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Following Your Path
What is Your Dharma?
"Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?" Each
one of us has asked ourselves these questions.
I don't know the answers to these questions, but I
sense I am coming close when I feel joy or peace in
the moment, feel energized by my activity, and sense a
support of nature. Everything becomes easy and time
is on my side. There is also a flow that happens: I
think of someone and they call, I have a desire to do
something and the opportunity presents itself, and
throughout the day, I feel a sense of gratitude for this
life.
Getting on the right path is different for everyone. I
began by acknowledging the nagging feeling that
there was more to life than collecting all the goodies
that money could buy. I didn't feel satisfied, and
nothing on the horizon looked like it would do the trick.
I sensed there was a greater reason for being but I
didn't know what it was. Thus began my search.
I asked the question to no one in particular, what is my
purpose in this life? Why am I really here? I listened. I
heard answers in many ways - I heard my intuition
and paid attention to what I became attracted to. That
led me to meditation. By expanding my awareness
and cultivating silence through meditation, I began to
trust myself and the cues I saw around me.
Synchronicities became more frequent and seemed
to be leading me in the right path. I read books that
caught my attention and I listened to people I met that
mentioned things I had been thinking about. I also
developed great faith in the creator that I was being
led in the right direction.
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer, shares
how he found his passion:
"I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going
was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you
love.... Your work is going to fill a large part of your life,
and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you
believe is great work. And the only way to do great
work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet,
keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the
heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great
relationship, it just gets better and better as the years
roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life,
karma, whatever. And much of what I stumbled into by
following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be
priceless. This approach has never let me down, and
it has made all the difference in my life."
How do you know when you are on the 'right' path?
Here are some of the signs:
"It took me quite a bit of whole-body tuning-in to learn
to feel it, but there's a physical sensation of sweet
ease in the center of yourself, between your chest and
belly, that will let you know you are moving in the right
direction." Gay Hendricks, author Conscious Loving.
"The first sign would be a feeling of general
happiness and satisfaction. If you drag out of bed in
the morning and can barely face the day, then you're
definitely not on the right path. If you hop out of bed
and you are enthused about what you are doing, then
you are." --Deborah King, Ph.D., author of Truth
Heals: What You Hide Can Hurt You.
In his book and DVD, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success,
Dr. Deepak Chopra shares that everyone has a
unique purpose in this life:
"We all seek our unique destiny, our place in the
cosmic plan. It is known as dharma. Dharma
implies more than seeking work that you love. The
root of the word 'dharma' in Sanskrit means 'to
uphold.' This is a valuable clue. You know you've
become part of the cosmic design when the universe
upholds and supports you. Every principle of nature
comes to your aid, every power supports you
spontaneously.
"The universal mind choreographs everything that is
happening in billions of galaxies with elegant
precision and unfaltering intelligence. Its
intelligence is ultimate and supreme, permeating
every fiber of existence from the smallest to the
largest, from the atom to the cosmos. You are an
impulse of the universe."
"Everyone has a purpose in life, a unique gift or
special talent to give to others. When we blend this
unique talent with service to others, we experience the
ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the
ultimate goal of all goals."
Watch Steve Jobs share his inspiration.
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Q & A
Where did meditation come from?
Meditation is a spontaneous state of awareness that
probably was first experienced by hunters, artists,
singers, dancers, drummers, lovers and hermits,
each in their own way. People can encounter
meditative states whenever they throw themselves
with total intensity into their life's callings. But this isn't
a dependable way to reach a meditative state -
sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.
The knowledge of how to intentionally cultivate
meditative states has been passed down from
teacher to student for ages. Meditation does not
come from India, Japan, or Tibet -- those are just
places the knowledge rested for awhile, and the
hermits in those places created chants to convey the
knowledge that was revealed to them.
Human beings have been using tools for hundreds of
thousands of years, according to the archaeologists.
It's probably more likely they have been using
sophisticated mental tools for tens of thousands of
years too.
Hunters, for example, sometimes have to make
themselves still for hours. They have to merge with the
forest and not even think, lest they scare the prey
away. Then they leap into action with total precision at
a moment's notice -- that's Zen in a nutshell. Hunters
teach each other these skills, through verbal
instruction and example.
