But Spiritual People Don't Play Poker! A Lesson in Joy and Presence

Several months ago, my wife Laura and I were with Adyashanti and somebody asked him what he does for enjoyment. His answer: "Sometimes I like to ride my motorcycle or play poker with my friends."

In that moment, I felt a lot less alone. For several years now, I've played poker with the same group on Monday nights. Over those years I've grown in many ways, but that hasn't changed that I really enjoy the dynamics of a good poker game. What has changed is the place I come from while playing poker.

I get a lot less caught up in the ego aspects of the game, and instead tend to be more present and aware of just enjoying the moment. Enjoying the way the money shifts around to different people on the table, enjoying the flow of energy involved with that and observing how people act and react in different situations that arise during the game. What I enjoy most though, is that every now and then there arises a 'perfect' moment that is only possible by my non-attachment to winning.

Why play poker if not to win?

My ideal poker game is one in which there are a lot of highs and lows, a lot of wins and losses, and in the end everybody walks away with close to what they started with. It doesn't always work out that way... sometimes I win a couple hundred dollars or lose a couple hundred dollars, most of the time it's closer to about +/- $20. Back to the point, though.

A few months ago I was playing with a relatively new group and with only a $20 initial buyin, and after a few hours of play I was already profiting about $250. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but somehow I merged with the moment... in an indescribable unity where I was not separate from anybody else or anything else. In that moment, I made a $150 bet that put two of the other players to the test... to make a very hard decision.

The thing is, I wasn't thinking during any of this. I was playing mindlessly... and though that might explain why I lost the $150, what it also helps bring to light is that it is possible to be engaged in mind-based activities yet without using the mind. Playing poker, for me, has become a lot more intuitive-based. I think a lot less about the plays I make, and sometimes I don't even think at all.

It is in this space of non-thinking... this complete open space combined with a nothingness... that joy arises from. Had I been attached to winning that hand (there was about $400-$500 in the pot including other players), I would have been quite upset about losing. However, I wasn't upset. In fact, I felt a great amount of gratitude that I could witness somebody else derive such pleasure from winning that hand.

It wasn't until I was driving home after the game that I realized I had been experiencing joy in that moment. Generally speaking, most people are unaware when they are truly 'in the moment' because it is a combination of that nothingness and complete spaciousness without thought (so without thinking, they don't 'know' they're in the moment). I certainly didn't realize it until I was driving home later that night and I reflected on the evening.

People often have a misconception that joy and happiness are the same thing, yet in that experience I was clearly shown this is not the case. Joy is a state of being that is underneath any emotional experience we can have, and therefore it is possible to be both joyous and happy, as well as joyous and deeply sorrowful. Joy does not exclude any emotion, but rather, it includes all of them without attachment nor exception.

Chris Cade empowers people to discover their own personal truths through reading and writing spiritual stories and parables. For more information, visit http://www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com and http://www.SpiritualGrowthWriting.com

Copyright 2008, Chris Cade. All Rights Reserved Worldwide in all Media. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, do not include added text or links within the article, leave my name and author bio box intact, and you follow all of the EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers.

Simple Words Create Powerful

What Essential Oils Are Helpful For Prayer and Meditation?

First, let us define prayer as reaching out-speaking to God. Prayer is petitioning for our needs. In this regard, prayer is pro-active. It provides peace and spiritual upliftment. To pray means to entreat. Prayer offers hope.

Meditation on the other hand reaches within- it is a listening to God. The goal in meditation is communion with God as we listen for the answer. Meditation brings us to a quiet place within where Spirit dwells. It is about being in the present moment-all forms of meditation are about quieting the mind and awareness of one's breathing.
mindful awareness
insight
visualization
centering prayer
Meditation is extremely helpful for those who aspire to the healing profession.

What can meditation do for you?
It can be healing and refreshing-bring clarity and insight-and allow your intuitive faculties to come through. It sharpens and intensifies your powers of direct perception, giving you eyes to see into the true nature of things. Meditation can lead to less stress and more energy and can bring self-knowledge and help you to discover love, compassion and your own inner wisdom.

