Amazing refinement

In the diffused blue light of the early morning sky, when the birds are still asleep in their nests and the whole globe is at remainder, a small figure stands near the damp, flustered border wall of a roofing system, her elbows resting carefully on the wall still damp from the night's rain.

There is pure silence. Pure- free from the attributes of awkwardness, convenience, pain.

There's a peace in this moment. Free from the feverishness, the sense of seriousness to 'do' something which is intrinsic at every other time of the day. Aware of the intrinsic defect that hinges on believing we're in control.

It is still. Perfectly still. The sort of stillness one links with space. Not a leave and debris flutters. No indication of the faintest wind. Yet there is something dynamic concerning this stillness. A rising power, a rolling illumination, that stimulates every little thing it drops on, if simply we take our focus towards it.

As it turns somewhat sky blue and black, shapes of trees in the woodland covertly uncover themselves, to those which get up to see them.

'Yesterday' she was advised to keep away from this forest. 'Yesterday', which like a dream has passed and where nothing additional can be obtained, equally in a desire.

And there is Today. Today, with its endless opportunities in each second. Today, providing to us, nothing less than infinity itself.

You should empty your hands to get exactly what is being supplied, or it might merely doff.

She gradually opens her eyes now that she has sufficient space to approve what today has to offer.

The mind-calming exercise has just started.

The Benefits of Yoga

What is Yoga?

Its time to reassess Yoga. It not nearly torsion, stretching, having a best physical body, or wearing hot yoga exercise trousers. Yoga exercise resembles mixing up your exercise, meditation, and a health spa at the exact same time, its providing attention to your body, mind, and respiration This millenary method includes yoga positions, or asanas, breathing methods, (pranayama) chants, and meditation. Through them the body experiences consistency, bringing the mind into a state of recognition and meditation that will certainly moderate your dopamine and serotonin harmony and assist you bump up your endorphins. It will certainly decrease your stress degrees and keep your arms, abs, and legs toned.

Yoga exercise Now

Yoga exercise technique is usually viewed by westerners as physical exercise used for weight reduction, muscle tone, general health and wellness, and raised adaptability. The truth is, it helps in relaxing the mind also and can be as effective as psychotherapy in depression, social anxiousness, substance abuse, and chronic discomfort. You could likewise appreciate it as a spiritual procedure, especially mind-calming exercise, tantric yoga exercise, or mantra recounting.

Definitively yoga exercise boosts muscle durability, overall health, and flexibility. About greater than 15.8 million people in the United States are taking part in well-liked yoga trainings and workshops, from daily practices to yoga exercise refuges, every person who attempts it can really feel the advantages and the initiative associated with this technique. The guy acceptance for this technique is slowly boosting, it has actually been popular with ladies of any ages. Anyone could gain from it: Hollywood star, baby-boomers, expecting ladies, and children, every person can have a favorable impact from this practice. Let's review a few of the advantages:.

Benefits of Yoga

1. Whole body isometric physical body tightening and meditation: Increased heart price and oxygen intake.

2. Extending physical exercises: Stretch and tone your joints and muscular tissues, boosting circulation for blood and air to all parts of your body. Due to the fact that some positions alter blood circulation to the brain is boosted.

3. Meditation methods: Yoga can make a harmony between the parasympathetic nervous system (the ones that make you relaxed and comfortable) and the supportive nervous system (fight or air travel and stress responses). This helps you prepare for daily anxiety.

4. Breathing physical exercises: These physical exercises have revealed to decrease the free malfunction or homeopathy.

5. Fat loss: Yoga can be as intense as resistance training (weights) or cardio exercise. You will certainly burn a bunch of calories, and relying on the type of yoga, you can sweat like you never have.

6. Enhanced Mood: Clinical tests have uncovered that yoga sessions can have the exact same advantages as psychotherapy or antidepressants for mood conditions, it assists to release more serotonin in the brain aiding individuals taking care of sadness.

7. Yoga appears to improve response times and memory so yoga exercise might be helpful in those with Alzheimer's condition and various other intellectual dysfunctions. Yoga assists the intellectual functions of the mind.

8. Yoga and stance: Yoga can raise proprioceptive, our feeling of where our bodies are situated in the space, making it beneficial in blog post recovery interventions and helping total posture. There are a number of poses that work balance and synchronization which boosts awareness in the mind.