Human beings are always wondering, Who am I? Why
am I here? and meditation is a natural emergence of
that inquisition. There are thousands of meditation
techniques, and all of them are appropriate for
someone, somewhere.
Yogis or rishis (seers) are the ones we have heard
the most from, really because they were clear they
wanted to convey the knowledge of self-discovery
to others. That is why we always think of yogis in the
Himalayas when we think of meditation.
In modern Western culture meditation hasn't really
been valued. First, it doesn't seem exciting, it sure isn't
fun to watch someone meditate. Plus we want instant
gratification. To get the benefits from meditation you
have to do it yourself. It's like exercise, you don't get
the benefits by hanging out with people who exercise
or by reading about it. You have to do it. Meditation
isn't a talked about part of our Judeo-Christian culture
either, and a lot of people are afraid of it because they
don't know what it is and they think that perhaps they
might have to turn Buddhist or Hindu. And, meditation
got a bad rap in the 70's. Scientists are now
discovering proven benefits or meditation outweigh
any question of its relevance in the search for
psychological well being and its effectiveness in
creating health.
Read more about meditation
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How to Live a Yummy Life
Reflections on the Retreat by Jeanna Zelin
Sarah,
Ever since I returned from Sedona, I have been
pondering & contemplating how to put the retreat
experience into words.
I always chuckle when I read about a workshop that
carries the title "Life-Changing" or "Transformative." I
mean, really. Is it possible to change your entire life's
trajectory in a mere three-days? After participating in
the Fall Meditation Renewal Retreat, I would respond
unequivocally, "Absolutely!"
In a casual and relaxed atmosphere, we were given
the opportunity to take a break from our everyday lives.
Unhurried time - that in itself is a luxury for most. We
relished in having the time to step aside and really
look at where we've been and where we still want to
go.
The life lessons I gained from the weekend leave my
mind reeling. People seek self-awareness and
healing. I, for one, have searched for meaning and
purpose for my entire adult life. If it's in the self-help
or psychology section of Amazon, I've read it. I've
attended every You Can Do It, Go for Your Dream, Buy
Low; Sell High seminar out there. So, that this pause
to reflect and journey inward was so profound for me,
is actually still quite a shock.
I already considered myself pretty well-balanced and
synchronized with the whole body, mind & spirit thing.
I mean I work-out, pray and meditate. I have a house,
job, husband, kid, friends, life and am generally
happy. How much more could I do? What else is
there?
And those are the kinds of questions that a retreat like
this one answers. Sure, people take "me-time" every
now and again. We go to the spa, for a girls' getaway
weekend or on a skiing trip. We play golf to escape
the hustle of our chaotic lives. But do we ever question
our deepest desires? Do we ever really think about
what our life's true purpose or calling is? Why are we
here for a short time on Planet Earth? What we can
we do to live extraordinary lives and help others do the
same?
I'm fairly sure that most people do not take the time to
reflect on such matters. And I am certain that if they
did, we would all live in a more peaceful world.
Because when people come to truly know
themselves, what they discover hidden underneath
their worldly persona, is sheer limitless
potential.
Before the retreat, my spiritual path was sinuous and
sporadic at best. Now it is the only thing on my "to-do"
list.
Sarah, how you captured the qualities of spirit and
rolled them into the gift of this retreat is clearly your
purpose. Thank you for doing what you do so well.
The retreat was one of the most beautiful experiences
of my life. By choosing the perfect leaders, the right
activities and the most inspiring setting, you touched
so many peoples' lives and helped them wake up to
their true potential.
- Jeanna
Find out more about Sedona Meditation retreats
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Living the Questions
Advice from Ranier Maria Rilke
"Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far
in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it,
live your way into the answer. Perhaps you do carry
within you the possibility of creating and forming, as
an especially blessed and pure way of living; train
yourself for that - but take whatever comes, with great
trust, and as long as it comes out of your will, out of
some need of your innermost self, then take it upon
yourself, and don't hate anything."
by Ranier Maria Rilke, Author of Letters to a Young Poet
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Here's to living the questions,
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