Earth (Gaia) is a Living Organism

The Earth is Alive

Everyone has heard that the Earth is Alive. The trees grow, the flowers bloom, and hundreds of species of animals live on the planet breathing, mating, and living there lives. This is a common enough concept. But what if the planet was truly alive? Not just in the sense that living things exist on it, but it was actually a living organism just like you or I, but remarkably different? What if all of the living things in the planet were microorganisms, living within a much larger organism. Imagine all of the life on the planet, sentient and non-sentient playing the role of cells and nerves for the body of the Earth. We know that our cells play a vital role in being the makeup of our nerves and body, therefore collectively living and dying within us, so that we can experience life itself, our own consciousness. What if the very life on this planet was actually functioning similarly to this, and therefore providing the Earth with collective experiences, creating a collective consciousness of billions and billions of microorganisms contributing their existence for the consciousness of something much larger? This perspective gives new meaning to the concept that the Earth is Alive. An even bigger question is, does the Earth have thought?

Is planet Earth a conscious living organism, much like us but on a grander scale? What if the Earth was experiencing its own life much like the way we experience ours?

The human body is a single living organism made up of billions of individual living cells with different roles and functions within our body. Are they truly us or are they separate micro-beings living and dying to provide us with the experience of life? What if the people on the planet acted like the cells in our body adding to a collective experience, only larger? That billions and billions of cells contribute their individual experiences for one consciousness, one being, planet Earth. By observing our inner-verse, the micro-world within us, it is possible to see a similarity between our cellular life, our nervous system, and the potential role we play to that of the Earth.

At first glance this comparison could seem far fetched, but let us look at some of the similarities between our body's and the Earth. Our bodies are comprised of roughly seventy five percent water and twenty five percent mass. The planet ironically is also formed of about seventy five percent ocean and twenty five percent lands mass. The human body regulates a precise temperature at all times. The Earth, which is floating in space at subzero temperatures is also regulated at a consistent temperature.

One could almost imagine that all of our communications, from the internet to the satellite, are like neurotransmitters, and thoughts of a much larger brain, a much larger consciousness. Is it possible that the human race with all of its collective experiences play the role of the central nervous system of the planet? Knowing that our cells contribute to our consciousness, is it so hard to imagine we are part of the Earth's consciousness?

If all of the species on the planet make up the micro life of the planet, how would that micro life relay its experiences, its data, to create thought?

In 1940 there was a study in the Philippines regarding monkeys and a food shortage. The scientist began feeding the monkeys sweet potatoes. They would throw these sweet potatoes to the monkeys and they would fall to the ground and land in the dirt. They found that the monkeys would eat some of the potatoes spitting out the dirty part and only eat the inner core. They observed that one of the baby monkeys had accidentally dropped the potato in the water therefore learning to wash it. The other monkeys that played with the baby monkey learned to wash theirs also. The mothers learned from the babies how to wash their potatoes and the males that were the mates to the females learned to wash theirs also, so on and so forth until all of the monkeys on the island had learned this new skill. This took about a year and a half for approximately all one hundred monkeys to learn how to wash their potatoes on an isolated island. What is truly amazing is that within a span of about two months, monkeys in captivity from the Americas to Asia, had learned to wash their food instinctually. The question is how was this possible?

Collective Consciousness

Imagine that the monkey's brainwaves had a certain frequency that was unique to their species. Like radio stations, 103.7 or 104.9. When enough monkeys have the same thought on the same frequency their collective thought ripples like a stone in a pond creating a "thought ripple" that encompasses the entire planet. This collective thought unique to the frequency of the particular species is a small example of the planet and the flow process of information, experiences, and thought. We could say that each species on the planet from whales, dolphins, birds and even humans have a collective energy consciousness that is constantly moving throughout the planet. This energy is the collective consciousness of the planet.

Referring back to the human body we see again the similarity between our cells and their collective contribution to the whole. We can see how the cells that make up the nerves that send the signals to our brain is bringing in data to us, collectively acting to provide us with our sentient experience. Likewise, the Earth is using all of the collective experiences and thoughts of the micro life of the planet, its cells and nerves to relay thought and experiences for its singular consciousness. Perhaps it's just another day in the life of Earth.

Tim Todd

Higher Balance Institute is the world leader in advanced programs for spiritual growth and development of the sixth sense. It is the most comprehensive and unique program of its kind. Designed to produce direct, real personal paranormal experiences to learn from. Our mission is simple - to awaken the world one mind at a time. For more information and free eBooks visit us at higherbalance.com

Warrior Training 101 - Consciousness + Living Mindfully

Warrior training begins with developing awareness.

The key to mindful living is consciousness; consciousness of how we are oriented by habit-patterns. Without training, our behavior is a string of learned reactions and associations that are then cemented through years of unconscious repetition.

Consider this example: when you get home after work, it's become a habit to open the fridge and have a munch. You're so conditioned that the before-before-dinner snack is now part of your routine--it has nothing to do with hunger anymore.

Mindfulness involves inserting purpose into all aspects of life, especially where facets that we normally run on autopilot. The key is to disrupt our natural reflexes in which we frequently reproduce patterns that are counter-productive to our conscious priorities. Think of the previous example. Snacking out of habit is hardly an effective weight-control strategy.

There are many techniques for cultivating awareness. Meditation and simply paying more attention are two possibilities. Otherwise, I happened onto another interesting idea the other day:

Ascetic Yogi Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, says

"Why ascetic paths were set is simply because of this: you start doing things that are naturally not comfortable for you. Once you start doing such activity that is uncomfortable for you, you do it, but you don't like it. If you have to do something that you do not like, you can only do it consciously; there is no other way to do it. Yes? Things that you like, you can do compulsively; but things that you don't like, you can only do consciously. That is why the ascetic path. You start doing everything consciously. There is no other way to be."

The ascetic strategy for cultivating awareness is to work with what is unpleasant. By doing uncomfortable things necessarily keep us conscious. Thinking of ascetics automatically calls up images of hair shirts and massively long finger-nails, but this doesn't have to become a lifestyle. Perhaps it's enough just to become conscious of how it feels to do something unpleasant but necessary. At any rate--food for thought.

The challenge of consciousness is the taks of a lifetime. Consciousness is literally a massive task: most of our waking time takes place in an unconscious, reactive trance. As we begin to build zones of awareness, these spread outwards, becoming seedlings for radical change.

Terrie Schauer
http://warriorqueenproject.blogspot.com/

Writer, kick-boxer, peaceful warrior.

Conscious Living - What to Do When Your Inner Little Voice Says, "I Know That"

All your life you closed off learning with the thought or words, "I know that!"

Your brain and mind want to keep you safe--and stuck where you are. Your brain and mind want you to believe that change is scary and may hurt you.

So when new information that could help you move into a new place in life comes your way, one of the most powerful tricks your ego employs is telling you, "I know that!"

You shut down when you hear your Little Voice tell you, "I know that!" You close off the channel of new information. If you are listening to someone talk you stop listening to the speaker.

You allow your Little Voice to take over and drown out the speaker. This is not your intuitive voice that moves you forward but your reptilian brain Little Voice that keeps you stuck. That Little Voice will distract you with thoughts that tell you that you need to go to the restroom or that you are thirsty. It will try to convince you that you have other better things to do. It may even make you so tired so that you fall asleep.

What can you do to eliminate that reptilian Little Voice, and stay present, so you can allow yourself to hear and process new information? You can turn off that Little Voice and ignore its constant message, "I know that!" How?

Cut it off immediately before it begins to control your thinking. Tell that Little Voice, "Thank you for sharing." Simple, yes? You may need to repeat that phrase frequently. It will work every time.

