from all angles not previously considered. Koan Meditation is an exercise in just being.

Contemplating Koans is said to lead the practitioner to Enlightenment or a state of being fully aware. Meditating on a Koan focuses the mind on one single task. During the meditation, you are expected to ask yourself many questions related to the Koan in attempting to solve the puzzle. The Koan itself is just a tool used to understand the true nature of yourself and all that is.

Examples of puzzles you can ponder on are as follows

1. What did you look like before you were conceived?

2. When clapping with two hands, a sound is made. What is the sound of one hand clapping?

3. How can the eyes see themselves without using a mirror?

4. If a tree falls in the woods and there is nobody there to see it fall. Does it make a sound?

5. Does the mind create all things?

6. Without speaking, without words. How can the truth be expressed?

7. What came first, the chicken or the egg?

8. Show me the source of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water?

9. Is half a cup of water, half empty or half full?

10. Does a dog have Buddha nature?


Koans can also be short stories or parables to contemplate. They are not rational questions with rational answers. They are used as catalyst to understand the nature of reality and the self. They are impossible puzzles that can't be solved but the journey we take when pondering them leads to great understanding and knowledge in a very profound way.

A Koan is designed to make the mind and ego very unhappy through the frustrating and deep contemplative path we follow in attempting to solve the puzzle. Koans make the brain back flip and leads the practitioner to a place beyond the mind and ego. Upon reaching this point in the meditation, one experiences enlightenment.

To prepare for a Koan Meditation you need to sit comfortably either cross legged on the floor or in a chair. Close your eyes and take three long deep breathes to relax. Follow your respirations with your mind until you reach a point of calmness, effortless breathing and relaxation. Then bring the Koan into focus and contemplate the puzzle from as many angles as you possibly can. If you think you have the correct answer, contemplate it some more. Your objective is to exhaust the mind and your ego of all possibilities until you reach the point of blissful silence. Then you may indeed attain enlightenment.


I have been meditating for 20 years and have learnt many techniques for achieving the greatest success in your meditation journey. If you would like to learn more about Meditation techniques, aids to meditation and share in my knowledge and experience see,
http://astralflyer-kundalinimeditation.blogspot.com

The benefits of thinking a little

by James Kyle

In the sidebar "About Me" you may have noticed that I attended the University of Santa Monica (USM) to study spiritual psychology. Some of you may have been curious to know exactly what this term means. The following is taken from the USM website.


What does USM mean by “spiritual”? 

When we use the word “spiritual,” we are not referring to any particular religious tradition. Rather, we are speaking of the basic underlying universal principles upon which all religious traditions are founded. These universal principles can all be distilled down to one word, and that word is Loving. At USM we teach people experientially to engage in life from a more loving and compassionate place inherent within them. To the degree that students learn to be more loving and compassionate, it can be said that they are growing spiritually.

I say this to be clear that it is this strict definition of spirituality above that I advocate. I am very much aligned with the saying of Wittgenstein “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.” Talk of ethereal beings and angels that vibrate at different frequencies and chakras and the like, as far as I am concerned, are nothing more than inherited "urban myths" - misleading world views that cripple our ability to interact effectively with the world around us.

Even beyond these wackier new age ideas, ineffective mental maps in fact extend to many cherished self development motifs and beliefs. So it is refreshing to come across a book like "59 Seconds: Think a little, Change a Lot" by Richard Wiseman. The author is a psychologist who has gathered into this enlightening and inspiring book personal development suggestions that are backed up by empirical psychological experiments.

Among my favourites are the following:

• Thought suppression attempts backfire
• Expressive writing promotes health
• Practicing being grateful is beneficial
• It is more rewarding to spend money on experiences rather than things
• Giving to others promotes happiness in the giver
• To deal with procrastination just overcome initial resistance, start the activity, and rely on the Zeigarnick effect

Oh, and if you want to boost creativity then have a poster like the following up on your wall:

If this has inspired you to take a look at this book the following is a link to the book in Amazon