Tips for Teacher in Mindfulness

Mindful Moment Incorporate a Mindful Moment or breathing pause into each day. Choose a time – perhaps at the beginning of the day or after a break. Incorporate it into EACH day so that it becomes part of the routine of the day.	Stretch and Smile Invite the children to stand tall. Raise the right arm above the head and s-t-r-e-t-c-h... Raise the left arm above the head and s-t-r-e-t-c-h... You might invite them to hold that stretch... Then invite them to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the right corner of the mouth up towards the right ear And s-t-r-e-t-c-h the left corner of the mouth up towards the left ear Then invite them to hold the stretch…. and S-M-I-L-E!
Breathe for Art Prior to doing art invite the children to close their eyes and take five slow deep breaths... At the end of this breathing pause invite them to quietly imagine what they might draw, the colours, the shapes and the texture. As they conclude the art session take another breathing pause of five slow deep breaths.	Busy Mind, Calm Mind Use a jam jar and some bread soda to demonstrate the busyness of the mind and how it can become calm. At least 15 minutes before the demonstration, fill the jar with water. Place 3-4 dessert spoons of bread soda into the jar and allow it to settle completely. Explain how the mind can be clear and calm – like the clear water in the jar. By stirring the contents of the jar suggest that when the mind is busy it is like the water in the jar that becomes foggy. Invite the children to become aware of their breath – the in-breath and the out-breath. Lead them through about three breaths – ask them to notice the breath as it comes in through the nose... notice it as it goes out through the nose or mouth... Invite the children to focus on the contents of the jar as the bread soda settles, encouraging the mind to settle while doing so. Invite the children to take one last breath that is s-l-o-w and c-a-l-m. This can also be done using e a snow globe or glitter ball.
Sounds of Silence Take a silent moment between subjects – invite children to listen to the sounds outside the room... the sounds inside the room... the sound of the breath... the heart of the heart beating...	The Five Senses Invite the children to become aware of each of the five senses – hearing, seeing, smell, tase and touch. Take them for a walk outdoors. Invite them to focus on ONE of the sense. When back in the classroom invite them to discuss their experience. Alternatively ask them to write about or to draw it
CDs for Kids CDs for kids include The Zone, Still Space and Spás Síochanta Suaimhneach which are perfect for use in the classroom. The content of the CDs is based on the SPHE strands of Myself and Self-identity. All of the tracks are guided step by step with Ann and Derval’s relaxing Irish accents. The Zone’s playful style of visualisation, affirmation and breathing creates a positive and peaceful atmosphere in the classroom and has the added bonus of improving children’s attention. Still Space focuses on kindness, compassion and useful thinking skills thus providing children with valuable life skills. Spás Síochanta Suaimhneach, a direct translation of Still Space, is a wonderful learning resource for schools where Irish is the preferred language. It also help the integration of Irish into SPHE. It includes a phonetic Irish English dictionary to assist learning and the promotion  of the Irish language. Many schools throughout the country are using Mindfulness Matters CDs daily and have reported that it is something the children look forward to.  In line with international research Irish children are reaping the benefits of mindfulness in the classroom. Using the CDs in the classroom also gives the teacher an opportunity to relax with the children.	Smile Smiling is contagious, you catch it like the flu, When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too. I passed around the corner, and someone saw my grin - When he smiled I realized, I'd passed it on to him. I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth, A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth. So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected - Let's start an epidemic quick and get the world infected!
Videos for Kids
Don't worry be happy	Mindful Eating
Worry Box - Worry Tree Depending on the age of the child this idea can be used in different ways. It can be used at school and at home. In School: In school a plant or the branch of a tree can be used to hang worries on.  Children can be invited to write a worry on a small tag and hang it on the tree. Price tags available in stationary shops are ideal. Inform them that the tree thrives on worries, and it needs to be fed every day. The purpose of this exercise is to allow children to let go of their worries for the moment, to leave them behind as they enter the classroom or maybe as they leave the classroom too. The children are encouraged to let the worry tree do the worrying! At the end of the day the teacher can remove the worry tags from the tree and destroy them. When the children arrive to school the next morning they notice that worries are not permanent, they come and go. At Home: Children may write a worry on a little worry pad e.g. post-it pad. An old small could be covered with coloured paper and can be designed perhaps with a worried face and a smiley face or whatever creative ideas the children come up with themselves. The worry is placed into the box, maybe with a time and a date, depending on the age of the child, maybe just with ‘morning’ ‘afternoon’ ‘evening’ and the day of the week. If you’d like to make the worry box more specific you can use a larger sheet of paper, the worry can be given a title, a description, a level of intensity from 1-10. Take some time at the end of the day or whenever it suits to open the worry box with the children.  