Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Key to Self-Acceptance-art of living


Life is a lot easier when you aren't beating yourself up all the time. If you like yourself, trust yourself, and have confidence in yourself, then others will like you, trust you, and have confidence in you too.
Most people's feelings towards themselves vary throughout the day. We all make mistakes, and we all let ourselves down from time to time. But some people are harsher on themselves than others. Some people hate themselves even when there doesn't seem to be a good reason on a particular day. Did you ever wonder why?

We often look at the people around us in our lives and compare ourselves to them. Some of them earn more money, or have a more attractive partner or are more proud of their children. You might think that we develop negative feeling towards ourselves as a result of these judgements. This is true, to a certain extent.

Consider for a moment though, that sometimes the feeling comes first. What if we already had the feeling, and it guided our thoughts? Maybe the feeling comes almost out of nowhere, and we backwards rationalise that feeling by literally making up reasons to fit it.

If that were the case, no matter how much we try to think differently, the feeling will still be there, forcing our thoughts into a particular corner. That would make it very slow or almost impossible to change. If you have persistent negative feelings about yourself, this might be your experience.

The key is to understand where the feeling really comes from.

The truth is we simply learned how to feel that way about ourselves one day, from one time, one event - and it got stuck in our system. We had an intense emotional experience, where other people, or the situation, or just our own thoughts at the time, led us to feel a certain way. So we associated that feeling with a part of us, and began to identify with it.

Knowing about the memory is one thing, but often that isn't enough to allow you to grow beyond it. Tapping is one way to successfully let go of past memories and integrate the experiences into your rational mind.
Artical Source:-http://www.tapping.com/articles

Friday, February 26, 2010

Hanging Wall Art - 4 Simple Rules of art

Deciding on how to display art in a way that is appealing and draws attention can be a daunting challenge for some. Read on as this article provides a few simple tips on displaying art effectively in your home.

1. Art Grouping for an Interesting Touch

Group the pictures into clusters of two or three. Odd numbered groups suggest a focal point while even numbered groups exude a calming and organized effect. You can transform an even numbered grouping into an odd numbered one, simply throw in a unique but different element - something which complements the rest of the group, but doesn't necessarily belong to the same family. A mirror or a wall carving would be a good idea. This brings the grouping out of balance, yet makes it interesting.

2. Art and Furniture

As a rule of thumb, it is always a good idea to first position the furniture in the room before you hang the art pieces. This way you can use the furniture as a guide to the picture hanging height and positioning. Typically, avoid using a picture or a group of pictures that is wider than the furniture piece below it. If they are narrower than the furniture, they should at least be half the length of the furniture. The picture or the group of pictures should not be placed too low on the wall such that it is too close to the furniture, neither should it be placed too high such as to leave an unsightly gap between the furniture and the picture. Ideally, you should leave about an 8 to 10 inch gap between the bottom of the picture and the piece of furniture below it.

3. Hang Art at the Right Height

Don't hang pictures too high on the wall. You don't want your guests craning their necks to look at the art. The standard practice is to hang the picture at eye level. Some experts believe that you should hang pictures 3 to 4 inches lower than where you think it is. When hanging pictures you should also consider the purpose of the room. If it is a dining room or living room that you're decorating, where guests will be seated most of the time, your eye level should be about 5 to 6 inches above the backs of chairs. In the hallway or stairway, you should place your pictures higher as people are standing in upright positions in these places.

4. Avoid Cluttering

Finally, when grouping pictures, take note not to position the pictures too close to each other. If the pictures are placed too close, they lose their individuality, and if they're placed too far apart, they will lack unity.

That's it! A few simple steps to get you starting along in you home decorating adventure! Enjoy your art!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Art Of Living, The: Vipassana Meditation

The Ancient Meditation Technique that Brings Real Peace of Mind
Vipassand-bhavand, "the development of insight," embodies the essence of the teaching of the Buddha. As taught by S. N. Goenka, this path to self-awareness is extraordinary in its simplicity, its lack of dogma and, above all, its results. The Vipassana technique can be successfully applied by anyone.

Based on the lectures and writings of S. N. Goenka--and prepared under his direct guidance--The Art of Living shows how this technique can be used to solve problems, develop unused potential, and lead a peaceful, productive life. It includes stories by S. N. Goenka, as well as answers to students' questions, that convey a vivid sense of his teaching.

