I just discovered a new blog on the Tarot and wanted to share it with you. It is called Tarot Cards - More Than Just a Deck of Cards.
As a great fan of the tarot and its meditative powers I think it is important for one to choose the right tarot decks
When it comes to me and meditation, the spirit is willing but the flesh is over-scheduled. I can't tell you how many times I have said to myself, "Now is the time to start learning how to meditate." But the time fills up with other things and I never seem to be able to get to it. For those of you in the same situation, here is Gaiam Life - a wellness website that introduces you to meditation.
Gaiam Life says that “In Buddhist tradition, the word ‘meditation’ is equivalent to a word like ‘sports’ in the U.S. It’s a family of activity, not a single thing,” University of Wisconsin neuroscience lab director Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., told The New York Times. And different meditative practices require different mental skills.
It’s extremely difficult for a beginner to sit for hours and think of nothing or have an “empty mind.” But in general, the easiest way to begin meditating is by focusing on the breath — an example of one of the most common approaches to meditation: concentration.
Concentration meditation
A concentrative meditation technique involves focusing on a single point. This could entail watching the breath, repeating a single word or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong or counting beads on a rosary. Since focusing the mind is challenging, a beginner might meditate for only a few minutes and then work up to longer durations.
In this form of meditation, you simply refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering. Rather than pursuing random thoughts, you simply let them go. Through this process, your ability to concentrate improves.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation technique encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it arises.
Through mindfulness meditation, you can see how your thoughts and feelings tend to move in particular patterns. Over time, you can become more aware of the human tendency to quickly judge experience as “good” or “bad” (“pleasant” or “unpleasant”). With practice, an inner balance develops.
In some schools of meditation, students practice a combination of concentration and mindfulness. Many disciplines call for stillness — to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the teacher.
Other meditation techniques
There are various other meditation techniques. For example, a daily meditation practice among Buddhist monks focuses directly on the cultivation of compassion. This involves envisioning negative events and recasting them in a positive light by transforming them through compassion. There are also moving meditations techniques, such as tai chi, chi kung and walking meditation.
Benefits of meditation
If relaxation is not the goal of meditation, it is often one result of it. Back in the 1970s, Herbert Benson, MD, a researcher at Harvard University Medical School, coined the term the relaxation response after conducting research on people who practiced transcendental meditation. The relaxation response, in Benson’s words, is “an opposite, involuntary response that causes a reduction in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.”
Since then, studies on the relaxation response have documented the following short-term benefits to the nervous system:
Contemporary researchers are now exploring whether consistent meditation practice yields long-term benefits, and noting positive effects on brain and immune function among meditators. Yet it is worth repeating that the purpose of meditation is not to achieve benefits. To put it as an Eastern philosopher might say, the goal of meditation is no goal. It is simply to be present.
In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate benefit of meditation is liberation of the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated, or “enlightened,” practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calmness of mind and sense of inner balance.
How to meditate: Simple meditation for beginners
This meditation exercise is an excellent introduction to meditation techniques.
1. Sit or lie comfortably. You may even want to invest in a meditation chair.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Make no effort to control the breath; simply breathe naturally.
4. Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Notice the movement of your body as you breathe. Observe your chest, shoulders, rib cage and belly. Make no effort to control your breath; simply focus your attention. If your mind wanders, simply return your focus back to your breath. Maintain this meditation practice for 2–3 minutes to start, and then try it for longer periods.
Get your Zen on! Watch meditation videos on GaiamTV.com.
http://life.gaiam.com/article/meditation-101-techniques-benefits-beginner-s-how
The Baltimore Astrology Society hosts a wonderful website and resource center for astrologers and those interested in learning more about astrology. The site offers a list of aastrologically related events, an up to date ephemeris, classes offered and thought provoking articles on the subject.
It is never too early or too late to learn more about astrology. And there are many different types of astrology disciplines out there. Here is a list of books that offer an Introduction to All Types of Astrology
If you are interested in astrology and politics and want a great resource for politician's horoscope and birth information, bookmark the terrific Political Astrology Blog.
This blog has everything you need to either cast your own horoscope for a certain politician or read up on someone else's interpretation.
Most important is the great database on Presidential Candidates birth times. It is somewhat easier to find a candidate's birthday and year and place of birth but to cast an accurate horoscope you also need birth time. And this is quite a bit more difficult to locate. Now it is all in one place! Check out this blog often!!
Billed as a blog of uplifting astrology for downshifting times, Astroair is a unique take on astrology. Posts have quotes from famous folk that apply to a certain astrological postion which I think gives a great perspective on what to expect from a certain transit or placement.
Mandi is a professionally trained astrologer. She studied at The London School of Astrology for over three years and gained the school’s Certificate in 2005. She is committed to self development - emotionally, spiritually and intellectually - and believe in doing her best to live her life true to herself and her life purpose, in service to others and in harmony with the cycles of the universe. Sun Capricorn, Moon Aquarius, Gemini Rising http://www.mandilockley.com
Bravo Mandi. Great blog.
