Meditation For People On The Go

Meditation is an ancient ritual that is perfect for individuals seeking a bit of peace, quiet, and inner reflection into their daily lives. However, many individuals erroneously believe they do not have the appropriate time to devote to meditation. This practice does not require a special room and hours upon hours of inner reflection to be done properly and receive the most results. In fact, meditation can be done in any quiet corner, including your living room, office, hotel room, or even the airplane. In order to achieve the proper meditation in some of these places, you may need to practice certain techniques or bring along special devices that will block noise and ensure quiet for your designated meditation time.

Consider joining a meditation group so that you can effectively learn the methods of meditation before you attempt to meditate in unusual surroundings. The techniques and methods you learn through a learned meditation instructor will help you accomplish your own personal goals of meditation and inner exploration.

Meditation does not have to be incredibly time consuming. Make it a point to dedicate a few minutes each day to your meditation goals and spend some time reflecting inward. Mornings are excellent times to begin meditation, since you at the most at ease during this time and your home is probably the quietest. Consider waking up before the rest of your household to snag a few much needed minutes along in order to successfully complete your meditation process. This is critical for both men and women with children who find it hard to meditate amidst the noises and demands of children 

When you are on the go, do not leave your meditation practices at home! Consider snapping up a pair of noise canceling headphones to block out noise on trains, planes, or automobiles. This will allow you the greatest sense of peace and quiet so that you can continue with your meditation techniques. Bring along a special meditation soundtrack of familiar tunes to which you can also block out unnecessary background noise in order to meditate.

Meditation can be an excellent way to unwind after a long day of traveling, so consider taking time to practice your techniques once you reach your destination. For individuals who are constantly calling hotel rooms home, it can be quite easy to miss your personal meditation space. For this reason, carry a small token or a few items with you on your travels to remind you of home. Consider bringing a favorite blanket, pillow, or mat to aid you in your meditation practices. Also, bring along a photograph of your family or friends to help with the homesickness.

Use scents to transport you to a more serene world. Aromatherapy has been used in conjunction with meditation for thousands of years. Consider beginning your meditation to comforting or exotic smells of incense or candles. For individuals on the go, consider bringing along travel candles or a vial of essential oil that you can leave open to pervade the atmosphere.  

in Meditation

Kicking It In California Luxury

California is a dichotomy, surf culture on one hand and high end living on the other. Relaxing in California has been turned into an art you just have to experience.

Kicking It In California Luxury

The Balboa Bay Club & Resort is an exclusive slice of heaven in Newport Beach. Yes, that Newport Beach. Situated in the picturesque harbor, you an experience spa services that are to die for or head out to the beautiful, wide beaches of Newport. Once day turns to night, you will find yourself sitting in the lap of cuisine luxury. If you are able to move after dining on delicacies, nightclubs litter the area. Try one or ten for a great nighttime experience. The hotel is located at 1221 West Coast Highway in Newport Beach and can be reached at 202-465-3908

Taking a more low key turn, the Tenaya Lodge offers the ultimate in spa treatment. Massage therapy is, of course, a central program. Notwithstanding this fact, you can also live in the lap of luxury by trying one of the nine different facial services. If you are feeling a bit stretched out, try the body brush and polish. Therapeutic paraffin treatments will put a shine back on. Oozing in the enzymatic sea mud pack treatments will flush out those toxins and bring you back to life. These various treatments are only a small sample of the offerings at Tenaya Lodge. The lodge is located at 122 Highway 41 in Fish Camp, California and can be reached at 559-683-6555.

If you pass through Sonoma, you definitely must "take the waters" at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. This 160 year old tradition is based around the thermal mineral water springs on the grounds. Relax in a soothing bath and think about the fact that Native Americans first used the pools hundreds of years ago. The Inn covers over 40,000 square feet, so there is plenty of space to unwind from the hectic pace of life. Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is located at 100 Boyes Boulevard in Sonoma, California. Reservations can be made by calling (707) 938-9000 

There are two Ritz-Carlton hotels in California that define luxury. At Half Moon Bay, you can stay right on this picturesque bay and experience majestic living. Your every need is waited on hand and foot. If golf is your thing, this is the place. Farther south, the Laguna Niguel Ritz-Carlton offers similar luxury on the cliffs of the Pacific roughly half way between Los Angeles and San Diego.

