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mindfulness Tag

Mind KEY / Posts tagged "mindfulness" (Page 2)
Is your glass half full or your glass half empty?

Focus on Relationships: From glass half empty to a full life

by Vera Remes Glass half empty My husband used to be a “glass half empty” guy.  Being a police officer, this served him well and kept him alive, I suspect. As a glass half empty guy, he was always thinking how a situation could go sideways when confronting an unknown.   When we retired, his glass half empty mentality remained.   No matter what was going on, he continued to look at the less positive side of things. That was, until recently, when his focus changed. I’ve learned over the last 28 years of marriage that confrontation does no good and that, if left to marinate, my husband will eventually figure out for himself how glorious life is. That said, I still suffered the initial cringe when I could focus further...

It is possible to multitask successfully if you focus on splitting up tasks consciously.

Consciously shifting your focus: Successful multitasking

By Marla Funez What is multitasking? Can humans multitask successfully? To what extent is it efficient? What are our limitations and when is multitasking not the best option, based on these limitations? The simple definition of multitasking is to complete more than one task at a time. Multitasking, however, is much more than that. It is about getting the most done efficiently and in the least amount of time. According to this 2017 study, multitasking is only truly considered multitasking when it is done consciously. This means even tasks that you do not want to do can be multitasked. The choice is in whether or not the tasks will be done simultaneously. Choosing to do multiple, different tasks at once means focusing on different subjects or actions at...

Focus on your inner awareness using the physical with soft eyes.

Using your Soft Eyes: Envision the big picture and find your center

By Vera Remes Focus, focus, focus—or maybe not When it comes to focus, inner awareness is essential. As a follower of horse trainers Sally Swift, Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance, I am familiar with the principles of grounding, centering, breathing and “soft eyes.”  Sally Swift describes the essentials of soft eyes in her book Centered Riding as “wide-open eyes and peripheral awareness, awareness of your entire field of vision and feeling sensations from within.” Grounding, breathing and centering can relate to meditation and other metaphysical pursuits. I use those principles in Reiki, energy healing and my everyday life, but I never thought of using “soft eyes” in the same way. Now I have.  Using soft eyes in life may be antithetical to the typical advice given for success—to focus, focus,...

full potential comes from building the new

Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want

By Barbara Steingas From the time we are born, we are taught our limitations and we are broken of our full potential. Our parents and caretakers, although well-meaning, tell us what we can’t or shouldn’t do in hopes of protecting us. Even though this is intended for our benefit, it teaches us to focus mainly on our limitations. Rather than focusing on our full potential and what we want to have happen, we instead focus on what we don’t want. For example, we are often told, “Don’t forget (something),” rather than, “Remember (something).” We also have the word “no” said to us an incredible amount of times by the time we are about ten years old. The book What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by...

gain financial focus

Focus on Finances: Practice self-aware spending

By Joseph Gonzalez Having money is something that has been proven to make people feel better about themselves, but the ability to gain financial focus is not an easy task. Money not only enables us to essentially do what we want, it gives us a sense of security, as well. However, focusing on saving money is often easier said than done. Xinyue Zhou’s research article, The Symbolic Power of Money, which was published in the Journal of Psychological Science, explains that money provides a feeling of self-sufficiency. In this mindset, people are less likely to ask others for help. We teach those going into adulthood to be dependent on themselves. So, asking a family member, or anyone, for money at any point could cause insecurity about...

inward focus is key; outward focus is the door

Learning to focus on that which best serves

New life and reflection Spring is a beautiful time of growth, inward focus, new life and reflection. There’s a reason we often participate in spring cleaning—the harsh winter is behind us. With the sun and sprouting life comes the desire for a fresh, clean start. With this new start, we allow ourselves the optimum opportunity and setting to enjoy the welcomed season. Spring also allows us to reflect on so many areas of our life. If we are wise, we can use this time to look inward and do a self-spring clean. We can rid ourselves of the habits, attitudes and relationships that are as harsh or unwelcome as the desolation of winter. By turning our focus to the important and beautiful things in life, we...

