Friday, August 28, 2009

Bleepity-do-dah




I just finished watching What the Bleep Do We Know?

It's been over three years since I've last seen it, and my opinions have really changed.

It was also strange how I began noticing things in the film that I had never noticed before, things that now correspond to what I believe to be "true".

At some points during the film, I feel as though the science was being stretched a bit, but I do believe the overall message they were trying to present is ultimately true.

The universe is teeming with infinite possibilities, and it is up to us to choose and "collapse reality" on to one event.

For example, I have grown as a person over the past few years. I know more, my way of thinking has changed; ultimately, my own paradigm or the way I view the world has shifted. Because of this shift in state of mind, I "see what I want to see." My reality has collapsed in such a way that what I want most in my life is able to manifest itself.

Sounds a lot like The Secret mumbo-jumbo, right?

I don't necessarily believe we can manifest things like money, love, or our dream homes simply by thinking about them. It takes much more work than that.

As mentioned in What the Bleep, our body releases hormones. Our bodies naturally crave a state of homeostasis; it doesn't like to be in discomfort. As a result, our body releases peptides and chemicals that make us feel good. These peptides bind to receptors. In some cases, they bind to the same receptors that heroin binds to. So like a drug addict addicted to drugs, we too can become addicted to emotions, whether they be positive or negative emotions.

From experience, I've found that is important to catch ourselves when negative thoughts begin to arise. If we actively change the way we think, our brain will begin to literally rewire itself. Over time, we become accustomed to seeing the positive rather than always seeing the negative. We see things that were always right in front of us, but we were never able to notice them before because our way of thinking was limiting our vision.

Happiness is something that is cultivated from within, not something that inherently exists.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

You are Amazing!

Lately I've been feeling as though every day is Christmas. Every day is a gift, and every day we get another opportunity to give to others.

Simply sitting back and observing the beauty of the moment, I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of awe and amazement at how perfect everything actually is.

I can be doing nothing, sitting in my chair, staring at the same blank wall in my apartment that I've stared at for months, when all of a sudden I'm hit with awareness--awareness that something as mundane as the white paper bag that I got my lunch in holds the beauty of the entire universe.

There are moments when I feel as though I could break down into tears. How grateful I feel for such an amazing sight! I know it seems silly and pretty funny that I could be moved by what many people consider to be garbage, but I can't help but feel thankful when these moments arise.

It is a realization, a gift from the Universe.

If such power and grace can exist in "trash", just imagine the magnitude of being that resides within you!

You are a miracle.


Monday, August 24, 2009

The Universe Speaks!

Today was the first day of my P2 year in pharmacy school.

I began my day by checking my inbox, but instead of finding the usual junk emails and facebook notifications, I was surprised to find a message from the Universe.

Shocking, isn't it? A message from the Universe.

This is what the Universe had to say:

Kelly, I know what it's like. I've seen it played out a few zillion times. You're waiting for that magical day when someone makes the connection and recognizes who you really are. Maybe they'll first catch the sparkle in your eye. Or perhaps they'll marvel at your insights and the depth of your spirit. Someone who will help you connect the dots, believe in yourself, and make sense of it all. Someone who will understand you, approve of you, and unhesitatingly give you a leg up so that life can pluck your ready, ripened self from the branch of magnificence. Ahhhhhhhhhhh...

Well, I'm here to tell you, Kelly, your wait is over. That someone, is you.

Good thing you rock,
The Universe




So often we feel as though we are lost in the crowd, that people don't always seem to recognize the effort and energy we put into our actions. It is common to feel inadequate about ourselves as many of us crave outside circumstances to be a source of happiness. As much as this message is for me, it is also for YOU!

Be ever mindful of the gifts that the Universe brings to you each and every day. It may be something as simple as a relaxing breath, dinner with a good friend, a sunny day, etc. All of these are simple reminders of the greatness that resides in all of us, we simply have to be aware of it.

I will keep this in mind during the difficulties of the upcoming semester, for even challenges are a gift from the Universe. They are an opportunity to grow and learn more about ourselves, and they serve a greater purpose on our journey of life, whether we are aware of that purpose or not.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Feel the Love!


Hugs are one of the greatest miracles in life! Think about it...is it ever possible to give a hug without receiving one?

Normally, hugs are used as a greeting or a sign to show our love or compassion for one another. Just like a hug, when we send out love, we also receive it.

When we perform acts of giving and kindness for our fellow human beings, we can't help but feel good about ourselves.

In essence, we are all derived from One source, be that source God, the universe, etc; therefore, when we love one another, we are actually loving ourselves.

