Can Gemstones Alleviate Ailments?

Most people see gems (or gemstones) strictly as decoration, such as gemstone jewellery; that is, jewellery to wear just for aesthetical purposes. But gems are also considered to have numerous remedial properties; e.g. (depending on the stone) the ability to promote self-confidence, concentration, relieve headaches and stress, promote a calm mind, and encourage positivity.

We will look at a small selection of gems and their claimed remedial powers. A disavowal before you read any further : The details of this article are founded on a collective belief, so there is no scientific proof as to the efficacy of such gems and their supposed restorative powers.

Amazonite
This gem assists self-assurance and imparts a sense of hope to the wearer.

Amber
This stone remedies physiological stress, calms nerves and improves self-assurance. It stimulates creativeness by eradicating negativity. It is claimed to be effective for joints and help energize the liver and kidneys.

Haematite
A powerful gem that gives boosts willpower and strength. Very useful for balancing the body and spirit. A very grounding gemstone which cuts down stress and is claimed to prevent insomnia.

Malachite
A mighty gemstone that can absorb destructive energies and “contamination”. Useful for people suffering from emotional stress.

Sodalite
Increases the power to commune with and to empathize with other people. Effective for the maturation of intuition and spirituality.

The preceding gemstones are just a tiny selection of gems that are claimed to have therapeutic powers. The only genuine way to realise if these stones can help you is to actually wear them if you suffer from an ailment that a gem is believed to help remedy.

‘I Don’t Know’ is NOT an Acceptable Answer! Now, What is It that You Would Rather Do in Your Life?

Here’s a typical situation. See if you know anyone like this: “He” has a job. Doesn’t really like it a whole lot or is getting tired of the long hours. Doesn’t have much time for hobbies or going to the gym or happy hour with friends or spending time with the family, because he’s always travelling and away from home. Either that or he often works long hours and is so tired when he comes home that he doesn’t feel like going out, being sociable or spending quality time with the family. His friends are slowly getting tired of asking him to come out, because most of the time he’s either away or tired or has some other excuse why he can’t come out. Pretty soon they won’t ask anymore and he’ll come home one day and his friends will have new friends and he’ll be left alone. He knows though that he’s not really happy. He knows that he would rather be doing something else, but he doesn’t know what.

Is it worth it? Life is passing us by. If you are not already, put yourself in this guy’s shoes. To know that there is something else you would rather do in life, but to not know what it is and what’s worse, to let the fact that you don’t know, just linger on in your mind without trying to figure it out? Days pass and turn into weeks, months, years and before you know it, either you don’t even think about it anymore, because you have just accepted the routine as being normal or when you are forced to talk about it, you continue to allow yourself to answer “I don’t know.” And then you drop it.

So why am I telling you this? Because you really have two choices. You can either continue to do what you’re doing and be unhappy and continue to hang out with those so-called friends who are doing the “grind” just like you; all of you, auto-convincing yourselves that there is no better way to live your life than the way you are right now or, you can do SOMETHING about it. ANYTHING! Because there are alternatives to working as hard as you are right now and where, if you so choose, you can make just as much or even more money with less effort. If you want more free time, if you want to make more money with less effort. If you would like to spend more quality time with your family, take breaks in the middle of the day, take a day off whenever you want, get up late, take nice vacations, not have to worry about how much money you are spending…well, you get the message, then the next time someone asks you what you would rather do in life, don’t let the words “I Don’t Know” stop you from living your dreams!

‘I don’t know’ is laziness. ‘I don’t know’ is an excuse not to think anymore. It is not an answer. It is a dead end. It weakens you. It means surrender. It let’s you slide. It sucks the life out of you year after year after year, because you have so gotten used to saying it…about everything, that you don’t even realize it. ‘I don’t know is nothing! STOP IT! And take control of your life before it’s too late. If you are like most people, you will say to yourself, “Well, that was an interesting article. I’ll think about it.” You’ll never do anything about it and you know it. Look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself the truth. But don’t finish the conversation with yourself with “I don’t know”!

You are not alone. Many people feel stuck in their niche in life and don’t know how to get out. Don’t give up. Keep asking yourself! The answer is inside of you, you just have to bring it out? Here are some questions that might help you the next time you find you telling yourself “I don’t know what I would rather do.”:

What were you put here on this earth to accomplish?