Healthy ego development and the blank slate

Parenting without ego: from Blank slate to Healthy self

by Cris McCullough Is a child’s mind a blank slate or are children driven by their egos? When it comes to the word “ego,” there are two definitions. As a noun, it describes “a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance.” It implies the cultivation of self-worth, self-respect, self-image, and self-confidence. In the realm of psychoanalysis, it describes “the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.”   Our Children—Blank slate, or ego-driven? As a parent, one can blur the lines between the need to inspire our children to develop a healthy ego, which will help them navigate the reality of their world without harm, and our own ego’s need to be bolstered by the...

Conscious parenting

Parenting without ego: Living and teaching our children safety and authenticity

By Danielle Rose If our ego is a guidance structure that we created for ourselves as children, then the best way to ensure our children create their own healthy guidance system is through conscious parenting. That means parenting without ego. That means seeing our ego for what it is, and not coloring everything through that lens. It involves facing the fears of parenting, of your own youth, of your future and the future of your children. It involves taking steps to become whole and forgetting what others have to say about the matter. Parenting without ego also involves incorporating all of our inner voices into one coherent direction. Sound overwhelming? Well, so is parenthood. The good news is that, as always, we’ve got the keys to...

Life a life of adventure no matter where you are

Ten Ways to Travel With Less Baggage

By Theresa Birmingham Many of us could do with a little less baggage. We’ve all got things we can’t help but bring with us, however, so how do we find that balance? This month, we’ve discussed ego in its many forms, but one thing that is clear is that in relationships, we bring everything we’ve got. Sometimes, what we bring is good, clean, and useful. But other things we bring can be harmful. Just as in relationships, our life and world travels, we need to be aware of how our baggage is healing or harming us. In my own life, I’ve broken a lot, mended a lot, lived a lot…and as a result, I’ve accumulated a lot. My own all-consuming drive for adventure has brought me many...

Exhaustion: It’s time to tell a new story

As a woman, as a parent, as simply a person living in today’s fast-paced environment, we could all use more rest and better sleep. Not to mention, better sleep results in better focus. Author and women’s wellness advocate, Karen Brody, has created a 40-day yoga nidra program that makes yoga meditation relevant and accessible to women around the world. In this article, she shares how our ego-driven perspective on rest can be the one factor that keeps us from finding truly healing sleep.   By Karen Brody Let's face it, women today are tired. I support busy women leaders, and here is what they tell me all the time:   "I spent years getting educated and now I don't have any energy to work." "I love my work, but my kids...

Meditation for letting go of unhealthy ego and embracing the call of our spirit so we can find light.

Let go of ego and embrace peace and light: A meditation

By Kathleen Santora This meditation for letting go of unhealthy ego helps us accumulate more peace and light and attain a healthy balanced ego. Balance is the keyword when examining the essential element of the ego. When we focus on spirit, we can accept the light that we are asking for from this meditation and the universe. Meditation Light is ahead; darkness is behind.  Light is ahead of me; darkness is behind me.  I will forget my troubles and walk toward the light, leaving my darkness behind my thoughts. Disengage your thoughts from the system in order to accomplish your spiritual goals by changing the spiritual behavior of your mind with your conscious mind.  Letting go of ego, going deeper on a daily practice level of thoughts. If you...

Who do I listen to in here?

In this article, Wendy Watson-Hallowell, The Belief Coach, explores how our inner voices can often offer conflicting views. Our inner voices being what drives us toward action and growth. Indecision and goals become intertwined in a quagmire of stuck-ness when our inner compass is out-of-whack in this way. This is often compounded by the very human desire to find answers outside of the self. However, our intuition, inner child and ego have all the answers we need. Bringing these very different, yet ultimately self-serving voices into alignment can help us better understand our path. This can also show us to achieve our wellness and success goals.   By Wendy Watson-Hallowell   We each have a variety of voices inside our minds that take different positions and drive us toward...

Learning should never stop: How learning supplements the ego

By Marla Funez The common phrase, "you learn something new every day " often gets taken for granted, especially when it comes to discussing learning and how education balances ego. However, learning is an ongoing process that continues as a person ages. The ego is a filter for how we live our lives, and it continues to grow the more you learn and supplement it with knowledge. The benefits of constantly educating yourself include better decision making, confidence in your decisions, and the ability to balancing the ego. The ego has a strong hold on our perception of the world and therefore, how we interact with it. Even though people cannot control what happens around them, decisions can be controlled. By first having as much information possible...