But how can you tell if you really do know what the speaker is saying? The fact is when you know something you live it. Until you live it you do not know it. You only know about it.

Knowing and living something is vastly different from knowing about something.

Live consciously with full awareness.

Warning: Do not neglect the above information! Make sure to take this advice seriously if you want to live in happiness.

STOP! Are you about to give up being happy forever?

If what you do every day has not let you create a reality of happiness yet, do you really think anything will look different tomorrow?

Discover what stops you cold. Go to http://LiveInHappinessNow.com/indexW.html and grab my FREE ebook, What You Don't Know You Don't Know.

And remember... Don't give up hope... You deserve to be happy.

Conscious Living - The Key To Positive And Lasting Change

Conscious: aware of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts and surroundings; aware of what one is doing.

Unconscious : without awareness or cognition; occurring below the level of conscious thought; not consciously planned, realized or done; the unconscious: the part of the mind containing psychic material that is only rarely accessible awareness but has a pronounced effect upon behavior.

When we are living our lives in a state of true awareness wherein we are truly conscious of our actions, we can free ourselves from reactive, self defeating behavior and realize our personal best. Unfortunately, although we may think that we make conscious decisions, in reality our unconscious mind impacts our behavior. Our actions are therefore not truly under our control. We can learn to recognize the unconscious, that part of our mind that has great power over much of our actions without us even being aware of its existence. In doing so, we can diminish its power over us.

As an example, try simply noticing that voice inside your head that gets very chatty whenever you are about to make a decision, especially an important one that could result in change. Is it telling you that you're nuts to consider what you are thinking of doing? Does it say that you failed once before and will probably do so again? This chatter is easy to recognize because that voice, or chorus of voices, is activated all day long. Just walking into a room of strangers gets it going! They don't like me, I don't belong here, ya-da, ya-da. We fail to understand that the voice is out to sabotage us.

The voice is not you. It is a manifestation of your subconscious fears. Just by noticing it you will realize that this inner saboteur is at work. In the act of noticing you begin to empower yourself to make truly conscious decisions that will result in positive and lasting changes in your life.

The voice is the mind chatter that we can recognize. What about all the subconscious stuff that is also at work but much harder to identify? Quite often, we find ourselves quickly reacting to life's circumstances instead of taking time to stop, listen and think things through. For instance, your friend may ask you if you aren't feeling well because you don't look so hot. You might immediately react by snapping back, "What do you mean I don't look good?" Your feelings got hurt because you are extremely sensitive to any sort of criticism. Those feelings of low self-esteem may stem from a parent who was always extremely critical: the why does not matter. The bottom-line is your friend meant exactly what they said: are you okay? Nothing more. You added the rest. You were unconscious in your reaction. You allowed your past to repeat itself.

When we live on a conscious level, we are as alert to what is happening as a deer in the woods who hears something unknown. We insure that our actions, our decisions, our communications are not influenced by the myriad filters we apply to life. We don't look through rose colored or black glasses; we choose to look through crystal clear ones that do not distort reality.

We recognize that the voice in our head is inauthentic and we proceed without its input. Thank it for sharing and move on. We start to see that reacting to life to very different from acting from a place of awareness and consciousness. We learn to recognize reality for what it is and not for what we think it should be. We choose to make conscious decisions versus unconscious ones.

Life Coaching has a very strong emphasis on the act of conscious living. We learn how to recognize when we slip into unconsciousness, thereby training ourselves to be more and more conscious of what is really happening. We free ourselves from, doing the same things over and over again. We learn from our heightened sense of awareness. We begin to see things differently, in a much more objective and clear way.

There are myriad ways that one can begin to practice conscious living. First and foremost is to notice your mind chatter. Just notice it. Secondly, to stop reactive behavior, walk away when you sense that you are not in control. Recognize your danger zone. When you feel the rush of emotion starting, step back and count to twenty. Don't give in to the rush. Cool off. Take a brisk walk. Look into those activities that clear your mind and create calm. Some people meditate, some do yoga or chant. Others find that 18 holes on a golf course is a spiritual experience. Whatever works for you.

Always examine your actions and decisions to ensure that they are made without self-defeating habits. Are you seeing reality as it exists or through some sort of filter? Drop egocentric behavior that clouds the issue and only serves to reinforce bad behavior and poor decision-making. Be like the deer in the woods: alert, focused, present and totally aware.

You can live a life that truly works and you can achieve peak performance in all areas of your life. You can not only survive life?s unexpected changes and transitions but also thrive. Powerful change is possible. You are fully capable of creating a life that you choose.

Life Coaching is a proven, powerful, one-on-one professional relationship that promises to improve the quality of your life!
Learn how to create positive change in your life. Visit http://www.changecoachshelley.com and take your free customized Life Quiz and also Shelley?s Blog at http://shelleyblog.changecoachshelley.com for more tools for personal growth and power.
Contact Shelley Stile at shelleystile@changecoachshelley.com today!

Improving Self Esteem by Living Consciously

Working on building a positive self esteem is a life long task, no-one has a completely positive self esteem, nor negative. as long as our relationship with our-self lasts, so our self-esteem it will evolve and change. It changes in relationship to life events and hormones as well as an ongoing relationship with self. I am going to talk here about how living our life with integrity, or not, will affect our self esteem.

Nathaniel Branden who has written a number of books on self esteem talks about living consciously versus unconsciously and how unconscious living creates negative self esteem. It may seem somewhat obvious that to live a life with integrity, honesty, compassion, kindness is going to make us feel good about ourselves. However, so often our need for short term gains or avoidance of pain can take precedence over these ideals. The consequences of breaking those ideals, not only effects those around us but we let our self down. Even if there are no terrible consequences to our actions we still feel that twinge of guilt because it goes against our authentic self.

When we live unconsciously we tend to protect ourself from guilt and responsibility for our actions. Using rationalizations is common, telling ourself that our actions are no big deal or that I am justified because you hurt me. Distracting ourselves from feeling guilt is another common way. This protection limits the opportunity to transform our actions into something else. Additionally, the disowned quilt eats away at us reinforcing feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy that are the hallmarks of a negative self esteem.

Living unconsciously makes it difficult to take responsibility for our actions when we betray or hurt those we care about. We want those we have hurt to forgive us quickly so we don't feel guilty. Or worse, blame other people or a set of circumstances for our actions, rather than the choices we made. When we empathize with the pain we have caused someone, this can feel devastating. By not empathizing we can keep a distance from our guilt and responsibility for hurting them. We are then vulnerable to repeat offenses because we haven't acknowledge that something is wrong in the first place or what those we love need from us. This course of action can often end up in a bewildering array of failed relationships and at the very least having to deal with people's disappointment and anger towards us on a regular basis. We may conclude that the best we can do is to avoid explosions because we feel helpless to do anything about disappointing those we love.

A common motivation behind this process is an attempt to be perfect. Mistakes are shameful and we want to hide them from ourselves and others, so as we fight against accepting these experiences in an attempt to try and be perfect. It is a vicious cycle. We portray and experience our-self in a limited way because we have developed beliefs about what is acceptable. We disown the so called 'bad' parts which creates a lack of knowledge or choices in relation to them. Then when we act badly we are unable to take responsibility and disown what is happening as we try to maintain the image of perfection.

In the unconscious cycle there is no change and the experience of our destructive and unethical actions becomes more ingrained. Over time we feel a sense of hopelessness about ever being perfect and resign ourself to 'being bad'. At this point depression can develop as the negative image of ourselves takes over.

