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Awake in the World

Focusing the mind in meditation takes practice and effort. It’s sometimes helpful in the beginning to have props or tools to help focus the wandering mind.  Here are some that can help to create a sacred space and bring the mind into a a meditative place. A short video of  Tools for Meditation shows some…

For thousands of years icons and art have inspired seekers to open their hearts to higher spheres of life. The whisper to the mind that there’s something more, something mystical behind the veil of concrete things that we see everyday. Walking into Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris or seeing roadside shrines in Switzerland where saints…

Goodness is the essence of all things. Viewing all in this way, being good and pure in thoughts, words and actions, leads to contentment and satisfaction. These are ways to divine vision. God who created all, sees all with eyes of love. All beings are beautiful. All acts are devoted and all is in harmony…

The omkara is the manifestation through sound of the highest consciousness or highest light. In India devotees gather before dawn in sacred temples to chant twenty-one Oms. It’s a powerful practice that elevates the mind and brings a deep connection with the Divine. The Om symbol represents states of consciousness. Practice of the repetition of…

“For mind is the builder and that which we think upon may become crimes or miracles. For thoughts are things.” – Edgar Cayce Thoughts are energy. They create and we can create consciously using them. The Upanishads say, “Let one therefore keep the mind pure, for what a man thinks, that he becomes.” The Bible…

Many spiritual teachers share their wisdom through story. On the Isle of Palms near Charleston, as I prepare for Hurricane Irene, I couldn’t help recalling this one. It’s one of my favorites. It begins to rain and waters start to rise. A man with great faith in God and His power to save him sits…

Places hold the power to inspire and uplift the soul. A sacred place speaks deeply to the heart and inspires expansiveness, gratitude, awe and wonder. But there’s no need to travel far for inspiration. Inspiring places can be found every day. To inspire means literally “to breath spirit into,” “to fill with spirit.” Think of…

In the U.S. we have some 150 million pet dogs and cats and birds according to the census of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Birds, horses, rabbits and other animals contribute to the pet population. Pets and animals have become a focus for affection and kindness. Animals are used in pet therapies, as helpers to…

Equanimity is a key teaching in Buddhist practices. Teacher and Tibetan Lama, Sogyal Rinpoche often spoke of the skill of maintaining equanimity in all situations. This is a term not often used in the West. We fly between extremes, seeking extreme emotions through the news and entertainment. But maintaining balance in emotions, in the mental…

Many spiritual traditions around the globe use scents to uplift the spirit. Catholic churches commonly use incense that wafts gently skyward. In temples throughout Asia, sticks of burning incense carry prayers and good thoughts up into the ethers. Scents like olibanum (frankincense), myrrh, sandalwood, lavender and lotus oils can inspire and elevate the mind to…
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