Labor That Works Miracles

(excerpted from The Challenge to Succeed series)

Two thousand years ago on April 15th one of Jesus’ disciples came to him and said it was time to pay taxes (that’s how I know it was around April 15th), but they had no money. In response to his disciple’s statement Jesus said “no problem”. Now why could he say “no problem”? Well, word had it that Jesus was a miracle worker. If you hand a problem to a miracle worker what they are inclined to say is “no problem”. You’ve got to hang out with people like that.

I belong to a small group and we do business around the world. These guys are all miracle workers. What an incredible group. If you hand any of them a problem guess what they say, “no problem”. How many books will they read to solve a problem? As many as it takes. If they need to consult - how much consulting will they do? As much as it takes. How early will they get up? As early as it takes. “No problem”… you got to hang out with people like that. You cannot believe the thrill of being associated with miracle workers, people who will do whatever it takes to get the job done and perform miracles.

When asked about paying the taxes Jesus said it was “no problem”. In fact, he said it was going to be easy - he told the disciple to just go fishing. Now it couldn’t have been any easier than that, especially for this disciple whose name was Peter, because Peter was a fisherman. Now if you can fish and you should fish and you don’t fish - then that is why you do not get a miracle. But Jesus told his disciple to go fishing and the first fish that he caught to look in its mouth. Peter, who was used to strange things happening, agreed. Well, the first fish Peter catches, he looks in its mouth and finds coins. Peter then adds up the coins and they are exactly enough to pay his and Jesus’ taxes.

“Wow!”, you might say, “That is a miracle!” Here is why we call it a miracle - simply because we don’t quite understand how it works. That’s all. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, it just means we don’t quite understand how it works. Which is true of all miracles. In fact, for most of us - our whole life is a miracle.

How about this miracle… God says if you plant the seed I will make the tree. Wow, you can’t have a better arrangement than that. First, it gives God the tough end of the deal. What if you had to make a tree? That would keep you up late at night trying to figure out how to make a tree. God says, “No, leave the miracle part to me. I’ve got the seed, the soil, the sunshine, the rain and the seasons. I’m God and all this miracles stuff is easy for me. I have reserved something very special for you and that is to plant the seed.”

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 labor that works miracles.

To Your Success,

Jim Rohn

Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine.
Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved
worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to
http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

Thought Control of the Weather

Recent natural disasters such as the earthquakes in Pakistan, hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Indonesia and others have caused measureless devastation and suffering. Can such disasters be avoided or diminished in strength and destructiveness? Can the collective thought energy of a large group of people have an affect on the weather?

A study carried out in 1993 demonstrated the power of collective thought energy. A large group of people skilled in the practice of transcendental meditation focused their collective minds on the problem of crime in Washington D.C. The results were impressive, to say the least. Crime rates fell 25 percent during the weeks of focused meditation. This test of the power of thought energy was scientifically validated and shown to affect an entire city.

Can similar results be achieved in controlling or diminishing the strength of natural disasters? Is it possible for a large group of people sharing the same intentions and focus of will power to have the power necessary to control the weather?

Is this idea a dangerous one? Could such an attempt backfire and cause even more damage to the human race?

Is such an exercise a complete waste of time? Perhaps it is possible for a thought collective to control weather patterns but fear of success or fear of failure deters the modern mind from making such attempts. It is possible that such things are happening right now and we just haven’t being informed.

Our understanding of the power of the human mind is incredibly limited, our understanding of the subtle energies which compose the universe and all that it contains are even less understood. Weather modification by means of collaborative mental effort does not seem at all unreasonable to me.

There are numerous historical references to mental weather control. Sahaja Yogis, for instance, claim to be able to control the weather by means of collective intent and focused meditation; Tribes among the Yoruba Nation of South West Africa indulge in the shamanistic practice of Ifa or wisdom of nature to control weather conditions; Hopi Indians of North America practice ceremonial dances to evoke rainfall during times of need.

The purposeful control of weather is common to every culture on the planet. Embodied within these various belief systems human beings are viewed as one part of the complex, living whole of Nature, connected to all other living things and to the Universe itself.

