Browsing Category: "simplicity"
Relaxation methods. Start changing your life today
meditation, music and movies, simplicity July 17th, 2008
I hope all of my dear readers are well and your awareness grows every day 
You’ve probably noticed that a short rest from any intensive activity clears your mind and gives a different perspective of the same situation, whether it is a work problem or a personal question. Depending on your involvement and the depth of emotions, you may need just a few minutes.. or several days to calm down and reach deeper relaxation. In our daily routine we often need to “reset” our mind, become fresh and more active. Diversify our doings.
Depending on the way you perceive the world, you will find music or visual relaxation fitting you better. I am suggesting several methods to let everything be for a moment. To realize the value of every second; to realize what is really important for you. Don’t miss a chance, this life is so short.. Small daily meditation may become your refuge and change your life for better.
Web relaxation tools
Tools available online are amazing - you can simply sit back and relax a little, letting your mind travel somewhere else and meditate, concentrating on a beautiful video or sound.
Here are my favorite relax-videos from different sources. They are short and light. Don’t forget to turn on the music or wear headphones. I wish you all could leave problems and hard situations aside and simply relax. Let it all go. Just be present for a moment.
Tender flowers, smell of spring and great sounds.
Water drops and sound of the ocean.
Zen symbols, Buddha statue, simplicity of a flower, - accompanied by theme music. My favorite.
Murmur of the forest. Green grass and spikelets, ancient trees.. You are almost standing there.
Galaxies and planet pictures with beautiful ambient music.
Amazing piano music, cold and bright winter pictures. Remember your cozy winter evenings?
Thoughts on efficiency
productivity, simplicity July 14th, 2008
Usually I am continuously thinking on open questions I get from books or people and on the flow of situations in my life, turning them around in my head, looking at them from different angles. I live with them, trying to come to some final idea or understanding. These thoughts pull up another books, people and other connected situations that give some answers (you probably noticed it in your experience, - when you think about something, - alike things start happening).
Whether you think of something good or bad, - you make it more real, more probable to happen or somehow come to your life (that is why many fears come true when we actually *do* fear and don’t want them to happen).
What ideas am I thinking on these days? I decided to record a few.
1. Hard work and productivity in a global sense
I must confess to myself and other beings that my office work is truly useless. It doesn’t bring any joy to me or thousands of people visiting sites my company develops. And it will not get any better, as the company is money-oriented only. Sometimes I prefer not to think about it, as I’m leaving this place soon. But is it really fair, am I really seeing things the way they are? What if I die in 3 month, still working in a dull office and promising myself to start a new life tomorrow.. This is a hard question. Usually people ask to stop talking about it and make death a taboo topic. But this is silly, - we can’t run away from it.
Imagine what your life could be if you set a single motivation - reach enlightenment and help others no-matter-what? Life would simplify a lot. It would become beautiful, full of hard work and very realistic. Lama Ole Nyidahl said that those people who work more, - reach more on the way of Dharma, get more blessings and results. They live a full, complete life. We all talk about ego we want to get rid of, but are we really honest with ourselves about it? Are we doing everything we could do today? You can let everything be, thinking that “I have much time. I will do it later. I am tired. I am not in the mood right now”. But the truth is.. we never know how much time we have.
2. Finding my own path and practice
This is a second big thought flying around me for quite a while. I have had a hard week with 2 yoga classes daily at 9am and 7pm and office work in between. By my Saturday’s “2 hours weekend yoga” I got so tired that I felt energetically overworked. I did my personal meditation practice in a public transport through the week and dedicated only 5-10 minutes in the mornings and evenings. This did upset me much (as I started feeling I don’t move anywhere in it, my mind got less meditative and more chaotic). Teaching yoga in this state is difficult because you have to continuously give-give-give, help and coach. Synchronize with others. “No ego”-state. Otherwise the practice becomes empty.
In any case I’m very grateful for this tough experience. I hope I started understanding the point of giving and finding happiness in it. And.. I can’t combine office with such an intensive practice, - it will simply burn me out. I can switch my priorities to own practice and coaching.
Life brings so many challenges and every situation is a key to a deeper understanding.. : )
Lama Ole says: “Sometimes you have to go away from meditation in order to get back to it in a while with a new look”. I agree, I’m starting my meditation with so much aspiration now. I find a saving refuge in it, realizing it’s impact on my mind and the way I treat others.
This is what I’ve been on recently. I always wonder what others think of. Anyone with alike thoughts? : )
Wonderful picture by Gnaharro Flickr free pics
More to read:
The art of turning difficulties into practice
happiness, meditation, productivity, simplicity June 22nd, 2008
I’m almost finished with my master’s paper and really happy to get back to posting, reading and practicing. Each tough time when we’re too busy, too troubled or too overwhelmed with emotions we get a true challenge and best conditions for inner practice.
In the book I’m reading now, “A Path with Heart”, Jack Kornfield tells about a prayer for difficulties:
May I be granted proper obstacles and sufferings on this path so that my heart could really awaken, so that my liberation and overall compassion practice could really happen.
In Buddhism troubles are considered valuable as they give unique possibility to go deeper into one’s feelings, see the origin of suffering, gain wisdom and understand suffering others feel.
Instead of treating every problem as a punishment, or meeting it with aggression, depression and complaint, - one could overstep own limitations and treat it as a challenge. Here are few advices we could all use when we meet some obstacles to overcome them and be free in every moment of life.
12 healthy eating rules from Yoga teachers
healthy eating, simplicity, yoga practice June 9th, 2008
I got several feedbacks from the community on personal importance of healthy eating. We discussed Overeating as one of obstacles on the way to Yoga and Health. “We are what we eat” and we realize this truth very soon if start following basic rules. I will split 12 basic rules of healthy nutrition to several posts and I hope to cover each fully, bring you essential value of each.
As a result of a habit, advertising, stress and rush in our lives, current society has altered those eating concepts our forefathers followed. In order to revive our natural feeling of food that is required by our body, we can use several simple rules. Following these rules will save and strengthen your health. I have accumulated these advises from several Yoga teachers and use them in my everyday life for more then a year, advising them to students and friends. You will notice first results in a week if your nutrition is not very healthy and in a month if it is more or less healthy (this estimation is very rough, as it generally depends on your sensitivity).
I’m not giving “how to lose weight diet”, but instead I’m talking about healthy nutrition Yoga may advise.
Meme from YogaMum
simplicity June 6th, 2008
I don’t usually participate in questionnaires or meme, but it may be one of good opportunities to let you know a little bit more about myself : )
This meme was offered by YogaMum for everyone who has drank green tea this morning (my morning usually starts with a cup of green tea and a spoon of honey)…