S. N. Goenka's Vipassana courses have attracted thousands of people of every background. Unique among teachers of meditation, Goenka is a retired industrialist and former leader of the Indian Community in Burma. Although a layman, his teaching has won the approval of senior Buddhist monks in Burma, India, and Sri Lanka, a number of whom have taken courses under his guidance. Despite his magnetism, he has no wish to be a "guru" --instead he teaches self-responsibility. This is the first systematic study of his teachings to appear in English.
source:-http://www.flipkart.com/art-living-goenka-vipassana-meditation

Monday, February 22, 2010

The Art of Simple Living

Simple living is the way an individual chooses to enjoy life in the simplest form possible without the comforts often found in high technological materials and wealth. The art of simple living may be described as living in a way that is outwardly simpler and inwardly richer; focusing more on the richness of the world's natural resources rather than on the material things that often clutter our life.

Living a simple lifestyle may be classified as voluntary or a forced lifestyle. Voluntary simple living is a lifestyle that involves personal choice of living, wherein a family is trying to separate themselves from material richness. It is their own desire to live such a life to provide quality time for the family and for their spiritual growth. Those individuals or families who are living a simpler life would reduce the need for purchased goods, high class services, or time-consuming work for more money.

Being forced to live a simple lifestyle is common to unfortunate people who cannot afford material things due to the financial incapacity or limited financial resources. They are those individuals and families who are not properly compensated or who do not have jobs to provide their daily necessities. They have no choice but to live the simpler way of living.

For the families who are well-off but still prefer simple living, they do this either for spirituality, for physical health, for environmental sustainability, or for quality time to spend with the family. Whatever the reason, simple living does not necessarily mean avoiding enjoyment. The more money you spend, the more time you need to earn it and the less time you can have for your family.

The art of simple living is important for all of us. Through this lifestyle we help in the conservation of the environment. Most of us do save for the future or for the education of the kids; why can't we save the environment as well for their safety and for the future generation? We can do it by living simple lives and by eliminating the machines and equipments that may pollute the environment or consume more of the energy.

Simple living has a lot to do with the environment and with the future generations. What we do today, what we buy today and what we throw away today will have a great impact on the whole world because life is interconnected with each other. Standard living is something that focuses more on the immaterial things in the earth such as the clean water, clean air, and clean planet; this only leads to doing the simple way of living.
Article Source:http://www.blogger.com/

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Yoga and the Art of Living Peacefully

No matter how long you practice Yoga, meditation, Pranayama, or how many Sun Salutations you perform this morning, it is still possible to encounter a difficult person in traffic, work, school, at home, and anywhere else. Why someone would choose to be difficult, every day, is a mystery to most of us.

So, let's look at some ideas for peaceful co-existence. In this life, you are guaranteed to encounter good people and not so good people. Some people may not like the way we look, talk, walk, or something else, but it is our reaction to being disliked, which takes a toll on us.

Let's face it; most of us want to loved by everyone. Yet, can you name a person who is loved by everyone? When you think deeply on this point, you will notice that some of the most peaceful people, who ever lived on this planet, were executed or assassinated. If you could talk to the executioners, and assassins, they would justify their actions.

Think of all the wars, genocide, witch hunts, and pogroms of the past. There is a common thread to all of it. Oppressors are always intolerant and self-righteous. With that said, intolerance and self-righteousness are very big problems, but they seem to start innocently.

How often have we felt we were better than someone else because of religion, race, gender, monetary status, ethnic origin, education, intelligence, or something else? Do we waste time by talking about other people to make ourselves feel better?

Even within circles of Yoga, some will make distinctions, in the quest for superiority. On the surface, it seems innocent enough, but a lit match can become a forest fire, under the right circumstances. A Yogi, or Yogini, should never be self-righteous or intolerant.

Artical source:-http://ezinearticles.com/

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Art Of Happy Living

The art of living.
What do you think about happiness? A philosophical approach to life; an intellectual activity or an academical pursuit. No, not at all, nothing of the sort.

Happy living is nothing more than living a normal life free from undue pressures, problems and tensions. The Art of Happy Living is not a complicated kind of art difficult to learn rather a simple art of living well, eating well, thinking well and feeling well. Just tune up your mind to enjoy every moment of life and let the happiness follow you.

Happiness is purely an internal matter. It has nothing to do with your external circumstances. Most people do the fatal mistake of looking outwards for happiness rather than looking inwards. Only fools worry about the circumstances on which they have no control. Why worry if you cannot change the weather, rather enjoy it whether its hot, humid, cold, cloudy, foggy or snowy. Keep your internal weather pleasant all the time. Don't allow external matters to take your smiles away.