L'Auberge in Del Mar is a personal favorite. Del Mar is a stunningly beautiful beach town. You can experience all the luxury amenities you would expect in an upscale hotel, but there is much more on the menu. During the summer, you can see concerts at the Del Mar Pavilion with top acts. Wait till late July and you can take in the horse races at the Del Mar Race Track. Most people, however, just like to walk down to the beach and take in the majesty of Mother Nature. L'Auberge is located at 1540 Camino del Mar and can be reached at 800-245-9757.

Whether you are looking for unrivaled spa treatments or luxury accommodations, California has it all. Give it a try and enjoy.  

in Vacations

SELF IMPROVEMENT AND SUCCESS

Everything that happens to us happens in purpose. And sometimes, one thing leads to another. Instead of locking yourself up in your cage of fears and crying over past heartaches, embarrassment and failures, treat them as your teachers and they will become your tools in both self improvement and success.

I remember watching Patch Adams – its my favorite movie, actually. Its one great film that will help you improve yourself. Hunter "patch" Adams is a medical student who failed to make it through the board exams. After months of suffering in melancholy, depression and suicidal attempts – he decided to seek for medical attention and voluntarily admitted himself in a psychiatric ward. His months of stay in the hospital led him to meeting different kinds of people. Sick people in that matter. He met a catatonic, a mentally retarded, a schizophrenic and so on. Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and finally realized he has to get back on track. He woke up one morning realizing that after all the failure and pains he has gone through, he still want to become the a doctor. He carries with himself a positive attitude that brought him self improvement and success. He didn't only improved himself, but also the life of the people around him and the quality of life. Did he succeed? Needless to say, he became the best damn doctor his country has ever known.

So, when does self improvement become synonymous with success? Where do we start? Take these tips, friends…
*Stop thinking and feeling as if you're a failure, because you're not. How can others accept you if YOU can't accept YOU?

*When you see hunks and models on TV, think more on self improvement, not self pitying. Self acceptance is not just about having nice slender legs, or great abs. Concentrate on inner beauty.

*When people feel so down and low about themselves, help them move up. Don't go down with them. They'll pull you down further and both of you will end up feeling inferior.

*The world is a large room for lessons, not mistakes. Don't feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed on a science quiz. There's always a next time. Make rooms for self improvement 

*Take things one at a time. You don't expect black sheep's to be goody-two-shoes in just a snap of a finger. Self improvement is a one day at a time process.

*Self improvement results to inner stability, personality development and dig this …. SUCCESS. It comes from self confidence, self appreciation and self esteem.

* Set meaningful and achievable goals. Self improvement doesn't turn you to be the exact replica of Cameron Diaz or Ralph Fiennes. It hopes and aims to result to an improved and better YOU.

*Little things mean BIG to other people. Sometimes, we don't realize that the little things that we do like a pat on the back, saying "hi" or "hello", greeting someone "good day" or telling Mr. Smith something like "hey, I love your tie!" are simple things that mean so much to other people. When we're being appreciative about beautiful things around us and other people, we also become beautiful to them.

*When you're willing to accept change and go through the process of self improvement, it doesn't mean that everyone else is. The world is a place where people of different values and attitude hang out. Sometimes, even if you think you and your best friend always like to do the same thing together at the same time, she would most likely decline an invitation for self improvement.

We should always remember that there's no such thing as 'over night success'. Its always a wonderful feeling to hold on to the things that you already have now, realizing that those are just one of the things you once wished for. A very nice quote says that "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." We are all here to learn our lessons. Our parents, school teachers, friends, colleagues, officemates, neighbors… they are our teachers. When we open our doors for self improvement, we increase our chances to head to the road of success.