Defining personality, building healthy ego

Who are you? A look at Ego and Personality Development

by Danielle Rose and Libby Reilly Defining personality and how your ego forms can be a confusing task. This is because, at its heart, personality is who you are. What you are is a daughter, a son, a grandma, a teacher, a friend, a fill-in-the-blank. But who you are is the base of your being. Strip away all the labels and the emotions. Strip away anything but a given situation and how you react to it—that is your personality. Why are we talking about personality types in an issue on ego?  Because our personality is part of what shapes our ego, and how we perceive and interact with the world. How do you interact with the world? How can a better understanding of who you are...

Gain perspective and refocus your lens

Gain Perspective through Healthy Patterns

by Theresa Birmingham One of the most difficult skills in life is the ability to gain perspective and to not only gain it, but to hold on to that hard-earned skill. Basically, just like anything else in life, perspective is not a once-in-a-life “Oh, I’ve got it” type experience. In order to truly gain perspective, one must understand that each day is a gamble, and we choose how we will react, how we will understand, and how we will move forward in a given situation.   Triggers We’ve learned that sometimes those flaws we see in others are actually flaws that are within ourselves. When we change our perspective, we can understand that everyone has a path. With this understanding, we often find that our judgments are many times...

Power is neutral: How perspective changes perception

by Kathleen Santora Saka's message shows us that power is neutral and how  perspective can change perception. In this channeled lesson, Saka explains how to shift your perspective on why uncomfortable situations occur. Through his words, we can reclaim our power and use that power for the greater good. When negative things happen, it isn’t always a result of negativity. Instead, it is often a result of how we direct our power. And our power is inherently neutral. In this message, Saka is explaining what we think causes illness or negative acts. He goes on to explain how we feel pain and how that causes us to think we have an illness. He instructs us on what is happening but also why and how to recognize what goes on...

Can our triggers help change our perspective of self?

In this fantastic repost by Kyla Rose Maher of Long Time Sun Yoga and Apparel, we are encouraged to look at those qualities we don’t necessarily appreciate in others and to see how they manifest in ourselves. On a bad day, this powerful self-practice has the potential to trigger us. Even the best of us may find ourselves in a frenzy of self-doubt. We suddenly realize those things that trigger us may, in fact, be a quality we have. On a good day, this practice can help us recognize our “worst” qualities are often, surprisingly, our best ones. This facilitates both self-compassion and a deeper compassion for others.    By Kyla Rose Maher Wait a second, am I arrogant? During October, my boyfriend and I were visiting New York...

Sometimes gratitude means nothing: The art of non-gratitude

Is it okay to experience non-gratitude? After a life-changing experience, tragedy, or diagnosis, people often comment on what they’ve learned and the good that came out of the experience. Do people go through hard times in order to gain a lesson? Is there always a purpose to trials? For Jessica McWhirt, that was not the case. In a very scary season of her life, she discovered that sometimes things are just hard — and there’s no need to be grateful for them.   By Jessica McWhirt Non-gratitude is an art. I was eighteen. It was the size of a bean. And that bean-sized thing meant nothing to me.   This was the beginning of how I came to understand the art of non-gratitude. People always discuss how grateful they were for something awful happening to...

Peace and gratitude

Meditation for peace and gratitude

By Kathleen Santora I received this meditation for peace and gratitude after I was in a major car accident many years ago.  While meditating to heal myself, I saw my friends in Lilydale, all sitting in a circle and sending me light and healing, this was what was given to me. I hope it helps regenerate you as well.   Peace and Gratitude Meditation   Someone has prayed for me My brother has taken to a place in the heavens Where I could not have gone alone My brother has taken my soul in his heart And held it there in gentle loving light Returning it to me in healing He has shown me the purest love Has given me the purest of light In that returned my spirit to me in perfection In honor I return all love All light In...

gratitude tea meditation

Gratitude and your cup of tea: bringing in abundance, gratitude and peace

Jessica Filkins is a health coach and owner of Jahmu Chai, a healing turmeric ginger tea. Each month, she shares a tea meditation that can be done quickly and easily during your morning cup of coffee or tea to bring more peace, abundance, joy and healing into all areas of your life. As we look forward into 2018, this gratitude tea meditation helps us recognize all that’s come before to bring us to this place, so we can continue to grow forward.   By Jessica Filkins A daily meditation practice can increase your happiness, hone your focus and improve your health. Despite the growing body of scientific research on the benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices, most Americans do not incorporate meditation into their daily lives. However, most...