What about you is special?

What do you have to offer this world?

What do you love to do?

What are your hobbies? (Could you turn them into a profession? Chances are you could.)

What is your mission in life?

What would you like people to say about you when you are no longer around?

What legacy would you like to leave behind?

What would you like to accomplish before you die?

If you could do anything you wanted to do in this world, (Anything!) what would it be?

My company is dedicated to helping people improve the quality of their lives. We’re the Dream Makers. We make dreams come true. But you have to do your part too. Just like Dorothy, you have to put your shoes on, get ready, close your eyes , click your heels together and say, “There’s no place like where I’d rather be right now.”, believe it, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself the truth about what your heart is telling you and the next thing you know you will be airborne, your ‘house’ will be spinning, and it will land on top of the wicked “I Don’t Know witch of the West” and then finally…you will be home.

I wish you all the best!

Anthony Lee Smith founded JOLTEN Educational Events & Entertainment with the scope of helping as many people as possible to improve the quality of their lives, or more specifically, with the intention of aiding organizations, teams and individuals in the achievement of EXTRAORDINARY results.

Anthony realized that inspite of the immense monetary benefits the corporate world provided him as an executive in two multinational companies, there was something much more meaningful burning inside him. Since 2003 Anthony has founded several internet businesses and is now a successful motivational speaker, seminar leader, host and actor. Read his story and about the services of JOLTEN Educational Events & Entertainment at http://www.jolten.com

To ask Anthony to come speak at your event or to contat him for additional information, write: anthonysmith@jolten.com

Who Is Wallace Wattles and Why Is He One of My Mentors and Heroes?

Who is Wallace Wattles? Wallace D. Wattles died over 90 years ago so how can he be one of my mentors and heroes?

I had been studying the works of some of the most famous self-improvement ‘gurus’ of recent times and several of them mentioned the book ‘The Science Of Getting Rich’ as the starting point of their own success.

After doing some research on the internet, I came across a brilliant site where I could download a beautifully presented pdf version of the book for free.

I couldn’t believe how short and sweet the presentation of Mr Wattles message was. His work seems to have been the basis from which all the more famous and recent experts sprouted. He even preceeds Napoleon Hill and ‘Think and Grow Rich’!

Over the years I had been developing my own system for achieving my lifes goals by cherry picking ideas from the authors I had read. The conclusion I was slowly coming to had been reached and written down almost half a century before I was born!

In Wallace’s own words, “…if there is a particular book you need to read it will be placed in your hands at the right time.” How right he was.

How many light bulbs went off in my head? 5/5

For quotes, articles, special reports and e-courses by Wallace Wattles, please visit http://www.4-inspirational-quotes.com/wallace-wattles.html

Astrology Compatibility and Zodiac Sign Compatibility Report

Astrology: Compatibility & Relationship

Your relationships are based on all the planets, signs, and houses in your birth chart. It is also based on how they interact with all the planets, signs, and houses, in other people’s charts.

“Relationship astrology” is a part of astrology which analyses just how compatible you are with someone else. It takes into account varied aspects between two people and also the type of relationship it is going to be, or not be.

This type of astrological study can tell whether two, or more, people are emotionally, mentally, or sexually compatible.

Astrology zodiac sign compatibility

Do you know how compatible your zodiac sign is with the person you are in love with? Know more about your love and Sun sign compatibility with astrology report!

A Compatibility Report analyses your relationship/s deeply, and also answers significant questions related to romance, sex, and love. With the report in hand, you will be able to discover how to expand on your relationship and become more accessible to one another.

What your compatibility chart also examines are your strengths and weaknesses, and also what measures you’d take to deal or improve your situation. Isn’t this an amazing potential to know your future better even before it takes off in the direction you want it to?

For more information visit our website and receive astrology compatibility report

This article is written by http://www.knowyourday.com team

Four Meditation Exercises for the Beginner

How do YOU meditate? What works for you? What do you feel in your body? I know I’m not the only one to admit that I have a difficult time meditating. Here are some answers I received from the above question on an interactive Conscious Evolution site last year. I hope one of these methods will help you on your meditative journeys.

