Archive for Meditation
Undercover Mystic
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Arizona Sunrise by Niamh Savani
John O’Donohue the well known Irish author called his friend an “undercover mystic”. What a beautiful, poetic way to describe an ordinary person who at the very least is serene, wise, and compassionate, and perhaps is enlightened.
Which brings us to the question “what is enlightenment?” (or susbtitute “awakening” etc.) I’m not even attempting to define such a loaded word, so I’ll just quote from others who can express this better than me. Read More→
How to Thrive and Be Happy
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"Thrive" by Niamh Savani
We’ve all had houseplants that we’ve forgotten about for weeks or maybe even months at a time. Yet they seem to survive pretty well without water, food, or any special attention. After a certain amount of time and inattention, the leaves start to wilt or die and the poor plant begins to show signs of distress.
This is when we finally notice the poor plant and give it some much needed attention. We water the plant, maybe give it some plant food, prune the dead leaves, open a few windows to let in some fresh air etc. Often within hours of the much needed attention the plant’s leaves spring back to life, and it seems on the road to recovery again. Read More→
- New England Flowers
Today is the first day of spring! I love this time of year – the days are getting longer, flowers are blooming, and there is a sense of hope and joy in the air after the long, dark winter. There is the feeling of a new beginning and we feel like clearing out the cobwebs from our lives.
Many people feel like spring cleaning their homes and starting new projects. This is great but it has certain limitations. We all know that change must start from the inside out. So instead of just focusing on the physical space and spring cleaning your home (which is a good start), why not pay attention to your entire being - body, mind, and spirit too? Read More→
Jade Buddha Promotes Peace
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Jade Buddha for Universal Peace by Niamh Savani
Who wouldn’t want more peace in their mind, body, and spirit? We all want to be happy, but at the core of happiness is peace – being able to accept whatever changes and events occur in our lives – no matter what! We all know that the only constant is change, but we so often fight against unexpected or even predictable changes and don’t accept the lessons they bring. We lose our sense of peace, and therefore suffer and are not happy.
“The point of Buddhism is to just see. That’s all.” ~ Steve Hagen
There are many ways to try to bring more peace into your life, but perhaps one of the easiest is just being in the presence and looking at sacred objects. This will allow you to imbibe the powerful energies of the sacred art and can increase your state of awareness.
Recently the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace tour arrived in Mesa, Arizona. I visited Read More→
V is for Venus: Love is All You Need
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"The Birth of Venus" by William Adolphe Bourgereau, oil on canvas, 1879, image in the public domain
Love: It’s a simple four letter word, the source of much pain and pleasure, often seems to sneak up and take us by surprise, can break or melt our hearts, and is the inspiration for music, movies, literature and art all over the world.
“There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.
It’s easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.”~ The Beatles, Lyrics “All You Need is Love”
I think the Beatles were on to something back in the sixties. Love (not the mushy, romantic kind – although this can be fun sometimes) really is all you need! Find your inner Venus (irrespective of whether you’re male or female) and see how love blossoms in your life. Read More→
Enlightened Education
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Historic One Room Schoolhouse, Photo by Niamh Savani
Post by Niamh Savani
It’s that time of year: Back to School season is upon us! In Arizona we’ve almost completed the first month of school, and soon students in other states nationwide will be returning to the classroom. Standardized tests and high stakes testing are now a normal feature in schools. This creates a lot of stress for students and teachers alike.
These are not the only stresses found in schools: as well as academic concerns, students have to deal with peer pressure, test anxiety, social expectations, balancing life and school etc. Read More→
Painting is Transformational
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Paintbrushes by Dreamstime
I’ve been teaching visual arts for over ten years now, and I’ve taught all grade levels from Kindergarten through twelfth grade, and adults. I’ve taught in various settings: arts centers, summer camps, private schools, public schools, charter schools, and community college. One thing I’ve noticed is that kids, no matter what their age or background, always ask the same questions: “When can we paint?” or “Why can’t we paint?”
There is something mysterious and magical about paint and the painting process itself, and children intuitively recognize this. They want to paint. Read More→
Reiki Energy Healing
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Hands of Light, Photo by Niamh
Before we investigate Reiki, let’s define “energy” and “healing”. A good example of energy that is easy to understand is turning on a light switch and making a dark room full of light. A room is suddenly illuminated through electrical energy, even though we don’t really know all the technical details of how this process works.
Everything in the universe is throbbing with an unseen energy, and this energy is the source of all creation. Even solid, material objects also vibrate with an invisible energy. Read More→
OM: Spiritual Significance and Meaning
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Om Symbol by Charon1 at Dreamstime
The Om symbol and sound is instantly recognizable, even in the West, probably due to the increasing popularity of yoga. You see the symbol on jewelry, clothes, products, and of course you hear it on yoga or meditation recordings, but it is even in some pop songs. Many times a yoga class will start and end with chanting a simple “Om”. There is even a new brand of water called H2Om! Despite the abundance of this symbol and sound, many are still unaware of its deep meaning.
Elemental Sound
Om (Aum) is the basic sound of creation from which the whole universe evolved. It is the primordial sound and consists of three syllables: Read More→
Every Day is a New Beginning
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Photo by Neve, Arizona Sunrise
At the start of each New Year in January, many people make resolutions and decide to make healthy lifestyle changes. Time flies, and it is already mid-February. While many may have followed through on their resolutions and might be progressing nicely, some might have fallen off the bandwagon, or maybe never even jumped on. No worries! Every day is a new beginning, and if you haven’t lived up to your original expectations, don’t beat yourself up or feel guiltyabout it. Instead decide that today would be a good day to start over and begin anew. Read More→