How Can Essential Oils Help Prayer and Meditation?
Fragrance has accompanied many a prayer to heaven and helped act as a focus for meditation. Fragrance opens the consciousness, relaxes the mind and body, puts us in another space-one where we are open and receptive to spiritual exploration. When we use the essential oils with our meditation we connect with Spirit and with spiritual wisdom to find our inner peace and harmony.

What Are Some Blocks to Prayer and Meditation and Can Essential Oils Help?
Letting go of control. Now that's a hard one. Suggested Oils include myrtle, frankincense, juniper, cypress, lemon, rose.

Inability to Receive and Accept. Suggested Oils: Rose, neroli, lavender, orange, jasmine and mandarin

Feeling unworthy to Receive God's Blessings. Suggested Oils: Frankincense, rose, sandalwood, ylang ylang, neroli, geranium, and cedarwood.

How Can You Create a Sacred Space for Prayer with Essential oils?

Cleanse the space-diffusion, spritzing, smudging
Select oils and blends that you personally find helpful to aid you in your space and meditation
Anoint your brow, temples, throat, wrists, feet or another energy center like heart, solar plexus or crown of my head.
Don't use the same oils every time you pray or meditate
Intuitively pick the oil or oils that are helpful in the moment

Want to know more about essential oils and how they can help us stay healthy? Consider becoming a certified clinical aromatherapist. The Institute of Spiritual Healing and Aromatherapy teaches classes throughout the United States on aromatherapy and energy healing.

BONUS GIFT

By Going to my web site: http://www.ISHAhealing.com and signing up for our free monthly newsletter, you can receive a free gift: 5 Monographs on Biblical Oils.

These oils include Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedarwood, Spikenard and Balsam Fir. While you are at our web site, check out our aromatherapy program and our program in Christian energy healing.

From Linda L. Smith, director of the Institute of Spiritual Ministry and Aromatherapy, Inc.

Babe Ruth

Animal Spirit Guides & Totems

Animal spirit totems can be viewed in different ways according to each of us as individual people. The basic principle of an animal totem is an animal spirit who gives us insight into ourselves, a glimpse of the divine powers at work in our world, and can transcend us to a place of healing for ourselves and other people.

The author of Animal-Speak, Ted Andrews defines animal totems as such: "Any natural object, animal, or being whose phenomena and energy you feel closely associated with during your life". A totem is considered to be a power, also called 'medicine' and is capable of walking down our path with us on our spiritual and personal journey in this lifetime. We can tap into the energies of the animal totems for strength, healing for ouselves, and for others. Higher level beings along with Spirit Guides can shapeshift, transforming their energy bodies into animals and sending us important messages that will guide us along and teach us what we need to know.

How many of you have been attracted to particular animals over the course of your lifetime? Own figurines of a certain animal, hang pictures up of them, watch them at the zoo? How many of you see a particular animal on a regular basis and at times thought it seemed 'out of the ordinary' for this to happen? Many of us overlook and miss the animals when they are speaking to us. Because of today's busy society and hectic lives we often take natural, spiritual occurances and sluff them off or don't even notice them at all.

If we take the time and effort to connect with Mother Earth and her animal children we can learn to harness the medicine that comes with these wonderous and intelligent creatures of nature, enlightening our perceptions, spiritually and personally growing as people, and sharing that new found source of energy with others in the world.

Our animal totems and guides choose us according to what is necessary for growth at that particular time. We can also have one main power totem who does not come and go but encompasses 'who we are'. This animal will many times be the one who you have felt connected with most strongly during your life, but doesn't necessarily have to be. Develop a relationship with your animal totems. Study the animal's behaviors, hunting habits, natural instincts, life rythym cycles and how it lives. Honor them by keeping physical reminders of them near you such as figurines, pictures that you can draw, etc...Even if you don't physically have the animal in your geographical area you can still draw pictures of them. Meditate and calm your mind, ask Spirit for help and you will draw what naturally comes to you.