It is my personal belief that a careful, deliberate and concentrated group of individuals, experienced in focused meditation techniques can have a positive affect on controlling the damage caused by natural disasters. I would like to invite anyone interested in answering these questions to join the debate and see which way the wind will blow.

Jeffry R. Palmer Ph.D. - Author, Thought Energy Consultant and Syndicated Columnist, Is the author of “Judo for the Soul - The Art of Psychic Self Defense”, as well as numerous articles and papers relating to metaphysics and the study of paranormal phenomena. Further information about Mr. Palmer, his books and articles can be found at http://the-psychic-detective.com

Anamchara - Living From A Deep Place

I live in a beautiful place.

This is the village of Dowra and the outlying town lands of Corrogue and Moneen. I have this early morning come to sit by the lake of Moneen. She gives me a deep sense of presence. She reminds me there is a deeper place still. This is deeper still than “the homeplace.” This is the place of the heart. It is the place where the “singing bird comes.”

Moneen Lake does not have an inland on it. It has swans. As I gaze out upon the water I wonder how old these creatures are. Maybe they are the “children of Lire come here to remind me of the experience of the timeless.

We in Ireland have a mythology that reminds us of our relationship to time and the timeless. Living in this place around Moneen and this lake there is no sense of urgency. There is only time for being.

This lake is a mirror. It mirrors the depth of any individual heart. I look into it and see the beauty. The lilies are beginning to make their way out of the darkness toward the light, sit upon the surface of the water and then flower. I simply look and see this beauty proceed toward me.

I woke up this morning with St. John of the Cross in my bed. My partner is very indulgent of me. She allows me to fantasize in all sorts of delightful ways and I awake to “banquet moments.” This morning I have taken to the lake to reflect on the writing of St John.

I did not have to ask my heart
What it wanted
Because of all the desires
I have ever known
Just one did I cling to
For it was the essence of all desire
To know beauty.

This is someone who is very focused. There is no room for doubt in this heart. There is no need for belief. There is only the clarity of a pure hearts desire. There is only the requirement to know the essence. When one knows, one is the essence and one is beauty and beautiful. You become “I am” in a real sense. You are at one with it all. You have atoned. You have come home to the true “homeplace.” You are at-one-ment.

St John does not start the day with lists of things to do. There is no asking. There is only certainty. There is no living in fear. There is no thought about what might or might not happen today or tomorrow. There are no regrets for the past or longing for the future. There is only the essence of desire. This is to know the beauty of God.

We do not have this degree of focus. We do not ask our heart what it wants. We cannot hear that still small voice amidst “the noise and the haste.” We do not know how to “Go placidly amidst the noise and the haste.” What we want we are told we want or should want. We do not know our hearts passion. We live our lives more focused on our pension.

We live in our intellect and paralyse our life force with analysis of “what if.” Rather than know beauty our focus is on achieving success. For many this attainment turns to ashes in there mouths.

This lake is beautiful. She sits quietly and simply reflects my mood. She is not intent on achieving an image of beauty. She is not intent on becoming a celebrity. As she is, here and now, she is beautiful. She speaks to me when I allow her too. When I have felt unhappy I have come to her side. When I have felt delight I have come to her side. She is part of my becoming nobody special.

Why not spend time by water. Allow its placidity or flow to enter you being. Allow this still place to keep you centred amidst the noise and the haste of this 21st Century. Be as focused as St John of the Cross. Concentrate on what is essential. Learn to know how beautiful your being is in all its wonder.

Tony Cuckson is an Anam Cara. This Celtic term means “Soul Friend.” He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey, Blessings for YOU, words of wisdom and finding inner peace. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website and Tony’s Blog get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs.

Get your free report called “7 ways to it’s a wonderful life” at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com/, or go to Tony`s Blog at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.info/
where you will find links to information related to spiritual parenting, spiritual coaching and spirit in business.

White Sun - A Free Person

As human beings we have the complete spirit of God and a divine nature which is full of vibrant and full of energy. Unfortunately, we are restricted by inherited past and our nature is obscured by desire for material gains. Hence we follow the path of fate like puppets dancing on the string of karma if we live a life not knowing that we can change them. A person, whose greatness is in accordance with the virtues of heaven and earth, follows the will of Heaven and acts with regard to his conscience. He does what he should do. He walks where he ought to walk. He is truly a free person.

