“When you are fully present with everyone you meet, you relinquish the conceptual identity you made for them — your interpretation of who they are and what they did in the past — and are able to interact without the egoic movements of desire and fear. Attention, which is alert stillness, is the key.”



Eckhart Tolle

“Whenever you become anxious or stressed, outer purpose has taken over, and you lost sight of your inner purpose. You have forgotten that your state of consciousness is primary, all else secondary.”



Eckhart Tolle

“The best indicator of your level of consciousness is how you deal with life's challenges when they come. Through those challenges, an already unconscious person tends to become more deeply unconscious, and a conscious person more intensely conscious. You can use a challenge to awaken you, or you can allow it to pull you into even deeper sleep.”



Eckhart Tolle

“Thinking is only a small aspect of consciousness. Thought cannot exist without consciousness, but consciousness does not need thought.”



Eckhart Tolle

Why Pursuing Pleasure Is The Emotional Equivalent Of Eating Empty Calories

The Greek word for happiness is eudaimonia. “Eu” means good, or well-being, and “daimon” refers to the spirit. For Aristotle, eudaimonia was the ultimate good, obtained by virtue and insight.


Connectedness and purpose are what it’s all about, really. When we're virtuous, we have or demonstrate integrity to some greater purpose. When we have insight, we inevitably experience the interconnectedness of all things. We have a sense of ourselves as part of something bigger. That big thing could be the astounding pulsing rhythm of this biological planet, or something out there in the stratosphere. That part doesn't matter. What matters is the sense of well-being we humans derive from meaning, purpose, belief, and connection.

So, I’ve invited myself to play with words and create a new narrative that reflects my understanding (informed by science, philosophy and contemplative traditions) of the purpose of life and the ultimate of aspirations. Like Aristotle (and my cells) I’m pointing my compass toward eudaimonia, toward living with insight, virtue and purpose and to “flourish” alongside those I share this planet with.

And how do I conclude my morning meditation practice? “May all beings be well in spirit.”

:-)

One of those days ...

Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?

What is sensitivity?

Sensitivity is your ability to pick up on sensory information with your nervous system. It is neutral. It’s like a sensitive microphone; it picks up on subtle sounds. Not good or bad.

What kinds of sensory things can you pick up on?

Your sensitive nervous system can pick up on other people’s emotions, the weather, lighting, sounds, smells, and more. I think of the human body like a vessel for receiving information, and your nervous system is your antennae bringing in that information. You can then process it in your body with your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions.

Why do we so often think of sensitivity as weakness?

We often think of sensitivity as weakness for three main reasons: it is out of our logical control, it makes us vulnerable, and we don’t know what to do with it, which means that we suppress and judge it—so it has manifested in weakness.

What can I do now to start to experience my sensitivity with greater strength?

1. Understand the difference between a sensation and an emotion.

A sensation is neutral sensory information in your body (butterflies in stomach, tension in shoulders, pit in stomach). An emotion is a personal response to a sensation (I personally feel scared about this).

2. Allow yourself to feel your sensations neutrally and engage with them.

For example, “I feel my body shaking right now, and that is okay. I can shake.” Rather than judging it by saying, “Why am I shaky right now? What’s wrong with me? I shouldn’t be nervous now!”

3. Remind your self that you are a participant in life, not just an observer.

I liken this to being on the chessboard of life rather than just looking at it from above. Allow yourself to notice what you feel in response to the position you are in. There are actual energetic dynamics that you will feel based on where you are physically in your life. Ask yourself “What would feel better right now?” and then just let that come to you.

You really can trust yourself; your body knows more than you think. Your nervous system is getting a lot. Trust it. Trust is a practice. It’s a work out. Start where you are and take a step in the direction of trusting your body and what it is telling you.

That is how you strengthen the connection with your body. The present is here for you to unwrap in each surprising moment.



http://tinybuddha.com/blog/are-you-a-highly-sensitive-person/

Eat for enlightenment

In every morsel of food you eat, there’s an infinite, yet patterned, timeless cosmic order of waves of pulsating electrons that spiral in and out of existence, which have a profound impact on your body and on your life.

In our Western culture, the challenge is the belief that we’re separate from the world around us. In our dash for technology, we’ve forgotten that we’re connected with a living, pulsating universe—a universe that sings with life and resonates with spirit. This idea that we exist independently from our environment is an illusion; for in truth, there’s nothing out there that is not you. Our ancient ancestors throughout the world understood this. Their worldview was that none of us exists separate from the entirety of the world. The understanding that you’re not separate from the energy of your food (or the world around you) allows you to step into the realm in which everything has consciousness, including your food. You then discover how to interface with the soul of the meals that you eat . . . which can be a profound and majestic experience.

http://healyourlife.com/author-denise-linn/2013/01/lifeshelp/get-healthy/eat-for-enlightenment