At the end of yoga, we always say, "Namaste." The word Namaste is usually roughly translated to mean "The light within me honors the light within you."

Check out the Free Hugs Campaign website for an awesome video and the story of how the campaign first began.

Sometimes the simplest of actions can have the biggest impact in a person's life.

Namaste friends. :)

Friday, August 14, 2009

Seeing the Beauty in All

Yesterday, I went on a trip to Avery Island's Jungle Gardens here in Louisiana. It's only about an hour from where I live at the moment, and I had plans of seeing the estimated 1000 year old Buddha statue that resides in the small meditation garden located there.

For me, the Buddha and his teachings have been a source of wisdom and compassion. I felt it would be inspiring to see a statue built in honor of this great teacher.

Words cannot express the power of living one day in awareness and tranquility. The greatest lesson I learned from my experience, however, is that I never need to travel far to be inspired by such beauty.

I always felt I would have to travel to Tibet to experience the "true presence" of the Buddha. Then I was told that a Buddha statue resided not far from where I lived, and I thought, "How wonderful! I don't have to buy an expensive plane ticket and fly halfway around the world to at least get a glimpse of enlightenment." But after my experience, I was reminded of the simple truth: one never has to travel far to experience true beauty and enlightenment. You, yourself, are an internal source of inspiration.

Inspired by the experience, I wrote this simple poem:




I met the Buddha.
He did not speak,
Yet he shared his wisdom with me.
Quietly seated in meditation,
Gazing across the placid lagoon,
The simplicity of the entire universe,
Revealed in a single moment.
The bamboo, trees, and plants,
The birds, alligators, and insects,
The Buddha was in them all.
The source of Self,
Wisdom and Compassion,
Abides in all beings.
And for an instant,
I was awake.



Here is a video that I put together along with some pictures.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Lego My Ego


Last night, I randomly happened to come across information regarding Self-referral and Object-referral.

We often define ourselves by things that are outside of us: I am a student. I have many friends. I am rich. I am tired. I went to the store. I bought some eggs. In all of these examples, the "I" is being defined by external circumstances. This is object-referral.

It becomes difficult when we solely operate from this perspective because we seek constant approval from others. We are always anticipating a response to situations, circumstances, people, and things.

I acknowledge that one of my greatest flaws is letting my own ego get the best of me, feeling an intense need to control things.

The ego becomes an internal reference point, but the ego is not who we truly are. The ego is a self-image or a social mask, and it thrives on approval because it lives in fear of rejection.

The true Self is free of these things.

Money, friends, power, etc. all bring us a temporary joy or high, but this will only last as long as those objects are around.

Self-power is permanent because it is knowledge of the Self.

Everything around you is in a state of decay, even your own body. Life is transient, and we will all one day lose many of the physical things we cherish. Therefore, we should take time to cultivate our awareness of the Self, our Soul, for that is the source of permanent contentment.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Medi(c/t)ation


I meditate therefore I medicate? Sort of...

In the past, some doctors may have prescribe meditation as a means of reducing a patient's stress or anxiety levels, but now scientists are beginning to better understand exactly what goes on in the brain of a person while he or she meditates.

"[Andrew Newberg] has found that those who meditate have increased activity in the frontal lobe -- the part of the brain involved in concentration -- and decreased activity in the parietal lobe — the area of the brain that is related to sensory information and helps us form our sense of self."

People who meditate often describe a feeling of oneness with the universe and their surroundings. Could this possibly be related to the decreased activity in the parietal lobe?

I have been practicing traditional Buddhist techniques for meditation and concentration, and I always come from the experience feeling more energized and at peace. Often times during deep meditative states, we focus our concentration on our breath and ask ourselves who is the "I" experiencing the experience of the present moment. With practice, it becomes easier to let go of our worries and enjoy simply being alive in the infinite moment that is "now."

Not only can meditation/prayer affect our outlook on life or our emotional well being, it can also have physical healing affects as in the case of Sheri Kaplan who has had HIV for the past 15 years and "has never taken medicine, yet the disease has not progressed to AIDS (and she is not part of the population that has a mutation in the CCR5 gene that prevents progression of HIV to AIDS)"

Kaplan explains it's her faith in God that has granted her this unique ability, but one does not necessarily have to believe in God to experience such benefits. Whether it is God that created the brain or the brain that created God, prayer and meditation seem beneficial to the practitioner.

I found this website to be extremely informative, and it is also where I got most of my information for this entry.

Here are some guided meditations which I enjoy. I recommend starting with Prana, and once you have mastered focusing on the breath, you can move on to the others.