Can the World Ever Live As One

Imagine There's No Heaven, It's Easy If You Try, No Hell below Us, above Us Only Sky, Imagine All the People Living for Today. Imagine There's No Countries, It Isn't Hard to Do, Nothing to Kill or Die for, and No Religion Too. Imagine All the People Living Life in Peace. Think about It.

It's hard to imagine, with the information today and even 50 years ago that most people still believe in religions all over the world, just because they were raised to believe in them. Religions of the future will have to adapt to change, a little faster as more people read articles like mine to promote education within your religion.

Find out a little bit more about Your Religious Freedom

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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a religous help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Four Agreements
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Best Ways to Meditate

Whether practiced as part of a religious experience or a relaxation technique, meditation is used by many to reach a higher level of consciousness, greater self awareness, inner peace, better health, or focused creativity. Learning how to meditate for maximum benefit takes practice and discipline, and developing a clear understanding some of the different focuses and philosophies of meditation can help you learn the best and most efficient ways to meditate.

How To Meditate

While there are many different "ways" to meditate, there are some consistencies in the general recommendations that can help you get the most out of your meditation. For instance, most types of meditation are most effectively done in a sitting position with a straight back. This helps your body more quickly reach a state of inner peace and concentration. Although lying down can help you relax, too, you are more likely to fall asleep in this position rather than focus on the meditation. While meditating, it is not entirely necessary to use the classic "lotus" posture with the legs crossed, but this is a common choice.

Meditation is best performed at certain parts of the day for best effect. It is best to avoid meditation immediately after eating a meal, as your body will be occupied with the process of digestion and less prepared to focus. Showering just before meditation can help your body feel fresh and prepared for the inner peace you are seeking. Many people claim that the best time for meditation is first thing in the morning, when your mind is more clear and alert.

Relaxation Meditation

To add to the relaxation meditation techniques, some suggest burning candles or incense, which can add aromatherapy effects to the meditation experience. Others enjoy using meditation music to enhance the experience-this can help mask any distracting background noise and further assist your focus on meditation. Meditation CDs can be found in many natural products stores, yoga studios, or other places that promote meditation for increased health and relaxation.

Yoga Meditation

Most types of yoga involve some form of meditation as part of the practice. Yoga meditation typically involves uniting the mind, spirit, and body and cleansing the mind. Mantras, or the repetition of a sound, word, or phrase, are often used to help focus and remove all distractions other than the purpose of the meditation, as well as very specific body postures and sequences of movements that allow for greater oxygen flow, blood flow, and energy flow.

There is no single "right" way to meditate properly, but learning to use meditation that works for you will help you attain control over your thoughts and actions more powerfully, allowing you to more completely create peace and harmony in your life. More than just simple "concentration," meditation involves using specific techniques to help your mind and body reach a higher level of awareness. Whether you choose to meditate to change bad habits or create new good ones, meditation can be an asset to your overall mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Colleen Lilly
writes a personal development and spiritual growth blog at http://www.yourmindbodyandsoul123.com

The Benefits of Yoga Practice

Practising yoga asanas, or the physical practice of yoga brings many benefits to mind, body and spirit. Yoga means union and through the breath connects the mind, body and spirit. With regular practice, yoga becomes a moving meditation with the focus remaining throughout on the breath. It is the breath which makes yoga unique and more than just a physical exercise.

Breath is what enables prana, the life force which pervades all living things to enter our body. Practising yoga therefore increases our pranic energy. Each movement is initiated by either an inhalation or exhalation and the movement flows with the breath. Breath and movement work together effortlessly to create a yoga practice.

For most, breathing is an automatic function which we give little thought to unless our breathing alters in some way; when we experience shortness of breath perhaps. Without breath there is no life and yoga teaches us to focus on our breath and to harness the power of our breath enabling us to reap the benefits. In practising yoga we are able to experience a greater sense of self as well as rewarding our body and mind by restoring balance and wellbeing.