Method #1:
Ritual is very important to my meditation practice. In my practice that includes meditating at the same time every day: incense, a lit candle, acknowledging the four directions and an opening prayer and music. I have been influenced by Zen meditation, yoga relaxation and breathing practices, visualization techniques, mantra repetition and even dancing techniques to name a few. My meditation experience changes from day to day as sometimes it is very contemplative of my life; some days I feel connected to nature or I find myself praying for peace, compassion and love. At times my meditation takes me into a void where there is no thought or it can be very visionary where I receive insights about my life and that of others around me; sometimes I even see things far into our future. Every once in a while, I am BLESSED with feeling an all-loving presence that permeates my whole being with happiness and love. What is constant and most important about my meditation practice is that it has become as essential to my life as breathing air is for all of us. Best of all, I have seen how my behavior in my everyday life has become (for the most part-who is perfect?) a mirror of the peace and compassionate feeling I tap into when I meditate. I have been meditating for 20 years. May you have a blessed journey. From Pablo (Evolve Community Café)

Method #2
Good question. I use a very unstructured approach, working toward the goal of making all my waking and sleeping moments meditative. If I am walking (or cycling), I develop a rhythmic cadence of affirmation around some issue (health, harmony, love, etc) and pace the affirmation to my pace. For instance, I like an eight-step pace and this harmony affirmation works well for me, “I am one with the universe and all things in IT. Not my will, but thine be done.”

My hypnosis/hypnotherapy training has taught me that trance induction is easy. I use the following sequence of statements repeated sub-vocally (and paced with normal breathing cycle) to induce both trance and meditation: “Relax now. Release now. Renew now. Refresh now. Live now. Love now. Heal now. Grow now. Peace now”.

I try to be in nature everyday, whether it is watching ants in my backyard or fishing on the local rivers and lakes. That is meditation to me. I also use spontaneous free-associative journaling as part of meditative practice. I picked this up from Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way.” She calls such discipline “morning pages” and there is no doubt that this approach has great power to center one in meditative action and intuition.

I guess what I am seeing from what I am saying is that I am highly kinesthetic and prefer action meditation to passive meditation…and if you hadn’t asked the question, I would not have realized this. Bravo. Hope that makes some sense. Nick (Evolve Community Café)

Method #3
I meditate early in the morning — it’s a big part of my life. About four years ago I went on a weekend retreat in Oxford to the Brahma Kumaris and learned to meditate by Raj Yoga which means meditating with your eyes open. At first it was difficult but Discipline is the key. It calms my working mind and psychologically-wise, I am more at peace. Molly

Method #4
I read this in The Evolution Angel by Dr. Michael Abrams and liked it, so will share it with you.

The angels believe that we lost the ability to communicate with God directly when the churches put in a go-between for communication. These angels give us permission to use God’s name, which is Yahweh, in meditating with God to connect at a deeper level and on an evolutionary plane. Yahweh is the name referred to in the Lord’s Prayer. It is the name in the Judeo-Christian tradition that is said to be so sacred that it is never to be uttered aloud.

If you dwell on this name in your mind over and over, day after day, month after month, all good things will come to you. Do not use the name in an empty, mechanical manner. Repeat the name silently within. Saying the name over and over helps you to overcome that inner chatter.

Here’s how it’s done:

1) As you say the name your thoughts should gradually slow and lengthen. Repeat each syllable rather slowly. Saying each syllable in about a second and then lengthening it to 3-4 seconds with a little rest between syllables. It will feel good when you hit the correct cadence for you.

2) To further enhance the technique, breath in on the “Yah’ and exhale on the “Vay.” Your breath should be smooth, peaceful and in a leisurely fashion.

3) When you get that part down, add in the heartbeat. Visualize and feel the sounds, along with your breath, flowing in and out of your heart.

The Angel’s say that this mediation will fix everything in your life and put it back into balance. You start developing in ways you never thought possible and at an astonishingly rate–with less pain.

Yes. This sounds like the meditation for me.

Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1993. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free monthly newsletter.

How Meditation Can Change Your Life in 2006

Are you stressed out? Do you worry about your physical health? Your mental health? Your spiritual health? Do you wish you had less stress and anxiety in your life and more peace and harmony?

Well, I felt all of these things a few years ago and I thought I was going to go crazy or die. I was working 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week at a very stressful job. I had a wife and two kids at home who wanted, and deserved, my time and attention. I had a mortgage, two car notes, tuition, medical bills, overdue taxes, and credit card debt coming out of my ears!