Everything in nature is connected....There is one hoop for everything, and everything has it's place and purpose. You may want to study the location of where the animal lives, nearby plants, streams, lakes, rocks, stones, cliffs, trees etc...By doing so you are keeping the sacred balance of all things and learning all there is to know about your totems. Make an effort to communicate with the animals. Pay attention to your surroundings and know what animal(s) speak to you. You will be on your way to connecting with your personal animal totems if you do these things........

Lisa Hoskins is a jewelry designer who owns Animal Spirit Jewelry. She has studied animals her whole life and is now blessed from Spirit to be able to create jewelry based upon the spiritual principles revolving around animal totems and guides.

You can find her website at http://www.animalspiritjewelry.com

Moving Objects With Your Mind

Goal Setting - Six Steps To Keeping Focus

We ask every leader we work with what they would do more of, better, or more often when they look back on their career, and the top answer is "Focus." When asked how they would do that, they answer that they would be even more goal oriented than they had been. In their opinion, goals create focus that creates accomplishment. With so many demands intruding or attempting to intrude on their attention and energies, goals that create focus are their firewall, and their primary path to success.

Given that so many highly successful people look to goals for focus, why is it that so many organizations and people can't state their personal goals or the goals of their organization - let alone how their personal goals align with their organizational goals?

One reason given is time - "We don't have time for that - we're too busy. " Another reason (read excuse) given is the belief that an individual has no control over their future - too many things outside a person's control can cause things to change, so just go with the flow.

It turns out that most people spend more time focused on planning a two week vacation than they do planning their career. I suspect that's because planning a vacation is controllable, pleasant, and near term - it's easy to focus on it.

But to succeed and prosper, it's vitally important to have a personal set of goals. - they keep us in the game - whatever game is being played. And personal goals that closely align with organizational goals create a tremendous amount of energy, commitment and focus.

Personal goals are even more important when organizational goals don't exist, or aren't expressed, or exist in name only. It's very tempting in those cases to simply give in to the flow of the day to day, and go with whatever comes along - with little if any focus.

Goals help balance the very human tendency to be distracted by the pressing, in - your - face things that happen every day - it's called being "flexible." Flexibility can be a strength, but it can also be a weakness - when flexing becomes a habit and we look back and see that flexing took us far away from where we wanted to be or needed to be.

A friend shared a joke with me that illustrates that point - "Inside every 65 year old is a 40 year old wondering what the hell happened?"

Focus is the difference between wondering what the hell happened, and landing where you wanted to land. It's the difference between throwing a touchdown pass - or throwing a superball - and watching it bounce every which way - with high energy, but with no idea where it will land - and what good - or damage - it will do.

Here are six steps to create focus:

1 - Write down where you want to be in one month, six months, one year, three years and five years. I know, it sounds like a lot of work. It is. But I can tell you from personal experience that those time frames will blow right past you if you don't take the time to plan them now. And you'll end up like that 65 year old wondering what happened.

2 - Define how your source of income - your job - your profession - fits into your own goals. How do your work goals fit in with your personal goals? Are they the same? How can they come together in the near term to provide long term benefit? The closer your personal goals align with the goals of your organization or profession, the better your chances of accomplishing them. This is the key to focus - being convinced and directed to success through goals that embrace you personally and professionally.

3 - Start with short term goals, but with the end in mind. Weekly, monthly, quarterly. Define the top 3 to 5 things that you need to do now to get you to where you want to be. No more than 3 to 5 - and 5 is a stretch. Remember, you can only really focus on doing one thing at a time. There is no more powerful way to become discouraged than to "over goal" yourself at this stage.

4 - Express your goals in positive terms. Express your goals in terms of what you want to achieve as opposed to what you want to avoid or get rid of. Optimism loves positive outcomes - work to think in those terms.

5 - Define your goals using the SMART formula - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time - framed.

6 - Keep track. Hold yourself accountable. Review your goals at least weekly. Carry them with you wherever you go. Make them part of your thinking. Make a habit of reciting your goals and the outcomes of achieving them. Make them your way of life. And when they need to be revised - and that will happen often - just do it.