Review the worries, talk about each one, talk about how the possible feelings involved, maybe you or others could make suggestions as to how to handle the problem that’s causing the worry. You could discover that some of the worries have gone away on their own, other worries might need to be discussed. If a worry has gone away, rip up the written worry and put it in the bin. Remind the child that the worry box helped, when you let it go (place it in the worry box) and stop re-playing it in your head sometimes it’s as if it disappears. If the worry has not disappeared, keep it in the worry box for a later review and bring to the child’s attention how everything changes with time. Our thoughts, our fears, our worries are changing all the time…they are not permanent!	The Pesky Parrot practice: The following practice is a useful one for children who have low self-esteem, and indeed for all children and adults. It’s an opportunity to notice that negative voice that may be in your head, recognise it for what it is and to choose a different approach. We’ve all hear the expression bird-brain…what does that mean? Ask for suggestions from the children.  (It means lack of knowledge or insight) Sometimes it can feel like you have a parrot in a tiny cage in our heads…ask the children what parrots do? (They repeat the same thing again and again and again without any understanding of what they are saying) Explain that this particular parrot has been trained to only say unhelpful things, things that worry you or make you afraid, make you feel like you’re not good enough etc. He never says anything helpful, he just goes on and on, putting you down all the time. When you make a mistake or get something wrong, he says e.g. …there you go again… you’re useless.. you’re always wrong… you can’t do anything right, who do you think you are?  He keeps repeating his phrases. How long can you listen to the parrot going on and on and on? Maybe you don’t have to listen to him at all? You can decide to remove the parrot and just let him go, let him fly far away. You realise there is no point in holding onto this parrot. He’s not helpful or useful, he’s very noisy and fills your head with negative thoughts. He’s a bully, an internal bully, as long as he’s allowed to repeat all those negative things and fill your head with all that noise he can really affect your whole life. You hear him, sometimes you even believe what he says, he doesn’t make you feel good about yourself.  Remember though that he is a bird-brain! What you can learn to do is to notice the pesky parrot when he starts to speak…maybe say to yourself…’there’s that pesky parrot again, I don’t have to listen to his ranting, he’s just repeating himself again and again and is not very wise.’ Then open the tiny cage and let him fly away and enjoy the peace. Warning! The pesky parrot may come back again and again and again just as he repeats his phrases again and again and again….. Good news! When you notice he’s back and waffling on yet again…open the cage and set him free. You can repeat this practice again and again and again as necessary! Note: The track called ‘Bubble up’ on the brand new Mindfulness Matters CD ‘Take Five’ can be used to support this practice.
Mindful Smiling Guide the children to take a few quiet breaths. Invite them to turn the mouth up into a smile with each breath, not a big smile but a simple natural smile like when meeting someone familiar. Notice the lips – their shape and movement. Does the smile change any other part of the face – the cheeks, the eyes, the eyelids...  the ears, the tongue... breathe slowly and joyfully... Practice mindful smiling every day.	Classroom Mindfulness Mindfulness actions can be numerous and varied. Take time to integrate mindful moments with the children throughout the day. • A mindful moment to start the day • A mindful moment when taking a pencil form a pencil case or book form the school bag • A mindful moment when eating lunch • A mindful walk when coming from the school yard to the class or along a corridoor • A mindful moment when throwing a ball • A mindful moment when writing, drawing or watching a film • A mindful moment when moving, dancing or doing PE.
Random Acts of Kindness We all have the potential to be kind. Kindness is an expression of love. When we do something kind it makes the person we do it for feel good, loved and/or cared for. Interestingly, the person giving kindness usually feels good too, and in fact often feels better than the person who receives it. Acts of kindness create a sense of community and a sense of self-worth. Like smiling, kindness is also contagious, the more we experience it in our lives the more we want to pass it on so creating a wonderful domino effect of love and kindness and a lovely atmosphere in the classroom. Children can be encouraged to do random acts of kindness. Maybe you can have one day per week as kindness day for the class. Suggested acts could be opening a door for someone, sharing something, picking something up off the floor without being asked to do so, smiling, giving a compliment etc. Tip: A useful resource that includes specific tracks encouraging kindness and compassion is the Still Space CD by Mindfulness Matters. Also available ‘as Gaeilge’ it facilitates integration of Irish into SPHE. Warning! Even if you pick just one day a week to do random acts of kindness they may sneak into everyday, kindness is contagious!
Source: http://www.mindfulnessmatters.ie/pages/resources.html

Free 6 week online course on mediation

Welcome to e-Learning!