I was running nonstop through my days trying to take care of everything and make everybody happy but I never had enough time to take care of myself. In bed at night, my heart would pound from stress and anxiety. I worried about my job, my marriage, the kids, the bills, the house, my heath, and even my sanity.

My health was of particular concern. I felt tired all the time. I was gaining weight. My back was always hurting. Climbing even one flight of stairs left me breathless and dizzy. I felt like I was falling apart physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I was really worried about myself but I didn’t know what to do. I tried the gym, several fad diets, home exercise machines, and even time management programs. I had about the same results with each new thing I tried. They all seemed to help at first, but I just couldn’t stick with any of them for very long. I now realize that they didn’t work because they were all short term fixes to a long term problem. I had to change my life.

I knew I had a lot to learn, but I couldn’t afford to buy a bunch of books and everything at the library seemed to be outdated. So I made a habit of stopping at the local Barns and Noble on the way home from work each day. I read everything I could find on stress, anxiety, health, diet, and self-improvement. I felt like a cheat just sitting there reading the books without buying them but nobody seemed to mind. I usually bought a cup of coffee or tea just to ease my conscience a little.

I read a lot of great books with wonderful insights on improving one’s life. Not surprisingly, one subject came up over and over; meditation. I had tried to meditate several years earlier but had gotten frustrated and quit before really giving it a chance. But, I was desperate and determined to try anything that might help.

One book in particular said, “Start right now!” I was too embarrassed to sit in the book store and meditate, but I didn’t want to waste another moment. So I went out to my car, adjusted the seat into a comfortable position, set my watch alarm for 30 minutes, then closed my eyes and started counting my breaths.

That turned out to be a defining moment in my life. Of course, I didn’t have instant success. Mediation takes practice and can be very difficult at times. But making the decision to incorporate meditation into my everyday life changed everything for me.

I continued to stop at the book store each night for a while and split my time between reading and meditating. Nothing else had changed in my life. I still had a stressful job, my marriage, my kids, my house, and bills but, somehow, I was feeling betterless stressedeven more energetic!

No, it didn’t magically solve all of the woes in my life. But once I started feeling more relaxed and less stressed, I was better able to focus on the other things I needed to do to become mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy.

I soon started a daily meditation practice at home. I also began a reasonable exercise plan that included walking, a light workout, and yoga. These things combined with eating right (most of the time), have literally changed my life. I’m now happier, healthier, and at peace with the world around me.

I hope this story inspires some of you to take that first step and begin incorporating meditation into your own life. This is the perfect time to make the decision. What better New Years resolution than to change your life for the better? There are numerous meditation methods and practices out there and a myriad of resources available to you in book stores and on the web. I’m sure you can find something that works for you.

In fact, I’ve compiled a host of information on mediation, relaxation, yoga, and other related subjects at my website: www.imcalmer.com. I would also be very happy to share my own experience. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at mikes@imcalmer.com if you have any questions or comments.

In peace,

Mike Suzuki

Mike Suzuki is freelance writer and software developer who is dedicated to promoting calm, relaxation, and peace. To support this cause, he has developed the ImCalmer(tm) Personal Mediation Timer, the www.imcalmer.com website, and a new eBay store called Im-Calmer-Products. You can reach Mike for questions or comments at mikes@imcalmer.com.

An Algorithm to Remove “Hurt” from Pain

The behavior of pain was enigmatic. Its responses were strange. It was only a pin prick, but the surrounding skin reddened and the child cried out in pain. Yet, the caress of a gentle finger around the injury subdued that pain. A person suffering from the agony of chronic pain reported no pain at all, while focused on painting a canvas. Again, hypnosis caused a patient to report that his pain did not hurt. How could just a touch, or a change in the focus of attention reduce or remove pain? How could there be a pain, which did not hurt? Could such phenomena be explained as clear algorithmic behaviors of the brain? Could such knowledge be used to subdue the distress of pain?

