Friday, January 24, 2014
Finger Labyrinth downloads FREE
Free finger labyrinths downloads you can use anytime. Just print them, stick them in your desk at work or roll it up and carry it in your bag. A fast little distraction when life is getting a bit hectic.
https://labyrinthsociety.org/download-a-labyrinth
Friday, January 17, 2014
A short exercise for releasing judgement
Notes from a seminar with Moria Sheperd
Stop being mean to yourself and others. Be good to yourself in meaningful ways. Let go of all resentment and grievances you hold against yourself and others. Forgiveness is more about forgiving the person rather than the action. No body is at fault. Everyone is doing the best they can do.
Perceive the person (you or another person) doing the action as innocent. Be good to yourself when little annoyances happen such as over sleeping or fender benders. When you are blaming and condemning yourself, the other person, or even the clock or the car, your mind will start accumulating grievances and guilt.
Keep it simple. Declare innocence to everyone and every thing involved in this incident.
I am innocent ..................Breath to bottom of lungs
I am innocent................ ..Breathe to bottom of spine
I am innocent...................Breath to a little past the soles of your feet.
Picture in your mind any one or thing that is involved in the incident you are judging. Repeat each three times as above or until the feeling starts to dissolve.
He/she is innocent
The car/clock etc is innocent,
This will work for feelings, justifications, excuses.
Do not believe you will never ever have these judgmental and negative thoughts. It is going to happen. But this is a quick way to turn them around. Understand no one or anything is at fault.
Be kind to yourself. Life will only treat you as well as you treat yourself. You set the measure. Be kind. Be gentle.
When a negative thought pops up, and it will, notice it and let it float away. What matters is how much you hang onto it. Do not put emotional weight and energy in it. It is just a thought. Good bye.
Entertain and encourage hopeful thoughts. Maybe I could forgive my self.....how could I do that. What would I need to do, or see to just get on with this thing.
Every kind of abundance begins with a thought. An idea you follow up on. Give emotion and weight to the thoughts that excite you and feel good.
Or just tell your brain...lets think about something more joyful now. You are the boss.
Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for your relationship with others. The more generous you are to yourself the more generous others are to you. You set the tone.
Stop being mean to yourself and others. Be good to yourself in meaningful ways. Let go of all resentment and grievances you hold against yourself and others. Forgiveness is more about forgiving the person rather than the action. No body is at fault. Everyone is doing the best they can do.
Perceive the person (you or another person) doing the action as innocent. Be good to yourself when little annoyances happen such as over sleeping or fender benders. When you are blaming and condemning yourself, the other person, or even the clock or the car, your mind will start accumulating grievances and guilt.
Keep it simple. Declare innocence to everyone and every thing involved in this incident.
I am innocent ..................Breath to bottom of lungs
I am innocent................ ..Breathe to bottom of spine
I am innocent...................Breath to a little past the soles of your feet.
Picture in your mind any one or thing that is involved in the incident you are judging. Repeat each three times as above or until the feeling starts to dissolve.
He/she is innocent
The car/clock etc is innocent,
This will work for feelings, justifications, excuses.
Do not believe you will never ever have these judgmental and negative thoughts. It is going to happen. But this is a quick way to turn them around. Understand no one or anything is at fault.
Be kind to yourself. Life will only treat you as well as you treat yourself. You set the measure. Be kind. Be gentle.
When a negative thought pops up, and it will, notice it and let it float away. What matters is how much you hang onto it. Do not put emotional weight and energy in it. It is just a thought. Good bye.
Entertain and encourage hopeful thoughts. Maybe I could forgive my self.....how could I do that. What would I need to do, or see to just get on with this thing.
Every kind of abundance begins with a thought. An idea you follow up on. Give emotion and weight to the thoughts that excite you and feel good.
Or just tell your brain...lets think about something more joyful now. You are the boss.
Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for your relationship with others. The more generous you are to yourself the more generous others are to you. You set the tone.
How are you Perceiving the World from Heartmath
How are you Perceiving the World?
- Sara, from Institute of HeartMath
- January 12, 2014
- 10:00 am
- 127 comments
Many people anticipate 2014 to be a momentous year – an opportunity for individuals collectively to co-create a new, better world, while others perceive doomsday scenarios. How are you perceiving the world?
Perception, in simple terms, is the understanding or awareness of something by means of one or more of the physiological senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. You might, for example, perceive another person’s presence in a room because you witnessed it with your own eyes, heard footsteps or a door opening, or sensed the vibration of someone walking across the floor. These are all basic perceptions of our physical world.
