The quality of our minds determines the quality of our lives

And this has been my recurring message for the day.
Once and again, learn to master your mind, the root of all problems. The mind has the power to create hell in the middle of paradise, or paradise in the middle of hell… Our mind is creating our world constantly.

The slight “problem” is that very few of us really know how to be masters of our own minds… One negative thought, mostly a self criticism one, leads to an avalanche of negative thoughts that end up drainig us from our own power, taking away our happiness, our self confidence and our peace. As I heard this morning,  “The untrained mind is the source of all pain, frustration, resentment and anxiety”.

How then, do we start training the untrained mind? MINDFULNESS, and this word means, checking all the time what’s going on up there. Learning to observe our mind, as scary as that can be in the beginig, learn, with patience and determination to be present, listening to our thoughts, and, with time start replacing those poisonous thoughts to loving, uplifting thoughts.

And this is precisely why meditation is very important, it is the most powerful tool to become the true masters of our minds. To regain our true power and to finally be able to decide how we want to feel. To stop being victims of our reactions, and having a much better chance of long lasting peace and happiness…

The butterfly needs the stuggle to fly

There was a man walking by, and he suddenly saw a cocoon, he could see, that the poor butterfly was struggling very badly to try to get out, it was fighting, it really looked as it it was having a very bad time. So that man decided, as an act of good will, to release the poor butterfly from that asphyxiating cocoon…

And there it was, the soon to be butterfly, with a swollen body, trying to open her wings. Unfortunately, after much effort, her body was still swollen and her wings could not open for her to be able to fly…

She had left the cocoon too soon. The butterfly needed the struggle to gain enough strength, so that when the time was right, with all that strength and intent, she would be able to open her wings and fly.

That act of “good will” had actually stranded that butterfly forever…
How many times does this happen to us? We want to help people, we want to “force” them out of their misery/struggle/cocoon, when they are still not ready to leave it? when the lessons to be gained from that struggle have not yet transformed into the strength that the person needs to be able to fly into new horizons?

And how many times, whithin our own process, we try to skip the “struggling out of the cocoon” phase? hating that feeling, hating that struggle, trying to avoid it?

If we really see our struggles in life like that cocoon that will give us the strength to fly high, having faith than when the time is right, not in your own time or anybody Else’s time, you will be strong enough to brake it and transform into an even more radiant human being…

Perfect timing, trust, love the process… FLY!

I love this story, thank you to the Brhama Kumaris Raja Yoga teachings for sharing your knowledge to us…

Love without attachment...

I know, this sounds practically imposible, right? I think the mere idea is inconcibable for most of us… but if you really come to think about it… most of our relationships are really based on attachment, on a never ending list of expectations, conscious or unconscious.

We meet someone, and we start by exagerating the attractiveness, we idealize the person, as if it were a God/godess that had the power to provide us our every need, we “love” everything about them, but we really fall in love with the idea of a person right away… all of these dreams and projections we have from the first time we see them “Oh yes! This is exaclty what I was looking for…” We think this person will give us everything we want… (notice the I WANT factor, we are never very worried in this first encounters about us being able to provide all the “needs” the other person has). At the same time, the other person will make his idealization, his dreams, to see if he/she can proyect all his/her needs into this new person… if he/she thinks this new person can, the realtionship will move forward…
But, by now, I think you are able to see what is happening, we have two people that have fallen in love with the “idea” of eachother… And this can only lead to DECEPTION… after a few months, when they start realising, this person is not living up to your expectations, problems start coming up, we discover who the person really is, and there is really nothing we can do about it, we discover that person is also expecting you to fullfill this emptiness, this dream, this neverending fantasy, the fantasy that somebody will one day come and make you happy, your other half, and then everything will be perfect. Fantasy, expectation, selfishness that will lead to deception, over and over again…
I dont know how this works. We were all raised to believe we would find “The One”, and until then, we should reserve our love… And for some reason, we end up finding so many partners in our life, and after we have given “everything” to them, we end up crying, feeling like a victim, asking the same question over and over again….

We love unconditionally when we dont intend to posses...

