We don’t practice meditation for the purpose of attempting to fix ourselves, and the practice does not have to do with self-improvement or becoming perfect. Inner freedom is far different and much more relaxing than perfection. Our purpose in practice is not to become a better meditator but rather to know a happiness that lies within. We train the mind to access intrinsic peacefulness and a sustained current of joy. This joy is not the opposite of grief, but a current that runs underneath all of life. The question is how to access and swim in this current.
As we know, there are many scientific studies that point to the beneficial effects of a dedicated meditation practice. The one I like best has to do with what has been termed the “feel-good” gene. Scientists have found that because of a genetic variation in the brain, some people are naturally less anxious, and thus happier, than other people are. Those who have this genetic variation find it easier to let go of past painful experiences. This genetic mutation produces higher levels of anandamide in the brain, which is a neurotransmitter that produces a sense of well-being. The name given by scientists for this gene, anandamide, originates from the Sanskrit word ‘ananda’, which translates as internal bliss, joy, happiness, or delight. It is sometimes known as “the bliss molecule”. Ananda was also the name of the Buddha’s attendant. Other than having to say to visitors, “no, you can’t see the Buddha right now, he is resting,” it was likely to have been quite the blissful job.
About 20 percent of the population is born with this genetic makeup. We either have it or we don’t. I was not born into this life with this gene. Yet, the anxiety I began with has dissolved over a lifetime of meditating. It is clear to me that the practice of meditation has made up for the absence of this genetic predisposition. I have observed this same shift in many practitioners, the easing of anxiety and an increase in well-being. For most of us, if we meditate over time, it does not matter whether we were born with the feel-good gene or not. Knowing this inner sense of well-being is one of the benefits of training our minds.
I started doing this about a Week Ago and I Can Feel Some Improvement. However, I'm Still Going to Go to My Doctor Soon...
My Main Exercise is Bouncing on the Balls of My Feet while Holding onto a Bar Mounted on the Wall of The Bathroom. While Standing, I Raise my Heels about an Inch off the Floor and then Lower them to About a Quarter Inch. Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy for about a Minute. I Do this Every Time I Go to the Bathroom... Maybe Eight Times a Day? I Don't Know... Occasionally I Bend my Knees but That's not the Main Event.
The Meditation is Done Lying Down While Watching TV. During the Commercials I Turn Off the Sound and Close my Eyes.
I Take an Extremely Large Breath and say the Word "God" - Then I Exhale Normally. Then I Inhale and Say "Heal" Exhale and Inhale and say "Me" Exhale...
The Fundamental Technique is to Inhale as Much as Possible... Pushing My Belly out to Inflate My Diaphram... Say a Word... and Then Relax and Exhale Whatever Feels Natural... and All The While I'm Moving My Toes in a Circular Motion... Moving them as Far as Possible as I Rotate Them...
The REASON I Do this Lying Down is I want to Make Sure I Don't Fall Down When I Get Dizzy... and after about Nine Breaths I'm Starting to Get Dizzy from Hyperventilating... and Then It's Time to Check to See IF The TV Show Has Restarted. At the Very Least, I Get to Reject The Advertising Brainwashing... and Contact God Instead! I often Change the Words... Like: "God, What Should I Write?" or "God, What is My Divine Purpose?" WhatEVER...
I saw this Breathing Technique in a TV Show about Wim Hof. Supposedly He Cured Frostbite in His Feet Doing This... and Many Other "Unbelievable" Actions... Like: Climbing Mount Everest in Shorts and Tennis Shoes without Oxygen Tanks... Swimming in 32 Degree Water... and Training Other People to Be Able to Withstand Extreme Cold... I Don't Know if Any of This BBC TV Show was True but... I'm Taking What I can Learn and Doing It Myself!
There is no god. If you have pre-diabetes, better get a prescription of Metformin. That would be much more helpful.
and I Replied: I have a Real Doctor and He Prescribes Many Pre-Diabetes Drugs... and I test my Blood Daily - and Go to the Clinic every 6 months... OF COURSE, My health is NOT an Either/Or situation... I do Both! I don't actually believe in GOD but I might be wrong... anyway... Doing Meditation using a Sanskrit Mantra seems Absurd... So I Choose to Chant a Mantra IN ENGLISH...