An algorithm was a repetitive procedure, which yielded a trusted result. Recently, a new view of the mind suggested that it was an algorithm, which enabled the mind to race, like a lightning streak, through neural regions. It saw, recognized, interpreted and acted. In the blink of eye. From input to output, it took just 20 milliseconds. Myriad processes converted light, sound, touch and smell instantly into your nerve impulses. A special region recognized those impulses as objects and events. Another region, the limbic system, interpreted those events to generate emotions. A fourth region responded to those emotions with actions. The mind perceived, identified, evaluated and acted. So, the scream followed the injury, as swiftly as a flash of lightning. All of this was powered by intuition, a pattern recognition algorithm.

The algorithmic view received support recently, when science discovered that animals instantly differentiated between millions of smells through combinatorial coding. That discovery won a Nobel Prize in 2004. If a nerve cell had dendritic inputs, identified as A, B, C and so on to Z, it could then fire, when it received inputs at ABC and DEF. The cell could be inhibited for XYZ. It only recognized some combinations. ABC and DEF. A recognition algorithm. This new view of the mind suggested that such combinatorial coding enabled all regions of the mind to respond instantly and logically to incoming information. Such pattern recognition was intuition.

Even with pain, the mind perceived, recognized, interpreted and acted. The brain perceived tissue injuries through nociceptors. A neuron, which carried this pain message had many incoming dendrites. These branches informed it of neighborhood pain, touch, tension and much more. The neuron received a kaleidoscopic combination of inputs. If the neuron responded to combinatorial coding, it could fire for neighborhood pain to report sympathetic pain. Sympathetic responses by neighboring pain reporting neurons could increase the child’s sensation of the pain of a pinprick. The neuron could become inhibited when it received a touch message. The combinatorial coding algorithm could explain how the child’s pain reduced, when its parent caressed the regions surrounding the injury.

Similarly, the response to an emotion was an algorithmic action. If fear was generated, a deer bounded away. A bird took flight. A fish swam off. But, such escape was hardly possible by heading into the predator. An algorithmic intelligence remembered, evaluated and instantly chose the best of multiple escape routes to increase distance from danger. That region responded to pain, with a massive search for escape routes to avoid the pain. While nociceptors selectively reported pain, the action region generated a powerful drive to escape from it. That algorithmic drive was the “hurt” part of pain. Hypnosis was known to still that drive. A similar result was reported for an older surgical procedure, which cut the neural link between the perception of pain and the dynamic response to it. Both treatments had patients reporting the disappearance of “hurt.”

Pain was an awful affliction. Chronic pain sufferers had to endure it over extended periods. Physicians recommended the acceptance of pain as a solution. They suggested that a patient’s attitude was also critical to the treatment of pain. But, “acceptance” and “attitude” were difficult concepts. How could one accept continuing pain? How could a subconscious attitude ever be changed? This was where an appreciation of independent algorithmic processes of the mind helped. Practical steps could yield a trusted result. Remove the “hurt” part, the distress, of pain. Learning “acceptance” was a worthy endeavor.

The mind had the unique ability to see itself. Across centuries, sages looked inward and recognized their own feelings and thoughts. In the same way, it was also possible to identify your own drives. The key was awareness. And, the insight that identification was possible. The vital secret of the atomic bomb was just that it was possible. The drive to escape pain was a unique entity. Its operation had recognizable symptoms. By consciously identifying its physical symptoms, a patient could learn to identify it as a distinct mental event. Identify the tensions of the urge to escape, of the impatience, of the desperation. When the urge was recognized, it vanished. Later, this drive became a familiar entity, which vanished, on recognition. Recognition and practice stilled the “hurt” drive. The pain was there, but it did not hurt anymore. Which went on to prove that even “acceptance” could also be an algorithmic process.

Abraham Thomas is the author of The Intuitive Algorithm, a book, which suggests that intuition is a pattern recognition algorithm. This leads to an understanding of the powerful forces that control your mind. The ebook version is available at http://www.intuition.co.in. The book may be purchased only in India. The website, provides a free movie and a walk through to explain the ideas.

From The Ashes

The man plopped down on his chair, defeated.

His father’s maxims bit his ears and nagged him like tired Christmas jingles.

“No pain, no gain. No guts, no glory. No risk no reward. Gotta’ pay to play. You never know until you try.”

On and on.

He sat, dazed, in a semi-trance, half-comatose, half numb, with tinges of remorse and disappointment punctuated by an occasional anxiety spike.

He couldn’t believe Dad had been gone almost five years.

It seemed like yesterday that they would gather on the back porch to celebrate the victories, cry over the defeats and laugh about both.