9. Yoga improves invulnerable device response. Helping in autoimmune problems yoga helps folks to stabilize their defenses versus pathogen hazards. Scientific tests showed this principle numerous times aiding folks prevent headaches and flu.

10. Yoga and cardiovascular system: Regular technique of yoga exercise can help to raise lung feature, air absorption and flow via the body. Folks recuperating from lung or bronchial illness could aid their body by replenishing and improving those undesirable cells

11. Reduced glucose and sugar degrees: Studies illustrated the performance of 12-week yoga exercise practice for much less insulin and lesser glucose degrees, these changes in some researches were serious, in others, mild.

12. All natural vision of the world: Even if you just make use of yoga for health and fitness and health and wellness you are visiting learn exactly how breathing, motion, and mental designs interact together developing equilibrium or imbalance.

13. Lower blood tension. As an outcome of the asanas and respiration (pranayama) there is a significant impact on brief and long term decrease of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The majority of asanas made use of for meditation, like youngster's posture or shavasana (full meditation, pushing the flooring) could assist in lowering blood tension.

The art of living

A group of young artists, theatrepersons, people from other creative industries and college students have come together to form the Art and Culture for Life Movement. “We want to address social issues and channelise the youth’s energy to contribute to social awareness,” explains Sushma Veer, founder. The group’s first such initiative ‘traffic awareness’, a road rally will be held on July 5 in the city.

“From honking, careless driving, accidents to following lane discipline — these are a few issues that will be addressed. These issues will be dealt with using art as a connective medium,” explains Sushma adding, “From caricatures, sketches to performances and skits, the rally promises to be expressive.”

Students from more than six institutes are coming together for this movement. “It’s a small start, but this is just the beginning. Music, art, literature to other forms will be used to communicate the social message. I’ve done a bit of writing for the event,” says Shrya S, student from Jain University.

Sushma, a producer and a creative director is also the founder of the NGO, Akanksha. “I believe that traffic woes disrupt a normal peaceful life. The ‘street’ is where it happens, and what happens there has an impact on a common man’s life.” Adds Tanima, a student and organiser of the event, “We’re holding a dance performance depicting ‘intrusion of space and peace of mind’. There are many such performances that would be held to create awareness.”

Zian C, an actor, who was last seen in the film I Am, will enact a play. “There is an act where the team will work on a skit, telling people to make Bengaluru a better place,” he says. Sushma adds, “A visual experience always leaves a deeper impact. Through this movement, we will also protect and promote indigenous art forms. The rally starts at the NICE road and moves to the other parts of the city.”

Source by:-http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/bengaluru/art-living-249

SWAMI RAMDEV AND HINDU DISUNITY

SWAMI RAMDEV AND HINDU DISUNITY

When CPI leader Brinda Karad attacks Swami Ramdev, she is not attacking Ramdev in particular, she is attacking Hinduism in general. This guru or that guru, makes no difference to her, she is against all gurus. Other gurus might think that they are safe, that Ramdev committed some sin, for which he is paying. But one of them will be next in the line of fire! Hindu gurus are all vulnerable in today’s India: the Shankacharya has already been hit, so has Satya Sai Baba, with accusations of paedophilia, Amrita Anandamayi has to live under the constant shadow of an hostile Kerala communist-dominated government, Dhirendra Brahmachari has been obliterated and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is periodically targeted as the ‘Guru of the rich’, the ‘glib Godman’ etc…

May I be forgiven my arrogance, but what Indian gurus have to understand is that for Indian communists, Hinduism is the N°1 enemy. Mao called religion ‘the opium of the people’. But for Indian communists, as for Britishers and Muslim invaders before them, what stands between their ambition for absolute power in India (and eventually a triumphant return of communism in the world – as Indian communists believe) is the hold that Hinduism has in the hearts of the rural people of India, who constitute 80% of this country. And still today, the humble farmer, from Uttar Pradesh to Tamil Nadu, has a natural understanding of the universality of God, who takes many names throughout the ages and can be Buddha, Jesus Christ, Ram or Mohamed and this humble farmer possesses the knowledge that there is something deeper than the skin and the mind, and a life beyond death. This knowledge is inbred, it is not in his head, not even in his heart, but in his or her genes transmitted from generation to generation.