I Also Participate in the Webinars Hosted By Spiritual Teacher Sonya Sophia - She Does Healing Workshops at The Rainbow Gathering and Burning Man... and Online...
Here is a Video of a Healing Ceremony She Lead at a Rainbow Gathering... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2r0I8VoxJY I met her at the Rainbow Gathering in Utah and Participated in her Workshop. I Took a Business Card and Later Participated in the Online Self Help Broadcasts. She Has a Fundamentally Valid Concept. I did it for about a Year... It's Worthwhile Technique... It's a A Combination of Acupuncture (without using actual needles) and Positive Ideas... I Still Use What I Learned... I plan to Use The Guided Meditation technique to relax and Focus Attention for the Rest of My Life... We put pressure on Specific Locations of our body by tapping lightly with our fingers while she told us reassuring statements and we would all repeat what she said... Like: "I Love and Respect Myself..." or... "I Love and ACCEPT Myself..."
Sonya Sophia at the Goddess Temple Chico California
Join us for a weekly interactive livestream self-healing event hosted by EFT master practitioner Sonya Sophia. Every Monday at 8pm CST / 6pm PST, an ever-expanding global community gathers to heal issues ranging from creative blocks to PTSD to chronic illness and pain.
WHAT IS EFT TAPPING?
EFT also called ‘Tapping’ is a scientifically proven self-healing technique which allows you to naturally release accumulated stress, trauma and pain from both mind & body at an accelerated pace.
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On FaceBORG SE Said:I know a lot of people are acting like there is no more COVID, but here in the Bay Area, we currently have the highest infection rate in CA. Now is not the time to let your guard down! It’s summer now, I’m sure you’ve got lots of things you’re looking forward to: vacations, etc. Do you want your summer to be ruined because you got COVID and had to stay home? Of course not! It isn’t hard to protect yourself by wearing a mask. The problem is that with no mandate, too many people have STOPPED wearing a mask. That’s why cases are surging yet again. I guess they aren’t planning to bring back the mandate, so it’s up to us to protect ourselves as best we can. Mask up, stay up to date on your boosters, and avoid crowded indoor spaces. Don’t let COVID ruin your summer!
and I Replied: Wearing Masks is a Good Idea... I have a New Housemate and Many People in His Family Come to Visit... and they ALL Wear Masks... and Whenever I Go Out, I Wear a Mask. However, The Current Residents Don't Wear Masks at Our Home... We all have been unmasked around each other for YEARS... Not Only is Masking Good For Preventing Infection by COVID - 19 but It Also Keeps THE FLU Away...
and She Said:Oh yes, I should have mentioned the flu and the common cold in my post, because those can also ruin a person’s summer plans. Wearing a mask is the best way to avoid all airborne illnesses, along with washing your hands. Protect yourself, stay healthy, and enjoy your summer!
SE SAID: Another thing I keep hearing about this latest COVID variant which is spreading rapidly here in the Bay Area: apparently most people are sick for a much longer stretch of time than they were with earlier variants. All the more reason to be extra cautious, in my opinion. You will most likely recover, but do you really want to lose several weeks of your summer from being sick? I sure don’t. I wish they’d bring back the mask mandate. I don’t understand why they aren’t bringing it back. With so many maskless people everywhere, it’s no wonder this thing is spreading so rapidly. Please WEAR A MASK in crowded indoor spaces. The pandemic is NOT over, despite what you may have heard.
GN Replied:
We split our time between Folsom and the Bay Area. In Folsom you can easily count the number of people still wearing masks in public (like me) because we stand out anymore, whereas in the Bay Area (Richmond, Berkeley, San Rafael) you can easily count the maskless because more people are still being sensible and wearing them. You also don’t see any tRump worship signs and raised trucks in the Bay Area, which is a pretty obvious correlation.
SE Replied:
Lately I feel like one of the only people wearing a mask, and I’ve started wearing a KN95 in some places because it freaks me out that so few people are wearing them. I just don’t get why people don’t care about getting sick. Don’t they have jobs? Don’t they have stuff they have to get done? Who can afford to just give up weeks of their life for an illness if there are ways of avoiding it?