We're excited to start this journey with you! To help you get the most out of the Mind the Moment e-learning course, we've outlined each week’s topic on this page. View the lesson and then put what you’ve learned to work for you -- give the practice video a try. Be sure to check out the helpful tips for each topic. We recommend spending at least one week (more if it suits you) practicing with each module. At the end of every week you will be able to start the next lesson.

Week 1: What is Mindfulness?

In this lesson, you will learn about mindfulness and the benefits. In addition to defining mindfulness, the instructor will guide you through a body scan – one of many practices designed to bring about mindfulness.

Week 2: Stress Awareness

In this session you will explore what happens to the body under stress and how mindfulness helps manage the impact of stress on the body. You will discover the role the mind plays in whether or not you feel something as stressful. You will be introduced to the practice of sitting meditation, and learn how to use mindfulness during situations that are challenging.

Week 3: Yin Yoga

In this lesson, we will learn about Yin Yoga postures. Yin Yoga is a gentle practice that is perfect for the beginner. Postures are performed while seated on the floor, and can be modified to fit your needs. Yin Yoga is designed to improve flexibility, range of motion, health and wellbeing - in addition to supporting your other mindfulness practices.

Week 4: Walking Meditation

Walking meditation involves intentionally attending to the experience of walking itself. It is most commonly done at a slow pace, walking back and forth a short distance and involves focusing on the sensations in your feet or your legs or alternately feeling your whole body moving.

Week 5: Mindful Eating

Mindful eating involves bringing the practice of mindfulness to food; where it comes from, why we are eating, and how we are eating. In our fast-paced culture, many of us eat on the run or while doing other activities. You will learn to engage with the taste, texture, and meaning of why we eat, and to recognize the body''s signals about hunger.

Week 6: Summary

In this program you were introduced to mindfulness and the many practices that help increase your ability to manage stress, and contribute to physical changes in your brain that affect learning, memory, decision making, and more. We will now talk about starting your own practice and how you can continue to bring this skill in to your daily life, both formally and informally.

 

Source: https://www.harvardpilgrim.org/portal/page?_pageid=1434,360741&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

 

 

20 Scientific Reasons to Start Meditating Today

by Emma M. Seppälä, Ph.D.

New research shows meditation boosts your health, happiness, and success! 

I started meditating soon after 9/11. I was living in Manhattan, an already chaotic place, at an extremely chaotic time. I realized I had no control over my external environment. But the one place I did have a say over was my mind, through meditation. When I started meditating, I did not realize it would also make me healthier, happier, and more successful. Having witnessed the benefits, I devoted my PhD research at Stanford to studying the impact of meditation. I saw people from diverse backgrounds from college students to combat veterans benefit. In the last 10 years, hundreds of studies have been released. Here are 20 scientifically-validated reasons you might want to get on the bandwagon today:

It Boosts Your HEALTH

1 - Increases immune function (See here and here)

2 - Decreases Pain (see here)

3 - Decreases Inflammation at the Cellular Level (See here and here and here)

It Boosts Your HAPPINESS

4 - Increases Positive Emotion (here and here)

5 - Decreases Depression (see here)

6 - Decreases Anxiety (see here and here and here)

7 - Decreases Stress (see here and  here)

It Boosts Your SOCIAL LIFE

Think meditation is a solitary activity? It may be (unless you meditate in a group which many do!) but it actually increases your sense of connection to others:

8 - Increases social connection & emotional intelligence (see here and - by yours truly - here)

9 - Makes you more compassionate (see here and here and here)

10 - Makes you feel less lonely (see here)

It Boosts Your Self-Control

11 - Improves your ability to regulate your emotions (see here) (Ever flown off the handle or not been able to quiet your mind? Here's the key)

12 - Improves your ability to introspect (see here & for why this is crucial see this post)

It Changes Your BRAIN (for the better)

13 - Increases grey matter (see here)