Of course, the English speaking media is too happy to oblige Brinda Karat and come down hard on gurus with all kind of accusations, ranging from superstition to conman ship. There is of course a strong communist streak in most Indian newspapers, whether it is Frontline’s and the Hindu’s open allegiance to Communist China, or Brinda Karat being the sister of Prannoy Roy’s wife (not many people know that). Before Ramdev, they condemned the Shankacharya, before him Osho, before him Dhirendra Brahmachari. You can even go back to Sri Aurobindo, who was accused in the early 1900′s by the moderate Congress-controlled press to be a ‘fanatic’, when he was only demanding total independence from the British, long before Gandhi took it up. Accusation against Hinduism of superstition, brainwashing, ritualistic ignorance, date back from British missionaries and have been taken up today by communists. Yet, Hinduism, at least the Hinduism which goes beyond the rituals and becomes universal spirituality, has nothing to do with superstition and conman ship: it is all about science, knowledge and light. Look at pranayama, a science that has known for thousands of years how to harness breath and use it for controlling the mind, for a better, more healthy, more spititualized life. If you read Osho’s books today, you find a lot of solid common sense and wisdom. Sai Baba cannot have millions of disciples from the most humble to the presidents of India, without ‘something’ which is beyond superstition. So it goes for Amrita Anandmai, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Ramdev, or Guruma of Ganeshpuri.

Aticle Source:-http://francoisgautier.wordpress.com/

India Tourism Finds Strength in Rich Art Forms and Cultural Heritage

India is not perfect. But that does not deter a tourist to enjoy his or her vacations in the ancient land known for most interesting historical spectacles; spiritual heights; rich and varied culture; frequent use of vibrant colors in almost everything - from attires to elaborate dance costumes to paintings and frescoes; varied landscapes with climatic contrasts, rich wildlife and lush vegetation; and aromatic spices known for their flavor. Beauty is not a thing that exists in isolation. All regions and parts of India might not be very hygienic or organized but it is its imperfections that makes the country all the more endearing to all those who visit it with an open heart.

The co-existence of the wonderful and the abject presents you the true image of life - ornate Hindu Temples with mighty Shikhars, intricate carvings, huge candle holders, and deities that have much religious significance with not quite well-managed crowds might lead you to wait for hours to see the grandeur of the shrine until you have an expert guide with you who knows all the short-cuts to facilitate your pilgrimage trip. The luxurious royal forts and palaces on the outskirts of major cities, famous as tourist attractions, might have small vendors and poor artisans around selling most beautiful wares at very affordable prices and still living in dire poverty.

Foreign tourists affirm that real strengths of India lies its rich art forms and cultural heritage. The Ghoomer and Kalbeliya dance performances on the bonfire nights at Sam Sand Dunes with a backdrop of the Golden Fort of Jaisalmer during the Desert Safari Tour is tantalizing. The Camel Fair at Pushkar in Rajasthan, the Dussehra at Mysore Palace in Karnataka, and the Rath Yatra at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa are some of the fairs and festivals that attract international tourists with their unique oriental spectacles that are exclusive to the region where they are held.

Theme and region based tour packages allow international tourists to spend their holidays just as they want them to be. Palace On Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Royal Orient, and Fairy Queen are luxury trains offering top-end tour packages that cover some of the most popular tourist attractions and sites. They also offer choicest luxuries and world-class services along the way to recreate the royal past of the regions they target. Golden Triangle tourist circuit in North India links major historical sites of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur that are world-renowned and include Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and Hawa Mahal. The famous Khajuraho Temples represents maverick side of Hinduism while Kerala Backwaters is an ultimate Nature retreat, where you can enjoy houseboat cruises and relax in idyllic Ayurveda resorts.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Art of Living Hong Kong

Happy Janamastami…

Janamashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. Ashtami is significant as it indicates a perfect balance between the seen and the unseen aspects of reality; the visible material world and the invisible spiritual realm.

Krishna’s birth on Ashtami signifies his mastery of both the spiritual and material worlds. He is a great teacher and a spiritual inspiration as well as the consummate politician. On one hand, he is Yogeshwara (the Lord of Yogas — the state to which every yogi aspires) while on the other, he is a thief.

The unique quality of Krishna is that he is at once more pious than the saints and yet a thorough mischief-monger! His behaviour is a perfect balance of the extremes — perhaps this is why the personality of Krishna is so difficult to fathom. The avdhoot is oblivious to the world outside and a materialistic person, a politician or a king is oblivious to the spiritual world. But Krishna is both Dwarkadheesh and Yogeshwar.

