I finished the "Take Charge of Your Mind" book. I am now doing what is called the spiral meditation that takes all of the steps in the book and combines it in to a very short and doable 8 - 10 minute meditation. I have found this practice to be a great foundation to other spiritual practices.
So far I have done the spiral meditation in the morning and evening. I have found the audio instructions on the web sight very helpful but you really have to search to find it. I have included the link to save you some time. http://www.johnselby.com/course_introduction
This is a very real and genuine approach to becoming connected as well as a good starting point for anyone who wants to find out more about body mind approaches. Just like anything one size does not fit all and in some cases this may not be the approach that speaks to you in this moment. Just don't throw it away until you have given it a full month.
I am almost finish with my other post that goes into some of my other explorations over the last 20 years. stay tuned.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Day 14 of the Take Charge of your mind method
I am close to finishing the Take charge of your Mind book and exercises and I must say again that this is a great way for anyone to be introduced to meditation. The explanations are very simple and the exercises are very doable and short(usually 5 minutes or less)
What I have found to be the best approach for me is to start the day with the daily practice for that day and then repeat it just after lunch and then finally end the day right before bed. It gives me a chance to internalize the method and at the same time deepen the practice.
I seem to be more centered and focused with a lot less feeling of overwhelm.
Next post I will continue to talk about the other methods I have used over the past 20 years.
What I have found to be the best approach for me is to start the day with the daily practice for that day and then repeat it just after lunch and then finally end the day right before bed. It gives me a chance to internalize the method and at the same time deepen the practice.
I seem to be more centered and focused with a lot less feeling of overwhelm.
Next post I will continue to talk about the other methods I have used over the past 20 years.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Where it all began
I started my meditation journey when I was 21 in Albuquerque, NM. I was over stressed in a high pressure sales job, lost my ass in real estate investing and inches from a nervous break down. I was walking down central ave and saw an introduction to Kundalini yoga. I had never heard of this and had no idea what it was but it talked about reducing stress and I was desperate to try anything.
I walked in, asked a few questions, and signed up. My first class was the next day and I can't tell you how incredible the experience was. It felt like I took a few Valium. I had not been that relaxed in years.
Kundalini works with the flow of energy in your body through a series of physical and breathing exercises. The theory is that your body develops blocks that restrict the flow of energy or weakens the energy. By doing the exercises and even some chants you begin to remove the blocks and strengthen the weak areas.
Warning: Kundalini is not for the faint of heart and is also a little esoteric. I practiced this form of movement and meditation for a year and found that my views and perceptions of the world were turned upside down. My sales tanked and I lost my drive to focus just on money. By the time I quit this practice I had to make a decision to either stay on this path and let what happens happen or turn away and reintroduce myself back into the real world. I chose the latter because I was scared of what would of happened if I continued on this path. I returned to Kundalini yoga 15 years later with a form that had a less radical shift in my life.
More about that in my next post.
Here is a link that does a good job of describing what Kundalini is and what it is not:
http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~keutzer/kundalini/kundalini-faq.html
I walked in, asked a few questions, and signed up. My first class was the next day and I can't tell you how incredible the experience was. It felt like I took a few Valium. I had not been that relaxed in years.
Kundalini works with the flow of energy in your body through a series of physical and breathing exercises. The theory is that your body develops blocks that restrict the flow of energy or weakens the energy. By doing the exercises and even some chants you begin to remove the blocks and strengthen the weak areas.
Warning: Kundalini is not for the faint of heart and is also a little esoteric. I practiced this form of movement and meditation for a year and found that my views and perceptions of the world were turned upside down. My sales tanked and I lost my drive to focus just on money. By the time I quit this practice I had to make a decision to either stay on this path and let what happens happen or turn away and reintroduce myself back into the real world. I chose the latter because I was scared of what would of happened if I continued on this path. I returned to Kundalini yoga 15 years later with a form that had a less radical shift in my life.
More about that in my next post.
Here is a link that does a good job of describing what Kundalini is and what it is not:
http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~keutzer/kundalini/kundalini-faq.html
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Mark Joyner
I'm evaluating a http://www.simpleology.com/training/blogging/index.php">multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you http://www.simpleology.com/training/blogging/index.php">snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.
It covers:
- The best blogging techniques.
- How to get traffic to your blog.
- How to turn your blog into money.
I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.
Day 8 of the John Selby meditation
I've got to tell you that I am really enjoying this so far. The exercises are only 4 minutes long and make it easy to do three to four times a day.
The bottom line is that you can not make an excuse that you did not have enough time with this approach. I have noticed over the last day or two a calm focused demeanor and also a feeling of peace. When things do get out of control or hectic during the day I have made it a point to take the 4 minutes to do the exercise and it really has helped me combat overwhelm and keep me on track.
I want to review some of the other methods that I have done over the next few weeks with the hopes that some of you will gravitate to different approaches.
That's all for now
The bottom line is that you can not make an excuse that you did not have enough time with this approach. I have noticed over the last day or two a calm focused demeanor and also a feeling of peace. When things do get out of control or hectic during the day I have made it a point to take the 4 minutes to do the exercise and it really has helped me combat overwhelm and keep me on track.
I want to review some of the other methods that I have done over the next few weeks with the hopes that some of you will gravitate to different approaches.
That's all for now
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
My daily routine
I came across a very practical and short daily routine that seems to accomplish a lot in a very short period of 4 -5 minutes.
It comes from a person named John Selby. His approach is simple to follow and easy to do every day, yet the results are very profound. I came across some of his information in one of his books called "Take Charge of your Mind"
I like how he takes you step by step through a very simple practice that builds on its self every day and yet takes no more than 5 minutes to feel the results. Check it out.
In the next few weeks I will talk about all of the different routines I have done over the years and what my experience has been.
It comes from a person named John Selby. His approach is simple to follow and easy to do every day, yet the results are very profound. I came across some of his information in one of his books called "Take Charge of your Mind"
I like how he takes you step by step through a very simple practice that builds on its self every day and yet takes no more than 5 minutes to feel the results. Check it out.
In the next few weeks I will talk about all of the different routines I have done over the years and what my experience has been.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Who am I?
I am starting this blog to explore the many avenues, directions and paths one can take when pursuing peace of mind and overall happiness.
I have been exploring meditation in its various forms for over 20 years. I have found that the average person does not have the time or desire to spend 30 minutes to an hour everyday sitting and watching their breath or for that matter the discipline. I do however believe that developing some form of meditation practice is as essential for happiness and feeling whole as exercise and healthy eating to staying fit.
With that in mind I am going to write about the different techniques and programs out there they may help the average person develop a consistent practice in meditation. I believe that there is no one size fits all. I also believe that it may be helpful to try different techniques or programs at different times of the year or even different stages of your life.
I have been exploring meditation in its various forms for over 20 years. I have found that the average person does not have the time or desire to spend 30 minutes to an hour everyday sitting and watching their breath or for that matter the discipline. I do however believe that developing some form of meditation practice is as essential for happiness and feeling whole as exercise and healthy eating to staying fit.
With that in mind I am going to write about the different techniques and programs out there they may help the average person develop a consistent practice in meditation. I believe that there is no one size fits all. I also believe that it may be helpful to try different techniques or programs at different times of the year or even different stages of your life.
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