If you are interested in learning more, probably the best self improvement information resource online today can be found at http://www.selfimprovement.thegreat.info.
  

in Success

Think positive when you reach your lowest point

We all face problems or hurdles as we travel along the road of life, this article gives my viewpoint on how to deal with these issues. I have personally taken inspiration from my favourite football team, Birmingham City. They have a famous song which their supporters regularly sing, it is called, keep right on to the end of the road.

Birmingham City are not exactly a successful football team and have won very few trophies in their one hundred and twenty year existence. I have been watching and supporting the team since the age of four. Despite many poor results and seasons, the fans always try to remain positive and in good humour. The song is basically telling the players to keep going and hopefully showing them that whatever happens the supporters will always remain true and loyal.

I have often been amazed by the passion and the buzz that I get when going to watch them, and also the passion of the rest of the crowd. During one season, these supporters without knowing it, taught me a huge lesson. The season in question had been a very poor one for Birmingham and it resulted in the team being relegated to the then second division (the leagues have been reformed since then and this division is now known as the first division). This was the lowest point the club had ever reached.

With two games remaining the club was already doomed and the next match was the final home game of the season. At most clubs the fans would no doubt give the players some stick and would make it an uncomfortable afternoon for them. Not so at Birmingham, the fans were as passionate as ever and continued to support and cheer them on. At one point a leaflet was sent round the Birmingham supporters which had been produced by the supporters club members. It stated on this leaflet that despite the club reaching its lowest point, that they wanted as many fans as possible to travel to the last match of the season, which would be in London. This was to show the team that we still supported them and that we would be back the next season. I went to that match as did around six thousand other Birmingham fans. One song was sang throughout the whole match, keep right on to the end of the road. It was an amazing experience for me and one that I will never forget. The team still lost but that did not matter one bit. 

Later I thought about what had happened. I realised that when I felt a bit depressed, I needed to think of that day and to quickly pick myself up. I was a very negative thinker and realised I needed to think in a far more positive way. This is not easy however but is something that I try hard to do. My belief is that positive people have positive and happy lives. This is what I want and the above example has helped me to get back onto my feet many times.

Birmingham City have recently managed to progress back up through the leagues and three years ago reached the promised land of the premier league. This season has not gone so well and the team yet again are facing a relegation. Guess what, I and many thousands will still be supporting them next year whichever league they are playing in. Keep right on!
  

in Inspirational

Anything is Possible

The other day I was reading a very interesting article concerning a shark attack that occurred way back in 1916. It played off along the North East coast of the U.S. and concerned a great white shark, that had been had been terrorizing the New Jersey beaches.

Now everybody knows and accepts that a shark is a creature of the sea and needs salty water to survive. Therefore nobody thought that a shark may attack them in freshwater, but that is exactly what happened later that year.

This particular shark remained close to the shore and eventually swam up a river stream around Raritan Bay, attacking a couple of bathers upstream.

Shortly before the attacks occurred, a retired Sea captain, by the name of Thomas Cottrell saw this shark swimming upstream while crossing a bridge. He couldn't believe his eyes, but nevertheless got into his boat and raised the alarm. Not surprisingly nobody believed him. "A shark in a river? C'mon, get real, It's not possible."

But you know what? As incredible as it seemed there was a shark in the river and all those who didn't heed the warnings were in danger of being attacked.

Eventually this shark killed two people. The first victim was a teenager who may or may not have heard Cottrell's warning. Shortly after this attack another man jumped in the water to look for the victim, even though he was told there is a shark in the water. He too was attacked and died from a severe loss of blood.

While reading this I couldn't help thinking about September 11 and see the parallels between these two stories.

When asked by the U.S. Congress and the media, why "clues" which should have been picked up were disregarded, the heads of the FBI and CIA as well as members of the Bush administration replied, "We didn't think they would use airplanes as missiles."