In Confucianism it is said, “Everyone can become Yao and Shun.” What does that mean? Yao and Shun are the names of two emperors who were also two saints. Not everyone can become an emperor but everyone can become a saint. The true value and meaning of life come from our ability to manage our destiny and the degree of how much our true nature is manifested during our lifetime. There is a saying:

“Those who are contented with everything that comes before their eyes dwell in the land of the immortals. But those who are discontented remain in the mundane realm. Transcend the world, even though we are still in the dust. We, who have the skill to transform these conditions to our benefit, are the essence of creation. Those who fail to use their conditions to achieve positive results are the essence of destruction.”

Life is like a card game. To win a game when we hold a good set of cards is nothing special. But if we can turnaround an unpromising start and win the game despite our unfavorable cards then we have achieved something rare and commendable. President Eisenhower once recalled a memorable experience. One night, the whole family sat down to play cards together and after several rounds when another game was beginning, the young Eisenhower complained that he had been dealt a very poor hand. His mother stopped the game immediately and told him:

“If you want to play, you have to play with the cards you are given. The cards you hold will determine the game you can play. It is the same as life. You can only do your best with what you have.”

Life follows the same principle. What we are going to have is not the most important issue. We should ask ourselves what we should do to make the best possible use of the things we have been given. This is much more important. Who doesn’t want wealth and nobility? How many of us can actually have them? This is the saying of Confucius:

“If the pursuit of wealth and riches were guaranteed to be successful, I would pursue them even if it meant becoming a groom with a whip in my hand. But as there is no guarantee of success, I will follow that which I love – and that is righteousness.”

Wealth and reputation are external things and outside our bodies. They are governed by fate and beyond our control. A truly meaningful life comes from the real understanding of the purpose of life. Recognize the direction and play the role to the best of our ability. Mencius once said:

“Seek and you shall receive. Abandon and you shall lose. This kind of seeking has good results because the things I search for are within me. There are ways to chase after external things, but whether we gain them or not depend on destiny. Such pursuits are less than useful, for their objectives are beyond me.”

It is crucial to cherish our present opportunities. In the cultivation of Tao, one’s inner qualities are valued more than one’s rank or position and one’s earnestness weighs more than one’s wealth. Do not be a person who simply lives a helpless life according to fate but be a free person. On the external, if you are an emperor, it is because you are destined to rule. If you are a beggar, it is because you are fated to be one. Simply living out one’s predestined way of life is not the sign of a great person.

My Heavenly Teacher JiGong said:

“Gather your confused and disordered mind and calm down. The external world is chaotic and disturbing, and the external conditions and situations are interfering. As long as you rely on your Original Heart (Inner Being), you can discard everything, dispense with everything and put down everything. Ten thousands living things and ten thousand affairs are created and destroyed by the inner mind. This is the time for all of you to raise your wisdom and to carry oneself across by one’s Self-Nature (Inner Being). You must remember: the Self-Nature must be carried across by oneself (only oneself can save the self) and the seeds of births and deaths of the samsara (repetitious cycle of births and deaths) must be rooted out by oneself. The path of samsara can only be cut by subduing ignorance or lightlessness. There is no need to seek gods outside oneself.”

To be a free person is to achieve eternal bliss or salvation. Only we ourselves can do it for ourselves. Nobody can do it for another person. Living beings have trapped themselves in the repetitious cycle of births and deaths for billions of years and this is called “Lun Hui” in Chinese. Self Nature is the spirit, thinker, conscience, inner being or the real self. Carry oneself across means only oneself can save the self and it is oneself who can correct one’s own mistakes and seek progress. No body else can help and to gain total freedom is to carry oneself across the bitter sea of suffering.