14 - Increases volume in areas related to emotion regulation, positive emotions & self-control (see here and here)

15 - Increases cortical thickness in areas related to paying attention (see here)

 It Improves Your Productivity (yup, by doing nothing)

16 - Increases your focus & attention (see here and here and here and here)

17 - Improves your ability to multitask (see here)

18 - Improves your memory (see here)

19 - Improves your ability to be creative & think outside the box (see research by J. Schooler)

20. It Makes You WISE(R)

It gives you perspective: By observing your mind, you realize you don't have to be slave to it. You realize it throws tantrums, gets grumpy, jealous, happy and sad but that it doesn't have to run you. Meditation is quite simply mental hygiene: clear out the junk, tune your talents, and get in touch with yourself. Think about it, you shower every day and clean your body, but have you ever showered your mind? As a consequence, you'll feel more clear and see thing with greater perspective. "The quality of our life depends on the quality of our mind," writes Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. We can't control what happens on the outside but we do have a say over the quality of our mind. No matter what's going on, if your mind is ok, everything is ok. Right now.

It Keeps You Real

Once you get to know your mind, you start to own your stuff and become more authentic, maybe even humble. You realize the stories and soap operas your mind puts you through and you gain some perspective on them. You realize most of us are caught up in a mind-drama and become more compassionate towards others.

And...the more you meditate, the more you seem to benefit, research studies such as this one suggest.

Myths about Meditation

Having an empty mind—nope, in fact, when you start meditating, you'll find its quite the opposite

Sitting in lotus position—nope, you can sit on the couch (just don't lie down, you'll fall asleep)

Sitting for an hour a day—nope, small doses work just fine, (see here and - by yours truly - here)

Chanting in a language I don't understand—nope, not unless that floats your boat

Buddhist, Hindu or religious—nope, not unless you make it so

Weird—what's so weird about sitting and breathing? Besides, US congressmen, NFL football leagues and the US Marine Corps are doing it, how weird can it be?

Wearing robes—what? 

"I can't meditate" because

I can't clear my mind—no worries, while you're sitting there you'll experience the noisy chaos of a wound up mind that's unwinding: tons of thoughts, feelings and emotions. Don't worry about how you feel during, notice how you feel after and throughout the rest of the day

I can't sit still—that's ok, just sit comfortably, fidget if you need to

I get anxious—that's also normal, all the junk's coming up, learn some breathing practices to calm yourself down, exercise or do yoga before meditating

I hate sitting still—that's fine, then go for a walk without your earphones, phone etc; or start with yoga; or do breathing exercises…give yourself time to just "be" without constantly "doing" something

I tried and I hated it—there's not just one kind of meditation, there's a whole menu out there, look for the shoe that fits: mindfulness, Transcendental, compassion, mantra, Vipassana, Art of Living breathing practices, yoga nidra, yoga, insight, loving-kindness, tai chi etc...

I don't have time - if you have time to read an article about meditation all the way through, you have time to meditate. Think of all those minutes you waste every day on the internet or otherwise, you can definitely fit in 20 minutes here or there to give your life a boost! Gandhi is quoted as saying "I'm so busy today, that... I'm going to meditate 2 hours instead of 1."

Interested in a quick summary to post on your wall? Check out my infographic on the Benefits of Meditation.

------

To stay updated on the science of happiness, health and social connection, see www.emmaseppala.com. Watch Emma's TEDx talk for a great summary of her work.

Follow Emma on Twitter Subscribe to Emma on Facebook Circle Emma on Google+

© 2013 Emma Seppala, Ph.D.

Source:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/feeling-it/201309/20-scientific-reasons-start-meditating-today

The Dalai Lama: Why I Laugh

I have been confronted with many difficulties throughout the course of my life, and my country is going through a critical period. But I laugh often, and my laughter is contagious. When people ask me how I find the strength to laugh now, I reply that I am a professional laugher. [...]

The life of exile is an unfortunate life, but I have always tried to cultivate a happy state of mind, appreciating the opportunities this existence without a settled home, far from all protocol, has offered me. This way I have been able to preserve my inner peace.

If we are content just to think that compassion, rationality, and patience are good, that is not actually enough to develop these qualities. Difficulties provide the occasion to put them into practice. Who can make such occasions arise? Certainly not our friends, but rather our enemies, for they are the ones who pose the most problems. So that we truly want to progress on the path, we must regard our enemies as our best teachers.