Krishna’s teachings are most relevant to our times in the sense that they neither let you get lost in material pursuits nor make you completely withdrawn. They rekindle your life, from being a burnt-out and stressed personality to a more centred and dynamic one. Krishna teaches us devotion with skill. To celebrate Gokulashtami is to imbibe extremely opposite yet compatible qualities and manifest them in your own life.

Hence the most authentic way of celebrating Janamashtami is knowing that you have to play a dual role — of being a responsible citizen of the nation and at the same time to realise that you are above all events, the untouched Brahman. Imbibing a bit of avadhoot and a bit of activism in your life is the real significance of
celebrating Janamashtami.

source:http://artoflivinghk.wordpress.com

The Art Of Happy Living

What do you think about happiness? A philosophical approach to life; an intellectual activity or an academicals 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. It’s not far away from you. If you do not want to live happy, it’s up to you. It’s your own choice. Don't blame others. Don't blame your fate or external circumstances.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

The Art of Living in joy and happiness

We are all livelihood in this planet. But do we all live in good health - or do we just continue living? Living well has little to do with objects things. Of course, we all require the basics of life, such as foodstuff and shelter -- and that's about it. fabric things can only build us "imagine" we live in good health, but, in fact, we may not be living in good health.
So, what is living in good health? Or, more exactly, what is the art of living in good health?
Living in good health is experience a sense of happiness, and embracing a emotion of appreciation and appreciation for that innate satisfaction. This appreciative mindset is akin to what is being felt by an artist who has just completed his work of art, and who is now looking at it with self-elation, and love what he see.
In real livelihood, where does that happiness come from?
The happiness comes from self-attitude. If you think about it, life is all about you -- what happens to you, and what you "imagine" what other people think about what happens to you. It is all on the topic of YOU! Accordingly, to live in good health, you must have helpful self-attitude or self-concept.
The art of living in good health is to focus on the journey rather than the objective. The objective is either unreachable, or comes to a dead-end -- in either case, life would become pointless and unfulfilled. The art of living in good health is to focus on others rather than on self. Focusing on others cherishes and nourishes mindfulness and loving kindness towards others, which make life having an important effect and worth living.

The Art Of Happy 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/?expert=Hifzur_Rehman