The feeling of happiness is within you. There is something positive within you which keeps you happy and there is something negative within you which keeps you unhappy. That "something" needs to be looked into thoroughly. If you want to live a happy life then get rid of the negative "something" which makes you unhappy. Negative approach always complicates the problems and increases unhappiness.

Happy living is the reward of positive thinking. Remember, only the positive thinking can bring happiness in your life. If you cannot think positively, you cannot live happily. Be your own coach and adviser. Look everything with a positive angle. Find something good even in most critical moments of your life. Make positive thinking the basis of your happy living.

Happiness is all around. Its not far away from you. If you do not want to live happy, its upto you. Its your own choice. Don't blame others. Don't blame your fate or external circumstances.

Article Source:http://ezinearticles.com/

Why You Should Join An Art Of Living Course?


As the title suggests- "Why you should join Art of living course?" - I will talk about my experience and other people experience who completed this course in my batch.

The course I am talking about is Art Of Living - Part 1 Course. I had been thinking for a long time to join a course which may give me more control over my own life. So in this quest, I landed up with this course. The course started on 14 Apr 2008 and ended on 20 Apr 2008. This one week has been a kind of self discovery for me and many things which I didn't knew about myself- I came to know due to this course.

On the first day, we were told that for one week, we are not supposed to touch Tea, Coffee, Alcohol, Cigarettes. Now I am the kind of person who takes almost 5-6 Tea Cups in a day. And I thought this is just ridiculous, but now its been over a week and I haven't even taken half a cup of Tea. This is just one example of my self control which I was not aware of before attending this course.

On the first day, it seemed tiresome and questionable - will we be able to take out 3 hrs per day for continuous 6 days? Well, I feel this course of 22-23 hrs ( spanned over 6 days) has been a great investment by me for me!

Coming to what the teachers teach you? Apart for various Asanas, Pranayam, Sudarshan Kriya, and Fun filled activities, the teachers gave us some great knowledge points and they kept repeating those for all 6 days.

Here are few of the knowledge points we gained:

1. Accept People and Situations as they are.

2. Give your 100% in whatever you do.

3. Dont be a football of other people opinion. (Meaning- Listen to everyone, but take your own decision)

4. Dont look for intention behind other people's mistakes.

5. Opposite values are complimentary (Meaning- If good times never last, so will be the bad times which will end one day)

These are just a few points that we would always keep in our mind.

Coming to the best part of the course- Sudarshan Kriya- This was the first time in my life when I had the experience where my whole body had a great current in it as though I was getting energy from environment and from within me. I talked to Teachers about this experience and they told me that I had a realization of 'Praana Shakti'.

Well, I am not sure what it was, but it was an awesome experience. Even toWday, when I did the Kriya at home, I felt the vibrations in my body, though with less intensity.

Sunday, 20 Apr 2008 was a day of celebration for all of us. We had successfully completed our course. Each participant brought delicious food from home and we had a great breakfast together sharing food with each other. Imagine how much variety we had, as we were 42 participants and everyone bought something or other from their home.

As a Guru Dakshina (Teacher's Gift), the Teachers asked us to practice the exercises daily for 40 days. So today is my 3rd day after the course. And its a long journey. Lets see how it goes...

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. I will definitely give you my honest opinion and help you as much as I can.

Ankit Arora is a software professional who loves to write about Science, Technology, Spirituality, Philospoy, Blogging and Marketing. He has interests ranging from Adventure Sports to Cooking delicious food. He participates in various events and consciously takes out time for his Self development.

Article Source:-http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-You-Should-Join-An-Art-Of-Living-Course-&id=1134708

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Art of Meditation and Cancer Prevention

Cancer inflicts thousands every year. The medical and research communities have made great strides in defining how cancer starts. They have been successful in developing treatments that address the symptoms, slow down the progression, and in some cases reverse the damage that cancer causes, giving hope for a permanent cure. Many try to live a lifestyle that gives us a fighting chance to avoid this disease altogether. One weapon that we can use as a preventative measure is meditation.

Our bodies are equipped with a natural defense system to fight off invading cells that cause damage to our overall health. This is the job of our immune system. Emerging studies are showing that meditation can improve your immune system. When functioning properly, our immune system allows the cells in our body to perform at optimal levels and keep the "bugs" that we encounter every day from making us sick. In fact, when thousands get their flu shots every year, they are actually being injected with a flu virus so that the immune system learns how to handle it. It's like boot camp for the cells!