Why did he/she doesn’t appreciate everything I gave? I gave everything I had for him/her and he threw it over board… And now I feel I gave everything and I don’t have any more to give… we end up so hurt, and resentful… men hate women, women hate men… but we can’t live whithout eachother right?
Was it love? Was it attachment? What is love? What is attachment?
I was in a buddhist talk the other day and they described it very nicely, when its love, you feel at ease, peaceful, patient, happy, light… there is no such thing as fear when love is in the air… attachmemnt? you can quickly notice it when you start feeling anxious, jealous, you try to start controling…
And as they say, the root of all of our problems, specially our relationships, is that we think that our happiness is more important than everybody elses’ happiness… but try this, at least once, start thinking that everybody’s happiness is JUST as important as yours, start thinking that your partner’s happiness is just as important as yours, and you will see how this neverending demands from you smoothly easen up…
Their happiness and their freedom is just as important as yours. Go back to this thought over and over again…
We unconsciously want people to behave the way we want them to behave, WHY? because we are thinking of OUR happiness, of OUR freedom, of OUR  wellbeing, and when people don’t behave how we would have expected them to behave towards us or a certain situation, we become angry, deceptions arise, we start planting little seeds of resentment that later on will grow into bitterness, anger or depression…
This is only one way of putting it, but for sure it can lead to a more peaceful and integrated experience of love in our lives…
Try the experiment this week, hold strong to the thought in your mind and in your heart:
“EVERYBODY’S HAPPINESS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS MINE”
“HIS/HER HAPPINESS AND FREEDOM ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS MINE”
This is the fisrt step of learning to love without attachment, when we master it, no more room for a broken heart, when we raelly understand it is not always about us, our heart will be able to beat faster, no fear of loving or letting go….

Crazy is to deny it...

Yesterday somebody said spirituallity was a crazy thing... do I think it's crazy? I think crazy is to deny it...

Just sit down, start observing, observing your breath, how the air slowly enters through your nose, how it is making you so alive, focus your attention on your heart beat, follow the flow of your blood through every vein in your body, pay close attention to every process your body is making this right instant to keep you alive, every chemical reaction, very movement, every cell in an independent and interdependent organism bringing life to this body.

Now ask yourself this simple question... who is making your heart beat? who is processing the oxigen contained in the air you breath, who is controlling your vawel movements? who is making the blood run through your veins? Is it you? Is it really you? As far as I am concerned, if it where up to me, I would be dead years ago... I would definately forget to breath, or send the right message to my neurons to produce the exact chemical i need to feel happiness, or simply make digestion.

Listen to your every thought and ask yourself, Who is listening? Is it you? If it were you, would you be able to listen to yourself? And when there is no thought, and you realise you dont cease to exist? Do you realize you are not your thoughts and that presence that listens to your thoughts is still there, when there is no thought?

When have we decided to forget that we are a miracle? When have we decided to forget about this infinate force that makes us alive, every second, that undecipherable life force that makes the flowers bloom in sping time, that force that makes thousands of birds fly together in perfect synchronicity from one continent to the other... the same force that makes you breath, that makes you move, that makes you laugh, that makes you cry... call it Spirit, call it God, call it Prana, Shakti, Consciusness, call it the Great Mistery, The Unknown, or don't call it anything at all... but don't ever forget that without it, there is nothing, there is no  life. Just take your time to discover how this unifying force shapes your life at every moment, and once you have discovered it for yourself, you will for sure have an inimaginable source of peace, love, strength and power. That is spirituallity for me, opening my eyes to new realities, to the Force of Life!

Lo simple y ordinario

La belleza puede ser encontrada en las cosas ordinarias y simples de la vida. Con mucha facilidad tomamos este hermoso mundo en el que vivimos por privilegio cuando cambiamos nuestra perspectiva de ver la vida.
 
Algunas veces sucede que te vuelves uno, en algunos raros momentos. Observas el océano, lo tremendamente salvaje que es y de repente, olvidas tu división, tu esquizofrenia, te relajas. O, caminando por los Himalayas, viendo la nieve virgen de las cumbres de los Himalayas, de repente te rodea una quietud y no es necesario que seas falso, porque no hay otro ser humano ante el cual ser falso. Te sientes en armonía. O, escuchando una hermosa música te haces uno.
Siempre que en cualquier situación te vuelves uno, una paz, una felicidad, una bendición te rodea, surge en ti: te sientes pleno. No es necesario esperar estos momentos: estos momentos pueden convertirse en tu vida natural. Estos momentos extraordinarios pueden volverse momentos ordinarios.

Tú puedes vivir una vida extraordinaria dentro de una vida ordinaria: cortar la madera, preparar la leña, llevar el agua del pozo; puedes estar tremendamente en paz contigo mismo. Limpiar el piso, preparar la comida, lavar la ropa...

Puedes estar perfectamente en paz, porque el tema en su totalidad tiene que ver con llevar a cabo tu acción de forma total, disfrutando, gozando con ello, con un corazon abierto, con una sonrisa en la cara.