If you're feeling frustrated and busy and not sure where you're going, start this process today. It isn't easy. It requires personal discipline. It requires faith in yourself. But the rewards of a sense of purpose, focus and freedom are worth the effort. And when you look back in a few weeks to a few months, you'll be surprised at how far you've come, and making goals the cornerstone of focus will become a habit - a habit of success.

Andy Cox is President of Cox Consulting Group LLC. The focus of his work is on helping organizations and their people increase their success in the hiring, developing and enhancing the performance of leaders and emerging leaders. Cox Consulting Group LLC was started in 1995, and has worked with a wide range of organizations, managers and leaders - helping them define success, achieve success and make the ability to change a competitive advantage. He can be reached at http://coxconsultgroup.com

Team Goal Setting - How to Multiply Results Effortlessly

When you start team goal setting you will start to achieve more than some of the parts. Let me explain this using an example.

If you and I were to try and eat a huge dinner we would get more done by helping each other than if we each just went about it on our own. We could be cutting up the larger things into smaller pieces while the other person is still eating the first course.

Away from silly examples, this is a great motivator to set team goals.

MOTIVATION

Team goals motivate everyone in the group as they know the benefits will multiply. They will feel they have let down the rest of the team if they don't do what they said they would.

GET EVERYONE TOGETHER

I was watching the Brazil Soccer team training the other day. They simply sat in a group throwing balls to each other. And they're rated one of the best teams in the world. So what were they doing? Getting to know each other. Use icebreakers to get the team all knowing each other and everyone will start working under one set of rules, as one mind and results will be consistent and good.

FAMILY

This can be applied to families also. They are in essence, a team. Set goals for everyone and because you all have similar goals, you will all receive the benefits. This also teachers the younger kids valuable skills for when they grow up.

All in all, you can have as much ball passing and dinner eating as you like. You still need a foundational goal system to work on. Without the key elements of goal-setting and maintaining understood you will struggle to get the team goal setting results you dream of.

Now the problem is, how do we set those goals and successfully achieve them? To get this essential part of your life sorted towards team goal setting Click Here!

Why Haven't You Got What You Want Yet?

Have you been asking for what you want and it hasnt shown up yet? You want the new car, a house by the beach, a better paying job etc. Well where the heck is it?

You know you can have it all because you really believe that you can. You are using the law of attraction. You have visualized what you want. You have all the pictures on your vision board. You can see yourself with exactly what you want. You are doing all the things the experts tell you to do so how come you are still living on credit cards and overdrafts.

Your intentions have been good every day, but now all you seem to do is spend your day in-tension. You start to question the methods and techniques you are using. Without realizing what you are doing you start to focus more on what you dont have. When you dont get the results you want all you see is what you dont have.

The more you worry about your lack of money then thats the amount of money you dont have. Your feelings of lack become your dominant vibration. Fear takes over and compounds your worry and all you see is more lack. Sometimes you dont even realize you are doing this, but if you tune into how you are feeling it will give you an instant indication of what your dominant thoughts are. Youve had years of practice at self sabotaging yourself and unless you recognize those underlying beliefs you will continue to live your life based on them.

From now on when you find yourself questioning where all your stuff is, change your thinking. Instead of obsessing about your lack, start being grateful for what you already have. Are your basic needs of food and shelter being met every day. Do you have a car, a bed, clothes and shoes. What about an indoor bathroom, hot and cold running water. The list is endless. Write down the value of what you already own. You may be surprised at the dollar value of what you already have and this will inspire you to do better.

When you start to look at what you already have you let go of your neediness and lack. You come back to what is, and the gap between what you do and dont have disappears. The tension goes and you free yourself up to make a fresh start. Once you get rid of that sense of lack then you begin to open up to new ideas and opportunities that will give you what you truly want.

So every day from now on when you get out of bed each day, start giving thanks for everything you do have. This will set you up for a real positive start to your day. Feel how great it is to have all this. Now you will really be in the right frame of mind to attract what you want.