For whoever holds love and compassion in high esteem, the practice of tolerance is essential, and it requires an enemy. We must be grateful to our enemies, then, because they help us best engender a serene mind! Anger and hatred are the real enemies that we must confront and defeat, not the “enemies” who appear from time to time in our lives.

Of course it is natural and right that we all want to have friends. I often say jokingly that a truly selfish person must be altruistic! You have to take care of others, of their well-being, by helping them and serving them, to have even more friends and make more smiles blossom. The result? When you yourself need help, you will find all you need! On the other hand, if you neglect others’ happiness, you will be the loser in the long run. Is friendship born of arguments, anger, jealousy, and unbridled competition? I don’t think so. Only affection produces authentic friends. […]

As for me, I always want more friends. I love smiles, and my wish is to see more smiles, real smiles, for there are many kinds—sarcastic, artificial, or diplomatic. Some smiles don’t arouse any satisfaction, and some even engender suspicion or fear. An authentic smile, though, arouses an authentic feeling of freshness, and I think the smile belongs only to human beings. If we want those smiles, we must create the reasons that make them appear.

-- The Dalai Lama, in an excerpt from his book "My Spiritual Journey"

Listen online at: http://www.awakin.org/read/audio.php?op=play&tid=995

Albert Einstein - How I See the World

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” -Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein navigated the twilight turf between consciousness and matter for much of his life. He argued that “Man” suffers from an “optical delusion of consciousness” as he “experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest.” His cure? “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious,” he said. “It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: His eyes are closed.” 

 

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” -Albert Einstein

“The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self.” -Albert Einstein 

10 Lessons from Albert Einstein

1. Follow Your Curiosity “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

2. Perseverance is Priceless “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

3. Focus on the Present “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

4. The Imagination is Powerful “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

5. Make Mistakes “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

6. Live in the Moment “I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.”

7. Create Value “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

8. Don’t be repetitive “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

9. Knowledge Comes From Experience “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.”

10. Learn the Rules and Then Play Better “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”

“Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” -Albert Einstein

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” -Albert Einstein Read More: http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2013/01/albert-einstein-how-i-see-world.html

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” -Albert Einstein Read More: http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2013/01/albert-einstein-how-i-see-world.html

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” -Albert Einstein Read More: http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2013/01/albert-einstein-how-i-see-world.html

Source: http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2013/01/albert-einstein-how-i-see-world.html

Albert Einstein - How I See the World Read More: http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2013/01/albert-einstein-how-i-see-world.html

Albert Einstein - How I See the World Read More: http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2013/01/albert-einstein-how-i-see-world.html

How to Meditate in a Moment

How to Live Your Life as if Everything is a Miracle

Do you believe that life is miraculous?

Are you waiting for a miracle to happen in your life?

Just imagine what it would be like to live your life as if everything is a miracle.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.” ~ Albert Einstein

Sometimes people look for some kind of miracle when their life is in a fix. Other times, people may pray for a miracle when a loved one is seriously ill or when they face a life threatening challenge.
I remember praying for a miracle when I felt I hadn’t done well in a school exam. Somehow I did pass and that was my first personal experience of my own miracle, albeit a tiny one.

In the recent Haiti earthquake, there were many “miracles” of afflicted people surviving for many days under the rubble without food or water.

“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What’s a miracle and how does one recognise one?

Wikipedia gives us a number of interpretations of what we mean by a miracle:-

• An unexpected event attributed to divine intervention.
• A fortuitous event.
• Any statistically unlikely but beneficial event, such as the survival of a natural disaster.
• An event which is regarded as “wonderful” regardless of its likelihood, such as birth.
• Survival of a terminal illness.
• Escaping a life threatening situation.
• Beating the odds.
• Some “coincidences”.

In all of the above, the common thing is some unlikely or unexpected occurrence, or something that just seems so incredible such as the birth of a child.

I have never witnessed the miracle of a child being born but a few years ago, I was lucky enough to be just outside the hospital maternity where a friend was giving birth.

I heard some faint crying and then 20 minutes later, the beaming father invited me in to see their newly arrived baby son. And there he lay cradled next to his mother, with his eyes wide open and looking as if he had always been there.

It was one of the most beautiful and miraculous moments of my life – I can’t even imagine what it would have been like for the proud father.


Just how did that little baby boy happen?

