The winds of change blow through our life, sometimes gently, sometimes like a tropical storm. Yes, we have resting places - time to adjust to another level of living, time to get our balance, time to enjoy rewards. We have time to catch our breath. 

But change is inevitable, and desirable.

Sometimes, when the winds of change begin to rustle, we're not certain the change is for the better. We may call it stress or a temporary condition, certain we'll be restored to normal. Sometimes, we resist. We tuck our head down and buck the wind, hoping that things will quickly calm down, get back to the way things were. Is it possible we're being prepared for a new "normal"?

Change will sweep through our life, as needed, to take us where we're going. We can trust that it comes with a plan, even when we don't know where the changes are leading. 

We can trust that the change taking place is good. The winds will take us where we need to go. 

(source: The Language of Letting Go)

When one lives with concepts one never learns. 

The concepts become static.

You may change them but the very transformation of one concept to another is still static, is still fixed. 

But to have the sensitivity to feel, seeing that life is not a movement of two separate activities, the external and the inward, to see that it is one, to realize that the inter-relationship is this movement, is the ebb and flow of sorrow and pleasure and joy and depression, loneliness and escape,to perceive nonverbally this life as a whole, not fragmented, not broken up, is to learn. 

Krishnamurti

Energy is action and movement. All action is movement and all action is energy.

All desire is energy. All feeling is energy. All though is energy. 

All living is energy. All life is energy.

If that energy is allowed to flow without any contradiction, 

without any friction, without any conflict, then that energy is boundless, endless.

When there is no friction there are no frontiers to energy.

It is friction which gives energy limitations. So, having once seen this, 

why is it that the human being always brings friction into energy?

Why does he create friction in this movement which we call life?

Is pure energy, energy without limitations just an idea to him?

Does it have no reality?

-- Krishnamurti --

Some months ago I wrote about the idea that we should not depend on our partners to make us happy. I still believe that happiness comes from within. Also, the feeling comes and goes. We should never expect to feel happy 24 hours a day. It is moments through life that help us understand what this is all about. Otherwise what is the Yin without the Yang?

A few weeks ago a friend challenged me to the meaning of the word happy. It was great to be challenged because the definition of this word is completely personal and it is based on our life values, experiences and ideas. Therefore, everyone has a different definition of this word or state of being. I said to my friend that for me happy is being at ease, peaceful, comfortable, blah, blah, blah.

I understood after our conversation that the question was completely about "ME"  and I have no right to make others identify with my definition of happiness.

Now when it comes to our partners wouldn't the same rule apply?

What if your partner doesn't see happiness the same way you do?

I can go back to my original idea where I firmly stated that we should not depend on our partners for happiness. Also, whatever is to us...it is not for the person next to us. More so, we should work on creating happiness from within. I always say that the only way I can take care of my family is…IF I TAKE CARE OF MYSELF. I think that goes for most of us.

A few months ago, I wrote; "if you truly want your partner to help you in the house, you must tell him/her by means of a peaceful conversation." Today I can say that I am not quite sure about the peaceful conversation or about the reception from the other side...

Maybe the only way through is by just having low expectations from you partners!! Expect nothing and you will not be disappointed!!

This is even harder than having a conversation. However, from my experience and hearing my friends every day, I can only say that since happiness is so subjective and what I think of this word is not the same as you or anyone around us; then we should simply never expect anything from our partners.

If your birthday or anniversary is coming up, why remind your partner? Just go ahead and treat yourself! Why wait until the last minute and create a movie in your head where you put yourself up for disappointment. These assumptions most certainly will set you in a position where you will end up in an ridiculous fight that will suck all the energy out of your precious being.

If you come from a place of love and honesty, you will see that you can find your own happiness in many things around you. Try taking a new class, go for a challenging activity, make an effort to become friends with someone new and always remember to expect nothing from anyone...just yourself. Also,  everything you do should be done with LOVE. 

This documentary for PBS by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion.

It features the work of some of the world’s greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life.

Watch Trailer

Chlorophyll is the remarkable substance to which we all owe our lives. This is because chlorophyll has the ability to capture the sun's energy and lock it into plants in such a way that we can use it to sustain our own lives.

Much research has been done regarding the benefits of chlorophyll for healing. A free book is available on-line. Find "Cereal Grass, What's In It For You" the importance of wheat-grass, barley grass and other green vegetables, at www.wheatgrass.com/book.

Chemically, chlorophyll is almost identical to hemoglobin - the substance that transports oxygen from the Lungs to the tissues of the body. Out of about 50 atoms in the compound, only two are different. The main difference is that at the center of chlorophyll there is a magnesium ion; whereas hemoglobin has iron in the same place.

The action of chlorophyll is so important, that two Nobel prizes were awarded for research on the compound.

The benefits of chlorophyll fall into three main categories, purifying, anti-inflammatory, and renewal/nourishing.

1. Purifying: Chlorophyll has an anti-bacterial effect on wounds, and an anti-yeast effect in the digestive tract. It appears to counteract many toxins in the body.

2. Inflammation: It has the effect of reducing inflammation. Thus it can be used to help counteract the effects of arthritis, stomach ulcers, colitis, sore throats, and other inflammatory conditions.

3. Nourishing:It builds blood - after all, it is almost identical to hemoglobin; it helps promote intestinal flora and assists liver cleansing.

(Source: http://www.alternative-healthzine.com)

15 Important Facts about Chlorophyll

1. Wheat-grass Juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available.

2. Chlorophyll is the first product of light and, therefore, contains more light energy than any other element.

3. Wheat-grass juice is a crude chlorophyll and can be taken orally and as a colon implant without toxic side effects.

4. Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life.

5. Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.