Practicing gratitude as a way to heal, grow and manifest

By Oneyda Salazar As doable as it may seem to practice gratitude, it can be difficult to instill in your day-to-day life. The word gratitude is considered a noun because the intent behind the word is to be in that state of mind. In order to show gratitude, one must apply it as an action. You can't simply be "grateful" without incorporating gratitude into your behavior. Once you practice gratitude more regularly, you will notice how much you appreciate a lot of things in life. This includes very negative moments, sometimes also known as lessons...

January: The Month of Emotional Perspective

By: Seshat Clairvoyant Happy New Year to all! Hopefully you all have survived the holidays and are now setting intentions for the new year. 2017 was a year to remember with lots of ups and downs. Lots of lessons were learned that might have shifted your perspective in certain things. In our January astrological report, you'll discover that 2018 will also be a year to remember. What to expect in 2018 In numerology, the year 2018 adds up to the number 11. This is a master number that highlights spirituality, enlightenment, psychic awareness and heightened intuition. However, it also highlights high levels of anxiety, Happy New Year to all! Hopefully you all have survived the holidays and are now setting intentions for the new year. 2017 was a...

A channeled lesson on unifying and peaceful vibration

By Kathleen Santora It is the lack of spiritual unification that allows the chaotic world to be. Understanding one's power of light within for the removal of all darkness interrupts wrong-minded projections, leading to extension of light thoughts, having a positive effect on an energetic level. Moving towards peaceful vibration throughout the universal realm of thought amongst the earth's atmosphere. ...

Exercise: It’s not just movement, it’s vibration

Ian Rose--Mind Key intern and Senior at the University of Rhode Island Vibrations are a complex phenomenon that cannot be easily defined. When giving or receiving  positive vibrations, you'll certainly know. The same is true with negative energy. Much debate focuses on how one can improve these energies and cultivate positive vibrations into the greater world. Physical activity in the natural world is directly linked to the raising and tempering of our vibrational frequency, which makes raising your vibration with sports a great option for those who want to cultivate good vibes in a very real and comfortable way. Starting with the simple things, the ones that bring you the most enjoyment, is the easiest path to expressing positive vibes. For many, the best way to begin...

Music is more than a pastime: it’s medicinal

by J.T. Nash, a Fall 2016 graduate of William Paterson University, NJ In a modern society, consumed by psychiatric appointments and psychoactive medications, it is essential to realize that a mere choice of song can provide a sufficient therapeutic effect to remedy some of our psychological afflictions. Music: The vibration of humanity Parents traditionally play classical music for their children to absorb while sleeping--music is a vital element of humanity, serving as a catalyst for our behavior. Due to the profound, impassioned influence that symphonic stimulation supplies, most cultures of the world use music to improve moods, deliver focus, or lull a person into a meditative state. "Music lets you rediscover your humanity, and your connection to humanity," musical icon Moby states in an interview with Thought Economics. In...

Allow an attitude of gratitude to be your roadmap this month

By Seshat Ixchel The days grow shorter as they get colder. Everyone is preparing for the holidays. This is a month of gratitude for everything that has transpired throughout the year. As we get closer to finishing the year, reflection starts to set in. What are we truly thankful for? Did we accomplish everything we set out to do this year? As the days get colder our, minds wander to our personal relationships. Are we even happy being around the people in our circles? November's astrological report will offer guidance on how to take the current shifting energies of the universe and turn them your way through the simple act of feeling grateful. Full moon: bringing gratitude for life's unwelcome lessons November 4th is the full moon in...