Beyond this traditional meaning, people generally agree on some level that there is much more to perception than meets the senses. Who among us hasn’t at some time felt the hair on the back of their neck stand up? Perhaps you’ve looked behind you knowing someone was looking your way? Ever thought, I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a good day?
Our days are filled with perceptions. They govern how we conduct our lives.
Think of all the perceptions you might have while standing in an elevator as it takes you from the lobby to the seventh floor: It’s stuffy
in here. I feel good today. That man with the briefcase and the umbrella sure seems stressed. What am I doing with my life? I wish … I think … I feel … I wonder … . And that could all happen before you reach the third floor!
Until very recently, it was generally accepted that our perceptions were limited to data collected by the five senses and processed by the conscious brain, but many researchers today, including those at the Institute of HeartMath, believe our entire psychopysiological systems are engaged in the formation of our perceptions. Studies related to intuitive processes are expanding around the world as scientists seek to learn more about the human ability to know, feel and understand certain things with no detectable prior knowledge.
IHM researchers have found that the human heart, which we now understand possesses a sophisticated level of intelligence discovered by scientists in the 1990s, is central to this nonbrain perception. Evidence of this has been measured through a range of emotions and physiological changes exhibited or detected throughout the body, according to the study Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition – McCraty, Atkinson and Bradley, 2004.
Did you know, for instance, that when you calmly watch the pattern of your heart rhythm on a heart monitor, the wave running across the screen can suddenly turn erratic if you simply focus on something that makes you angry or recall some incident that affected you adversely?
This discovery and subsequent findings are proving highly beneficial to people in a multitude of ways. Whereas it has been widely believed that our perception of events and situations in our lives could cause stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue and a range of debilitating conditions, HeartMath researchers have learned it is not due to perception alone. After conducting many controlled studies involving hundreds of subjects, they have shown that in fact, it is our response to our perceptions that is the overriding factor and that we have choice in how we respond.
Think of it in terms of spotting storm clouds on the near horizon as you prepare to head off for a day at the beach. You can respond to your perception of an impending storm in several ways. You may choose to be agitated because your plans have been upset, in which case there would be a negative effect on your disposition and your body. Contrast that with choosing to view it as an opportunity – to read a book, go to the movies or engage in some other pleasing activity.
So, your perceptions of 2014 are not only about how you perceive the world when watching news, but how are you responding to the world you perceive when watching news. I do watch the news, but instead of letting it stress me out, I go to my heart and send compassion and care.
For more than twenty-two years the nonprofit Institute of HeartMath (IHM) has explored stress and human emotions. IHM’s findings about perception, heart intelligence and much more have led to the development of easy-to-learn tools and technology that empower people to choose their response to a perception or to expand their perception with new intuitive information. Visit the IHM web site (www.heartmath.org) for free resources, tools and techniques for all ages; it is our mission to educate the public worldwide on how to live healthier, happier lives. A change of heart can change your perceptions to a larger view.
Are you seeing and responding to the world through the qualities of the heart such as kindness, respect, non-judgment or compassion or through the lens of insecurity, worry, resignation, anger, fear or depression?
I would love to hear how are you responding to the world you perceive?
Perception, in simple terms, is the understanding or awareness of something by means of one or more of the physiological senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. You might, for example, perceive another person’s presence in a room because you witnessed it with your own eyes, heard footsteps or a door opening, or sensed the vibration of someone walking across the floor. These are all basic perceptions of our physical world.
Beyond this traditional meaning, people generally agree on some level that there is much more to perception than meets the senses. Who among us hasn’t at some time felt the hair on the back of their neck stand up? Perhaps you’ve looked behind you knowing someone was looking your way? Ever thought, I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a good day?
Our days are filled with perceptions. They govern how we conduct our lives.
Think of all the perceptions you might have while standing in an elevator as it takes you from the lobby to the seventh floor: It’s stuffy
in here. I feel good today. That man with the briefcase and the umbrella sure seems stressed. What am I doing with my life? I wish … I think … I feel … I wonder … . And that could all happen before you reach the third floor!Until very recently, it was generally accepted that our perceptions were limited to data collected by the five senses and processed by the conscious brain, but many researchers today, including those at the Institute of HeartMath, believe our entire psychopysiological systems are engaged in the formation of our perceptions. Studies related to intuitive processes are expanding around the world as scientists seek to learn more about the human ability to know, feel and understand certain things with no detectable prior knowledge.
IHM researchers have found that the human heart, which we now understand possesses a sophisticated level of intelligence discovered by scientists in the 1990s, is central to this nonbrain perception. Evidence of this has been measured through a range of emotions and physiological changes exhibited or detected throughout the body, according to the study Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition – McCraty, Atkinson and Bradley, 2004.
