Joy as Meditation
Joy is:
- Emotion
- Experience
- Life choice
- Commitment
- State of being
- Wealth of living
- Just plain fun
The History of Joy and Happiness – AS MEDICINE:
- In ancient Greece, hospital and comedy clubs (amphitheatres) were built next to each other so patients could heal via laughter.
- Norman Cousins healed himself of cancer in 1964 by laughing and laughing and laughing, living a full life and dying in 1990 at age 75.
Modern Joy and Happiness: seem to be measured by:
- Objects: (new toys, cars, boats, devices, clothes, etc)
- Romantic Relationships: (according to Hollywood’s movie model)
- Food and Beverage: (over eating, drinking, coffee, gaming, drugs, mind altering moments)
- Instant Gratification:
- instant food – drive-through & deli & delivery
(What if we had to grow all that food, harvest it, preserve it, cook it, etc.?) - instant communication – text, FB, WhatsApp
(Remember paper, pen, sending letters?) - instant locations – relocate to anywhere on the planet in a week
(Some cultures stay in their same village for dozens of generations.) - instant love – find a mate online
(internet dating, tinder, etc.)
- instant food – drive-through & deli & delivery
The How To when ‘STUFF’ comes up:
- Grab it in your heart and mind and breathe it into your imagination.
- Remember something wonderful: person, pet, place, memory of a warm fuzzy.
- Toggle between the ‘stuff’ and the image.
- Pull up a feeling of ‘gratefulness’ for the moment and embrace the opportunity to dance with life’s stuff
The Importance of Doing Nothing by Ellen Grace O’Brian
Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself.
― Matsuo Bashō
When it is difficult to focus and access deep silence in meditation, one of the first places to look for a corrective measure is our daily life. While we can always improve our approach to meditation and hone the techniques we use to help our thoughts settle, very often the culprit that contributes to mental restlessness is an over-scheduled, overactive life. Too many projects, too much time spent at the computer, too much social activity and not enough time alone. Simply too much time doing and not enough time set aside for being, just being. Read more
Awakening
A moment of awakening is often told in the stories of the masters, leaders and teachers of spirituality and personal development. But what does it mean? Is it only available to monks and those devout to a disciplined daily practice? Or is it available to all of us who want it? Read more
Silence is Golden at Bali’s Silent Retreat by Nadia Bintoro
By Nadia Bintoro on 04:43 pm Jun 28, 2015
Jakarta Globe Category Arts & Culture, Front Page, Life & Style
The view from the Meditation – Yoga Octagon
Tabanan, Bali. At a time when life is more fast-paced than ever, where everything demands to be attended at once, it is refreshing at times to just switch off and go inward to listen to the one that needs attention the most — ourselves. Read more
The New Earth Tool Kit
The earth is changing rapidly and we all need a new tool kit and manual to smile through life or at least to keep life from wrestling us to the ground.
Your daughter has just become famous on YouTube. You went out for coffee with your colleague, he asked the ‘barista’ (trained coffee professional) to serve his soy flat white at 65 degrees. You felt embarrassed because you just ordered a coffee. In fact it was that same barista who told you your daughter is now famous. He ‘instagrammed’ a picture of the 2 of you. You’re not sure how you feel about that. You wonder if he’s a famous barista. It would only make sense because you found out last week that a lot of people who cook food for a living now become famous. You wonder if you’ll ever be famous. Is there such thing as celebrity accountant? You ask your wife that night. She smiles. She says she will meditate on it. You don’t know what it means but you think you should meditate too. Your boss meditates but he looks red faced and stressed. But maybe he’d be worse if he didn’t meditate. He makes more money than you. Read more
The Ancient Tradition of Labyrinth Catharsis
Walking the Labyrinth- the ancient tradition of the labyrinth catharsis – one way in and one way out.
Everyone has a path to Divine Source which grows and changes and yet remains still. When we stop talking for a while, the pathways to light and love seem to be grow clearer and stronger and more obvious. The Labyrinth Walking Mediation at Bali Silent Retreat is a chance to connect within, to ask questions and receive answers. A very simple ancient practice that holds great power. Set your intention, walk slowly aware of your breath, be grateful, and observe the results. Repeat daily. Read more
WANTED: Heart with nice backyard and ocean views by Jeremy Canaut
For the last five years, “my place” hasn’t stayed the same for more than five months.
That’s why I called earth my home sweet home and myself, “citizen” of the world.
I left my country, my place, in France, including its delicious cheeses, wines, baguettes and an easy life of being a volleyball player and personal trainer, to seek for something a bit more challenging, a complete life change. After spending two years in Australia, working through a large spectrum of jobs, I found that although Australia is definitely a delightful place to live, it didn’t quite feel right. Read more
Hello Yoga: Styles & Traditions for who, what, when, where?
By our yoga practitioners and mentors
Yoga styles and traditions hold ancient philosophies and energies. Different strokes for different folks, now that yoga is practiced and embraced around the world.
What’s your flavor of choice? Read more
Yoga as Meditation or Meditation as Yoga?
MEDITATION : This ancient method of physical to spiritual movement is now a globally popular technique for everyone, everywhere, all the time.
Thanks to the internet, pretty much anyone on the planet – teachers, practitioners, and seekers can easily obtain understanding and develop a yoga and meditation practice which tends to the health and wholeness of our spiritual self. We no longer need to travel by ship for months and archive ancient understandings with decades of research. It’s all easily available and perhaps we are living in the true age of enlightenment due to the ease with which spiritual awareness can be accessed. Read more