From “hard on yourself” to “supporting yourself”

Dr. Doni Wilson, N.D. offers simple tips for making positive changes in your life – and how to break the cycle of being hard on yourself so you can start to rely on yourself. Gain support for breaking bad habits through these simple tips for breaking the cycle. Support for breaking bad habits By Dr. Doni Wilson Making a change in your lifestyle can be challenging. We get into habits that are hard to break. For instance, when helping patients change their diet, they often tell me that they can be very “hard on themselves” when they eat something they know will make them feel worse. Have you experienced the “hard on yourself” vicious cycle? As you can imagine, it doesn’t do you much good. I encourage my patients to...

The Hamster Wheel of Self-Sabotage Patterns

By Barbara Steingas We all have goals and dreams we want to achieve--or hope to achieve. However, hoping for something is like chasing a carrot we will never catch. Usually we start off confident and empowered about our goals and dreams, especially if the path to those goals are facilitated by someone or something, like by a seminar leader, or by making a dream or vision board. Consciously we really want these goals and dreams and initially feel motivated to achieving them. However, the self-sabotage pattern sets in after scratching the surface of a goal. Self-sabotage is when we say or do something that ruins our success and happiness. We often don't achieve some or many of our goals and dreams because subconsciously, we don't feel...

Faerie card readings with Danielle Rose: A review

By Danielle Rose Krista experienced a faerie card reading with Danielle Rose back in August 2014. Since then, she has received a number of readings from Danielle. In this interview, Krista discusses her experience with Danielle and how her life has changed since then. All this as a result of card readings for self discovery.   The First Time Where did you first learn about Danielle's readings?   I was first introduced to Danielle Rose's readings through the Trinity Summerfest psychic fair in Sussex County, NJ. I saw a faerie card reader [Danielle], and being a long time lover of fae, I had to get a reading!   What made you want to try it?   Simply put: I love faeries and I love card readings. I was even more excited to find out the...

Believing with The Belief Coach

By Barbara Steingas This month, I had the pleasure of a complimentary belief coaching session with The Belief Coach, Wendy Watson-Hallowell. I choose her service for my wishlist because changing your beliefs are the foundation of our successes and failures. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, either way you’re right.” Changing beliefs that are no longer working can help you get unstuck, or achieve your next goal.  We all have blind spots of beliefs that keep us from accomplishing our goals and that sabotage our success. Wendy could help me uncover some underlying limiting beliefs that hold me back from more success with my practice. If I could do this, then I could help more people who I’m here to...

The Yin and Yang of Masculine and Feminine

By Penelope Rodriguez, WPUNJ student writer According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, there are two complementary principles of Chinese philosophy, those of Yin and Yang.  They examine the principles that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites. Examples, provided by Dictionary.com, show that Yin Yang can vary from hot-cold, high-low, female-male, and positive-negative.   Dictionary.com also defines Yin and Yang separately, stating that  Yin is “negative, dark and feminine,” and Yang is, “positive, bright and masculine.”   The interaction between Yin and Yang is thought to maintain the synchronization of the universe and to inspire everything within it. Yin and yang has fundamental philosophies behind history, culture, religion, government and business. There are plenty of differences between females and males through the principles of Yin and Yang.   Yin and...

Creative budgets will help you get your life back in control

Getting control of your finances – Practical Tips

By Charla Dury You know that feeling you get when you finish a job?  The feeling of relief that the task is off your plate? That’s how I feel when I pay my bills.  The good news is you can have that feeling all month long with creative budgets and just a little financial savvy. According to this 2016 Go Banking Rates Survey, 57.6% of Americans plan to set financial goals each new year when it is time to create resolutions. “Save more, spend less” and “pay down debt” rank high on everyone’s financial plan. Why is it that these things are so hard to do?   Why are budgets so scary? Fear of the unknown as well as the known Many people don’t keep track of their money.  To me, this...

Spending and your child: The effect of advertising on our youth

By Amanda Hollenbeck “I want, I want, I want.”  Every parent has heard these words ad nauseum. They’ve also heard how and why everything their children have seen on the television or via Youtube is something that they should own. Once children own the item they were yearning for, they usually lose interest in it, and move on to the next thing that they want. What role does advertising play in this dance, and are children more susceptible to advertising than adults Parents want to know how to avoid spending money on things kids only think they want while finding a better kind of currency to help children grow into happier, healthier adults. Research concluded that children who are eight years old or younger as especially vulnerable...