T.A Chew realized that it is very important to be a free person so that one can end the never-ending woes of the world. No matter how rich or what position a person can be, he still has to go through old age, sickness and finally death. Website: http://www.white-sun.com

Simplicity

“Live simply so that others may simply live” –Mahatma Gandhi

When our lives are simple, we are more secure within ourselves and therefore able to let go of the many internal complications of achievement, praise or external search for experience and fulfilment, and we begin to live from a place of inner peace. With simplicity our life’s journey becomes less chaotic as we gain more control over ourselves and begin to rediscover and enjoy anew the ‘simple pleasures of life’.

Simplicity of dress is a mark of purity, simplicity of food brings good health, and simplicity of environment means cleanliness and stability. With simplicity, we return to the innocence of the child: our intellect and heart pure and therefore full of clarity.

Nature is simple and is governed by a few basic laws and principles. Similarly spirituality is governed by basic laws and principles so that when we understand and live in accordance with them we live in harmony with all that is around and within us.

This is the proof that our lives are meant to be simple. We only need basic food and shelter to survive, yet we seem to habitually and compulsively acquire, accumulate and therefore complicate our lives. Initially we enjoy all this, while at heart yearn for the simplicity of the past.

Returning to simplicity becomes the platform from which we can launch a new trend of ‘high values and simple living’. So let us rebuild our lives with this aim. Not just to live simply that others can live but so that we ourselves can live truly, at the same time inspiring others.

Internal and external simplicity are the indication of strength, depth, stability and happiness - key ingredients to inner peace. Those who live with these qualities can discern the truth and they recognise that all that glitters is not gold.

Om Shanti

(I am a peaceful soul)

Aruna is an international management development trainer, a teacher of meditation and a freelance writer currently based in Bahrain. She is also the director of the Bahrain Meditation Centre, which is administered by Brahma Kumaris, London, an international organisation with over 6000 centers in over 85 countries (http://www.bkwsu.org.uk) and she continues to coordinate various activities for them in the Middle East.

Aruna has spent the last 22 years focused on learning, living and teaching the art of self-development. As a lecturer and teacher of meditation she gained a wealth of experience working with the Brahma Kumaris, teaching meditation, values and ethics, positive thinking and creativity seminars.

Tel: +973-17-712 545
meditate@batelco.com.bh

www.bahrainmeditationcentre.org

What Are You Aiming At?

Henry David Thoreau said, “People seldom hit what they do not aim at.”

Do you know what you are aiming at?

I grew up on a farm in eastern North Dakota. Because it is the site of a former ancient glacial lake-bed it is extremely flat. That makes for great farming where millions of acres of crops are raised.

I was always amazed at how straight my dad could plow a field. When I asked my dad about this he explained how he did it. He said, “you make the furrow straight by picking a point at the other end of the field and keeping your eye on it. Then you drive the tractor to that point (not taking your eye off of it) and when you get there and look back you will have a straight furrow!”

And he did plow a straight furrow if I have ever seen one!

Do you have a point in mind down at the end of the road that you are aiming at? It’s amazing how many people don’t!

Do you know what you are aiming at?

In your relationships with your spouse, significant other, children, and friends have you given thought to the kind of time you want to spend with them? Do you know what you mean when you say “quality relationships?” I’m not telling you. I’m just asking you if you know what YOU are aiming at.

In terms of your health, do you have goals that you want to reach in order to enjoy the physical fruits of all your hard work? Or, are you just going to plow through life hoping that one day you’ll have enough energy and health left?

In your ongoing life education (formal and informal), do you continue to have an inquisitive mind that is continually seeking to learn?

In your career do you know what you are aiming at or do you just go through the daily routine and collect a paycheck every week or two? Do you have a goal in mind at the end of the field?

How about your finances? Do you know what you are aiming at or do you just hope that one day when you retire there will be enough money to cover your expenses?

Do you really know what you are aiming at in life? If you don’t there will be a day when you look back and say, “What was that all about?” I think the people who ask that question are the ones who had nothing they were aiming at all along the way of life. Please, don’t be one of them.

Let this be the day that you begin to know what you are aiming at. Talk about it with other important people in your life. Get a road map out for your future and figure out what it is you aiming at!

And if you know what you are aiming it, some day when you look back, you will know that you plowed a straight furrow and hit your goals!

Scott Hove is “The Entrepreneurial Pastor.” Hove is a professional speaker in the areas of wealth-building, motivation and inspiration.