It makes sense to do everything you can to ensure that your immune system has the tools to do its job. One way is to be sure that you are eating a variety of foods that provide all the nutrients needed to keep healthy. This variety includes colorful fruits and vegetables, fiber, a good dose of selenium and other minerals, and plenty of water. Medical research supports healthy eating habits. Meditation is another tool that you can add to your healthy living to control stress.

Stress tends to weaken the immune system. So, it also makes sense to do what you can to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Many believe that they have little control over stress. While there may be some situations that come up when you don't expect them, and these unexpected events cause you to feel stressed you still have the opportunity to face these challenges in a manner that can keep your immune system intact. This is through daily meditation.

Imagine if you are the parent of a teenager, having an unpleasant confrontation with your child over their homework, sex, drugs, driving, rules, boundaries, or any number of other issues that come with parenting. This confrontation can cause your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure to rise. Add to this, a heavy work schedule that is filled with deadlines and personality differences with your co-workers or boss...more stress. Then to top it all off, get on the freeway and drive through traffic to get to your next destination or appointment on time! No wonder most people feel that they have no control over the amount of stress in their lives.

But you do. You may not be able to control the situation, but you can control the way that you respond to it. Through a consistent practice of meditation, you can train your brain to respond to normal, everyday, crazy events with a relaxed response rather than one that will throw your body into a state of mind that sets your survival instincts in motion. Simply using one of the many forms of meditation, such as Breathing Meditation or the popular Transcendental Meditation, can change your response and quite possibly change your outcome. When you are constantly operating in "survival mode", the result is overall fatigue; fatigue leads to stress; stress leads to a breakdown in your immune system. Remember, it is your immune system that is vital to giving your body a fighting chance to avoid cancer.

Article source:http://ezinearticles.com

The Art of Living Well


We are all living in this world. But do we all live well -- or do we just exist? Living well has little to do with material things. Of course, we all need the basics of life, such as food and shelter -- and that's about it. Material things can only make us "think" we live well, but, in fact, we may not be living well.

So, what is living well? Or, more precisely, what is the art of living well?

Living well is experiencing a sense of satisfaction, and embracing a feeling of appreciation and thankfulness for that innate satisfaction. This appreciative mindset is akin to what is being felt by an artist who has just completed his masterpiece, and who is now looking at it with self-elation, and liking what he sees.

In real living, where does that satisfaction come from?

The satisfaction comes from self-attitude. If you think about it, life is all about you -- what happens to you, and what you "think" what other people think about what happens to you. It is all about YOU! Accordingly, to live well, you must have positive self-attitude or self-concept.

However, ironically, focusing too much on self may not be conducive to living well. Why not? In Buddhism, enlightenment and nirvana (a sublime state of being) may come only after one has negated self or has become "no-self." Christianity also focuses on selflessness or "humility" -- which is essentially shrinking of self-importance, or the diminishing of self -- as a prerequisite for spirituality; without humility, no one can come before God.

So, living is all about what happens to self and the perceptions of others on what happens to self. But to live well, one needs to shift the focus from self to others. It is because the craving to satisfy self is forever insatiable and elusive; as a matter of fact, it is often the fountainhead of all human miseries. To illustrate, the pursuit of wealth may be the ultimate goal of many, and the perception of self-worth is more often than not built on the wealth accumulated. To pursue that end then becomes the driving force of living. But that pursuit is forever elusive and evasive, leading to nowhere.

The art of living well is to focus on the journey rather than the destination. The destination is either unreachable, or comes to a dead-end -- in either case, life would become meaningless and unfulfilled. The art of living well is to focus on others rather than on self. Focusing on others cherishes and nourishes mindfulness and loving kindness towards others, which make life meaningful and worth living.

Self-concept does not come from what others think of you, but rather what you think of yourself, or how you have made your life meaningful for yourself. Yes, it is all about you, too -- but with a little twist. The art of living well is all about the process, rather than the outcome -- this is the antidote against all obstacles in life. No matter what happens to you, no matter what problems you face in life, you have made a difference in your life as well as in that of others -- that is the art of living well.

The Art of Living Well makes you feel good about yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. This is especially important as you age: you need finding what you need, not what you want.

Article Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Art-of-Living-Well&id=3757925

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Using Mindset to Live a Fuller Life


On 30zzz, Brad Bollenbach discusses how to embrace rejection to live the life we really want to live. He explains the problem people have with being rejected from the perspective of the ego. In short, the ego loves reinforcement of its believed identity and abhors all contradictions with rejection being among the most nefarious forms. Brad pushes us to realize that even if our ego is hurt, we are still fundamentally sound. Unchanged. This train of thought has been tremendously useful for me in practice.