By recognizing abundance, you can calculate your piece of the prosperity pie

Abundance: There’s enough for everyone

By Barbara Steingas Most of us are brought up and taught to think there is lack in the universe, and that we aren’t deserving of abundance and prosperity, or that creating prosperity is reserved only for an elite few. For example, have your parents ever said, Money doesn’t grow on trees?” Or, “Do you think I’m made of money?” Or, “Save your pennies?” ​I heard these and other sayings repeatedly when I was a kid. My dad, especially, had lack issues with money.  I picked up on these beliefs, and as a result, have been self-sabotaging myself in the area of finances and prosperity despite making a good income as a physical therapist.   Strategies for creating prosperity Self-awareness and discovering the source of “lack” [caption id="attachment_5830" align="alignright" width="459"] Photo...

Through the understanding of marketing, you can combat your social media spending

How to Silence Your Spending in the Social Media Age

By Amanda Hollenbeck Tax season is in the air, and that means social media spending is on the rise. Some people decide to use their refunds by paying an ugly bill, saving for something important, or purchasing an item they truly want. Then, there are people who get click-happy and blow their refund on something they thought they wanted in the moment. Give those people a little slack—compulsive purchases are not always one’s own doing; sometimes, there are outside influences. Online shopping and social media has only added new marketing tactics to the pot. Conscious online shopping means becoming aware of those influences before making an online purchase.   Social media’s impact on online shopping Progressively, “living online” has become the norm, and companies are focused heavily on improving...

Lent and Mindfulness in relationships

“In a time where no one seems to have enough time, our devices allow us to be many places at once — but at the cost of being unable to fully inhabit the place where we actually want to be.  Mindfulness says we can do better.”  — Time Magazine cover article on mindfulness, February 3, 2014. Oh Catholic Lent! Self-denial for 40 days. First begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. This year that is February 10th until March 24th. Then we can commence back to the sinning!!! ( Just a little humor) I am not Catholic. I have though, participated in Lent for a few years now. It's mindfulness. Give up harm, replace with good. Mediate for the 40 days and send peace to the...

Motherhood: The ultimate relationship-with-self

Motherhood changed me. Danielle Rose as a brand new mother of two That's kind of funny to say, isn't it?  I mean, doesn't it go without saying?  Where there was once one, now there are two… two bodies sharing a body, two schedules to navigate, and two egos competing for space (and despite what anyone says, babies' egos are huge!). Then there came two… two children that is.  And no one tells you that having two kids isn't twice the work of having one—it's ten times the work.  Because with one blissful baby it's impossible to see how the intersection of bodies, schedules, and egos multiply exponentially. Ultimately, what happened was that I lost myself in the wild tangle of everything childhood.  Motherhood became an all-encompassing title that didn't...

Making Space: Your weight loss plateau

I was in a yoga class not that long ago… and I heard the instructor say something I hear over and over again in yoga classes… "Breathe space into your body, in between the bones and joints." Breathe… a key element to yoga and to life… but it was the "making space" that hit me this time. My weight is something I've struggled with since having children.  Those few extra pounds reveal themselves in places I'd rather they not.  Skimming Louise L. Hay's book, "You Can Heal Your Life," shows us where aches, pains, and even weight will settle when we mentally allow it.  I won't tell you where my weight settles, because that will be too telling of my own personal demons… but I will say,...

Mindfulness

Mindfulness.Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines mindfulness as:1:  the quality or state of being mindful2:  the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis; also:  such a state of awareness When I think of mindfulness now, I think of yoga, meditation, hot tea and incense.  And calm.Calm is a difficult concept for me.  With all of the roles I play in my life and the hecticness of my calendar, I don’t makeenough time for myself.  As an aside:  Notice I said make instead of find time.  There’s enough time.  As much as I joke that I could use more hours in the day (couldn’t we all?) if it’s important to you, you’ll find the...

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