Dad always delivered the perfect line, the stern encouragement, the voice of wisdom that transcended the man’s annoyance over the unflappable demeanor that smiled regardless, win or lose, rain or shine, day or night.

“I’ll have to face this one alone,” he thought, smitten with a mix of terror and sadness.

As if he knew how.

A familiar paralysis crept over him like a slow-moving shadow, unobserved, adding darkness in tiny, imperceptible stages until it blocked all light, held him bound to his history, prisoner of his doubt.

His eyes drooped, his hands fell limp, his neck crooned forward, listless and heavy.

“YOU’RE JUST AFRAID,” the voice bellowed in his head. “IT’S NOT REAL,” it continued, “never is, never was. You know better.”

Startled awake, the man let his suppressed smile come through.

“Yeah, Dad,” he reflected, “I remember. Nothing to fear but the fear itself. Easy to say, not so easy to doespecially after having your butt handed to you on a platteragain.”

Still, the grin lingered, chased out some of the cobwebs.

“Funny how fear works,” the man mused, drawing on memories. “Freezes us into inaction, negates powerful lessons, shuts down our creative juice.”

All these and more, he had bantered at length on the porch over …unsweetened ice tea and fat, salted Heinz pretzels in a big brown box.

He wished he had one now.

“Failures come and gopart of life,” Dad preached. “Same as triumphs. Not the failure that sets you back, son, only the fear of failure.”

The man struggled to apply the notion to today, beaten once more, beaten and tired, a space where the desire to quit and pack it in held court in full regalia, so many jesters and wannabes heckling their own loserisms, taunts and jeers.

“Told you soshould have listenedbail while you still canget a real jobnyah, nyah, nyah, nyah…”

“Only the FEAR of failure…”

Dad’s mandate.

“That’s all it is.” The man wrestled in his mind. “I have failed many times and so what. I might succeed on the next one. Failure’s not so bad, unless it traps me into never starting over.”

The man looked around the room, as if to conjure the image of his father, an involuntary shudder rippling down his spine.

“I know, I know,” he spoke out loud. “Sometimes it just takes me a minute.”

He pushed himself erect, picked up his chin and settled his gaze on the picture on the mantelpiece.

“I know,” he repeated. “I know.”

That’s A View From The Ridge…

About The Author

Author Ridgely Goldsborough invites you to subscribe to The Daily Column, a heart-felt collection of stories that inspire hope and courage. Please do so at www.aviewfromtheridge.com.

ridge@aviewfromtheridge.com

Annual Forecasts & Fengshui Remedies for 2006 : Year of Yang Red Fire Dog - for Rat Sign

The ancient Chinese Astrology is not only fascinating but also quite accurate. It’s Zodiac is based on 12 signs, a cycle of 12 years and are named after 12 symbolic animals : Rat (or Mouse), Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow), Tiger, Rabbit (or Hare or Cat), Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster (or Hen or Cock or Chicken or Phoenix), Dog and Pig (or Boar or Hog).

Your Chinese Astrological Zodiac Animal Sign is based on your Chinese Lunar Year of Birth. The Chinese New Year is movable and could start anywhere between 21st January and 20th February, depending upon the year.

If your Date of Birth falls into any of these below listed Chinese Lunar Years, then, because you are born in the Year of the Rat (or Mouse), you are symbolically identified as a “Rat (or Mouse)” :

From 31 Jan 1900 to 18 Feb 1901

From 18 Feb 1912 to 05 Feb 1913

From 05 Feb 1924 to 24 Jan 1925

From 24 Jan 1936 to 10 Feb 1937

From 10 Feb 1948 to 28 Jan 1949

From 28 Jan 1960 to 14 Feb 1961

From 15 Feb 1972 to 02 Feb 1973

From 02 Feb 1984 to 19 Feb 1985

From 19 Feb 1996 to 06 Feb 1997

In Chinese Hsia Calender, 2006 is the 4703rd year and is also the third year of the New Fengshui Land Luck Period 8. The new Chinese Lunar Year is from 29.01.2006 to 17.02.2007. Here are the Annual Forecasts and suggested Fengshui & Crystal Remedies that you may need for the coming “New Year 2006 : Bing Xu, the Year of the Yang Red Fire Dog” :

CAREER :

A satisfying year in many ways. The unemployed will get employed; the employed will get promoted or will migrate to a better job. The catch is that you should lower your over-expectations, without compromising on your ambitions and work really hard. The more efforts you put in, the more rewards you will reap. Fine tune your qualities and dedicate all your capabilites at work. Accept your responsibilities with a positive attitude. You will execute them with ease and comfort though with a lot of hard work. You can even claim the favour of your superiors, if you are careful with your communications. Prepare well to thwart frustrations and deal with difficulties.