Yoga works on many levels.

Subtle/Spiritual

Our planet is made up of energy and at the level of quantum physics we are nothing more than a ball of energy. Throughout our body there are subtle energy channels known as nadis. The three main energy channels in the body are known as sushumna, the central channel, ida, the left channel and pingala, the right channel. Sushumna runs the length of the spine from the sacrum right up to the crown of the head. The ida and pingala nadis cross over the sushumna and the points of their convergence create energy centres known as chakras.

On a subtle level, prana flows through these nadis. The energy channels and centres are affected by the physical body and mind and vice versa. When we experience a physical or emotional disorder the channels and centres become blocked. The practise of yoga works to cleanse and detox the physical body mind and by increasing the flow of prana throughout the body, clear the blockages and restore the flow of pranic energy. This in turn restores homeostasis or optimum functioning to the physical body and mind. Yoga therefore restores our natural emotional and physical balance.

A person who is often unwell physically and/or emotionally is said to have more prana outside the body and in contrast, a person who experiences physical and emotional wellbeing and is healthy both inside and out, is said to have more prana inside the body. Yoga practice and breathing techniques known as pranayama work to not only increase the flow of prana into the body but also to keep that prana flowing around inside the body. In addition, engaging energy locks known as bandhas during a yoga practice work to eliminate the toxins from the body and keep the pranic energy inside the body.

Over time as yoga practice evolves and as an awareness of self grows it becomes easier to tune in to our own energy, restoring balance and wellness from within. When we feel well from the inside our outer world inevitably follows and our life becomes healthier and much happier, more fulfilled.

Physical

On a physical level our bodies require oxygen to function properly. Full deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to our bodies, providing nourishment and nutrients to our blood, nerves, glands and vital organs. In addition, oxygen is responsible for burning up waste matter and eliminating toxins from the body. By practising yoga and the breathing techniques used in yoga, we are increasing the supply of oxygen throughout the body, cleansing, energising, nourishing, detoxing and purifying the body. All bodily systems are strengthened and thus creating an enhanced immunity and overall greater wellbeing. Yoga works to energise, restore, refresh, revitalise, relax and rejuvenate the body.

Yoga increases flexibility throughout the body and is gentle on the joints compared to some high impact sports. Yoga actually increases lubrication of the joints.

Muscular endurance is enhanced throughout the body and muscles become more toned, and excess weight lost.

Many yoga asanas massage the vital organs of the body. This works in many ways; providing increased energy and actually contributes to delaying the ageing process, keeping us youthful with increased vitality.

Emotional

Yoga brings about many changes emotionally. Just the act of feeling a greater sense of wellbeing physically works towards improving our self esteem and confidence. Increased energy levels enable us to do more in our personal and professional lives and we find that happiness comes naturally to the practising yogi. As all our bodily systems are strengthened these too impact on our mind and emotional wellbeing. Stresses, strains and anxiety are greatly reduced. Yoga lifts depression and can help other emotional disorders. A heightened awareness of self enables one to feel in control. Ultimately, the mind influences the body and when our mind is balanced we will find so too is our body.

These are just a few of the many benefits yoga brings. Practising asanas, the physical aspect of yoga inevitably leads one to other branches of yoga and becomes a life long journey of self awareness; finding one's true self, one's dharma or purpose in life and along the way becoming happier, healthier and more fulfilled.

Namast Shelley http://www.shelleycostello.net

Shelley Costello is a Wellness Coach, incorporating Yoga, Life Coaching, Indian Head Massage, Relaxation, Meditation and Ayurveda.

The essence is of helping others to help themselves become healthier, happier and live a more fulfilled life.

Shelley is a qualified Yoga Teacher, Life Coach and Indian Head massuese. In addition, over the past two years she has studied Buddhism, meditation, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, quantum physics related to the natural laws of the universe and conscious creation techniques. She has extensive internet marketing experience and works part time as a freelance marketing consultant. She has 15 years business management experience and is currently studying courses related to wellness with the Open University, England.