Had the FBI and CIA believed that something like what happened on 9/11 was possible they might have put measures into place which would likely have prevented this from happening. But they didn't, even though the hijackers left dozens of "clues." 

Similarly if the swimmers at the US East Coast had believed Captain Cottrell when he told them there was a shark in the river, chances are that nobody would have been killed by this shark on that day.

But because they believed it is "impossible" for a shark to be found in freshwater they disregarded the warning altogether, just as the US law enforcement agencies did, resulting in many paying with their lives.

On the other hand there are human beings who overcame extraordinary odds and accomplished great feats. Everyday we hear stories of people who were told by the so-called "experts" they didn't have what it took, yet made it regardless.

The lesson here is that anything is possible, both the good and the bad. By believing or not believing in something doesn't mean you will not be affected by whatever happens. But it means that based on what you believe, you may take some action which may save you from something terrible or may get you out of a terrible situation.

There are many of us who are in terrible situations, including poverty, unhappiness, debt, etc. Those of us who have changed their situation, did it because they believed they could make it.

Those who don't obviously don't believe that they can change their situation otherwise they would have done something about it, right?

How many opportunities have you missed just because you thought it wouldn't work or wasn't possible. Just think what you could do if you believed that you could do anything, even realise your dreams?

What great talent do you have which you have done nothing about, because you probably believed you can't do it.

I hope to have shown you through this short article that anything is possible. And that by just believing, "I Can," your battle is already half-won.
  

in Success

Mid Life Crisis (MLC) Fact or Fiction? PART 2. This too will pass...

Yes you will receive a basic interpretation of Astrology on this 'MLC' (mid life crisis) article as well as the psychological fraternities opinions.
The higher acceptance we need to grasp is the maturity to surrender our restlessness, this confusion, this state of 'is this all there is?' It seems in our resistance we are actually further denying our next exciting chapter we have a chance at recapturing, BOB D.
<
(Boulevard Of Broken Dreams).


Our dreams and previous desires with maturity, experience and hopefully wisdom and discernment can once again be ours using the challenges of the 'MLC' (38-45 years of age) positive lessons than the opposite and painfully chosen 'uncomfortable yet comfortable' challenges.


Astronomically our slower moving planets Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and now Chiron (pronounced Ky-ron and known as the Wounded Healer) a planet asteroid, still un-decided by science.

It is believed the manifestations of the energy of these slower moving planets affect the consciousness of not only the individual but the whole of earth as one, as they progress in their journey and affect us and each other as a WHOLE. A ONE.


At the age of 38-45 some major aspects (astrology jargon - meaning energy forces affecting an individuals map of birth where the slower moving planets mentioned were situated). In other words some major opportunities and challenges are presented having an effect of a certain forced maturity through areas of life that may have not been authenticated as yet. As these planets affect your birth map you can't deny the effects even until it is felt years later.

That's where it gets uncomfortable. Up till now some of us having been living a life that was illusionary in a sense, it was taught by our environment of all its many programmed aspects. Now we have the chance to really have an extra hand from these planets as slow and painful as some of us may feel through, our resistance to our inner truth, potential and purpose on this planet.


Psychology will tell you this age group 'MLC' is painful and prescribe anxiety and depression medication as they rightly understand it. (It can help to relieve some of the pressure and confusion). When a person has lived a life as 'almost another person' the shock and post natal stress is real. These people are asking themselves "who am I if I'm not who I thought I was and what am I going to do about it". "Where do I find the real me?" In abusive marriages one must ask "how they got there." 'MLC' is a powerful stage in our lives to chart a future course into the eventual aspect CHIRON (Known as the Wounded Healer) will offer you wholelistic healing at 50 and a future, planned on the desires of the authentic individual.


Yes mistakes may have been made along the way, addictions wired into our subconscious now have the opportunity to be understood and relearned, thus, rewiring our reactive brain channels that we have been operating in to no avail or help for us or any of our brothers and sisters.

