The dance of Guilt and Shame

Guilt and Shame go hand in hand.
The whole world seems to be on a guilt trip - for something from their past that they did or didn't do 'RIGHT'. Of course, many times the guilt programming starts at a young age. Socially our life has become so entwined that society has a say in pretty much everything. From childhood if the child does not behave in  a certain way, that kid is scolded, shamed and made to feel guilty because the child has failed the family, socially. This guilt & the feeling of ' I am not good enough' carries with this kid throughout his life.
We as a society can't even accept, if a child's pace of growing up is not, up-to the acceptable social standards. Instead of accepting the individual pace, we blame the parent as irresponsible and uncultured.
Educated mothers - are on a guilt trip, if they are stay at home mom's and those who work are guilty for not being able to give their 100% to their family.
Each and everyone of us on some level (including the top models), have guilt consciousness about our physical body because of the social judgement around looking good as per standards is imperative.
Successful people are viewed as duplicitous and unsuccessful ones are blamed as losers.
We as individuals or as society are constantly blaming, shaming or making someone or ourselves feel guilty. Our media which affects and shapes our thoughts is also constantly doing the same with institutions and individuals. Rarely does our media celebrate the good in society.

David R Hawkins on the Map of Consciousness has given Shame and Guilt are one of the lowest levels of frequency. At this frequency we are much further away from finding peace, joy and happiness. Moreover these low frequencies creates stress, which in turn cause diseases.

We as conscious individuals, have the power to help and uplift each other. At each individual level, we need to be mindful of our thoughts and take a little care in expressing ourselves loving with kind uplifting words. Sometimes, we just need to stand with our friends and loved ones in their ordeal to overcome their guilt and shame. Other times we need to be kind and loving towards ourselves and seek the help we need to overcome our judgement on a situation. This is how we can raise our frequency and live in a space of peace and happiness.

By
Pushpa Ramesh

EFT - The quick fix pain reliver

At some point in our life we do deal with some kind of pain (physical or emotional). Some of us take drugs to numb that pain and others just accept it and deal with it. Easy pain relief is in your hands literally for free. And it just takes few minutes to be pain free.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) or Tapping as it is called is a simple, easy and quick way to relieve physical or emotional pain. In fact some practitioners of EFT have gone ahead and used this process to change their beliefs and even to lose weight as well as to let go addictions.

The simple process is done by tapping with your fingers at certain points in your body for few minutes. Using affirmations along with deep relaxed breathing is even more beneficial.

Why it works - Acupuncture has for thousands of years have described meridians. Meridians are pathways through which our energy flows (prana or chi). Most of these meridians are associated with our organs. These points are the end points of the meridians. When you tap these points, any blockage in the meridian starts to open up and energy starts to flow smoothly.

This video will help you teach the process and get relief from pain.

Energy Healing – Basics

We humans as any other life form are meant to self-heal.

Energy healing methods like chakra/ aura healing, crystal healing, reiki etc…work on the basic principle that world including all life forms are made up of energy. If these energies are in perfect balance then we are in perfect health, both physically and emotionally. Imbalance in energy creates, pain, dis-ease and emotional up’s and down’s. The practitioner always starts with self, hence called a “healed healer”.

A healer removes the dark energy from the person and puts in light instead. The most important tools of the healer are faith (in the modality / God), Intention, Intuition & love. With faith the healer sets the pure intention to heal the person with love while trusting his ‘intuition’ as his guide. This can be developed by anybody, just by practice and faith.

Simple way of making these energies work in our favour is by correcting our thought process choosing more loving, peaceful and joyous thoughts, instead of negative thoughts of guilt, shame, anger, worry, etc…. The happier you are, the higher vibration you are at. Next important thing which we all can do is - be in the company of positive loving people, because we tend to attract others energy & vice versa. Or just by being aware changing the negative reactions into more positive ones. Water is a good purifier of energy, that’s why we feel fresh and energetic after a shower in the end of a tired day.

Let's, make the most of your energy.

By

Pushpa Ramesh

Art of Receiving

We often forget that receiving and giving are ‘two sides of the same coin’.

From childhood, we have been programmed & encouraged to give unconditionally. From generations, the giver is seen in a greater light than the receiver. That’s great; but it has led to a mental block which puts receiving in poor light.

Let’s look into why receiving is so important – Firstly, giving is directly dependent on receiving eg; if we have money then we can donate it whole heartedly to the cause we believe in. Remember that we come into the world empty handed. Secondly, we are all humans and hence we have needs. Even the spiritual saints have spiritual needs. These needs can only be fulfilled when we are open to receiving.

Sometimes when we have a deep desire for something we pray and ask God/ higher powers to help us fulfill them. The best way our higher powers can help us is through fellow humans and when such help, knocks at our door step, our ego steps in and we very often reject this help.

Here’s how we can improve our receiving ability.When somebody showers us with gifts or when someone opens up for helping us, we need to just take a moment and accept it graciously with genuine gratitude. Yes, “take a moment” because otherwise out of habit we would half-heartedly disgrace it by calling it “formality” or even worse accept in ungraciously by expressing “this isn’t what I wanted”. Please remember – The giver has already received, and to complete circle they are giving.

ByPushpa Ramesh

Is your Battery 100%

Yes, it’s about “You” not your gadgets. When we have slept well and wake up, fully charged. That’s a feeling most people hardly experience these days. Oh! I do wish we humans were as simply wired as our gadgets, so we could connect ourselves to a power plug when we are low on battery.
What depletes our battery? Surely over usage without rest, stress, ill health, wrong food & drinks.