For more information please contact Shelley by email at shelley@shelleycostello.net or visit her website http://www.shelleycostello.net

Yoga - Helping With Anorexia and Bulimia

We all know that long term eating disorders can be potentially harmful and dangerous to our health. The most common eating disorders are: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (commonly called Anorexia) - is a psychiatric illness that describes an eating disorder characterized by extreme low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight.

Bulimia nervosa (commonly called Bulimia) - is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviours. The most common form is self-induced vomiting, fasting, use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics and over-exercising are also common.

Eating disorders are better dealt with when your mind is calm. To become more peaceful and calm yoga can be of great help. It has been said that by practicing yoga regularly we can reduce depression and restore a balance of the mind.

Yoga can be a great tool and should be utilized in treating eating disorders. That doesn't mean we stop getting help from the professional medical world. But what we can do is to have the best of both worlds; the medical field of brilliant minds and the intuitive and spiritual world to help us calm our mind and lift our spirit.

Bulimia and anorexia have a very huge potential to destroy lives, and not only the lives of the sick but also the lives of their family and friends. If professional help is not sought there could be painful and tragic consequences. And there is help at hand.

So if you have an eating disorder or you know someone who has helped them by encouraging them to take up yoga. A well-maintained medical program combined with yoga can do wonders.

Everyone has the power to take control of their life. With the help and support of the medical community, their nearest-and-dearest and yoga community they have the chance to fully recover and become once again healthy and happy individuals.

If you are knew to yoga you may get confused of the different types of yoga on a market today. There is Hatha yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Scientific yoga, Bikram yoga, Power yoga, Sivananda yoga, and many others.

The most common form of yoga is Hatha and Scientific yoga which are the nearest to the true ancient form of yoga from India. The classes will include relaxation and deep breathing which are both very important to release stress and keep the mind calmer.

Power and Ashtanga yoga yoga are more aerobic-style yoga, with emphasis on cardio. Bikram yoga is performed in a heated room to accelerate detoxification.

Ms Barbara is a Certified Yoga trainer and also a Teacher in Physical Education. She is a member of REPs as Advance Instructor level 3.

She have been learning, practicing and teaching many styles of yoga for around 10 years. Her classes vary in dynamics and strength, depending on the level of students. Some classes may be very gentle and meditative, while other very powerful and strong.

For more information about the author check
http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Yoga Pant Guide

Yoga pants do offer a bit of a different cut and some do come with cute and stylish designs, but they are also offered in a number of different fashions that have to do with the pant leg styles as well.

From the many styles you can choose long/tall, capri, loose, form fitting, the list is endless. You can even get them with fancy designs.

You might not have the body to feel comfortable in tight pants. That's fine, that's why you are doing yoga in the first place, so they even make the pants in a looser fit.

People who practice yoga or have attempted to practice yoga are probably pretty familiar with yoga pants or at least the necessity to have a pair. You may not be aware that they are available in many different styles and cuts from bootlegged to capris, as well as cut-off styles and legging types.

Total movement and flexibility is the most important aspect of the pants you buy and a pair that absorbs moisture while allowing your skin to breathe is going to create a much better experience for you as well. Whichever style you decide to go with is going to require an allowance for complete flexibility.

With all this in mind it should not be a difficult thing to find a pair of yoga pants that you like style-wise, so much so that you will not mind wearing them outside of the studio and back and forth to your home.

FOR MORE ON long yoga pants and tall yoga pants

Secrets of a Successful Personal Practice

Making gains in your personal home practice

Successful ventures into different states of consciousness usually take some planning on your part. First of all it is usually best to develop a routine consisting of a specific set of postures that you can repeat over and over again. This routine should be able to be performed without your thinking about the moves or postures involved. In Tai Chi you can work with the form and in yoga you can develop a flow sequence of postures with a vinyasa (balancing Pose like Downward Facing Dog and Extended seal) between each posture. This rebalances your body as you flow from posture to posture. The physical part of the practice should take from 25-40 minutes to perform. The breath in Tai Chi should not be tied to the movements and the concentration should be on your center of gravity while the breath in yoga should be synchronized with the expansions and contractions of the body.