Anger Management -The Art Of Living From Sherry Karve

If you want to learn the Art of Living just observe the way animals live and react to situations.
For me, my pet Doberman girl Sherry is my best teacher in the Art of Living.
Please see her picture with me alongside and above, fetching the morning newspaper from the compound gate for me. As you can see Sherry is DobermanX – the “X” factor is probably a Rampur or Caravan (Mudhol) Hound.
Sherry behaves spontaneously, joyfully, based on her inner instinct.
She plays, she barks, she chases, she eats and she sleeps in accordance with her natural instinct.
Sherry doesn’t need to go to gym [for physical fitness] or a therapist [for mental fitness]. Sherry is not a Goal Oriented person. She is an Inner Resource Oriented person – in short, a Source Oriented person.
Conventional wisdom teaches us to become goal-oriented. From childhood there are goals set for us to achieve, and when we achieve one goal there is always another goal waiting for us – it is an endless pursuit, a chase which never culminates.
We are taught that a goal oriented person is a person who always succeeds in life. But is there a final destination of success? Do you ever reach your final goal?
Goals are always outside you, goals are in the future, far away from you. Your goals are not in your control. If you design your lifestyle in such a way that your happiness depends on things outside you, things in the future and not in your control, then you may find happiness elusive and you may never be truly content and happy. If you are too result-oriented – you’ll always be chasing horizons.
Remember, if you run after something it runs away from you, and, conversely, if you run away from something it runs after you – so stop running and live a more Source-Oriented life.
Look inwards, discover and harness your inner resources, act instinctively and you will realize your full creative potential.
Like Sherry, you will live spontaneously, unpredictably, act on the spur of the moment and experience the joy of the glorious uncertainties of life rather than get frustrated by them.
You will live a more stress free life too. Have you seen wild animals suffering from stress?
Maybe some domesticated pet animals are stressed-out because we humans put stress on them by imposing our “goals” and demands on the poor hapless pets...!
We have become so preoccupied with achieving success that our lives are always heading towards something in the future. In the process, we lose touch with the aliveness and delight of the present. Sherry does not worry about the future, about achieving future goals, but live in the present.
Sherry does not live in the past either. She is very forgiving – even if I scold her, which I never need to do, she is back to her cheerful self in a jiffy and doesn’t hold any grudges either.
Anger is a reality. It happens inside us. Goal Oriented behaviour may result in us suppressing our anger creating stress within us.
Here is a lesson I got one morning from Sherry in Anger Management by Source Oriented living.
Our spacious bungalow, located high up on a hill slope, affords a beautiful panoramic view of the verdant wide green expanse of Girinagar all around.
This morning while we strolled on our lawn sipping rejuvenating cups of piping hot amruttulya tea in the lovely mist and slight drizzle, I noticed Sherry standing alert at the bungalow gate looking intently, focussing on something outside, and gradually getting angry, as evident from her focussed eyes, slow growls, heightened breathing, stiff upright tail and vivid line of hair standing taut on the centre of her neck and back, hackles raised.
I walked towards the gate and looked outside – the object of her attention was a huge white cat that was walking nonchalantly towards the gate, almost defiantly.
The moment the cat came close, Sherry suddenly lost her temper, started barking, violently jumping, infuriated with anger, desperately pleading with me to open the gate.
The cat stopped dead in her tracks and crouched, and I knew that if I let Sherry out, she would desperately, frenziedly chase the cat down the hill, and if she caught the cat, there would ensue a violent fight to the finish, and most likely it would be the cat who would be finished.
So I just walked away and Sherry realized that I wasn’t going to open the gate, went so wild with rage, that she ran amok, running wildly all round the spacious compound, taking high speed runs, jumping over hedges, barking, chasing, leaping at birds, running fast at top speed round and round the bungalow, till she was totally exhausted, after which she went to her water bowl, lapped up cold soothing water, and lay down on her rug in a cosy manner, calm, tranquil, totally relaxed, her anger totally dissipated and dissolved into peaceful serenity.
That’s what one must do when angry, isn’t it? Let me tell you it works - the moment you sense anger rising within you start exercising, run, jog, take a brisk walk, dance, move your limbs, sway, do something. Spontaneously do some physical activity till your anger dissipates and exhausts itself into a state of calm.
So, Dear Reader, the next time you start getting angry, do what Sherry does – just start running till your anger disappears and you collapse into a cosy state of peaceful calm and tranquillity.
There is a lot to learn about the “Art of Living” from our animal friends, isn’t it?
So just behave naturally, spontaneously, doing you’re your inner voice and instinct tells you, observe fauna and flora around you, and most importantly, get a pet dog and make him or her your friend, philosopher and guide.
I’ll end with a quote on dogs from Sigmund Freud:
Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate in their object-relations - Sigmund Freud
Artical source:-http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/

Art Deco Movement - The Foundation Stone of Modern Art

'Art Deco' was a mainstream international design movement, spreading over a span of fourteen years, from 1925 to 1939. It played a crucial role in the development and the progression of Modern Art. The Deco Movement embodied a blend of the different modern decorative art styles, largely from 1920s and 1930s. These styles were the derivatives of several state-of-the-art painting philosophies of the twentieth century, including 'Neoclassical,' 'Constructivism,' 'Cubism,' 'Modernism,' 'Art Nouveau,' and 'Futurism.' The Deco movement influenced various decorative arts, such as architecture, interior designing, industrial designing, and visual art forms like fashion, painting, graphic arts, and cinema.

The term 'Art Deco' was coined in an exhibition, 'Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes,' held in Paris, in the year 1925. The exhibition was organized by some French artists to promote the creation of a new genre of art, adapted to the contemporary lifestyle, a distinct sense of individuality, and fine workmanship. The organizers of this exhibition were the members of the society, 'La Societe des artistes decorateurs,' including, Hector Guinmard, Eugene Grasset, Raoul Lachenal, Paul Follot, Maurice Dufrene, and Emily Decour. The term 'Art Deco' however, gained widespread recognition only in the year 1968, when art historian Bevis Hiller, came out with his popular book, 'Art Deco of the 20s and 30s,' and organized an exhibition, 'Art Deco,' at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

This movement was distinguished for its abstraction, manipulation, and simplification of defined geometric shapes, and a vivid use of colors. The bold color schemes and blending curves were the focal points of the true 'Deco' creations. The so-called 'ancient arts' of Africa, Ancient Egypt, and Aztec Mexico, prominently inspired this movement. In the age of machines and streamline technology, the use of materials, such as plastics, enamels, harden concrete, and an unusual type of glass, 'vita-glass,' greatly affected the movement. There is sufficient evidence to indicate the employment of materials, like aluminum, stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood, along with exotic materials, like zebra and sharkskin.