Living consciously

Living consciously could be defined as paying attention to oneself and others to do no harm. A way to judge no harm is being at ease with our conscience. This means when we do harm, make mistakes or allow fear to dominate our actions we will use this as an opportunity to examine our life and make changes rather than defend against it. It is this act of examination and transformation that is the basis of living consciously. We experience success through this process and develop pride in our-self.

When we live consciously we see others experience as legitimate and strive to understand them and empathize. This may mean that we have to face that part of us that hurt them for our own gain. We can not always know that we have done harm without feedback about how we have impacted others. There may be a struggle in accepting ourselves because we have to admit our imperfections which can be very uncomfortable. To know that we are jealous, malicious, contemptuous, mean, vengeful, neglectful or even indifferent can shake our concept of who we are. It is this struggle that changes the illusion of perfection as the only way to be worthy. The irony is that those aspects of ourselves that we are ashamed of and have let us down can not be transformed without acceptance.

Lets take the example of being honest. The vast majority of people hold this value as important in relationships and to their sense of self. The practice of being honest is another matter. We lie for all sorts of reasons, mostly because we are afraid of the response we would get if we were honest. I don't know how often I have heard ' I didn't tell you because of just how you are reacting!' The person who lie's then blames the other person for their actions. So, living unconsciously to protect themselves from their own behaviour. In this scenario the person who lies not only is doing nothing to change and transform to live in line with their values, but they allow others responses to control their choices. In addition to being caught up in the unconscious cycle they experience themselves as weak and ineffective.

Living consciously means choosing to be honest and weather the storm of reactions. The storm always passes and you are left with the pride that comes from telling the truth. Living unconsciously averts the storm and feels better in the short term but you are then left with living the lie. So I encourage to live consciously, You will develop a better relationship with yourself and improve your self esteem.

Delyse Ledgard works as a relationship counselor and psychotherapist in Vancouver BC. For more info visit her website http://www.depression-vancouver.com

Conscious Living

Several years ago, following an intention to live more consciously, I deemed it the Year of Awakening. For me, I envision a lifetime of conscious living as I more fully awaken to the spiritual being that I truly am. As a part of my spiritual journey, I love to look up the meanings of things to gain an even deeper understanding. This is what Webster's Dictionary had to say about the word conscious: in the "moment", in waking awareness, mentally perceptive, alert, subjectively knowing, intentional, deliberate, inwardly attentive, mindful, possessing knowledge, cognizant, knowing one's self, realizing and recognizing.

Wow, now that is a powerful definition! Who wouldn't want to be conscious? Along with conscious living comes responsibility to act on our values and insights. We may experience emotional pain as we allow ourselves to feel what we've been stuffing down for years, but for the most part, living consciously is joyful, as we see the good in one another and trust the presence of a loving God unfolding in our lives perfectly.

In order to change old patterns and create greater consciousness in our lives it is important to make a daily practice that allows for a shift in awareness and then the creation of new, improved patterns and habits can emerge. For those who know me, I am a 'busy' woman, yet I am learning to enjoy some downtime. I see how it is leading me to greater awareness in my life.

A part of my daily practice is to spend time in the stillness, in the quiet of my own mind. I spend time in the silence when I meditate, which I also call "basking". It is there that I learn to have space between my thoughts. I listen to that inner voice and wherever it takes me is where I am willing go. I find the more I listen to the spiritual guidance that I receive, the smoother my life flows!

While spending time in the silence, I release my prayers and go over in my mind all that I am grateful for. My heart is filled with appreciation as I review in my mind the many ways that I am blessed. If there is any resentment or forgiveness work to do, I take care of this too, while my inner being is quiet and focused on the goodness of God.

For me, an aspect of conscious living is getting in touch with what brings me joy. When I follow the beat of my own inner drummer, so to speak, I know that I am on the path to conscious living, and not just doing what everyone else thinks I should do! Mythologist Joseph Campbell says, "If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living.... If you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time." Experiencing bliss is being attentive to the underlying beauty and meaning found in life, no matter what the circumstances.

Another way I live consciously is through my use of intention. I've been using the power of intention ever since I learned about the teachings of Abraham-Hicks found at Abraham-Hicks.com over eleven years ago. I see working with intention as being a sort of traffic cop for energy, directing it, and using my focused awareness to bring about positive change in my life and in the world around me.

My use of intention has brought the right people into my life at just the right time; helped me move into seeing all my work as spiritual, allowed me to develop divine relationships; and helped me to gain a greater sense of well-being. I feel empowered in my life seeing where my intentions have led me.

There is so much beauty and love to see when I slow down enough to be mindful. One intention that has manifested for me is the opportunity to spend time with master teachers, coaches and mentors. Through spending time in the silence, following my bliss and using positive intention, I am able to connect with life like I've never done before. I look forward to the rest of my life unfolding in a way that helps me to continue to grow and serve in love and do it with awareness!

Diana Kennedy is a Divine Life Coach and Massage Therapist. She has been speaking at Unity Chuches and offering spiritual playshops for over ten years. Diana helps people create more dynamic lives through inspirational teleclasses, e-courses, and articles. Diana enlightens and empowers you to experience greater passion and prosperity, to connect with your intuition, and to have joyful relationships. Check out her site at http://www.DianaKennedy.com and receive a free gift for subscribing to her newsletter Dynamic Living with Diana Kennedy.

12 Keys to Healthy Conscious Living

Would you like to know what you can do to prevent disease and heal yourself? You may be surprised at the idea that you can be healthy. The truth is that you do have the power to maintain good health. Even if you have inherited tendencies, or your parents have or had serious diseases, you do not have to suffer from the same afflictions.

To begin with, it is necessary to make a commitment to yourself to live consciously. That means to be aware of what you are doing, thinking, and feeling. It includes the realization that you can always make healthy choices in every aspect of your life. Your conscious decisions are the best health insurance you can have, and it is free.

As a marriage, and family therapist, intuitive counselor, and author, I have helped many clients feel better, improve their health, and prevent problems by teaching them how to live consciously. I, myself, have chosen this path, and as a senior citizen, I am healthier than I was 30 years ago. "Retirement" is not in my vocabulary. I have touched millions of people and I am just getting warmed-up. I am not concerned about the "popular" killer diseases that afflicted my parents. Conscious living has helped me rejuvenate, and avoid operations, medications, and expensive medical tests, and it can help you, too.

The following are 12 choices you can make to help you heal, rejuvenate, and maintain a healthy body. If they are new to you, relax, focus on one at a time and go at your pace. Set your intent to live consciously, and you are likely to succeed.

1) Choose to be positive. Kind and loving thoughts and feelings literally relax our bodies and allow our organs and glands to receive what they need to be healthy. On the contrary, negative thoughts and feelings constrict our bodies, and our cells are deprived of what they require to function normally. Try this experiment. Notice how your body feels when you say, "I am stressed," compared to, "I am grateful." Did you notice the difference? Pay attention to how your body feels as you speak and think. Let go of negative words and thoughts, and change them to positive ones.

2) Choose to be true to yourself and others. To be in our joy, we need to be who we are and express our truth in loving ways. When we withhold things we want to say to others, or stop ourselves from doing what we love, our bodies constrict. Have the courage to follow your dreams and desires.

3) Choose healthy food and drinks. Read all the labels, and find out what ingredients you may be ingesting. Avoid toxic preservatives and high sugar, salt, or fat content. The higher prices of organic foods are much less than drug and doctor expenses.

4) Choose a specific diet for your needs. Everyone is different, and some foods are healthy for some and poisonous for others. For example, many people are allergic to nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, and corn. Find out what your body needs to avoid.

5) Choose to drink enough healthy water. Only drink filtered or purified water that has minerals and is free of toxins and chemicals.