“I am realistic – I expect miracles” – Wayne Dyer

In reality, everything around us is a miracle if only we can learn to see and recognise these miracles.

By living your life as if everything is a miracle, every moment becomes something to savour and live in awe of. You naturally get to feel great appreciation and gratitude for your life, knowing that you are blessed with such miracles all around.

To help you become more present to all the miracles in your life – I have split them up into 5 specific categories.

As you read the remainder of this post, I invite you to treat this as your own personal journey into the world of miracles.

After every section, please pause for a few seconds, breathe deeply a couple of times and simply become present to that miracle.

Let’s begin our journey:-

1. The Miracle of Life.

The greatest miracle is that you are alive and able to engage in this conversation with me. Just think about it – how is it that a mass of flesh and blood is able to partake and experience what we call life? What allows us to experience the world through our senses?

If you have never thought about your very life as a miracle, please take a pause right now.
What is it that makes your blood go through your body – and what’s that universal intelligence that makes you tick?

Isn’t it a miracle that somehow life evolved on this planet we call earth, which just happens to be the right distance from our star and where during the course of billions of years, just the right conditions came about for some hydrogen and carbon molecules to gel together and finally evolve into you and me?

I am giving myself permission to repeat what I just said here, since I am so in awe – just how is it that a soup of organic materials somehow evolved into the wonder of you and me?

It all seems to happen like magic – and yet we hardly ever pause to reflect on the biggest miracle of all.

Life – our greatest miracle and gift – and even more reason for you to appreciate it every day.

“Each of my days are miracles. I won’t waste my day; I won’t throw away a miracle” – Kelley Vicstrom

2. The Miracle of Love

After the miracle of life, the greatest miracle is that of love.
But what is love?

Love is much greater than what we feel romantically. It is what makes us sing, dance and makes us human.

“Love doesn’t make the world go around, it just makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones

Love is the most amazing thing in our lives. It is what makes us human, what makes life worth living – in the grander scheme of things, nothing else truly matters. The size of our homes, bank balances, the beauty of our partner, the speed of our car – all those things pale into insignificance when we face the miracle of love.

“Where there is great love there are always miracles” – Willa Cather

Love leads to other miracles such as kindness. 

Have you noticed how great you feel afterwards when you have done someone a kind deed?
Through the miracle of our love, we can indeed transform the world – even a hug, a loving touch or just a smile can cause the miracle of healing others.

There are so many simple things we can all do on a daily basis to bring more love into our lives. Together we can all make this an even more beautiful and miraculous world than it already is.
So from today onwards, appreciate and acknowledge all the love around you and in you. Look for ways of spreading your love through compassion and making a practical difference to those around you.

3. The Miracle of your Body

To experience this thing we call life, we need our bodies to function as well as possible. Our bodies somehow sustain themselves, grow, repair and fight to stay alive till the very end.

There are trillions of chemical reactions and exchanges going on within us every second and everything seems to run like clockwork. Even when disease or decay sets in, our bodies continue to strive and sustain themselves almost like magic.

The durability of our body is a miracle in itself – I remember when my first nephew was born a few weeks prematurely and he spent the first month of his life in an incubator.

It was heart-breaking to see this little guy, a tiny bag of skin and bones fighting for dear life and getting stronger day by day, ounce by ounce. Experiencing something like that sure opens you up to the miracle of life – and also makes you realise that perhaps there really is something much bigger than us out there and indeed within us.

From today onwards, why not commit to take great care of your body?
You only have to take some simple and practical self-care steps and your body will begin to miraculously heal itself and sustain you for the rest of your life.

4. The Miracle of Nature

Where does one even begin to extol the sheer beauty of our natural world?

Let’s start with one of the main symbols of beauty in our society – the majestic flower. Have you ever looked at a beautiful flower closely and failed to be moved by its magnificence and symmetry?

“The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world” – Author Unknown

A flower is but just one example of all the wonderful nature that makes up our earth and indeed beyond the earth. Look at the sky this evening and marvel at all the twinkling stars all around us.
Just how do those points of light just stay there? And who put them up there?

Everything in nature is so beautifully symmetrical and perfect – it is almost like a universal master craftsman or craftswoman was at work.

From today onwards, please spend some time in nature daily and simply appreciate the miracle of what’s around you – from the humble ant to the majestic oak. And then for the rest of your life, be in continuous awe of the nature around you.