Negative thoughts create stress and anxiety and hence insomnia. A good way to controlling negative thoughts is by first recognizing that it exists in you. Next, understand that it is not a reality but just a thought. Mind, like our body needs care for our wellbeing. Meditation is a good place to start.

With a peaceful mind, comes peaceful sleep. Over the years, it’s become hip to sleep less because it is viewed as a frivolous activity, hence considered waste of time (which ‘successful people cannot afford’). But in reality, sleep is like meditation it can recharge you and you will be able to give more output in less time. Arianna Huffington, Forbes #12 most influential woman in media, once collapsed due to lack of sleep and since then became a “sleep evangelist”.

When health is making us feel drained… that’s the way our body reminds us to pay more attention to our-self. Half of all diseases can be resolved psychologically. For rest of the diseases we have advance medicine on our side. Most of the common diseases these days are lifestyle diseases, for which a simple lifestyle change is needed.

Still feeling dull??? Check your diet. It’s not only alcohol and caffeine that saps on our craving mind but also heavy junk food and sugary sweets too. They give us instant energy and gratification and then, they drain us out. Still we give ourselves reasons for having them. Can we stand proud, when we make a healthy choice next time and give a pat on the back to someone who has done the same.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Life Is an Education

Life Is an Education
How to expand your world.

LIFE IS REALLY MEANT to be simple and easy. However, well-meaning parents and others often try to pressure their kids to excel in school so much so that children today have very high levels of stress that we never thought about when we were young. Unfortunately, we adults aren’t taught in school how to have relationships or how to be good parents. As parents, we muddle through as best we can, having learned parenthood only from what we saw in our own families. Children learn by observing their parents, so if you teach them love and forgiveness, they’ll learn how to be loving and forgiving.

It’s one of our challenges (as we grow up) to do what’s right for us even when those who care about us have other ideas. We’re not here to fulfill other people’s expectations. I believe that everything does work out for the best in the end, but sometimes it’s hard to see that while we’re going through a challenging experience.

By trusting Divine Intelligence to help us experience life in the way that’s best for us, we empower ourselves to find our own path to fulfillment and to enjoy everything that life has to offer. I truly believe knowledge is power. I’m constantly increasing my understanding. Every day I open my awareness a little more to the Divine Wisdom within me. Life, to me, is an education! I’m glad to be alive and so grateful for the good that’s come to me. We can educate ourselves by opening our mind and heart every day to discover new insights, new people, new viewpoints, and new ways to understand what’s happening around and within us. The more I understand, the more my world expands and I feel at ease with all the changes in this incredible school of life here on Planet Earth.

There are many things you can do to expand your world. You can begin with the thoughts that you think by using affirmations. Remember, affirmations are anything and everything you think and say and believe. Here are some of my personal favorites:

I am responsible for my experience.
Every thought I think is creating my future.
I need to release the past and forgive everyone, including myself.
The point of power is always in the present moment.
I am safe in the Universe, and all Life loves and supports me.
All is well in my world.

People often say “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up” and worry themselves silly. Someone recently sent me a copy of a wonderful commencement speech given at Stanford University by the founder and CEO of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs. A highly successful businessman known for his creativity and innovation in the world of business, his speech in a nutshell was about loving what you do. Given all that he’d accomplished in the world, this didn’t really surprise me. But what did surprise me was the fact that he told the assembled crowd that for the last 34 years he has been using one of my most popular techniques to start his day. He looks in the mirror every morning and says this affirmation: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do?” In his speech Mr. Jobs also said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart, and intuition.” What a powerful message!

As Steve Jobs was implying, today is the only opportunity you’ll ever have to experience this day. Stay in the now, and rejoice in every moment. Don’t let your days slip by in frustration or you’ll miss out on much of your joy. Create in your mind how you want your life to be. Study, read, and listen to CDs. If you’re already going to school, begin every morning with a few minutes of meditation. Affirm that school gets easier and easier for you all the time. Develop a feeling of gratitude for every experience you have. Learn to find joy in each moment.

It’s your life. Love it, and Life will love you in return. I promise, if you take a month of expressing gratitude at every turn, Life loves a grateful person and will give you even more to be grateful for.

Affirm: I listen with love and peace to what life is teaching me!

By Louise L. Hay
Writer of "You Can Heal Your Life"

Abstract Art

Many of us find it difficult to understand “abstract art”. That is because we look for forms and meanings, when the word “abstract” itself means something which doesn’t have a concrete shape. In simple words ‘Art’ in which the subject is, colour, line, shape, texture etc., rather than recognizable form is abstract art.

Sometimes the artist takes inspiration from real objects or nature and represents it in unrecognizable patters or shapes. For this he either simplifies the object or exaggerates it. This form of art is sometimes pleasing to the eye and sometimes lacks aesthetic beauty. To appreciate such an art, it is important to understand the environment of the artist as well as his thoughts. Sometimes the subconscious emotion of the artist is also expressed well in abstract form.

Preconception binds our imagination. To appreciate an abstract art, it is imperative that one should have an open mind. So abstract art not only needs the skill of the artist but also of the observer. Art allows us to access our subconscious feeling and emotions. Hence the role of an artist in such a case is to create a work of art, that when viewed evokes the viewer’s subconscious feelings to his awareness, keeping his distractions to minimum.


By Pushpa Ramesh