6) Choose non-toxic personal care and cleaning products. Whatever we smell, or put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies and affects our cells in positive or negative ways. Avoid poisoning yourself with toxic products.

7) Choose to be ph balanced (acid and alkaline). Our immune system weakens and germs do well in an acidic body. It is easy to find out your score with ph paper. Generally speaking, most vegetables and fruits are alkalizing and balance the acidity of grains and proteins.

8) Choose anti-oxidants. Many studies show that anti-oxidants are extremely important for our bodies.

9) Choose appropriate stretches and exercise for your body type and condition. Find out what your body needs and wants, and set up a regular routine.

10) Choose to be your desired weight. If you decide to join a diet program, make sure it is also healthy and retrains your eating habits so that you can maintain your desired weight.

11) Choose to laugh and balance your life. Laughter, rest, alone time, and play are rejuvenating. Consider them necessities, and add them to your schedule.

12) Choose to be sociable and give to others. Positive, fun people can help you be the same. Making a difference in other people's lives also helps you feel good.

These are some important ways you can choose to be in control of your health and well-being. There are many wonderful articles and books written on these important topics. My goal was merely to awaken you to ways you can enjoy a healthier life. No matter your age or state of your physical condition, these conscious choices can be extremely beneficial. You can enjoy a healthy, fulfilling life.

Copyright 2008 by Helene Rothschild, MS, MA, MFT, a Marriage, Family Therapist, intuitive counselor, author, and speaker. Her newest book, "All You Need Is HART! Create Love, Joy and Abundance- Now!" A unique guide to Holistic And Rapid Transformation, is a manual for life and helps people to "love themselves to peace." She offers telephone sessions, books, e-books, MP3 audios, CDs and a free newsletter, "Truths Set You Free" e-book and "Healing Your Body" mp3 audio. http://www.lovetopeace.com - 1-888-639-6390.

Unconscious Habit Vs The Power of Conscious Ritual

"Take Comfort in Rituals" was the sign that greeted me this morning as I walked up to the Starbucks entrance in Toronto. I'm not certain about the efficacy of this slogan as an advertising campaign, but personally it reminded me that there is comfort in the rituals we create.

There are many reasons for creating and maintaining rituals in our lives. They can be used as a way to complete unfinished business or to center and ground us. When I reached for the door and noticed the slogan, I actually felt myself relax. Traveling, doing workshops and being away from home so much in the past two months has a fun, exciting element to it but there are also a few stressors that come with all this. Grabbing my morning coffee and sitting at my computer to compose my daily blog is a ritual for me. When I am more than 3,000 miles from home, it brings a sense of normalcy to my life.

What rituals do you have to support and nurture you? A regular exercise program can be a ritual. A weekly phone call with a best friend, a certain comfort food or celebrating breakthroughs are all examples of rituals we create.

Like most things in life, there are two sides to the ritual coin. If you are consciously choosing an action as a way that helps you relax, reconnect, refresh and ground yourself it is a ritual. This is an anabolic, creative approach. If a ritual becomes an unconscious habit that disconnects you from your feelings, connecting with yourself or others, you've gone into a catabolic or destructive way of coping. A good sign that a ritual has become a habit is the difference between actively choosing it or experiencing it as something you HAVE to do or HAVE to have.

If you are not yet incorporating ritual into your life in a conscious way, what is one thing you can do at the start each day that will create more focused action and keep you moving toward your goals? What rituals can you create to support other core values such as having a healthy lifestyle or enjoying rich and satisfying relationships?

When we go through a period of significant change or loss, it is important to examine the old rituals and decide whether to keep them or redesign them. For a family going through divorce, it is important to assess which family rituals can be maintained to provide some continuity and security, especially for the children. If a holiday such as Christmas needs to be redesigned, then encourage everyone to take part in planning it. Understand the core values that are at stake and build something new that expresses these values.

Allowing yourself to be nurtured, comforted and centered by creating ritual in your own life can provide you with the support you need to take risks and venture out in other areas. Dream big, live large and connect to the meaningful through ritual for a more inspired life.

Tambre Leighn, M.A., Ct.H., CPC, ELI-MP is a certified professional life coach specializing in guiding clients through periods of major transition (career change, divorce, chronic illness diagnosis) and grief recovery. She also works with those facing mid-life challenges to uncover their own brilliance so they may lead the extraordinary lives they were meant to have.

Go to http://www.coachingbytambre.com to sign up for my complimentary newsletter.

Stress-Free Living Requires Conscious Living

Stress-free living requires you to consciously stay focused in the present moment and pay attention to your thoughts. You know your thoughts by monitoring your feelings.

I tell my clients that I never ask anything of them I have not been through or done myself. Since I have survived some major traumas in my own life and had to come back from nearly dying I do know how hard life can be.

Ah, hard if you choose to live in struggle and stress.

I find myself frequently needing to take care of crisis situations. Those moments keep me on my toes and, most important, they keep me sharp making me walk my talk.

Hmm. Why do I create such situations? Well, let's see, I tell people I never ask anything of them I have not done myself. That is huge clue!

To stop putting myself into varied stressful situations I need to drop that line from my repertoire. No kidding!

You may think I am being silly here. But when I speak or write those words I am sending a clear message to my own subconscious mind and to the Universe that I need to keep experiencing challenges so I will be able to say, "Been there. Done that." regardless of the client's situation.

That whole notion is really no different than thinking, as a psychotherapist, you have to suffer from every possible disorder before you can assist anyone in healing from that disorder.

What a ludicrous thought. Yet no more out there than what I put out to the Universe pretty regularly.

I know how the body, mind, spirit system work. I do not need to suffer any conditions or setbacks or stress at all -unless I need to learn more life lessons (which I do). In fact, if my own well being is not fully charged with love I can be pretty much useless at helping someone heal.

Make sense?

I know how the body/mind attracts stressful situations to itself. But only when I remember to stay present and live and act consciously in this moment can I be truly stress-free.

And I can continue to create these new thought patterns that keep me focused in the now rather than repeat the past stuck behaviors.

All I have to do is catch myself experiencing overwhelm or pressure to recognize I am not living in the present moment. Then I come back and make a decision to replace those other thoughts with pleasant ones that fail to make me feel bad. Eliminating stress is as simple as creating new habits. It all starts with your thoughts.

And when you are ready to create the proven winning habits to eliminate stress from your life
click here ?to grab your gift, Ali's Special Report: 25 Tips to Eliminate Stress Now

And remember... Don't give up hope... You do NOT have to live with stress - ever!

Ali Bierman, Your Guide To Destress
http://LiveInHappinessNow.com/index1.html

Beliefs And Consciously Living

Consciously living? What exactly does that mean? Isn't that what were doing? How could I live otherwise? I'm conscious and I'm living so I must be consciously living... no?

Well, yes. But that's not what I mean. By living consciously, I am referring to living in deliberate intent on a very conscious level and choosing to live proactively versus reactively. That means instead of reacting to events that occur in my everyday life, I choose to be proactive in my choices to events in my everyday life. What's the difference?

We do not react to events in our lives; we react to the beliefs we hold about events in our lives.

Here's an example. Suppose I'm driving along and some guy cuts me off in traffic. I have a couple choices to make. I can choose to get mad and think how inconsiderate the other driver was or I could choose to blow it off as some guy in a hurry and continue listening to the soothing music on the radio.

Your beliefs are going to dictate how you're going to react to this driver. Neither one is right nor wrong, they're just simple responses to an event. But the choice decided upon is either going to be a conscious choice or a choice made by default - an unconscious choice. The difference is extremely important.