6. Science has proven that chlorophyll arrests growth and development of unfriendly bacteria.

7. Chlorophyll (wheat-grass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. The red cell count was returned to normal within 4 to 5 days of the administration of chlorophyll, even in those animals, which were known to be extremely anemic or low in red cell, count.

8. Farmers in the Midwest USA, who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheat-grass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)

9. Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheat-grass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man.

10. Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines them and makes them over.

11. Wheat-grass Juice is a superior detoxification agent compared to most juices. Dr Earp-Thomas, associate of Ann Wigmore, says that 15 pounds of Wheat-grass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrot, lettuce, celery, and so forth.

12. Liquid chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the body.

13. Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.

14. Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.

15. Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems.

(by Leo Babauto for Zen Habits)

“I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers.” ~Henry David Thoreau

The best art is created in solitude, for good reason: it’s only when we are alone that we can reach into ourselves and find truth, beauty, soul. Some of the most famous philosophers took daily walks, and it was on these walks that they found their deepest thoughts.

My best writing, and in fact the best of anything I’ve done, was created in solitude.

Just a few of the benefits I’ve found from solitude:

• time for thought
• in being alone, we get to know ourselves
• we face our demons, and deal with them
• space to create
• space to unwind, and find peace
• time to reflect on what we’ve done, and learn from it
• isolation from the influences of other helps us to find our own voice
• quiet helps us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar

There are many more benefits, but that’s to get you started. The real benefits of solitude cannot be expressed through words, but must be found in doing.

How to Find Solitude

You start by disconnecting.

Take every means of connecting with others, and sever them. Disconnect from email, from Facebook and Twitter and MySpace, from forums and social media, from instant messaging and Skype, from news websites and blogs. Turn off your mobile device and phones.

Turn off the computer … unless you’re going to use the computer to create, in which case, shut off the Internet, close your browser, and shut down every other program used to connect with others.

The next steps depend on which of two strategies you use:

1. Holing yourself up. This can be done in your office, by shutting the door and/or using headphones and the calming music of your choice. If possible, let coworkers know you can’t be disturbed during a certain block of your day. Or it can be done at home, by finding a quiet space, shutting the door if you can, or using headphones. The key is to find a way to shut out the outside world, including co-workers or those who live with you.

2. Getting away. My favorite way to find solitude, actually. Get out the door, and enjoy the outdoors. Take a walk, find a park or a beach or a mountain, find a quiet coffee shop, find a shady spot to rest. People watch, or nature watch.

Other tips:

• Try taking a quiet, relaxing bath from time to time.
• Curl up with a good novel.
• If you’re married with kids, ask your spouse to give you some time off to be alone, and then return the favor. Make it a regular swap.
• Take a walk every day.
• Get into work earlier, and work in quiet.
• Have a nice cup of tea.
• Try a regular time each day when you’re disconnected.
• Try sitting still, and focusing on your breath as it comes in and goes out. As your mind wanders to thoughts of the past and future, make a patient note of that, then gently return to your breathing.

“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.” ~Albert Einstein

You yearn to achieve the peace and wellbeing that comes with reconnecting with your true Self, but this connection remains mysterious and elusive.

When you’re connected you feel energized, at ease with life’s challenges, and secure in what you do. You operate from a place of love, which generates balance and good health.

When you’re disconnected you may feel tired, weighed down by the stresses of life, or anxious about things. You operate from a place of fear – fear that you won’t be approved of, fear that you won’t be in control, or fear that you won’t be secure. Eventually these fears can lead to imbalance and poor health.

Connecting with your true Self involves accessing the essence of your being, which is always present however many years and layers of other feelings now surround it.

How to make the connection? Fortunately there are many ways to experience your true nature, so you’re by no means confined to the practice of ‘meditation’. Here are some suggestions which work as well.

How to connect?

1.  Spend time in silence

We live in a world of noise and distractions, which continually grab our attention out of ourselves to the material world. So one way to connect with your true Self is through silence.

Simply sit or lie away from people, the computer, TV, newspapers and books, and be with yourself. No effort is needed, just relax and ‘be’. At first your thoughts may run wild, but if you persist they will quiet down until you experience an inner calm.

2.  Spend time in nature

Trees, plants and animals are still connected to their source, to the power and intelligence that made them. So relating with nature, outdoors or simply through single flower in a vase, helps connect you to your inner self.

3.  Become aware of your breath

Perhaps the easiest way to connect to yourself is to become aware of your breath. Simply shift your awareness to your breath coming into, and then leaving, your body. This immediately brings your attention to the present, and a calm place in which you can connect to your Self.

4. Use a meditation method

There are many ‘methods’ available to help you find your inner Self, coming under the general umbrella of ‘meditation’.

Walking meditation. Take a leisurely walk. Breathe in the air. Notice the sounds and smells!

High tech meditation. Put on your headphones and a binaural beats track. Sit back and let the technology do the rest.

Mantra meditation. 

Candle meditation. Light a candle somewhere safe, sit down and focus on the candle flame. Let all other thoughts drift out of your mind. Keep focussed on the flickering flame.

Guided meditation. Put on your headphones and listen to a pre-recorded guided meditation talk you through the process of relaxing your body and clearing your mind.

Mirror gazing. Simply gaze into your reflected image. Focus and let all other thoughts fall out of your mind. The same can be done by contemplating a painting or flower. 

5.  Release your feelings

Another approach is to release the feelings which have built up around, and in turn dimmed, your inner Self. Starting with whatever feeling is present in this moment release it, and notice what feeling surfaces next. 

At first this connection may be just a few minutes, but with practice it becomes longer and easier, eventually you can access it at will.

 (source:deliciousliving)