I Said: Today we had an Inspection by the State of California Licensing... The People that Regulate Old Folks Homes and... ALL of Them Were Wearing Masks... and then Suddenly The Care Givers were wearing Masks TOO.
We, The Residents Were Not...
and Family Members that Come Visit ALL Wear Masks.
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And on a Different Subject... Here's an Artshow... and Some Music To Relax Your Mind... Or maybe Blow Your Mind!
Edvard Greig: March of the Trolls!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYaf36Qo9cs
Peace Sign MindSprout - 180 Degree Psychedelic Art done Using the MirrorFun Quest by gvan42
In 2012, American researchers assessed 238 first-year college students using the Beck Depression Inventory and found 30 students met the criteria for moderate to severe depression. They were randomly assigned to either an EFT treatment or control group. The EFT group received four 90-minute group sessions of tapping, whereas the control group received nothing. Those who received EFT were found to have significantly less depression three weeks later, with an average depression score in the non-depressed range following treatment, compared to the control group who demonstrated no change in depressive symptoms.(...)
The 11 adults then attended an eight-week, 16-hour group treatment program. This was two hours per week. (...)
The first hypothesis asked whether Clinical EFT resolved major depressive disorder as a diagnosis. The data revealed that while the diagnosis was not completely resolved immediately after eight weeks for everyone, two members no longer met criteria. In addition, all 11 adults no longer met diagnosis for one or more other disorders they had when they started. These were disorders such as social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. So EFT impacted those diagnoses through OUT program too. The second hypothesis asked whether Clinical EFT was effective at reducing the symptoms of major depressive disorder. In several cases individual adults reported clinical differences in symptoms. That is, the difference was enough so that if measured in a clinical setting, it would indicate treatment was successful. Therefore a clinically valid difference was achieved. The third hypothesis asked whether the treatment effects of Clinical EFT were sustained after three months. Improvements were maintained, and many of the group members experienced continual improvement in their symptoms over time.
– The Science Behind Tapping: A Proven Stress Management Technique for the Mind and Body.
The Video Above is a FULL Tapping Session Plus a Description of What Tapping IS and How It Works... An Introduction for Newcomers...
Let's Suppose That You Truly Believe that Tea Exists... and That Tea Cups Exists... Well, You are Much More Likely to Get a Cup of Tea than Someone who Refuses to Believe in the Possibility of Tea. and...Well, EVERYTHING IS LIKE THAT... Believe that it's Possible for You to ______________ (fill in the Blank) and you have Started on the Path to Achieving _____________ (fill in the Blank) - Teachings of Sonya Sophia
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How I Met Sonya Sophia
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At the Rainbow Gathering in Utah, 2014... I walked from the Welcome Home Kitchen (where I was Staying) to the The Big Shady Spot at Main Meadow. At high elevation, sunburn is a major problem so our campsite was the very best!
I saw a group of people congregating at the Smaller Shady Spot at Main Meadow and I wondered... "What are those people doing?" and Then they all came over to our campsite... A Lady asked me if she could teach a healing seminar at our location... I said "SURE, have fun. I was wondering what the crowd of people was for, and was considering walking over there to find out but you came over here..." and she said: "Sometimes Mohammad goes to the Mountain and sometimes the Mountain Comes to Mohammad." Her name is Sonya Sophia and she taught a seminar of Self Help - Acupressure. We put pressure on locations of out body by tapping lightly with our fingers while she told us reassuring statements and we would all repeat what she said... Like: "I Love and Respect Myself." It was a good seminar and I enjoyed it so much that I took her business card and attended once a week internet sessions.
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July 4th OM Chant at California Rainbow Gathering in Modoc County 2004 Near the Town of Likely...
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How to Become AWARE...
Easy Step by Step Instructions.
Go Outdoors and
Find 5 Things You Can See,
Four Things You Can Hear,
Three Things You Can Smell,
Two Things You Can Touch
and One Thing You Can Taste.
Notice That None of these Things
are on Your Computer Screen,
Phone or TV...
Reality Exists...
GO VISIT!
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Burning Man Wisdom Tale: "The Canteen" - Traditionally,
at Burning Man, You Share Water with People You Meet.