You may hold a belief that people who cut off others in traffic are rude and irresponsible people. Can't really argue with that. And your belief about rude and irresponsible people elicits a certain reaction out of you. Rude people may make you angry based on a belief you hold about rude people. To another, rude people elicits a feeling of pity based on they're belief about rudeness.

These two individuals will most likely have two very different reactions to being cut off in traffic. And two very different lives based on that simple belief. See how it works? Your belief about the event is what elicits the kind of response you exhibit, not about the event itself.

Why is this important? It's extremely important if we have a deep desire to understand why we are living the lives we live and to make changes to those aspects of our lives we no longer wish to experience. If I can consciously understand why I react to certain events in my life, all I have to do is understand my belief about what it is I want to change. Once I understand the belief, I can then make the conscious decision to change the belief.

But how do I change the belief? A belief is nothing more than a thought you keep thinking over and over. To change the belief, change the balance, focus and repetition of the thought. Consciously change your focus to what you want the new belief to be. This is consciously living. This is being proactive.

I flew for the Navy years ago and one of the tenants taught to all naval aviators is the concept of "situational awareness". This is the idea of being coupled to the dynamics of your environment. Using this principle, you can see by becoming aware of your environment and your beliefs as they relate to your environment, you can consciously create the circumstances you desire to experience in your life.

By choosing a proactive response to events as demonstrated through beliefs, we are taking rightful control of the circumstances in our life, which leads to a wonderful and empowering sense of well-being.

Robert Hunt is the creator of MySelfDevelopment.net [http://myselfdevelopment.net] - Brain Food For Personal Development

How To Live in the Moment Starting Today

As I sit here now and type, the realization is that this is my life, right now. It doesn't begin when this site begins to get lots of traffic and makes money, or when I get married, or have children, or visit Australia, my life is right now. I'm not going to wake up one day and a grand sign will appear that "your life has begun!" Nope, it's this present moment... and so is yours.

Living in the moment is one of the easiest concepts to grasp, but one of the hardest to get right. It takes tons of hard work, practice and conscious awareness to really live in the present, but it can be done. It should be done, as it is one of the most important skills to have when discovering yourself and true lasting happiness.

So how do we really learn to live in the moment?

Every single person on this planet needs to allow themselves time to step back and reflect. It's essential for our well-being. Nowadays everybody feels like they must go, go, go, but this is not what is really good for us, if we took some time to reflect, we would realize that.

You don't have to have a fancy meditation room or sit Indian-style to do this. You can simply lay down or get comfortable in your favorite chair. Close your eyes and just be. Be still. Be present. Let your mind be empty.

This is often referred to as meditation, but while doing this you can also practice some mindfulness techniques. Pay attention to how the soft fabric of the chair feels on your skin, listen to your breath, hear the birds chirping outside, taste and feel the water on your tongue while taking a drink. Really be here. Life is made up of all these tiny sensations, feelings and moments. If you just wait for the big ones (i.e. getting the new car, getting married, taking the trip, getting the promotion) you will miss out on 90% of your life. That's a damn shame.

No one with half a brain wants to miss out on 90% of their life! That's why learning how to be in the moment is so important.

Have you ever driven to work and ended up in your parking spot and thought to yourself, "I don't really remember driving here?" You definitely were not living in the moment. What did you miss? Did you miss beautiful clouds in the sky? A great song on the radio? Were you too busy repeating thousands of thoughts in your head that you missed out on the now?

So what prevents us from living in the moment? Most of the time "our story" is what makes us unable to be in the now. "Our story" are thoughts from yesterday or tomorrow. Think about it... your brain in always going.. and where is it going? Either on past events or future events - rehashing or rehearsing. Planning what you're going to say to that person when you see them, what you are going to wear to the event, what you're going to bring to the cook-out, how your future date will go, etc. OR Thinking about what he said, wondering if she liked your hair, analyzing your coworker's remark, re-visiting a memory good or bad, etc. How are we able to take in the now with all that stuff going on? It's impossible!

That's why we need to tune out, get some silence, step back and reflect. Our lives are fragile. We don't know if we will wake up and see tomorrow. We can't plan on future events making us happy, that's like putting all your eggs in one basket. We need to make sure we plan for the future, but still enjoy today... or else we are not really living.

It's really important to grasp the concept of living in the moment and get working on learning some mindfulness techniques. Here are just a few to get you started:

1. Be mindful for one minute. Set your stopwatch, sit comfortably, keep your eyes open and focus on your breath. Whenever a thought comes into your head, let it go and return to focusing on your breathing. This can seem like forever, but is a very powerful exercise in building up your ability to be mindful. Don't beat yourself up, this stuff takes practice!

2. Conscious Observation. Pick any object in your room. It can be a spoon, a shoe or a pen and just observe it. Pick it up and feel it. Really look at it and see it like it was for the first time. Don't assess it or judge it. Just consciously look at it and don't think about anything else while you are doing this.

3. Conscious Doing. Do a simple task such as preparing a cup of tea, washing a dish or brushing your teeth. Through every step of the task, really notice each sensation focusing only on the task at hand. For example when preparing tea, focus on getting out a mug, feel the mug and really look at it (using #2 conscious observation). Get some tea out of the cupboard, notice how opening the cupboard feels, take out some tea, smell the teas and focus on their scent. Open up a teabag and drop it in the mug. Now turn the faucet on and run water, listen to the sounds, feel the water on your fingers. Fill the pot with water and turn on the burner. Again, listen to the sounds, etc. You see where this is going. Try and practice this for a simple task each day. You will get better and better at observing the present moment in your daily life.

These techniques are just a few ways in which you are able to strengthen your abilities to consciously live in each moment. Remember that this is a really hard habit to grasp and practice makes perfect. Try not to disregard these mindfulness exercises as silly, but really give them a try.

Overall it's really important to remember that each day is a gift. We need to decide to be present and grateful that we have today without trying to ruin it by re-living yesterday or wishing for tomorrow. How to be in the moment is something we all struggle with on a day-to-day basis, but it's really important to take a step back and reflect on what you have today.

Practice the mindfulness techniques listed above and read the two books by Eckhart Tolle and you will have a much better handle on enjoying each moment. Live for today, now is the only moment you are sure to ever have.

http://www.happy-whole-self.com is a site about personal development and conscious living.
This site covers topics such as: Health, Happiness, Consciousness, Money, Work, Freedom, Art, Creativity, Loss, Travel, Discipline, Nutrition, Exercise, Adventure, Balance, Stress, Sustainability, Passive Income, Design, Passion, Personal Development, Love, Courage, Business, Fear, Goals, Motivation, People Skills, Out-of-the-box-thinking, Leisure and more.

This site contains enough free personal development material to fill hours upon hours of your time. Don't let that overwhelm you though because no matter where you begin, it will only take a few clicks to find something of value to you.

Conscious Living Expands Your World

Are you seeing all the gifts in your life? Sometimes we fail to see gifts that come into our lives because we forget we are responsible for how our world looks. Actually, you get to choose how you see things--good or bad.

Recently a new neighbor moved in next door. The family not only covered their yard with junk, but also mine. They played music after 1:00 AM right outside my in-home office. Their dog and kids played and did other things in my yard because they built a fenced-in deck, leaving no place for them to be in their own yard!

What would you do?

I tried sending them lots of love. I envisioned them as I wanted them to be and me being peaceful. I talked to them, which solved individual incidents but had no effect on their perpetual behaviors. Ah! Then I remembered...Everything happens for a reason.

We came to this lifetime to learn particular lessons. Sometimes we forget, or maybe have not yet figured out, what we came to learn. For me, this lesson has been in my face lately. I have been struggling for months now with what I just learned is hypothyroidism. I have a goiter because my thyroid is working so very hard in an extra attempt to work as Nature intended.