Both internal arts are actually pathways into your own true nature. They are methods of calming the fluctuations of the mind so that your deeper real nature can float to the surface of your psyche. Once you are in this state of calmness most of your life decisions will come from your intuition. Your Heart Center will open up and waves of love and caring will permeate your being.

This takes a long time with a lot of home personal practice under your belt. Many people who practice these internal arts prefer to practice within a class framework. However I have found that a viable home personal practice is the best way to go.

Listed below are some tips to help you climb the mountain.
1- Find a quiet room in your house to do your practice. Dress in clean comfortable cloths and shut off any distractions.
2- Try to practice at the same time each day. This way your body is prepared for your practice.
3- Do not eat before your practice. If necessary have a fruit or a light snack. Remember your digestion will stop when your practice starts.
4- Treat your practice with respect and the dignity it deserves.
5- Be mindful of each movement and breath you take.
6- Your practice should look like a long dance done with grace and fluidity.
7- Imagine that the air has density and that you are swimming thru it.
8- Be thankful for your practice time each day.

The above directions, if followed daily for a long period of time will start the process of opening the doorway. Try to incorporate a period of meditation after each practice. Mind, body and breath will unite with your soul and your spirit will soar.

http://www.realyoga.org/

Back Pain and Being Overweight Part 1

If you already suffer from back pain, did you know that your office chair maybe adding to the problem? Your office chair may not be helping your back problem at all. In fact a low quality office chair can actually be causing more damage to an injured back. Office chairs can cause an increase in pain in the neck, back, arms and shoulders. As a matter of fact the way some office chairs are constructed, they can and extra pressure to an already aching back, and add extra stress to the spinal discs.

However, while back pain is indeed a common condition that happens to four out of five adults, what most people don't know about it is that it could be a symptom of a far more serious disorder. In fact, most chronic forms of back pain (lasting for more than two months) are actually symptoms of serious diseases, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, scoliosis, cervical spondylosis, spinal cancer, bone cancer, ulcerative colitis, Crone's disease, mittelschmerz, cervix cancer, tuberculosis, meningitis, among others. Also being overweight can cause back pain.

Because of gravity, blood in the legs wants to settle there, leaving the heart to work harder. Even when sitting for long periods can lead to back pain and weight gain. Sitting in the wrong position for prolonged periods with the neck turned up or turned down can be the cause cervical spine soreness and other problems.

Gall bladder back pain is a condition that occurs when the gall bladder is inflamed due to improper functioning. It is a sure sign of underlying problems within your gall bladder. Gall bladder back pain is one of the common symptoms of gall bladder disease, a disorder that mainly affects women (although it could affect men, as well), and causing symptoms that vary widely from discomfort to severe pain.

Baby carriers do not need to hurt your back. If you're wearing them correctly, you'll feel the weight of the baby, but it shouldn't be so painful that you need to take pain meds.
Pregnant women often complain of back pain problems. This is very common as almost as high as 80 percent of women face back pains during some stage or the other of their pregnancies.

Because if the occurring back pain is persistent e.g. Unfortunately since back muscles are the hardest working muscle group in the body, back pains are a frequent occurrence which indirectly effects it being the hardest to identify condition. So its is a good investment to learn all about back pain, the causes and the side effects of back pain, and how it is prevented or if the condition is occurring, how best to relieve the effect. Because being equipped with the proper knowledge is the best preventive measure for any ailment anytime.

Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher. Glen is a yoga expert who loves to teach you how to lose your neck, shoulder or back pain with yoga. He is dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back, Neck and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your back, neck and shoulder pain you need to sign up for your FREE "Yoga and You" report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com