The Empire State Building, famous for its pyramid-like structure, and the Chrysler Building, known for its multi-arched dome, are the living examples of the 'Deco' style. The movement even outlined the fashion industry of Paris in the 1920s. The dresses sported large chromium buttons, head-hugging cloche hats worn with huge fur collars, dangling earrings, and so called 'bobbed hairstyles,' all amounting to completely new and revolutionary look. The BBC Building in Portland Place and the basement of the Strand Palace Hotel, London are the examples of the pure 'Art Deco' style. The popularity of this movement took a beating during late 30s and 40s, but regained its lost sheen with the surge in the following of 'graphic designing' in the 1980s.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Labedzki

The Secret of Happiness and Living the Life of Your Dreams

To achieve happiness and succeed in life is a most welcome happy thought, but appears elusive to many of us. With significant research studies to back it up, science can finally show us how to get there.

True or False, would you be happier if you made more money, found the perfect mate, lost ten pounds, moved to a new house, bought that cool iPhone or got yourself any of those nice little happy things you've been dreaming about? Surprise, surprise. The answer is plain and simple: False!

Happiness is genetic. Dreaming about happy things, having these feelings and working towards attaining them will eventually chart the way for achieving success in life. You can't change how happy you are any more than you can change how tall you are. Success and happiness go hand in hand. To find true happiness will lead to success. Recent scientific research on happiness has proved that happiness is not a goal. It's a process. Our tendency to be happy or not is partly inborn. The way to happiness is within our control. What's even more surprising is that happiness brings success, not the other way around. Though many people think happiness is elusive, scientific research can now unravel the mystery to always being happy.

Many have amassed a certain measure of material possessions and also met their basic needs. There is nothing wrong with materialism. It only gets bad when it's used to replace the other things that really matter, such as family, friends, marriage and meaningful work. It's a proven fact, that those who choose to make money over building meaningful relationships have lower levels of satisfaction in life. Life is short. The way to happiness is through nurturing useful relationships and these eventually lead one to succeed in life.

What is happiness? How does one go about to achieve happiness? The feeling of happiness is not just about feeling good inside. A happy person is more successful, has better relationships, is healthier and lives longer. In addition to this, a happy person is more productive at work, learns more in school, is more likely to get promoted, more creative and undoubtedly more popular.

Happiness cannot be sustained for long by life's circumstances due to our inherent nature to adapt. For instance, getting a new job, a promotion or even moving to a new house feels great at first. The feeling of happiness fizzles out almost in the wink of an eye once we get used to them. A classic example is the fact that one year down the road after striking it rich, lottery winners were found to be less happy than those in control groups. Sustaining that "feel-good" experience of success is determined by how you choose to act and think. Researchers recommend a few strategies to have a positive mind in search of happiness. They are simple yet little known steps that will almost guarantee a lifetime of happiness. Some of these simple strategies include showing gratitude, practicing forgiveness, savoring positive moments and getting more involved in social activities. Not every strategy will work. You need to try a few to find out which ones work best for you.

So what is the definition of happiness? It is a combination of frequent positive emotions and the sense that life is good. Happiness is not about getting everything right. "If I get the right job, the right car, the perfect mate, then I'll be happy". That is far from the truth. The moment your basic needs are met, the effects of income on happiness get smaller. This is because the long way to happy living is all about how you view the world. If your only goal in life is dreaming about nothing but personal happiness, then you'll never achieve it. If you want to be happy, pursue something else. Success and happiness will soon catch up with you. Happiness is largely up to the individual. However, what's going on around you, particularly your personal freedom plays a major role.

We all want to be happy. Happiness is not a skill taught in school. There are many things to remember about happiness, as well as learning the art of being happy. Hopefully, as more people get to understand happiness and its process, the more they will strive to sustain a lifetime of happiness. Stumbling on happiness and success is a long journey that begins with a change of attitude in your mind. That's the true secret of happiness.

Ted Charles is an IT and Marketing professional with vast experience spanning over 8 years. He is also an avid writer in the field of Self-Improvement, particularly on achieving Happiness and Succeeding in Life.

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. If Success is a Game, here are the rules.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Charles

The Art Of Happy 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.
Artical source :- http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hifzur_Rehman

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

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

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/

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/

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/

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

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