To learn more about him and how to have him speak to your business or organization visit: http://www.ScottHove.com

Hercules - What Is the Measure of a True Hero?

‘Long ago, in the faraway land of ancient Greece, there was a golden age of powerful gods and extraordinary heroes. And the greatest and strongest of all these heroes was the mighty Hercules. But what is the measure of a true hero? Ah, that is what our story is…’

Fables are fashionable, no doubt about it. On film, the world in the 21st century is saved by super-heroes a few times a day because they have either futuristic technology or astonishing powers.

For me, however, Disney’s ‘Hercules’ is the best movie in this genre ever made : it is their only film based on Greek mythology - these timeless tales about a world of complex interrelations between gods and humans explored the mysteries of life on earth, conveying important lessons to struggling mortals.

The conduct of the royal society on Mount Olympus in those days seems to have been as fallible as today’s jet set and in the absence of TV, the stories about their lives and adventures, weaknesses and misdemeanours in ancient Greece apparently were the talk of the town.

As an animated movie first released in 1997, the ancient characters in Walt Disney’s ‘Hercules’ speak a very modern language - Charlton Heston (Narrator), Rip Torn (Zeus, leader of the gods), James Woods (Hades, ruler of the underworld) and Danny DeVito (Phil the Satyr) amongst others have given their voices to a fast-paced, wildly funny and very entertaining film for kids and adults alike.

What is often overlooked though is that the story of Hercules is also a brilliant parable about the human cycle of life on earth - for me, that is he most interesting aspect of the movie. It all starts at the party on Mount Olympus, where right of admission is reserved for Gods, to celebrate the birth of Hercules, son of Zeus and Hera. The host welcomes a new guest :

“Hades, you finally made it. How are things in the underworld?”
“Well, they’re just fine. You know, a little dark, a little gloomy. And, as always, hey, full of dead people. What are you gonna do?”

The evil Hades plans to overthrow Zeus as chief of the gods in what he calls a ‘hostile takeover bid’, however, and shortly after the party sends his helpers Pain and Panic to abduct Hercules down to Earth because the Fates predict that he might thwart the coup in 18 years time.

Although pain and fear are still the most effective allies of dark forces today, good help was difficult to find even in those days, and Pain and Panic don’t quite manage to infuse the magic potion into Hercules that would make him forget his divine origin.

As a result, Hercules retains super-human strength for his spell on earth - but that doesn’t make him very popular : as an impetuous teenager, he breaks whatever he touches and he isn’t allowed anywhere near the local pottery store. ‘Jerkules’ is his nickname at that time and he yearns to be normal, like everyone else.

He just wants to fit in somehow and know where he belongs, setting the scene for the archetypal hero’s quest - this is beautifully highlighted in his captivating song ‘Go the Distance’ : ‘I will find my way, I can go the distance; I’ll be there some day if I can be strong; I know every mile will be worth my while.’

So when he leaves the home of his foster parents to find his place in the world, his first stop is at the temple of Zeus, a quiet place for reflection, to ask for guidance. There he learns that he has a famous father - and Zeus tells him that he has to prove himself a true hero on earth to restore his status as a god.

How do you become a true hero?

You learn from an expert.

On Zeus’ advice, and with the help of Pegasus the flying horse, Hercules seeks out Philictetus, the trainer of heroes. Phil is disillusioned because previous clients like Perseus and Achilles couldn’t go the full distance, but he takes Hercules on and shows him all the tricks of the hero-trade. Both make mistakes and get hurt a few times in the process, of course - you teach what you need to learn, and the lines between teacher and student get blurred after a while.

Along the way Hercules also has to rescue Megara, a damsel in distress, and they fall in love - he doesn’t know that she has sold her soul to Hades, however, and is committed to help him rearrange the cosmos to take over Mount Olympus. Despite their efforts to get Hercules out of the way before he spoils the loot, he becomes a famous superstar ‘From Zero to Hero’ in the big city with his own merchandised brand on consumer goods, all the royalties that go with it, and the high life that everyone envies.

