Insights for January 2014
Mt. Hood. Image by Margaret Gervais
“I consider non-violence to be compassion in action. It doesn’t mean weakness, cowering in fear, or simply doing nothing. It is to act without violence, motivated by compassion, recognizing the rights of others.” The Dalai Lama
“Gratitude is the confidence in life itself... As gratitude grows it gives rise to joy. We experience the courage to rejoice in our own good fortune and in the good fortune of others... We can be joyful for people we love, for moments of goodness, for sunlight and trees, and for the very breath within our lungs. Like an innocent child, we can rejoice in life itself, in being alive.” Jack Kornfield, "The Wise Heart"
“If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.” Ajahn Chah
"Winter is a time of calm, naked reflection, just like the trees without their leaves." Margaret Gervais
"Pure awareness is always centered." David Pond
“Jupiter’s intention seeks to fulfill goals, make larger claims in life and blow away limitations, resulting in boundless horizons.” Phillip Sedgwick
Send your birth date, time and place to theinsightcenter@gmail.com and I will give you insights to where Jupiter is in your birth chart, and is manifesting this energy. Margaret Gervais“
Pluto wants to egg folks into soul-fulfilling enlightenment, typically conjuring life-transforming circumstances. … may …render reactions from other people of, “WTFWYT?” … when you make such a life-shifting decision.” Phillip Sedgwick
Send your birth date, time and place to theinsightcenter@gmail.com and I will give you insights to where Pluto is in your birth chart, and how it is manifesting this energy. Margaret Gervais
“Being creative, fulfilled and stepping out in life is good for the soul” Phillip Sedgwick“Purity of view is a gateway to greater insight and even deeper levels of happiness. The momentum of mindfulness becomes so strong that the perception of phenomena arising and passing away becomes crystal clear. Concentration and awareness are effortless. The mind becomes luminous. We experience precise, clear insight into the nature of things. It is our first taste of coming home. We have rapture and gratitude.” Joseph Goldstein, Tricycle F’05
“As a being of power, intelligence and love, you hold the key to every situation, and contain within yourself that transforming and regenerative agency by which you may make yourself what you will. “ James Allen
"On an everyday level, we can bring this awakened consciousness into all that we do throughout the day. Simply staying aware and mindful of your energy while you are involved in the activities of your life, even in a difficult moment with another person, will pull you back to your center quickly. It is that simple and accessible. Your awareness is always centered and non-reactive. Your ego isn't, but when you stay consciously aware of your energy while experiencing the ego's reactions, you don't remain stuck in polarities and awareness pulls you back to your center." David Pond's Winter Solstice 2013 Newsletter
Meditation for teens, and the results have been astounding."http://www.nj.com/parenting/index.ssf/2014/01/meditation_for_teens.htmlI have created a Cardinal Cross of 2014 Synthesis Worksheet that is a very insightful and helpful tool for looking at your chart and the Cardinal Cross of 2014. What Insights/Affirmations/Intentions will you find and use to navigate and empower yourself this year?
Email me if you would like a copy or to schedule an appointment to work through your chart and the synthesis worksheet. theinsightcenter@gmail.com
This looks really good, A Beginner's Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers: http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Meditation-Inspiration-Contemporary/dp/1611800579/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1390585989&sr=8-24&keywords=the+beginners+guide+to+meditation
"Mindfulness is close to reaching a tipping point. Only two years ago, mindfulness and mindful leadership were discussed at the WEF for the first time. Since then, almost all of the mindfulness-related events there have been oversubscribed. Mindfulness practices like meditation are now used in technology companies such as Google and Twitter (amongst others), in traditional companies in the car and energy sectors, in state-owned enterprises in China, and in UN organizations, governments, and the World Bank." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/otto-scharmer/davos-mindfulness-hotspot_b_4671062.html
Workshop on Buddhism through the 12-step program. I have been wondering how this works. Looks like a great workshop at Spirit Rock Meditation Centerhttps://www.spiritrock.org/calendarDetails?EventID=3716Check this out: Mindfulness at Work - a podcast by Sharon Salzberg, from Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. I know it's going to make me want to buy her book.https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tricycle-talks/id695108281?mt=2Re: Samatha Meditation and the watcher, very wise words from Ram Dass, Love Serve Remember today:
"The technique of the witness is to merely sit with the fear and be aware of it before it becomes so consuming that there’s no space left. The image I usually use is that of a picture frame and a painting of a gray cloud against a blue sky. But the picture frame is a little too small. So you bend the canvas around to frame it. But in doing so you lost all the blue sky. So you end up with just a framed gray cloud. It fills the entire frame. So when you say 'I'm afraid' or 'I'm depressed', if you enlarged the frame so that just a little blue space shows, you would say ‘ah, a cloud.’ That is what the witness is. The witness is that tiny little blue over in the corner that leads you to say, ‘ah, fear.’" Ram Dass“Mindfulness training, Jha hypothesizes, may work as a protective factor against the typical stresses of student life—or any stress, for that matter, since it improves emotional equilibrium and enables people to better handle distractions. “It’s similar to how physical exercise can change the body,” Jha said. “We know that physical activity helps our bodies, but we’re just coming to the understanding that mental exercise is also critical to promoting mental well-being. It’s a cultural shift.” Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist who directs the University of Miami’s Contemplative Neuroscience, Mindfulness Research, and Practice Initiative. New Yorker online blog January 29, 2014.