Me, Myself and I

When I decided to take this journey a couple of months ago it wasn’t out of curiosity, it was out of necessity.  I woke up one day wanting a better life for myself and to stop feeling so miserable over things I couldn’t control.  I wasn’t confident I could get from point A to point B without an action plan, so I started this blog to be accountable.  At first, it was strictly a selfish task – to find a job that made me happy and to enjoy my life, despite feeling a deep sadness over a loss.  It automatically grew from something internal to a more peripheral vision that has inspired others.  Simply put, a positive outlook and compassion breeds more of the same. 

I have been doing all the things I wanted to do since the beginning: 

1. Choose to be happy  2. Meditation  3. Stay Busy & Help Others   4. Read

What I didn’t expect was how quickly these relatively small changes could make such a big impact on my life.  I still stumble every once in awhile, but my goals seem to be within reach.  I’m not willing to compromise any longer.  I know I have a lot of greatness to offer – whether it is a career where I am valued and can help a company grow or in a relationship that I am loved and it continues to evolve.  As the saying goes – the eyes are the window of the soul; I feel like this blog has been a window to my soul.  Okay, maybe it’s not that dramatic, but I have been accountable, honest and vulnerable.  Hoping to share some great news on the next post!

Science & Spirituality

Seeking enlightenment or being spiritual can be a hard concept to grasp if you’re a cerebral person, or strictly facts-driven, and results-orientated by nature.  Not that there is anything wrong with these personality traits; being skeptical of new ideas is just plain smart. Believing in a God, being religious and praying is not related to meditation or spirituality.  According to Wikipedia, “meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit.”

It’s this “benefit” of meditation that everyone should be trying to incorporate in their lives.  Meditation can reduce stress, change your metabolism, lower blood pressure and build neurons, to name a few.  Science and years of research have the facts to back this statement.  What are neurons, you ask?  Neurons are nerve cells in the brain – the basic building blocks of the nervous system that transmit information.  Why are they important?  Gray matter of the brain is mostly comprised of neurons.  This part of the brain is in charge of your senses:  seeing, hearing, speaking, memory and emotions.  The volume and depth of your gray matter changes as you age.  So, the more neurons you build, the better your brain and your senses.

For you true science geeks and skeptics out there – check out this article:  http://psyphz.psych.wisc.edu/web/pubs/2008/buddha_brain_IEEE.pdf

Thank you Dr. Paula for sending this link my way!

Book Review:

Buddha’s Brain – the practical neuroscience of happiness, love, & wisdom, by Rick Hanson, PH.D and Richard Mendius, MD:

I found a book that perfectly blends the concepts of Buddhism with psychology and neurology.  “Like science, Buddhism encourages people to take nothing on faith alone and does not require a belief in God.”  With God out of the equation, what Buddhist methods and perspectives can foster well-being, happiness and peace-of-mind?  “When we consider the mind as an embodied and relational process that regulates the flow of energy and information, we come to realize that we can actually use the mind to change the brain”. It’s a simple enough concept; whatever thoughts flow through your mind sculpts your brain (gray matter, neurons).  So, if you can take as little as five minutes a day to meditate or go on an all-out transcendental experience, you are awakening your brain and achieving a healthier life.  Ommmmmmmmm……

Solar Eclipse: May 20, 2012.  View as the sun was setting amid cloud-coverage at Pacific Beach, San Diego, California.  

Library Junkie

Read, read, read.  I love books.  It’s been an eclectic mix these past few weeks.  I like to switch it up from new to old, spiritual, historical and light drama. 

Journalistic Writing – Building the Skills, Honing the Craft, by Robert M. Knight.

Yes, it’s as boring as it sounds.  It brought me back to my college journalism classes.  It was proven to be a good refresher book prior to my submittal of the article to the local newspaper.  Outcome to be determined.

 

The Winter Palace – A Novel of Catherine the Great, by Eva Stachniak.

Fiction based on real-life stories of Duchess Catherine, Empress Elizabeth and Prince Peter of Russia, seen through the eyes of their friend, spy, and maid-in-waiting, Barbara of Prussia.  This tale is full of drama, love, jealousy, power struggles, birth and death.  It took me awhile to finish this book.  Not that it wasn’t well-written, but wasn’t quite a page-turner either. 

Another Piece of my Heart, by Jane Green.