Despite my success with the above train of thought, I would like to offer an alternative methodology. This methodology is based on Professor Carol Dweck’s book called “Mindset.” In the book, she contrasts the Fixed and the Growth mindsets. People with the Fixed Mindset (FM) are constantly looking for opportunities to show their superiority over and over while avoiding anything that may not validate them. Why? Because they think talent/ability/skill is fixed. People with the Growth Mindset (GM) are constantly looking for challenges--that is, things that are not knowingly within their ability. Why? Because they think talent/ability/skill can grow. The gross overgeneralization is that fixed mindset people don’t do as well as people with the growth mindset.

Understandably, people with the FM, believe their self-worth is derived from succeeding. Given where their self-worth is derived from, it is no wonder they don’t challenge themselves. There’s a risk of potentially NOT succeeding. And if you don’t succeed at a task, then, well, you’re a failure. Damn! This FM is a poison (not to mention nonsensical)! I think this is the same line of thinking that keeps people from living the life they really want to live. Yeah that woman is hella attractive, but I won’t talk to her because she might reject me (and I’ll be a failure). Yeah that company seems really cool, but I might not make it through their rigorous interview process and they’ll reject me (and I’ll be a failure). Yeah being an entrepreneur sounds awesome, but the company may not take off (and I’ll be a failure). Have you ever had any of these thoughts, or something similar? Don’t fret, there’s another way.

This alternative way is the GM. People with the GM are not delusional. That is, they can see things that they DO as successful or unsuccessful. However, their self-worth isn’t tied up in the success of any event. You see, people with the GM view challenges (i.e., events that *may* not validate them) as opportunities. They view challenges as the things that give life it’s variety and spice. If they succeed, great! They’ve done something they were not certain they were capable of. Have you ever done that? Didn’t you feel pretty damn good afterward?? If you talk to that attractive girl, and hit it off with her, SWEET! If you make it through that interview and are able to work with that cool company, SWEET! If you start that company and it succeeds, HELLA SWEET!

If people with the GM don’t succeed, great! They’ve just learned something really valuable in a way that only experience can deliver. Moreover, this experience will make them stronger and better and therefore help them GROW. If that attractive girl shoots you down, at least you now know and don’t have to live with shouldas/wouldas/couldas. Moreover, you may have learned something about effective socializing. If that company rejects you for not interviewing very well, then at least you now know and don’t have to live with shouldas/wouldas/couldas, and you now have the benefit of experiencing such an interview process. It may also help you determine what you need to focus on for your next interview. If your startup doesn’t succeed, at least you now know and don’t have to live with shouldas/wouldas/couldas. Beyond that, I guarantee you’ll learn a TON and the experience will make you a tremendous resource in future endeavors.

If you despise shouldas/wouldas/couldas, living life in the GM seems to be the most logical frame of mind to embrace. It’s difficult to imagine how you wouldn’t be able to approach your own potential under the GM. People with the FM like having the ability to say that they didn’t give their best, and therefore things in the past could’ve worked out better had they put in more effort. People with the GM, on the other hand, find past events that they care about where they didn’t give their all to be soul crushing and therefore hate shouldas/wouldas/couldas. These people like being able to look back and say that they gave all they had to things they valued.

And as you may have guessed, you take on the GM by simply being aware of it, and making choice to be in that mindset. Yes, it really is that easy. Do not take my word for it though. Go into the world and exercise this mentality.

source:-how2livelife.blogspot.com

Art of Living' must for Thackeray family


Taking a jibe at Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for their campaign against "outsiders" in Maharashtra, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Thursday advised the Bal Thackeray family to "strictly" follow his Art of Living regimes to calm their nerves. "Thackeray parivaar ko Art of Living ki sakht zaroorat hai (The Thackeray family strictly need Art of Living lessons)," Ravi Shankar told reporters.

Emphasising "India's unity is India's strength", the spiritual guru stressed that unity cannot be put on stake for "trivial" issues, referring to the ongoing controversy over the growing conglomeration of migrants in Mumbai.

"The war of words is only complicating matters instead of resolving them. We should look at a united India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari," he said.

Ravi Shankar was speaking at the launch of the Art of Living citizen campaign-'Meri Yamuna Meri Dilli', an initiative calling upon citizens to take part in the efforts to clean the Yamuna river.

"We will start our campaign from March 7, starting from the river banks first with the help of volunteers from more than 82 NGOs," the Art of Living founder noted.

source:-http://news.rediff.com