Hand the Canteen to a Person and They Hand it to Another
Person and ALL THE TIME, You are Worrying... "Will there
Be Enough Water FOR ME?" Well, What if YOU DRINK
FIRST and Then Pass the Canteen to Your Friend... That
Way, All that Time You are Enjoying the Pleasure You Gave
Others Without Worrying about Running Out of Water and
Dying of Thirst in the Desert. Remember: Take Some ME
Time First. You deserve it. - Story by Sonya Sophia
Just Bliss Out - MEME
Portrait of an Alien
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You may Read More Blog Posts by Clicking on the Handy LABELS Below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzbljIKw1_4 and... It Floods Your Mind With Pleasant Memories... Or Unpleasant Memories... and It Gives You an Opportunity to Forgive Them and Forgive Yourself... Do Not Take Resentments With You to Your Grave... Let Them Go... and Focus Attention on the Positive Experiences... Everybody Sing! "You got to accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative, Latch on to the Affirmative, Don't Mess With Mister In Between." - Bing Crosby
Painting of a Flying Heart on My Little White Truck by Gregory Vanderlaan
and here is the next step... GOOGLE THEIR NAMES... and read their story, look at their pictures... and all the related stories/pictures of people with the same name... "OH! I didn't Know That!" - Especially interesting are the Obituaries... "Really? Uncle Marc Did That!" - It is Common to Have A-HA Moments Googling Family Names. It's Like Reading Haiku Poetry on Acid... Eureka! I Have Found IT!
Vanderlaan Family Chart
Here is My Family: Say it Out Loud. Marguerite Malek Vanderlaan, Justin Duff Vanderlaan, Martin Vanderlaan, Mae Malek, Albert Malek, Eldred Cornelius Vanderlaan, Mable Alice Duff, Alberta Malek Grey, Gary Lea, Nicole Vanderlaan Smith, Brodie Smith, Vanessa Vanderlaan, Cadence Smith, Reese Smith, Patti Post, Marcus Vanderlaan, Margret Vanderlaan, Robin Vanderlaan, Karen (Jill) Vanderlaan, Jo Ann Humphrey Vanderlaan, Joe Humphrey, Crystal Humphrey, Gail Humphrey Chapin Gary Chapin, Janet Humphrey Chapin, Ray (Sandy) Chapin, Helen Mussat, George Mussat, Harry Meeks, Roberta Meeks, Coral Meeks, Victoria Davis Vanderlaan, Ed Davis, Jean Davis, Beth Davis Deahl, Gary Deahl...
This is a Mantra That Has Meaning... Instead of Chanting the Hairy KRSNA... OM... AUM... or Mother Mary... Why Not Focus on the Family... and Chant While Doing that Deep Breathing We Were All Taught in the Movie Woodstock.
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Massive #ArrestTrump Movement on Social Media. Millions of Americans are Demanding That The DOJ "Lock Him UP!" Read More at:
Click Here to Help Defend Democracy! Post Your Own Memes, Videos and Rants! or Like and Share Mine...
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On a different subject: SE Said: I've always been fascinated by people who get married young. I find it really admirable that a person can know at a young age that they've met the person they want to spend the rest of their life with. I had several long-term relationships when I was in my late teens and 20's, but I was not at all ready to make a lifetime commitment at such a young age. I wanted to get married, but not until I was older and more mature. I worried that if I married too young, I'd end up getting divorced...and to me, it never made sense to take a chance on ending up divorced when I could just wait until I was older before getting married. I became more mature as I got older, and my emotions evened out tremendously. I cringe when I think of some of the ridiculous things I argued with my partners about when I was young, and I can't imagine arguing about such petty things now. I always assumed I'd marry around age 40 or so. By the time I turned 40, I felt more than ready to make a lifetime commitment to someone.
But what I never anticipated was the fact that the majority of people DON'T want to wait until they're older before getting married. The majority of people marry young. So when you wait until you're 40, there aren't very many single men left who are interested in marriage. The men who are still single after 40 are often single by choice, and they don't want to get married at all. Or, they're divorced, and now they're soured on the whole idea of marriage - which is exactly what I wanted to avoid by waiting until I was older before getting married. I didn't want to end up divorced and bitter, I wanted to stay single when I was young and then marry when I was a little more mature.