Did you know, for instance, that when you calmly watch the pattern of your heart rhythm on a heart monitor, the wave running across the screen can suddenly turn erratic if you simply focus on something that makes you angry or recall some incident that affected you adversely?
This discovery and subsequent findings are proving highly beneficial to people in a multitude of ways. Whereas it has been widely believed that our perception of events and situations in our lives could cause stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue and a range of debilitating conditions, HeartMath researchers have learned it is not due to perception alone. After conducting many controlled studies involving hundreds of subjects, they have shown that in fact, it is our response to our perceptions that is the overriding factor and that we have choice in how we respond.
Think of it in terms of spotting storm clouds on the near horizon as you prepare to head off for a day at the beach. You can respond to your perception of an impending storm in several ways. You may choose to be agitated because your plans have been upset, in which case there would be a negative effect on your disposition and your body. Contrast that with choosing to view it as an opportunity – to read a book, go to the movies or engage in some other pleasing activity.So, your perceptions of 2014 are not only about how you perceive the world when watching news, but how are you responding to the world you perceive when watching news. I do watch the news, but instead of letting it stress me out, I go to my heart and send compassion and care.
For more than twenty-two years the nonprofit Institute of HeartMath (IHM) has explored stress and human emotions. IHM’s findings about perception, heart intelligence and much more have led to the development of easy-to-learn tools and technology that empower people to choose their response to a perception or to expand their perception with new intuitive information. Visit the IHM web site (www.heartmath.org) for free resources, tools and techniques for all ages; it is our mission to educate the public worldwide on how to live healthier, happier lives. A change of heart can change your perceptions to a larger view.
Are you seeing and responding to the world through the qualities of the heart such as kindness, respect, non-judgment or compassion or through the lens of insecurity, worry, resignation, anger, fear or depression?
I would love to hear how are you responding to the world you perceive?
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-are-you-perceiving-the-world.html#ixzz2qfCUnnEz
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Meditation transforms roughest schools
Meditation transforms roughest San Francisco schools
David L. Kirp
Published 6:37 pm, Sunday, January 12, 2014
Barry Zito, David Lynch, Russell Brand meditate with students during Quiet Time at Burton High. Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle
Page 1 of 1
At first glance, Quiet Time - a stress reduction strategy used in several San Francisco middle and high schools, as well as in scattered schools around the Bay Area - looks like something out of the om-chanting 1960s. Twice daily, a gong sounds in the classroom and rowdy adolescents, who normally can't sit still for 10 seconds, shut their eyes and try to clear their minds. I've spent lots of time in urban schools and have never seen anything like it.
This practice - meditation rebranded - deserves serious attention from parents and policymakers. An impressive array of studies shows that integrating meditation into a school's daily routine can markedly improve the lives of students. If San Francisco schools Superintendent Richard Carranza has his way, Quiet Time could well spread citywide.
What's happening at Visitacion Valley Middle School, which in 2007 became the first public school nationwide to adopt the program, shows why the superintendent is so enthusiastic. In this neighborhood, gunfire is as common as birdsong - nine shootings have been recorded in the past month - and most students know someone who's been shot or did the shooting. Murders are so frequent that the school employs a full-time grief counselor.
In years past, these students were largely out of control, frequently fighting in the corridors, scrawling graffiti on the walls and cursing their teachers. Absenteeism rates were among the city's highest and so were suspensions. Worn-down teachers routinely called in sick.
Unsurprisingly, academics suffered. The school tried everything, from counseling and peer support to after-school tutoring and sports, but to disappointingly little effect.
Now these students are doing light-years better. In the first year of Quiet Time, the number of suspensions fell by 45 percent. Within four years, the suspension rate was among the lowest in the city. Daily attendance rates climbed to 98 percent, well above the citywide average. Grade point averages improved markedly. About 20 percent of graduates are admitted to Lowell High School - before Quiet Time, getting any students into this elite high school was a rarity. Remarkably, in the annual California Healthy Kids Survey, these middle school youngsters recorded the highest happiness levels in San Francisco.
Reports are similarly positive in the three other schools that have adopted Quiet Time. At Burton High School, for instance, students in the program report significantly less stress and depression, and greater self-esteem, than nonparticipants. With stress levels down, achievement has markedly improved, particularly among students who have been doing worst academically. Grades rose dramatically, compared with those who weren't in the program.
On the California Achievement Test, twice as many students in Quiet Time schools have become proficient in English, compared with students in similar schools where the program doesn't exist, and the gap is even bigger in math. Teachers report they're less emotionally exhausted and more resilient.