Why tell you this? Because the reason one gets a goiter or hypothyroidism has to do with a failure of self expression. Duh! I have not been speaking up for myself in many arenas, so the Universe, having been whispering to me for many months (hindsight is always 20-20), decided to get louder. When I didn't "get it " with the physical condition, the Universe brought in this raucous, seemingly thoughtless neighbor.

See the gift? I could have gone on being angry and frustrated about this neighbor situation. Instead, I see the priceless gift. She came into my life so I can practice (and get really good at) expressing what I need when I need to.

Okay! I get it now! What am I going to do about it? This weekend I am going to talk with my neighbor, get to know her, and speak up for myself. Then I am going to do the same in other areas of my life where I have been keeping things to myself.

What annoying things and people are actually gifts in your world?

The bottom line is only you can change your life...when you are ready to do so. Change comes from within. Knowing the programs running your subconscious mind allows you to override what does not work and replace it with programs that do work. Discover the basics of conscious living in Ali Bierman's ebook What You Don't Know You Don't Know Runs You. Grab your complimentary copy now at http://creatingthelife.com/ebook.html

Conscious Shifting

Things continue to unfold and shifts are continually taking place whether we are actively aware of them or not. Everything is speeding up and intensifying with greater and greater potency, personally and collectively. It's amazing to be alive right now and even those not currently on the physical plane are so eager to assist and support in these opportunistic, mind-blowing, expansive times. It's no longer a question of how do we manifest? But more so, in having discernment about what it is we are manifesting. Since what we intend has instant creation ability, it is important to be mindful about exactly what we are intending and asking to create. And so, wouldn't it be wonderful to be consciously co-creating and consciously choosing as empowered beings, rather than taking a back seat while the world seemingly unfolds around us?

The changes taking place, on multiple levels, represent a major shift that proves to be probably the most important timing and event that has taken place on our planet. What a gift to be alive right now! Once again, it's all about perspective, in how we choose to experience the changes. Everything is but a thought, feeling, and choice away.

Transitions are and will continue to take place in terms of every aspect of life and co-existing, including: moving more into a sustainable society that does not depend on limited resources, more efficient and renewable sources of energy will continue to become part of everyday living and thinking, working together more cohesively and supportively with the highest good of all concerned on the forefront of our minds and hearts, realizing the equality and value of the gifts we each have and exchanging and sharing them harmoniously, supportively, as well as telepathically, and a time when worries, fears, and concerns transform into living in joy, harmony, and assured trust in each other and the universal support that comes from living consciously, compassionately, embracively, and presently from our hearts as the empowered beings we are.

Everything is accelerating at speeds and rates we aren't even realizing because we're so focused on the day to day stuff, yet believe me it is all moving rapidly. Stop for a moment to take stock of how much has actually been accomplished and at such incredible paces. Sometimes it's challenging to realize how much we are changing because we keep thinking about the next thing we want and still don't feel we have, and so it's important to stop for a moment and review where you're at and be grateful for the amazing things you've been able to move through with greater ease and grace than you probably imagined. Things may have seemed impossible and yet here you are, here we are, and with each challenge, the process gets easier, quicker, and soon will be nothing more than a simple choice of deciding what honors you or doesn't and boom, instant created experience at your fingertips!

There is no need for long drawn out experiences anymore, unless we choose that as our process and need it for our very specifically relevant experiences. There is nothing to judge, just simply to learn to be gentle and loving to ourselves while we are in the process of remembering and re-learning. After all, whenever our experiences take us away from this Earth plane, we will all find ourselves laughing and giggling together, over the very serious and dramatic ways we decided to view and live our lives. Every experience is no more or less serious than choosing to meet up with a friend for tea or a lunch date and that person deciding to show up or not. We can actively choose to show up fully for our lives and consciously experience the miraculous synchronicities that are constantly taking place, whether we know it or not. It's really about embracing our essence and our empowered states of being that lie latent within us. The time is now upon us where fears can easily be shed and a true sense of safety and peace of mind can come, in allowing ourselves to be vulnerable once again. We will NOT recreate the past. It takes enormous amounts of effort and energy to try to recreate the past or even to stand still. These are new times, new energies and a whole new level of being, where we are now able to take everything from the collective "past" experience and integrate the pieces that worked, discard those that didn't, and imbue it with the energy of the new, creating something that has never been and never will be again; as time is always and ever-changing.

We all have a lot of deep-seeded fears, wounds, pains, and walls that have been stored, harbored, and built to protect us from the daunting dangers we are projecting because of what we've been through personally and collectively. It's deeply encoded within our DNA and personalities, and guarded by our challenged egos. Yet, now we can let it all go. Ego can take a small vacation in terms of not having to feel it has to be in the constantly active driver's seat anymore. Ego will continue learning that the energies of these times and the new vibrations and changes we are creating, are very supportive in aiding our processes and so it can now relax and allow our essence to come forth again. It is time to also allow our beautiful inner children to flourish and now ego can be the driving force behind our passions and the strength and vitality to create once again in our full truths. There is no more need to fight, hide, defend, or diminish ourselves. We will continue to learn that it's time to step into all that we are and all that we can be and in doing so, will inevitably be supported. It is not a question of WILL we be supported? It is simply the knowingness that there is no other possibility unless we choose to believe there is.

And so, to be conscious about every choice we make, every aspect of our being, and every moment of our lives, is to become a gentle power of unlimited possibilities. We are learning about choice and intentions and how powerful they are, especially when we are actively engaging them. The understanding that comes with the learning provides us with a new found wisdom and discernment that will honor both ourselves and the higher good. There is no more need to choose from fear, but only to choose from love, while exercising our boundaries in the process of coming to know our authentic truths. It all simply takes practice and with practice comes ease. Enjoy these exciting times in human evolution and universal expansion because magical experiences await you. And cherish the moments, for they will never be again.

Tania Marie is a Visionary Artist & Reiki Master Teacher leading Integrative, Sacred Journeys & Workshops, residing in Incline Village, NV. For more information about her work and services please visit http://www.taniamarie.com or call (775) 343-9244. Treatments & classes available by distance, by request in your area, or at Reno & Tahoe locations. Sacred Journey to Egypt 12/3-12/13/08.

Eco-Conscious Living: Dreaming of a Truly Sustainable Fishery

It's common knowledge now that the game of fishing as it used to happen no longer exists quite in the same way. For years and years, those who took to the high seas lived by a balance of fighting with other fleets when it came to snagging the biggest haul and yet at the same time, considering whether or not it made sense to back off so that populations could continue thriving. It seems that ever since the great cod wars, people have been fighting with the inevitability of actually overfishing ocean stocks. And yet the same mistakes continue to be made, leading more of a shift from a traditional open-water approach to fishing to one that focuses on the potential of fisheries to help restore the balance.

One thing to keep in mind as far as fisheries and sustainability are concerned is the fact that it's possible to capture wild fish as part of having a fishery or to simply be raising fish in captivity through aquaculture or fish farming. A fishery allows the chance to regulate the number of fish that are thriving and keep tabs on what is being harvested and what is being allowed to grow older and reproduce. And because of this, Exporting Fishery Products does not have to seem like a threat or oxymoron as far as making sustainable choices is concerned. It's also worth noting that while the traditional image of a fishery as a place where only those sea creatures with fins and scales are thriving is accurate, there are just as many fisheries these days specializing in crustaceans and mollusks, too, as their populations have been dealing with the same troubles as regular fish.