It's still hard for me to relate to people who were ready to marry young, and they got married young and stayed married. I really do admire that. My strategy of waiting until I was older didn't quite pan out the way I thought it would. If I could do it over again, I'd marry young and hope for the best.
and I replied: I got married at 21 and divorced 5 years later... then got married again at 45 and divorced 12 years later... Remember that there is a Financial commingling... During my second marriage she was applying for Food Stamps and CMSP (a medical insurance program paid for by the County of Humboldt) and IN THAT APPLICATION they wanted a copy of Her Bank Statement AND her Husbands Bank Statement... SO... We Got Divorced because I didn't want to provide MY Bank Statement... We Continued to live together as roommates...
SE SAID: I've also been hit on by married men on a couple of occasions, which proves to me that maybe it IS smarter to wait until you're older before getting married, otherwise you might find yourself feeling bored 30 years later, so you look to have a fling. But I find that to be pretty gross, and it's also insulting to me that any married man would think I'd even consider having a fling with him while he's married to someone else. I can't help feeling like they think that just because I've never been married, it automatically must mean that I'd be up for a meaningless fling. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Part of the reason I never married is because I have a lot of respect for marriage, and I would never dream of having a fling with a married man. Maybe if these guys hadn't gotten married so young, if they'd waited until they were older before getting married, maybe they wouldn't be bored and looking for a fling 30 years later.
****** (~);-} ******
Take ACTION...Like my Father said:
"God Helps Those Who Help Themselves."
and then he would reach across the
Dining Room Table and Grab a Biscuit!
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Burning Man Wisdom Tale: "The Canteen" - Traditionally, at Burning Man, You Share Water with People You Meet. Hand the Canteen to a Person and They Hand it to Another Person and ALL THE TIME, You are Worrying... "Will there Be Enough Water FOR ME?" Well, What if YOU DRINK FIRST and Then Pass the Canteen to Your Friend... That Way, All that Time You are Enjoying the Pleasure You Gave Others Without Worrying about Running Out of Water and Dying of Thirst in the Desert. Remember: Take Some ME Time First. You deserve it. - Story by Sonya Sophia
Once, I was at a Rainbow Gathering in Idaho and I Drank the Last of My Water and I was a Long Way from My Campsite and It Was Night... I got Upset and Told My Friend about My Problem and he said: "Just Walk Over to That Kitchen Right There and Ask For Water, AND THEN JUST BLISS OUT! We will take care of You." - and I Did Get Water and I Did Bliss OUT!
Just Bliss Out - MEME
Portrait of an Alien
Yin Yang Find More Art on Google Image Search Using the Words "gvan42 Free Coloring Book"
Psychedelic Art
Are We Really Mortal? Do the Math. If you count up all the people who have ever lived since the Beginning of Time... More people are Alive than Dead... [Not Factually Accurate - I posted this story on Facebook and Learned Something from an Alert Reader] Statistically Speaking, the ODDS of Mortality Being Fact is Less that 50% - and then there is That Famous Question of Coming Back from The Dead... I did that Every Time I Drove Home from a Concert... At Least I Did that after Every Grateful Dead Concert... Jesus Did That Once and Everybody Said it was a Miracle... Well, Some of Us Need a Miracle Every Day! As John Steinbeck Wrote in Tortilla Flat: I experienced the Daily Miracle of Food... Amazing, since I'm Unemployed... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortilla_Flat We Ought to Simply Stop Car Races. The Indianapolis 500 is a Celebration of the Internal Combustion Engine. An Invention that is Killing Us by Causing Climate Change. Honoring a Death Machine is a Cultural Bizarro World Action...
Ecology is a Concept Not Grasped by Monster Truck Guy...
When you Hear About the Datona 500, Think Death by Wildfires and Rising Ocean Levels Flooding Miami and New York City. We Had Car Races Every Saturday Night in the Summer in Eureka, CA and the Noise Sounded Like Angry Bees... I could Hear them thru the Redwood Forest in my Back yard... I Could also Hear the Children Playing Baseball and Squealing with delight... Quite a Contrast: Life vs Death.
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