But being rich and famous, strong and powerful is not being a true hero, Zeus tells him at another visit to the temple - before Hercules can rejoin the gods he must still do something that he has to discover for himself, something that he can only find by looking inside.

Hades in the meantime is furious and very frustrated with his lack of progress until he finds the only weakness Hercules has - his love for Meg. Hercules eventually agrees to give up his enormous strength for 24 hours to win back Meg’s freedom from the clutches of Hades - who immediately launches his attack on the world by unleashing the Titans.

But Meg, Pegasus and Phil are not giving up on Hercules’ shattered dreams and help him in his darkest hour. Together with the gods on Mount Olympus, they defeat Hades and his Titans and liberate planet Earth from the underworld’s tyranny and oppression - but not without casualties : Meg is dying!

In a desperate attempt to change the course of events, Hercules rushes to see Hades and strikes a deal with him : ‘Take me in Meg’s place’. He dives after Meg into the River of Death, selflessly offering his life in return for hers, but the Fates cannot cut his thread so that they both emerge alive - the underworld has no power over gods!

Meg and the mighty Hercules are whisked off to Mount Olympus - now he can return home to be reunited with his family. The overjoyed Zeus explains : ‘A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength - but by the strength of his heart!’

This is the moment Hercules has always dreamed of, but he realizes that a life without love, even an immortal life, would be empty - and chooses to stay on earth with Meg and his friends : ‘I finally know where I belong.’

I just love it!

What if we all remembered that we are powerful beyond measure and have a connection to our divine origin with unlimited support?

What if we knew that we are always exactly where we belong, wherever we are and whatever we do?

About the Author : Berend Lange is a freelance writer focusing on human lessons behind the scenes of current affairs. On his BLUE CRANE website http://www.bluecrane.info he offers a fresh perspective on how to overcome the challenges we face in life. He constantly monitors publications on personal growth and his eNewsletter COMPASS keeps subscribers in touch with self improvement. Subscribe to COMPASS today on http://www.bluecrane.info/compass.html

Energy Work Basics Part 2: What Lifts Your Spirit?

Remember, everything is made of energy. Each of us has an energy field. Our thoughts and emotions extend beyond our physical bodies and influence the people and spaces around us. The energy of thoughts and emotions hangs around in spaces after the people have left.

Get a pen and paper. Quickly write down as many things as possible that lift your spirit. A tip to make sure you get down all the important ways to lift your spirit: Think physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Now write!

Look over your list.

What “physical” ways to lift your spirit did you record?

Physical activities: dancing, exercise, playing sports, hiking, playing a musical instrument, and gardening.

Sights: beautiful objects, nature, a good-looking guy or gal, flowers, pets, rainbows.

Sounds: children’s laughter, your favourite music, waves crashing on the shore, rain on the roof.

Smells: baking bread, a whiff of perfume, the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee, the air after a spring rain.

Tastes: biting into an orange, chocolate, eating.

Touch: the feel of silk on your skin, a romantic interlude, a luxurious soak in a tub, a massage, the earth between your fingers or toes, the wind in your face as you sail.

What mental ways did you write down?

Crossword puzzles; reading books: fiction: mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, historical, thrillers, epics and plays, and non-fiction: biographies, science, travel, self-improvement, and inspirational; playing cards and board games; learning something new; planning a trip; figuring something out.

What emotional ways did you identify?

Spending time with friends and family, vacations, laughter, joyful activities.

What spiritual things did you list?

Meditation, worship, volunteering, listening to beautiful music, being in the moment, gratitude, being in nature.

Did you find it was difficult to separate the ways that uplift your spirit into the different categories? That’s okay. It helped to make sure you remembered the important ways.

Next, are the ways you recorded regular parts of your life? Which ones are? Which ones are not? What would it take to make the underused ways regular parts of your life?

Now, take a few minutes and plan how to make the 3 ways you miss the most a regular part of your life. Put your plan into action. You’ll be glad you did!

When you lift your spirit, you raise your vibration. And as you learned in Energy Work Basics Part 1, you feel “better” and “lighter” when your spirits are high. And so do the people around you!