Esta figura caminando en la naturaleza nos enseña que la belleza puede ser encontrada en las cosas ordinarias y simples de la vida. Con mucha facilidad tomamos este hermoso mundo en el que vivimos por privilegio. Limpiar la casa, arreglar el jardín, preparar una comida: las tareas más mundanas tienen una cualidad sagrada cuando se realizan con todo tu compromiso, con amor y por sí mismas, sin un pensamiento de recompensa o reconocimiento.

Osho

ADDICTION...

I would love to share with you this little text I was reading about how we address our addictions...

"Part of the human struggle is to rise above our addictions and live with a free and unlimited spirit. Those compulsive needs rooted in substance (such as alcohol, drugs, and food) are apparent. Those rooted in behaviour are less discernible -overspending, overworking, gambling, excercising power. More toxic than all of the above are addictions described by negative emotions- misery, disappointment, fear and victimization. But no matter which of these is operating in your life, the price you pay is the death of your freedom and loss of peace in your spirit.

What are you addicted to?

Your soul's lesson: Rise above a state of denial and then name your addictions. They're robbing your of your creativity and peace and must be conquered now. Your soul asks you to suffer the discomfort of braking loose on every level. When you are free of the force addiction has in your life you can tap in to the unlimited creative power of your Divine self... "

Sonia Choquette

May we all feel free today!
Have a great day, full of joy, love and wisdom...

Paola

The soundtrack of a rainy day in the contryside…

At 6:30 am my alarm goes off with Nathalie Cole´s “Smile”, I look out the window and everything is grey, foggy, it’s raining. A part of me wants to stay in bed, another still wants to go out jogging, and then, in a fraction of a second, I don’t know how, I’m dressed ready to walk out the door with my running shoes. To get some more motivation I listen to Ennio Morricone, -usually, at this time I always see an amazing morning sky filled with colors, the sun announces it’s arrival with a beautiful color symphony-; today, all is grey, but somehow this song makes my body feel alive again, the right insight comes straight to me. It’s only up to me to have a great grey day. A grey day is all there is today, so I might as well embrace it with the same joy I embrace every colorful morning and every ray of sunlight.

At these moments I always remember my sister and the unique capacity she has to enjoy a foggy day with a cup of vin chaud listening to Coco Rosie; the perfect opportunity to listen to all of her rainy day music… the art of enjoying melancholic forms of expression. I love it, she has taught me to love rainy days.

But now I’m out there, standing in the middle of the fields, literally in the middle of nowhere, about to commit a rainy day’s musical crime, but my soul is longing for it, so nevertheless all the lessons I have learnt from my dearest sister, I choose Cuban salsa for my morning walk. I speed walk for two kilometers until I reach a place where absolutely no cars can spot me and with a grin on my face I play Orisha´s Dirty Dancing song, “Represent, Cuba” and let my body move freely, dance and sing. There I am, completely alone, feeling absolute freedom, full of my own presence, completely connected with nature. Defeating the fait of a rainy day by my gracious movements under the rain, my body feels renewed again, full of energy to start a new day. As I walk back home, a song about Cuban people trying to go up north makes my heart shiver, it was quite wired, I felt so connected to the suffering of the Cuban people my eyes just bursted into tears, for one moment I could feel exactly what Orishas were probably feeling when they wrote that song. Pain made poetry, made music, a message that travels beyond frontiers, beyond time and space, notes containing the claim and the tears of a trapped but always hopeful country. The clamor of the “guajiras”, this vivid, flaming hearts, avid for dancing, feeding our Mother Earth, all this greatness remains at the core of every Cuban heart… all of that in one song… uff.

I get home, make myself a delicious cup of green tea, take my usual tiny green stool to the garden and sit under the doorframe sheltering from the rain. Strauss´ “Roses of the South” plays on my ipod, it’s as if the rain, the leaves of every tree, dripping with crystals of fresh water, the clouds and the birds were creating a perfect concert, a couple of crows approach us and joyfully join the most beautiful rainy symphony… The soothing movement of the rain falling down from the sky, the warmth of a cup of tea between my hands, perfect music, perfect day!

My lovely cup of tea

-It is only through true acceptance of every moment that
joy may enter our lives-

Derribando murallas... mirando a los ojos

Estas aquí, depués te iras, asi funciona la vida. Nos rodeamos de tantas personas, hablamos con cientos de ellas, intercambiamos experiencias, pensamientos, conversaciones, la gente va y viene y nosotros seguimos aqui... y algún día nos preguntamos si aquello que estamos mostrando a toda esta gente con la que convivimos no es mas que una máscara, nos preguntamos hasta cuando seguiremos ocultando lo que verdaderamente somos, viviendo el personaje que nos hemos creido ser, vivir protegiéndonos para no ser descubiertos, para que esta máscara que nos ha costado tanto trabajo crear y conservar no sea arrebatada de nosotros, y hacemos todo lo posible para no sentirnos vulnerables; para que nadie vea realmente el miedo que tenemos, para que nadie vea aquella parte de nosotros que todo este tiempo hemos estado tan aferrados en ocultar.