Just like with actual fleets, there are definitely good fisheries and bad ones, and those who are serious about responsible shopping will look for the ones that are more focused on Exporting Fishery Products that meet international standards and do their best to not negatively impact the environment or mess with the local balance, since fisheries are often times not entirely removed from the surrounding environment. It makes sense to be responsible when it comes to purchasing delicious seafood from fisheries just in the same way that it is possible to be responsible when picking up organic or "all natural" products at the grocery store. Pay attention to the origin labels and do some reading to avoid accidentally supporting with cash a company with a less-than-stellar record as far as the environment and sustainability are concerned.

Alaska's fishing industry leads the world in environmental protection measures. From efforts to improve traceability to strict enforcement procedures, Alaska continually shows how committed it is to preserving the ocean for the next generation. Check out the ASMI Facebook page for more information on Alaska Seafood!

Conscious Living - Making it a Practice

One of the things that I'm really focusing on in my coaching work is helping people to see their life as a never ending opportunity to be fully present, alive and alert to this moment. This practice never ends. We have a choice to make every 1/60th of a second regarding how we want to live. The practice of conscious living is completely based on this issue of choice. The basis of the practice is remembering over and over that in each moment, we choose how we relate to what is showing up in life. It is not automatic, set in stone, or 'just the way it is.'

Now, this does not mean that we can practice choosing to make our problems magically disappear. We can't necessarily choose to lose 20 lbs. in an instant or to snap out of a depression that has been with us for years. The practice is much more about the realization that there is something more essential to our nature than our thoughts, feelings, or bodies. Because there is a quality of awareness that is more foundational to our nature than what we think or feel, we always have a choice in how we relate to what we think and feel. We can either identify and attach to the depression or judgment around the extra weight, or we can bring a sense of compassionate non-resistance to these issues.

Whatever is showing up in in our minds, we can choose to focus on this foundational awareness that we all have. We can rest our attention there and settle into the space around what we think and feel. Once again, that doesn't mean that our mental, emotional problems will just go away or that the circumstances of our lives will magically transform for the better. It means that we choose to identify with a much more vast aspect of our nature that doesn't actually have any problems or feel any resistance to present moment reality.

Choosing to shift our focus out of confusion, fear, self-judgment, and struggle and into this place of self-love, spaciousness, and acceptance is always a possibility. It takes a strong commitment to our own sanity and well-being to remember to do this all of the time, to put our true purpose first, and to consciously refrain from the millions of forces out there and inside of us that distract us from what really matters. This is the practice of a life time. It is not based on some sort of technique. It is not esoteric or fancy. The truth is that we all have access to this all of the time. It's just that very few of us actually know this and make an ongoing commitment to this knowledge regardless of what they think and feel or the nature of their current life circumstances.

If you feel shut down, irritable, and stressed out, you can choose to bring a compassionate awareness to that and set intentions to shift your focus to your purpose-based Self. If you feel anxious and worried, like you can't find the 'off' switch, you can choose to breathe into this experience with non-judgmental attention. Always, always- we have a choice. This is not always easy to accept, but the realization of this is the basis of ultimate freedom. It is a practice, like anything else. At first, it feels awkward. Eventually you cease to view it as a practice at all; it is just who you are and how you live.

You can very much make this practice a game where you wake up each and every day and say to yourself, "OK, how much awareness, equanimity, and peace can I cultivate on this day?" Every day, you commit to this above all else. This is a very powerful way to live your life.

Kevin Doherty is a licensed acupuncturist, life and business coach, and the author of The Purpose Principle: 11 Strategies to Help You Experience Ultimate Freedom in Your Health, Wealth, and Love Life. To get a free copy of Kevin's Purpose Principle ezine and to learn more about the book, go to http://www.PurposePrinciple.com

Gaia - Earth Mother and Turtle? Ancient Wisdom For Conscious Living

Gaia is etymologically a compound word composed of two elements: Ge, meaning "Earth," which is also a pre-Greek substrate word related to Ki in Sumerian, also meaning Earth and Aia comes from an Indo-European derivative meaning "Grandmother." Therefore, the full etymology of Gaia was once "Grandmother Earth." Most of us know Gaia simply as Earth or Mother Earth; the primordial element from which all things originated, which is what the Romans believed as well. They knew Gaia, the Great Mother, as a single living entity that encompassed the totality of every element in the Universe; land, sea, or sky. The Greeks knew her as an ancient primeval goddess who personified the Earth and whose emergence appeared at the creation of the Universe, born from Chaos. Gaia's power was far reaching in Ancient Greece, making oaths sworn in her name to be the most binding of all. If only such value for her was still a part of our lives, perhaps we'd discover more honor in promise to the planet we live on and more synergy and harmony through conscious, symbiotic care of the collective she signifies.

Throughout the ages and cultures, active worship of this titan of fertile Earth came under the guise of many names and varied forms ranging from reverent bowing to druidic ritual, all in an effort to get more in tune with the rhythm and continuity of nature she embodies. She represented to all, the Earth, or spiritual embodiment of the Earth, and sometimes was the goddess of all creation from which all other gods sprang. Only Egyptian mythology holds a reverse personification, whereas Geb is the Earth Father while Nut is the Sky Mother, as opposed to Zeus as Sky Father and Gaia as Earth Mother. In Indian religions, the Mother of all creation is called "Gayatri," which is a very close form of Gaia. She is the mother of all Vedas, consort of the God Brahma, and personification of the all-pervading Parabrahman - the ultimate unchanging reality that lies behind all phenomena. Many Hindus view connection through the pure love and essence of the Gayatri Mantra as Divine awakening of the mind and soul and a way to reach the most Supreme form of existence. Simply, the mantra helps us reach toward our divine mother and receive her blessings and wisdom to support us through the challenges of life. Gaia's qualities of divine femininity express her desire to nurture mankind and mirror for us, the reverence we have forgotten to honor.

Far too coincidental and divinely synchronous, turtles are the most ancient, vertebrate creatures that also possess Gaia's wisdom and mother energy and through such, have much to impart. Many ancient myths, such as those of the Indigenous North Americans, describe the world as resting on the turtle's back and many still refer to North America as Turtle Island. This is illustrated by their creation legends that tell of a time when Earth was covered by water and Turtle dove to the ocean's depths to bring forth Earth on its back so the people could have a safe, dry home. Like Gaia, these ageless beings have carried a myriad of symbolic meanings throughout the ages and cultures, mysteriously linking them as symbols of the primal mother (except in African lore where it is a male symbol) and lunar cycles; again possessing Earth and Cosmic Universal significance and connection with the center. Far East Asian myth believed turtles brought about the creation of the Universe from its parts, which are said to depict a map of the stars and sacred writings: the shell symbolic of the heavens and used in divination readings, the body symbolic of the Earth, and its undershell symbolic of the underworld. This cosmic order they represent, coupled with the magical ability to support us in uniting heaven and earth within our lives, supports our experience of life as "heaven on earth." They are the only animal to have the honor of symbolizing both Mother Earth and healing waters, as well as personifying winter, humidity, thunder to the Mayans, Venus, Aphrodite, Northern directions, and the moon (most turtle shells are divided into 13 sections depicting the 13 yearly phases of the moon.) Powerfully nurturing and protecting, turtle medicine is beautifully illustrated through shared attributes with its Earth Mother counterpart, Gaia, while their spirit symbolizes profound lessons in light of its own example.