Think out different contingency plans for different scenarios. Avoid confrontations. Arguments at office will invariably lead to career damage. Arguments with friends and relatives could lead to depression and loss of mental peace. A pencil shaped Lapis Lazouli Crystal Pendant will help you out in this. Those of you who are related to police, law, judiciary, key decision making, administration, fire service, correctional institutions, medicine, food and beverages will do much better than others.

For those of you in business, it is not that bright : the year will be busy, tough and demanding. There will be quite a few ups and downs. Be organised and enforce discipline. Think out thrice before embarking on new/big projects. Avoid taking major and crucial decisions this year. Hurdles will crop up at unexpected places and times. On no account take shortcuts. Display the image of Green Tara and the combined statue of Dragon & Phoenix, for overcoming obstacles. Back-stabbing could occur from all levels. Place the image or icon of Kuan Kung in the North West for protection and timely guidance.There could be theft problems for some. Place an Eagle statue or a pair of Kirins facing the entrance.

MONEY :

Moneyflow will be quite good, but may not be consistent, so plan your budget. Your earlier investments will payoff now. Many of your friends will return the favour you did to them earlier. Savings will help you build an account that will be needed later. Some of you will payoff the overdue loans comfortably. There could be some unexpected expenses too, but you can get through without much of a problem. Nobody can spoil your finances this year - except you ! Avoid over-indulgence and over-generosity. Keep off risky investments. Do not invest in unethical projects. To help you save money, you can carry a set of PaKua Horoscope coins or keep a set of Dragon & Phoenix Coins at home.

HEALTH :

Pay attention to your personal hygiene. Bleeding due to cuts could occur - donate blood. Take extreme care when you handle sharp objects like knife. Some of you may have to undergo surgery. Get your teeth cleaned up. Avoid adventurous and risky sports like mountain climbing, scuba diving, parachuting, etc. Stay away from water bodies. Take cautions when you travel and drive. Enjoy your food but make sure of it’s quantum and quality - otherwise you could end up with a lot of stomach problems. If you already have problems related to heart, head or limbs, it could worsen. Hard work and stress from family members could be a matter of concern. Take rest whenever you can. Check your ceilings for defects : water seeps or stains, cracks or peels. If you find any, fix them immediately. Hang a original, real Chinese Wou-Lou in the bedroom (on the headboard side) to drain away the sick energy. To avoid accidents, you may either hang a golden metal Wou-Lou near your main entrance or inside your car. If you are a pregnant rat, take the utmost care.

LOVE :

Good love luck. A nice year to marry and settle down. Marital bliss prevails. Just don’t let your possessiveness get too far, as that could cripple the present equation. Keep in touch with your partner and attend to his/her needs without fail. Pay personal attention to other members of your family too (especially to your elderly parents/grand parents) to avoid domestic troubles. In case of any conflict, stop arguing and resolve the issue immediately. Place an icon of Three Generations Turtles or Three Generations Dragon Head Turtles in the East.

Beneficial Crystal : Chalcedony, for 2006

Good Relationship with : Rat, Dragon & Monkey, for 2006

Conflict with : Horse, Rabbit & Goat, for 2006

Yin/Yang : Yang

A NOTE ABOUT REMEDIES : The above analysis has suggested some remedies/cures for reducing the impact of negative energy and has recommended certain enhancers for increasing and improving upon the beneficial energy. For the remedies/enhancers to be effective, they should be cleansed, energised, blessed and programmed not only for the particular individual/family but also for the specific purpose/problem. They should also be placed in the indicated location. Any or all of these remedies can be reused for the coming new years, the only thing is that some of them may have to be repositioned according to the specific new year.

This is copyrighted work. Permission is granted to republish (both in electronic media as well as print media) the article in it’s entirety only, including the full bio of the author and his links. All links should be “clickable” hyperlinks. An acknowledgement mail from Republishers will be appreciated.