5. The Miracle of your Creativity

Only a few years ago, before the advent of the internet, it would have been impossible to even envisage you and I having this conversation via the medium of the blogosphere.

And yet today, we can send out a single message to thousands of people around the world in seconds.

As a species, we are incredibly creative and intelligent, and sometimes there seems no end to what we are capable of.

You are capable of so much – and probably a lot more than what you are currently doing. You can literally create your own miracles – if you choose to do so.

From my perspective, the challenge really is to channel this creativity into something that benefits the greater good.

So from today onwards, put your own creative gifts to work – and create your own miracles to make the world a better place.

“I have found in life that if you want a miracle you first need to do whatever it is you can do – if that’s to plant, then plant; if it is to read, then read; if it is to change, then change; if it is to study, then study; if it is to work, then work; whatever you have to do. And then you will be well on your way of doing the labour that works miracles.” - Jim Rohn

It’s in your hands to see life as a miraculous experience.

Make the Rest of your Life a Miracle

Your journey of seeing the world as a miracle has only just begun. From today onwards, your eyes and the other senses have been opened up.

See everything around you as the miracle that it really is – and your life will never be the same again.

So if everything is a miracle, how will you live from now onwards?

Source: http://www.arvinddevalia.com/blog/2010/03/24/how-to-live-your-life-as-if-everything-is-a-miracle/

 

A dance with Macbeth

by Tomas Johansson

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player 

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage   

And then is heard no more: it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

Signifying nothing.

Macbeth is sad in the end of Shakespeare's tragedy.

In the beginning he has been fooled by the witches. They promised him that he should become the king of Scotland, and he then figured out how to let it be a reality.

 But all in vain - in the end Lady Macbeth has killed herself.

Shakespeare himself lived another life. When he got older he moved back to Stratford upon Avon, the little town where  he was born. Away from the busy London, away from fame and the pleasures of a big city. Maybe he was fed up with this.

His circle was completed and soon after he died. I hope his last years were good ones.

He had seen many famous people fall, even kings.

Even today people struggle and fall, but if you don't look for success you don't have to fall  from a high altitude.

There is a guided meditation where we are told to dwell on our nature; we are going to die, we are going to get sick.

And just therefore; be kind to the people around you. That only will get you a good sleep at night.

If you only look for pleasure, power and fame, you will probably end up like a small version of Macbeth.

Try to be pleased with what you have, try to appreciate the little things.

And try to make some silly dance steps - I think Macbeth forgot about that:

Source: http://waterandwave.blogspot.fi/2014/01/a-dance-with-macbeth.html

Medicine Buddha Healing Mantra Chanting

Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Soha.

"English translation: 'May the many sentient beings who are sick, quickly be freed from sickness. And may all the sicknesses of beings never arise again.'

Buddha taught that suffering is caused by attachment to things, people, etc. We think things will bring us happiness. but our attachment actually brings us much suffering because we become obsessed with protecting them, ever hungry for more, and depressed when we lose them. A better way to live is to enjoying the abundance around us but not become attached -- "counting nothing as one's own".

Peace, It means not to desire anything because you are , all ready, all that is and all that will ever be!! (there is no need for a selfish thought (or a desire) when you know you are part of all that is and all that will ever BE Already! ) Being at one with the Universe is living in Abundance! Blessings"

What is a Miracle?

by Paulo Coelho

We can define it in various ways:

something that goes against the laws of nature;

an intercession in moments of deep crisis;

healings and visions;

impossible encounters;

a last-minute intervention when the Unwanted Visitor arrives.


All these definitions are true, but a miracle goes beyond even that.

It’s something that suddenly fills our hearts with Love.

When that happens, we feel a profound reverence for the grace God has bestowed on us.

So please Lord, give us today our daily miracle.

Help us to see in each grain of sand in the desert proof of the miracle of difference, and may that encourage us to accept ourselves as we are.

Because just as no two grains of sand are alike, so no two human beings will think and act in the same way.

Help us to be humble when we receive and joyful when we give.

Help us to understand that wisdom lies not in the answers we are given, but in the mystery of the questions that enrich our lives.

Help us never to be imprisoned by the things we think we know, because we know so little about Fate.

And may this lead us to behave impeccably, making use of the four cardinal virtues: boldness, elegance, love and friendship.
 
taken from MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN ACCRA


Source: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2013/01/03/what-is-a-miracle/