Creamos murallas a nuestro alrededor para no ser "lastimados", para que nadie vea nuestra debilidad; y asi, nos convertimos en esclavos de nuestras propias prisiones, presos en nuestras fortalezas, viendo a todo el mundo y nunca mirándolo a los ojos. Alguien nos ve a los ojos y nos da miedo, quitamos la vista de inmediato; realmente date cuenta ahora que estas leyendo esto, ¿con cuántas personas con las que convives mantienes un verdadero contacto con los ojos?, y cuando haces contacto con una mirada, cuando alguien te ve directamente a los ojos, ¿cómo te sientes?, ¿desprotegido?, ¿inseguro?, o tal vez me equivoco y te sientes fuerte y renovado, sólo pregúntatelo. ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que miraste a tus padres realmente a los ojos?, cuando dices te quiero... ¿lo dices a los ojos?, cuando dices gracias... ¿ves a los ojos?. Probablemente no, porque cuando realmente te atreves a ver a los ojos, cuando te atreves a que te miren fijamente a los ojos, todas las murallas que has construido a tu alrededor se derrumban y tu verdadero ser queda completamente expuesto. Pasamos de ser solo un cuerpo que se mueve, habla y camina a ser verdaderos seres sintientes, a ser espíritus encarnados y cuerpos animados. Todo lo que escondemos se revela en ese momento.

La primera vez que intenté este experimento me senti extremadamente vulnerable, pero con esa definición de vulnerabilidad que tan erróneamente hemos establecido. Hemos aprendido a etiquetar a la vulnerabilidad como debilidad, como un peligro a ser lastimados, a ser descubiertos. Pero lo que he descuebierto realmente es algo completamente diferente: la vulnerabilidad es el precioso regalo que te llena de valentía, de fé y de confianza, estas ahi, diciéndole a la otra persona, mirándola a los ojos diciendo "esta soy yo, ho no tengo miedo de que me veas tal y como soy, no tengo miedo de que entres y veas a través de mi. Hoy no tengo miedo a ser amada, hoy no tengo miedo de amar", así es como la vulnerabilidad pasa de ser una debilidad a una gran fortaleza.
El verdadero amor necesita ser transmitido a través de una verdadera mirada, una mirada que conecta dos almas, una mirada que va mas allá de los cuerpos, el color de la piel, de tu cuenta de banco, de tu vestimenta. Una mirada que reconoce la grandeza de tu ser y de aquellos que permiten que los mires a los ojos... Así que, aunque parezca a veces extraño, aunque nos cueste trabajo, tratemos de ver a los ojos, tratemos de atrevernos a ser quien en verdad somos, y entonces, al permitir que las personas entren realmente en nuestra vida, lograremos que el amor se refleje en nosotros y a traves de nosotros, a través de una mirada...
Que así sea, y así es.

"Cuando tenemos la habilidad de mirar a las personas profunda­mente a los ojos, ocurre algo que da miedo: estamos afectándolas. Ya no estamos interesados en las partes de su cuerpo. Les estamos mirando al alma. Podemos quedar contaminados inmediatamente o alcanzar a mirar. mas allá de su apariencia" Ramtha


Dedico este texto a Ari, te quiero mucho!  

Spirituality is...

There is a part of every living thing that wants to become itself- the tadpole into the frog, the chrysalis into the butterfly, the damaged human being into a hole one. That is spirituallity- Ellen Bass

PEACE

Hola, les comparto mi reflexión del día...

Peace occurs when we trascend the dual mind, when we see ad feel the world in balance, our mind becomes still and our emotions become calm. Our insides make peace with themselves, as all things are felt and percieved in a harmonious, synchronistic dance of life.

There are many things that may bring peace into your hearts and lives. Being in nature, having a realisation, music, meditation and yoga, are among the many ways we can nurture peace within. Through peace we feel acceptance and through acceptance we feel peace.

In our busy, fast paced lives it is often hard to make time to find that space we desperately need, but it not imposible, make sure you find at least 15 minutes to yourself to connect with nature, yourself, or God, whatever it means to you.

-Ask an Angel, Carisa Mellado-

Los Blogs Favoritos de Glits

http://www.glits.mx/post.php?idblog=178

Empezado el año con todo! Blog favorito de Glits.mx, la revista electrónica de estilo de vida mas hot del momento...