There is a presence and flow of steadfast strength in their deliberate, steady, and thorough approach to a life of non-doing, non-reaction, acceptance, and naturalism. Always at home within themselves, they embody the meaning of "home is where the heart is," understanding detachment and freedom. These carefree, patient, instinctual creatures honor the rhythms of life balance, demonstrate non-violent, self-defense mechanisms, and know when to turn within. Navigating one day at a time, they mirror the importance of moving at one's own pace through life while honoring boundaries. Turtles are survivors; living so near the Earth, moving slowly, aging gracefully, symbolizing groundedness, and embracing courage with faith, as is demonstrated through the progress they make only by sticking their neck out. It is no wonder they are considered the wisest of souls in the animal kingdom, offering a potent and profound analogy for humankind on many deep levels.

So intertwined are the turtle and Gaia; there is no mistaking the significance and association of their deep and profound symbology that seemingly comes from two separate sources, but are synonymously bridged as one. Such contrast between an omnipotent presence and an unassuming innocence and yet the blood lines run through the core of the same essence. Do not be fooled by the book's cover, as both embody the spirit and soul of Earth and beyond and share with us invaluable knowledge and teachings. Across the board, whether known as Gaia, personified as Turtle, called, sung, or chanted by another synchronous name, she is the connection to the Universal mothering and nurturing source that leads us to a deep sense of profound peace and balance within and manifested without. Yet, more than any other goddess, she is consistently identified as the divine and animate Earth Mother; the living, conscious planet we reside on that provides sustenance and inherent wisdom to all of her children. Gaia personifies awareness of our connectedness through the circle of life and the sacredness of all life, be it plant, animal, human, or stars above. She roots her values and respectively ours, helping us to remember that connection and to remind us that respect and gratitude for everything and everyone around us is the ever-present message she hopes to impart. Through this conscious living we can attain that balance and wholeness that is the promise Gaia offers. Shifting our perspective to that of experiencing connection with her as a partner in life worth respect and honor, we can then enjoy the blessings of that union through the daily gifts of beauty and miracles she provides.

Dedicated and inspired by my new friend and Russian Tortoise, Gaia: a sweet, magical, Taurean-born being possessing earthy, feminine energy, as her name suggests. Gaia's name was spoken to me from the Universe as I listened to ancient mantras on the way home from receiving her into my life. She was restless in her box, but instantly calmed to a stillness with the sound of the first mantra playing. Ironically, as I listened to it and sang the words, the only thing that pervaded my thoughts and essence was the Gayatri Mantra, even though the mantra I was singing was not this one. I only had Gayatri on my mind for some odd reason and didn't realize I hadn't been listening to it, until hours later after reaching home. So while I sang the mantra playing, I heard the word "Gayatri" in my head and instantly thereafter, Gaya...Gaia. I turned to my little friend and knew. The Universe and she had both spoken her name to me through the ancient mantra playing. And now I know why.

Tania Marie is a Visionary Artist & Reiki Master Teacher leading Integrative, Sacred Journeys & Workshops, residing in Incline Village, NV. For more information about her work and services please visit http://www.taniamarie.com or call (775) 343-9244. Treatments & classes available by distance, by request in your area, or at Reno & Tahoe locations. Sacred Journey to Egypt 12/3-12/13/08.

A New Consciousness Lives Outside the Illusionary World

Have you discovered that you are living in illusion? Probably not. The you that is living now is not actually living. You are only existing because thought is always there thinking you. Thought is a phenomenal psychological event that took over the human mind somewhere in the evolutionary history of the human causing us to live in thought, putting reality aside. The happening in your head, which is the thinking, is where you are trapped. When you become aware of the constant thinking in your head and realize that you are the one doing it, it is possible to see the illusion in which you are existing.

Once seen, you might ask the question: "Is it possible for me to live outside this illusion, live in reality?" "What is the difference between reality and illusion?" you might also ask. That is for you to discover, but first you need to discover that you are living in a trap of your own invention - one that has been handed down for thousands upon thousands of years and one that you accepted.

Only when you see the trap that you are in is it possible to get out of it. First, however, you will need to discover the operation of the trap; how it is put together and where the lever is that will unlock the trap.

Being in the trap is the illusion or the action of living the illusion. You are at the effect of the illusion. However, the trap itself is real, and seeing the trap opens the possibility of living your life while discovering the trap; how it is put together.

It is simple. It is put together with lies, and truth is the lever that will unlock the trap. Collectively and individually our lives are put together by 99 percent lie. To discover these lies while walking around on the planet is the secret to life-your life.

For bringing forth a new consciousness within yourself, please visit: http://newconsciousnesscoach.com

http://selftransformation.org

Edward Jones, Personal Transformation Facilitator

Your Degree of Happiness Depends on Your Degree of Conscious Living

The more you live consciously, with awareness of how the world really works, the happier you are. The path to happiness leads those who know they alone are responsible for how their lives look, to their desires.

Most people think that life happens to them. They look outside of themselves for someone or something to blame when they fail to live their dreams. They chalk their defeats up to circumstances, current events, their jobs, their spouses, their kids, the weather-you name it.

People without awareness live in a dream state, a trance, actually. It is most accurate to say they are asleep to the ways of the world. They see themselves as innocent victims with no control to change their predicament.

When sleeping people pray they plead, they bargain-they expect a supernatural force to do for them what they must do for themselves. Only they really believe they are pawns in the game of life. Hmm.

Most people define themselves by what they do. There is an old saying, "You aren't what you think you are. But what you think, you are." They live in the first part of that sentence. They either do not know about the second part or refuse to accept the possibility that it could be true.

People who live consciously take responsibility for how they create their world and everything that happens to them. They can even step back and see how their thoughts empower or disempower them.

When people understand how their thoughts become real they know what to do to change what they do not like in their world. Well, maybe they feel uncertain how to proceed but they certainly understand the only way to change is make that decision and go within to find the power to move forward.

Conscious living allows people to take charge of their life journey and make sure they reach their final destination of happiness and love. With awareness comes well being across one's life.

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Conscious Living - How to Get Started?

During my search for assistance I have found that there are a number of differing opinions out there about it and mostly you will find that people associate Conscious Living with personal development. To some extent they are correct but if you take a closer look Conscious Living has a lot more to do with evolving rather then personal development.

I say this for a few reasons and the main one of these is that you can sit in your chair all day long, day after day saying any number of affirmation s and end up with pressure sores and not much else.

Why is this so?

It has a lot to do with your mindset and the way you see things around you and your beliefs. You see no matter how hard you attempt anything is not the issue. The issue is how much YOU YOURSELF BELIEVE that what you are doing can be accomplished.

I can hear you saying "But I have to start somewhere and once I get the runs on the board my belief will come" WRONG and a total waste of your time also as it is back the front to the way things really work.

You see with all the programming we have received in childhood simple words will not be strong enough to change your MIND. Do you not think that if you were you to find out that you are part of a bigger picture and are capable of so much more, should you believe in yourself, that you would have more commitment and interest in your development. More commitment produces more and faster results.

Is it really that simple you might ask. It is always the first step that is the hardest to take as in MOST cases it will take you outside your comfort zone and that is a hard step to take, for most people, until they start to see the compensations for taking that step. I know the feeling as I had to take the leap of faith to also get going just like you might be doing right now.

There is a lot of material out there that simply is no good as it does not provide the full instructions or sufficient guidance to help you along the way. That was until I stumbled across a site which had a product that claimed to be mused to the author from higher sources and even provided exercises for me to complete. When I Started reading it I found that it was more of a User Manual compared to all the other material out there, that I have sampled.

This Author was also willing to answer my question when I had them. I don't know about you but having someone there to literarily hold my hand during the initial steps was something that I can not place a value on.

The only thing I trust is that you will gain the same results I have and be the person that makes Conscious decisions about his life and has the opportunity to reap the results.

I wish you all the best for your personal development journey and look forward to you assisting me in making this planet a better one for all on it.

To see what I have been talking about go to.

AboutConsciousLiving.com