Life Changes
Healing Through Storytelling: Lessons from The Odyssey
The journey of Odysseus in Homer's 'The Odyssey' offers profound insights into healing...
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- Written by: David Orenstein, Brown University
Meditation is marketed as a treatment for pain, depression, stress, and addiction, but it can leave some people more distressed than at peace.
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- Written by: Rev. Linda Martella-Whitsett
Naturally, the question arises: must we worry about every fleeting word? Many New Thought teachers caution us to watch our every thought, in keeping with a narrow understanding of the power of the Word. Be careful, they warn, because...
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- Written by: Megan Carnarius, RN, NHA, LMT
Whatever life has been, Alzheimer’s changes it. It slows certain things down. It changes one’s ability to focus. It turns life review into a visceral recapitulation. We are not just reviewing our life in our thoughts, our brain and body are reviewing each developmental step we made...
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- Written by: Lisa Smartt
One of the ways people bring closure to their lives is through their final requests. The most common requests in the Final Words Project were humble ones related to visiting with friends and family members and enjoying certain small pleasures, like a last bottle of a favorite beer. Those who are dying often wait for...
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- Written by: Ernesto Ortiz
Spiritual protection is something everyone should know how to do, regardless of religious beliefs. Fear, anger, depression, negative people, negative places, arguments, jealousy, greed, and all other negative energies actually create a negative layer around us...
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- Written by: Alan Cohen
Every morning after we walk our dogs, two of them chase each other around the living room coffee table. It’s quite entertaining to watch these exuberant spirits tease each other, bark, and run around in circles. The little one eggs the larger one on and keeps slightly ahead of him in the chase...
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- Written by: Vishnu Swami
Spiritual wisdom is not simply meant to be philosophy, some ambiguous jargon, or blank promises. It is meant to be relished, and used practically in every action and in every millisecond of life.
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- Written by: David Orenstein, Brown University
Mindfulness courses have less effect on the attitudes and emotions of men than on those of women, new research suggests.
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- Written by: Stephanie Dowrick
I wonder whether “not harming” or not hurting other people — near and far — feels more reasonably within reach than loving them? As you think about it now, does it seem more realistic to affirm that you could refrain from harming, rather than “loving” others?
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- Written by: Matthew McKay, PhD.
We are on our way to Chicago to meet a man who has found a way for the living and the dead to talk. He knows how to induce a state in which those who grieve can hear directly from the ones they have lost. I don’t fully believe, but it’s all I have.
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- Written by: Nigel Wellings
For many of us, family competes for our meditation time. This is perhaps one of our greatest struggles: how can we find time for ourselves without taking it from them?
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- Written by: Von Braschler
This type of meditation is different from most meditation. Our approach to meditation is patterned after that of the Western shamanic spirit walkers or dream walkers and Hindu samadhi mystics. Samadhi mystics go into deep meditative states to leave the body...
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- Written by: Ian Gawler & Paul Bedson
Excessive thinking is rarely creative thinking. More commonly it is driven by craving (or desire) and aversion (or fear), and is often aggressive or defensive in nature. Excessive thinking loves to “attack” problems and anything or anyone that...
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- Written by: Itai Ivtzan
Many of us are obsessed with certain things such as food, sex, gambling or work, or with certain people or emotions. When it comes to these obsessions we are out of control. But all of us have one obsession that we tend to ignore: we are obsessed with thinking.
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- Written by: Lisa Smartt
One day you will sit at the bedside of someone you love and have a final conversation. That conversation will invite you into a unique territory — the one that exists between living and dying. You may hear words expressing a desire for...
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- Written by: Shepherd Hoodwin
Notice your emotions. What color or colors are they? What shapes do they make? Notice your thoughts. Again, what colors are they? What shapes do they have? Notice your emotions....
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- Written by: Arthur Lytle, Ph.D.
In the process of becoming all you can become, it is sometimes expeditious to have special help in cutting old bonds. Here is an excellent exercise in Creative Visualization.
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- Written by: Vishnu Swami
Not all love is created equal: Love comes in different intensities. We may be head over heels in love with our boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, or children, but just be moderately in love with our neighbors, friends, and acquaintances. This is natural.
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- Written by: Gary Kowalski
The inevitability of loss serves as a powerful reminder of life's fleeting nature. By contemplating the seasons of existence, individuals can reflect on their own lives, emphasizing the importance of quality over quantity. Embracing this awareness can lead to a deeper appreciation for the moments we have and prompt essential self-examination.
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- Written by: AJ Earley
I should be grateful that I got an opportunity that so many don’t: to say “I love you,” before someone dies. I should feel lucky, right? I should feel endlessly lucky that that’s the last thing we ever said to each other.
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- Written by: Von Braschler
Stopping the world to enter a meditation state of blissful peace and out-of-body timelessness is not easy for many of us. Many people find it difficult to tune out external distractions. To do this, you must control your physical senses. We can tell ourselves not to be distracted by...