Authentic choices can be made!

'WE ARE ALL ONE'

in Inspirational

The Law of Attraction - The Secret of Success - Law of Attraction Classics: WW Atkinson

There is in Nature a great Law -- the Law of Attraction -- by the operations of which all things -- from atoms to men -- are attracted toward each other in the degree of the common affinity of common use.

The reverse of this law -- which is merely another manifestation of its power -- is what is called Repulsion, which is but the other pole of Attraction, and by the operations of which things tend to repel each other in the degree that they are unlike, opposing, and of no use to each other.

The Law of Attraction is Universal, on all the planes of life, from the physical to the spiritual. Its operations are uniform and constant, and we may take the phenomena of one plane and thereby study the phenomena of another plane, for the same rule applies in each case -- the same Law is in operation in the same way.

Beginning with the tiny corpuscles, electrons, or ions, of which the atoms are formed, we find manifested the Law of Attraction -- certain electrons attract each other, and repel others still, thereby causing to spring into existing groups, combinations and colonies of electrons which being in agreement and harmony manifest and constitute what are called atoms, which until recently were supposed to be the primal form of matter.

Passing on the atoms themselves, we find many degrees of affinity and attraction existing between them which cause them to combine and form into molecules of which all masses of matter consists.

For instance, every drop of water is composed of countless molecules of water. And each molecule is composed of two atoms of Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen --the combination always being the same in every molecule of water. Now, why do these atoms combine in just this way -- with the same invariable grouping and proportion? Not by chance, surely, for there is no such thing in Nature -- there is a natural law back of every phenomenon.

And in this case it is the Law of Attraction manifesting in the case of these atoms. And it is so in all chemical combinations --it is called Chemical Affinity. Sometimes an attached atom will come in contact with, or in proximity to, another atom, and then bang goes the explosion of the molecule as the atom flies away from its partners and into the arms of the other atom for which it has a greater affinity. There are marriages and divorces in the world of atoms, you will notice.

And in the cases of the molecules, it is found that certain molecules are attracted to others of the same kind, under what is called Cohesion, and thus masses of matter are composed. A piece of gold, silver, tin, glass, or other form of matter is composed of countless molecules held together tightly by Cohesion -- and this Cohesion is merely another form of the Law of Attraction -- the same that draws all things together.

And, underlying the Law of Attraction is to be found our old Principle of Desire and Will. You may shrug your shoulders at this mention of desire and Will in connection with electrons, atoms, molecules -- all forms of matter, but just wait a bit and see what the leading scientific authorities have to say on the subject.

Prof. Hakel, one of the world's greatest scientists -- a materialist who would sneer at the teachings of Mental Science -- even this man, naturally prejudiced against mentalist theories, finds himself compelled to say: ``The idea of chemical affinity consists in the fact that the various chemical elements perceive the qualitative differences in other elements -- experience pleasure of revulsion at contact with them, and execute specific movements on this ground.''

He also positively and distinctly states that in the atoms there must be something corresponding to Desire for contact and association with other atoms, and Will to enable the atom to respond to the Desire Law is constant throughout Nature, from atom to man --physical, mental and spiritual.

But what has all this to do with the Secret of Success you may ask? Simply, that the Law of Attraction is an important part in the Secret of Success, inasmuch as it tends to bring to us the things, persons and circumstances in accordance with our earnest Desire, Demand, and Will, just as it brings together the atoms and other particles of matter. Make yourself an atom of Living Desire and you will attract to yourself the person, things and circumstances fitting in with the accomplishment of your Desire.

You will also get into rapport with those who are working along the same lines of thought, and will be attracted to them and they to you, and you will be brought into relations with persons, things and environments likely to work out the problem of your Desires -- you will get ``next to'' the right persons and things - all by the operation of this great natural Law of Attraction. No Necromancy or Magic about it at all -- nothing supernatural or mysterious -- just the operations of a great Natural Law. 

in Attraction