Karen Titanich and Bonnie Hutchinson of SPIRIT Connections work with the energy of people, places and situations. Discover the secrets of working with energy. Visit http://www.spiritconnections.com

Hypnosis CDs - Are they as Good as a One-on-One Session?

The honest answer is that they can be. A therapy session with a hypnotherapist will involve multiple aspects. A scoping session to define exactly what the issues are that need to be resolved, a history to understand how these issues have developed (and so define how they can be undone) as well as specific personal traits and resources which can be used by the patient.

All of these will allow the hypnotherapist to create a very specialised and unique programme fro the patient. The quality of the sessions with a therapist will depend upon the accuracy of the initial meeting, the knowledge of the therapist as well as their skill in implementing the plan they produce.

All of this means that the quality of a therapy session will vary dramatically.

With a Hypnosis CD or MP3 on the other hand the quality of them is consistent. The initial scoping is done by the patient and it works on the principle that the patient knows what is best for them. They then decide which programme to go with and make a purchase. This one time cost is usually the cost of 1 or 2 sessions with a qualified therapist. This means that the person can undergo treatment at their own convenience and at their own pace. Remember that a Hypnosis CD has to be created by a qualified hypnotherapist anyway in order to be effective so you are still getting the correct treatment.

Ultimately it is up to you, the patient, as to which is better for you. A Hypnosis CD will only help to reinforce the work you do with a therapist anyway so it is best to start there. Once you begin to see the benefits you can then make a decision based on the return you expect from a session, rather than guesswork.

Rachel Silvers is the creator of the Spirit Waves website. This site is dedicated to bringing the best in Hypnosis CDs and MP3s, hypnosis, healing and self development resources into one place. She has also begun to bring together the unique bodyshifting resources and techniques that will enable people to change their physical body to more suit their desires.

Using Music for Meditation

In meditation we are trying to quieten the mind. If we can stop the usual thoughts of the mind we can go from our ordinary, mundane consciousness to a more peaceful state. Meditation music can play an important role in helping to calm the mind and enable us to go to a quieter space. Most beginners to meditation feel that it is almost impossible to stop our own thoughts. (Not for nothing has our mind been likened to a mad monkey!) However it is possible through practise, right preparation and various different techniques that will help us.

A particularly useful exercise is to harmonise our breathing; by focusing on our own breathing it enables us to quieten the mind. However there are times when our mind is still very restless; perhaps because of a busy day or a weight of problems. This is where music can be very helpful to our meditation.

Firstly meditative music can help to drown out any extraneous noises that can easily disturb us. We should not feel we have to go to a Himalayan cave to meditate, we can meditate even in the midst of a busy city, yet unfortunately modern life can be noisy. This is beyond our control but meditative music is one thing we can use to overcome this potential problem.

Secondly music can have a big effect on our emotions and state of mind. Obviously for meditation we need to choose music which is composed and performed in a meditative fashion. Rock music is good for energising ourselves, but hopeless for meditation. However the right meditation music will raise our aspirations from the mundane and make ourselves more receptive to the inner poise and peace within. Sri Chinmoy says:

“Each time we hear soulful music, we get inspiration and delight. In the twinkling of an eye, music can elevate our consciousness.”

When meditating to music there are two approaches we can take. The first is to concentrate intensely on the music listening to each note. This is effective because it takes us out of ourselves and gives us something to focus on. However we should make sure we are concentrating with our heart and not the mind. What we mean by this is that we do not listen to music with our intellectual mind to examine and listen for wrong notes. We are merely focusing our a aware and allow ourselves to be absorbed in the meditative flow.The second way of meditating music is to not pay any attention specifically to the music but just feel it as inspiring background music.

There will come a time in our meditation when we wish to meditate in absolute silence and we will not have any need for music. However especially when we are beginners music can be a very useful tool that helps us in our meditation.

It is interesting that many of the great music composers often had experiences that could be described as similar to meditation, even though they did not consciously aim for it. For example when Handel composed the Hallelujah Chorus he stated that.

“Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it, I know not. God knows.”

Richard is an economics teacher in Oxford and is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre. Richard is a keen cyclist competing in races across the UK he also edits a site about the music of Sri Chinmoy