Green is a familiar author in the ‘chick lit’ genre – lighthearted, womanhood, love issues. Usually I eat up this sort of stuff, but I found the story annoying and predictable.  I finished it in hopes that it would just be over. 

Be Love Now: The Path of the Heart, by Ram Dass.

For some reason I was skeptical of this book when I picked it up, but actually really enjoyed it.  You have to read it with an open-mind and without judgment.  It focuses on heart-mind alignment, a loving Indian Guru and Hindu Gods.  Dass puts in order steps to take when traveling the path of the heart and enlightenment:

• ·         Reading. Learning. Expanding your mind.
• ·         Doing. Helping others. Teaching.
• ·         Being.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of your Dreams, by Deepak Chopra.

He is the author of sixty-four books, with nineteen bestsellers. I decided to read his most well-known and popular book.  It was easy to read, easy to understand….and hopefully easy to put into action.

                You are what your deep, driving desire is.

                As your desire is, so is your will.

                As your will is, so is your deed.

                As your deed is, so is your destiny.

--Brihadaranyaka Upanishad  IV 4.5

And, yes, I really do read this much.  It’s not hard to do when you don’t have a job.  Back to the library for me!

Big UP to my Dad who shot his first hole in one yesterday!  Love you Mom & Dad.

Staying in the Zen Zone

One of the most remarkable aspects of this new spiritual path I’m on is the fact that people are taking notice.  This is partly due because I look and feel stronger. Mostly, it’s because I’m putting forth a more positive outlook towards life and it brings out an inner glow.  If there is one thing I could recommend, despite how you feel, just smile and be upbeat.  Of course, it’s easier said than done, but a smile takes little effort. Even if it doesn’t feel completely natural, at least someone else can see it and smile back at you. 

At times, in spite of my outward radiance, I find myself reflecting on negative events and past conversations.  They take me to a place of sadness, worry or judgment.  I feel lonely; and can’t seem to stay in the present moment.  I recognize these feelings are okay to experience and become good reminders that I won’t always be in the ‘zen zone’.  According to Ram Dass in Be Love Now, “Those thoughts and feelings are necessary for a healthy personality.  But if you identify so strongly with the ego that you think that’s all there is, that limited view can keep you away from your deeper Self”. 

This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.  Embrace this moment.  Remember.  We are eternal.  All this pain is an illusion.  Parabola – Tool  

These days, I come out of my sorrow quicker and continue to have faith that things will happen as they are supposed to happen.  Hope neutralizes my fear.  All I can do is practice surrender and acceptance towards every situation, knowing that it will get better.

If the road to enlightenment was a straight line in the express lane, than everyone would be floating around in a state of bliss.  The secret is there is no road.  Enlightenment just is – it’s always been there, but you have to seek it in order to find it.  

Setting an Intention

There is a ritual that occurs at the beginning of every yoga class.  With your hands over heart-center, eyes closed, you are asked to set an intention for your practice.  During the next hour, as you concentrate on your breath, you should also continue to bring your focus back to your intention. 

Intention:  a determination to act in a certain way.  “to have in mind a purpose or plan; to direct the mind; to aim”

An intention can be set with you in mind – what you want to get out of class, or you can be selfless and set an intention for someone else.  For me, it just depends on the day, as far as, whom or what my intention will be, but it always focuses on the themes of love, inner-peace and strength.  Yoga is a meditation that simultaneously challenges my body and mind. It has been a key ingredient on my path to enlightenment, and I am always happier when I finish class.  

There is a difference between setting a goal and an intention.  Goals are made with specific results in mind, and they are something you can physically or mentally work towards.  They are tangible, and hopefully attainable.  I have a goal to find a job.  Initially, I had the idea that a job or certain career would be an answer to my everyday happiness.  I no longer believe this is the case.  Being gainfully employed and earning an income are important to me, but that doesn’t mean it lines up with my intentions.  My life intention is quite simple, yet means everything to me.  It is a commitment to align my path towards finding love, peace, happiness and a family.  I know that I can handle any stress or crap that comes into my life, as long as it is filled with love, happiness and eventually a family.  If I’m not brave enough to put that out in the Universe, than I am not learning anything on this journey.  My intentions are not meant to only be focused on during yoga class; they need to guide me everyday forward.  Namaste.