Alison Bolger has been studying and teaching self improvement and wealth creation for over 20 years. To read more tips and techniques like the ones in this article please click here:http://www.learnwealthysecrets.com

Chronic Guilt

What we commonly refer to as 'chronic guilt' could more accurately be described as 'habituated guilt' or 'patterns of guilt'. Because 'chronic' almost implies illness or disease; something we have no control over.

When it comes to guilt, nothing could be further from the truth.

No one is born with feelings of guilt. Guilt must be learned. Over time, it becomes habituate. Which means patterns become laid in the subconscious. Usually this happens in childhood, but the 'chronic guilt' can last a lifetime if no steps are taken to end it.

But before it can be ended, you first need to understand why you might want to keep it around. Even though you were taught and conditioned to feel guilt, you're also getting something out of your guilt. It serves a purpose. It provides a payoff.

When you understand your payoff for feeling guilty, you've just taken the first step to ending it.

In a general sense, we use guilt as a way to avoid the intensity of our own feelings. It's a way to avoid the responsibility of feeling our true feelings.

More specifically, guilt often comes down to anger we don't have a right to have. Somebody gives you a hard time. And darn it - they're right. You're wrong. Rather than feeling the anger that naturally arises - you feel guilty instead. That's one example.

When it comes to chronic guilt - you find yourself continuously creating scenarios where it seems the most appropriate response involves feeling guilty. It becomes a pattern.

You keep finding yourself in situations that 'make' you feel guilty. The settings may change - the people may change - but the energy behind the guilt goes on and on.

"Why in the world do I keep feeling guilty??!", you may ask.

The answer lies with two factors:

1. Your payoff; what you secretly 'get' out of feeling guilty rather than feeling your true, intense feelings that lie beneath the guilt.

Often it's simply a fear of intensity... and a fear of feelings in general. So your payoff would be avoidance - avoiding your own intensity.

2. Your subconscious patterns; which become neurological pathways of 'least effort'.

Just as it's often easier to take the interstate when you wish to visit another city, so it's easier to feel guilt rather than to relish and savor the depths of your true feelings.

Not because guilt is inherently easier. It's not. Quite the opposite, in fact. Guilt took a lot of effort. It never comes naturally. You had to work at it over and over and over.

Guilt took practice. It also required a teacher. You had to be molded and shaped and formed.

Since the training to feel guilt began so early in life, you may remember very little of it. But it's important to keep in mind: your brain started as 'virgin territory'... just waiting for those pathways to be laid. And now, you have many, many different kinds of pathways.

Chronic guilt serves as only one of countless examples.

When you think about it, even your 'payoff' for guilt sources itself in your subconscious pathways. So even when you WANT to end the guilt, it seems impossible. Not because you're weak or defective, but due to the nature of the subconscious.

Your subconscious seeks consistency. And the consistency is enforced by your neurological pathways. But there are ways to change. It starts by looking at your own unique payoff for feeling guilty. Understand how it contributes to the problem Then work on creating new pathways.

By creating new pathways of 'least effort' you'll naturally feel your true feelings rather than the current default of chronic guilt.

You create new pathways in two main ways:

1. Develop the habit of making powerful choices.

One powerful choice can change your life. In fact, it already has. You made many powerful choices and decisions as a child which profoundly shaped the direction of your life.

2. Work with your subconscious mind.

Your subconscious exerts a powerful influence over your life right now. It's hard to fight it. You'll be much better off working WITH your subconscious - harnessing and directing it's power.

If you feel chronic guilt, and you can't seem to change it - then you're seeing an example of the power your subconscious holds over you.

Fortunately, your subconscious can become one of your greatest allies in life. Don't fight it. Let it serve you- as it was intended to do.

To learn how to work with your subconscious, as well as learning about powerful choices, go to http://www.create-reality.com

To learn more about getting rid of guilt, go to http://emotional-times.com/2008/08/getting-rid-of-guilt.html

Mark Ivar Myhre, The Emotional Healing Wizard