The Author of this article Sri Janarrdhana Guptha is an Energy Consultant, Vaastu & Fengshui Researcher, Crystal Master and a Clairvoyant Karma Reader. His speciality is in permanent, life-time Remedial Solutions, especially Crystal Energy Fields. His wife Srimathi Kalpana Guptha is also a Psychic Reader. The Energy Couple can be reached through crystalvaastu@yahoo.com
or either of their websites:
http://www.newage-kabbalah-numerology.com or
http://www.crystal-vaastu.com/home.htm.

Janarrdhana Guptha has authored the book titled “Guide to Fengshui Good Luck Symbols”. He writes regularly in leading English & Tamil Magazines from India. More of his articles can be read at his blog : http://www.spaces.msn.com/members/crystal-vaastu/.

Secrets of Qigong Meditation

Qi (”chee”: life energy) circulates through a network of meridians or channels in the human body. Qigong means “working with life energy.” Through qigong training we can facilitate the movement of qi through the body. The movement of qi leads the circulation of the blood and other bodily fluids. The effects of qigong practice include: stress reduction, improved health and energy, emotional balance, mental calmness and clarity, and an awareness of the wholeness of life.

Qigong is a truly holistic philosophy and system of health care and self development. The primary principle of qigong practice is this: Where qi flows smoothly there is health, happiness, and well-being. Where qi flow is impeded, there is disease, distress, and conflict.

Smooth qi flow is regarded as a natural state of being. This natural state is affected by our responses to the demands of life. When we become sick or have dis-ease on any level of our being the questions in this system are: 1) Where is qi flow impeded? 2) What is impeding smooth qi flow? and 3) How do we facilitate smooth qi flow?

Qi flow is interrupted by the way that we handle internal and external stressors. Qi can be impeded by physical tension, emotional holding patterns, rigid thought patterns, and patterns of spiritual resignation. The more general pattern of impeded qi flow is experiencing yourself as a passive victim of circumstances that cause the conditions of your life. By contrast, in qigong we learn to experience ourselves as empowered participants in our health and self development.

This leads us to a second qigong principle: The mind leads the qi and the qi follows the mind. The term mind here means mental powers and spiritual intent. In qigong meditation, we learn to use powers of mind and spirit to feel, gather, store, cultivate, refine, and circulate universal qi. The circulation of qi leads the circulation of blood, lymphatic fluid, and nerve impulses along their respective pathways.

We lead qi in qigong meditation by following these cues: 1) Relaxing and aligning posture, 2) Smiling and breathing consciously, 3)Visualizing qi pathways, and 4) Imagining and feeling universal qi flowing smoothly along these pathways.

One further note on this principle: It may be more accurate to say we “allow” qi to flow smoothly rather than we “lead” it, because smooth qi flow is natural. We allow this natural process to occur when we stop restricting it. When we live in stress mode we restrict qi flow. When we center our awareness in universal qi, we allow a greater wisdom to work through us. We let go of ego control and allow higher powers of mind and spirit to come forth. Letting go leads us to the next qigong principle.

The third basic principle of qigong is active relaxation. The ability to actively relax is the first step toward a Core Energy State. When practicing, Qigong Master Tianyou Hao says “Don’t forget, don’t pursue.” In qigong one is present and aware while being relaxed and calm. We learn to detach from our patterns of stress so we can recover the original joy and vitality which resides steadfastly ever-available at the core of our being.

What does smooth qi flow feel like? The classic signs of qi activity in the body are called the eight sensations. These are: heat, cold, pain, numbness, soreness, swelling, itching, and twitching. The less pleasant qi sensations occur when qi is blocked or when it is beginning to move in an area that has been stagnant. Most commonly the positive feelings of smooth qi flow are warmth, fullness, tingling, and a sense of overall happiness and well-being.

Now that you know some qigong basics, it’s time to get to the most important part–practicing. Daily practice is the key to realizing the amazing positive effects of qigong meditation.

If you are interested in more articles in this series or my Learn Qigong Meditation Program visit: http://www.learnqigongmeditation.com

Copyright 2006 by Kevin Schoeninger

Kevin Schoeninger: M.A. in Philosophy, Certified Qigong Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Reiki Master.
http://www.learnqigongmeditation.com