"The research is showing big effects on students' performance," says Superintendent Carranza. "Our new accountability standards, which we're developing in tandem with the other big California districts, emphasize the importance of social-emotional factors in improving kids' lives, not just academics. That's where Quiet Time can have a major impact, and I'd like to see it expand well beyond a handful of schools."
While Quiet Time is no panacea, it's a game-changer for many students who otherwise might have become dropouts. That's reason enough to make meditation a school staple, and not just in San Francisco.
This practice - meditation rebranded - deserves serious attention from parents and policymakers. An impressive array of studies shows that integrating meditation into a school's daily routine can markedly improve the lives of students. If San Francisco schools Superintendent Richard Carranza has his way, Quiet Time could well spread citywide.
What's happening at Visitacion Valley Middle School, which in 2007 became the first public school nationwide to adopt the program, shows why the superintendent is so enthusiastic. In this neighborhood, gunfire is as common as birdsong - nine shootings have been recorded in the past month - and most students know someone who's been shot or did the shooting. Murders are so frequent that the school employs a full-time grief counselor.
In years past, these students were largely out of control, frequently fighting in the corridors, scrawling graffiti on the walls and cursing their teachers. Absenteeism rates were among the city's highest and so were suspensions. Worn-down teachers routinely called in sick.
Unsurprisingly, academics suffered. The school tried everything, from counseling and peer support to after-school tutoring and sports, but to disappointingly little effect.
Now these students are doing light-years better. In the first year of Quiet Time, the number of suspensions fell by 45 percent. Within four years, the suspension rate was among the lowest in the city. Daily attendance rates climbed to 98 percent, well above the citywide average. Grade point averages improved markedly. About 20 percent of graduates are admitted to Lowell High School - before Quiet Time, getting any students into this elite high school was a rarity. Remarkably, in the annual California Healthy Kids Survey, these middle school youngsters recorded the highest happiness levels in San Francisco.
Reports are similarly positive in the three other schools that have adopted Quiet Time. At Burton High School, for instance, students in the program report significantly less stress and depression, and greater self-esteem, than nonparticipants. With stress levels down, achievement has markedly improved, particularly among students who have been doing worst academically. Grades rose dramatically, compared with those who weren't in the program.
On the California Achievement Test, twice as many students in Quiet Time schools have become proficient in English, compared with students in similar schools where the program doesn't exist, and the gap is even bigger in math. Teachers report they're less emotionally exhausted and more resilient.
"The research is showing big effects on students' performance," says Superintendent Carranza. "Our new accountability standards, which we're developing in tandem with the other big California districts, emphasize the importance of social-emotional factors in improving kids' lives, not just academics. That's where Quiet Time can have a major impact, and I'd like to see it expand well beyond a handful of schools."
While Quiet Time is no panacea, it's a game-changer for many students who otherwise might have become dropouts. That's reason enough to make meditation a school staple, and not just in San Francisco.
David L. Kirp, a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley, is the author of "Improbable Scholars: The Rebirth of a Great American School District and a Strategy for America's Schools."
Monday, January 6, 2014
Your beginning does not have to be you end
One tip for succeeding in life
You must refuse to let your beginning dictate your end. George Washington Carver spent his early years shuffled between foster homes until, it is thought, Maria Watkins, a washerwoman, found him asleep in her barn. She didn’t just take him in; she took him to church and introduced him to Jesus. When he eventually left her home, he took with him the Bible she’d given him. Maria left her mark on his life, and George left his mark on the world. This father of modern agriculture was a friend to three presidents as well as Henry Ford and Gandhi. He is credited with over three hundred different inventions. And the remarkable thing is, despite his disadvantages, he never became bitter or spent so much as a moment getting even. Instead, he went into his lab every morning and prayed, ‘Open my eyes that I may see.’ How could God fail to bless someone with such an attitude?
You must refuse to let your beginning dictate your end. George Washington Carver spent his early years shuffled between foster homes until, it is thought, Maria Watkins, a washerwoman, found him asleep in her barn. She didn’t just take him in; she took him to church and introduced him to Jesus. When he eventually left her home, he took with him the Bible she’d given him. Maria left her mark on his life, and George left his mark on the world. This father of modern agriculture was a friend to three presidents as well as Henry Ford and Gandhi. He is credited with over three hundred different inventions. And the remarkable thing is, despite his disadvantages, he never became bitter or spent so much as a moment getting even. Instead, he went into his lab every morning and prayed, ‘Open my eyes that I may see.’ How could God fail to bless someone with such an attitude?
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