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From the Editor: And now for some enlightened prose

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abstract_blue_form

We all must take the time to escape the absurdity of what poses for civil society today. The anger. The disrespect. Seemingly a growing alienation between people that is being demonstrated at all levels of government, and the trickle down is turning America bitter. The media no longer can resist overhyping the "sound bite of the day," and the competition for headlines has only begun. I am grateful this thanksgiving season that I have the opportunity to escape this growing din -- at will. My … [Read more...]

Category: Columns Tags: ,

Macular Degeneration: In the Eye of the Beholder

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bird_woodpecker

I hear the wild laugh of the pileated woodpecker. I turn off the Mixmaster and peer out the kitchen window. She lands on my suet feeder and pecks away, pieces of suet flying, as she ratchets the frozen tallow. This is a mature female. She does not have the red stripe from her bill back to the throat and her crest is perfectly coifed -- not the immature feathers that stick up on a juvenile like the hair of a teenage boy. I was putting together my mother's recipe for refrigerator cookies, but … [Read more...]

Category: Nature Tags: ,

Five tips to experience presence instead of pressure in chaotic times

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stress_woman

In a chaotic world where there never seems to be enough time to accomplish all that we feel needs to be done, what are some new behaviors that can help us meet our goals with clarity and reduced stress? Here are five important guidelines for experiencing presence instead of pressure. 1. Remember to breathe. Slow your breathing down just a little and imagine that your whole body is breathing. Picture every cell of your body in contact with the source of life, and each cell communicating in … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags: ,

The Paint Can of Life

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paint_brush

I recently painted a deck on my house. I enjoy painting, a meditation in being present that doesn't require much thought but lots of attention. If you tend to live in your head, paint something. Your hands may get dirty but your mind will stay clean. With just a few planks left to color I noticed I was almost out of paint. Looking back and forth between the paint can and the unfinished boards, I wondered if I would have enough paint to finish the job. I dipped my brush in the remaining paint … [Read more...]

Category: Columns Tags: , ,

Finding freedom even in the most difficult moments

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dog_boy

When I was in my mid-twenties, I had a beautiful dog. I'm sure some of you have had pets that you deeply loved. I had this wonderful dog, and he was a constant companion. He went with me everywhere. Any room I went to in the house, he followed me. Anywhere I went in the car, he was my companion. We were together almost all the time. And then he developed a form of epilepsy, at which time I took him to the vet. They tried to give him medication to treat it, but the question of how much … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags: , ,

How do You Respond to Criticism?

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criticism

Question: What is the best way to respond to criticism? Answer: Whenever you feel criticized, the first thing to do is determine whether you are being criticized or whether you are simply being given feedback about yourself. If it is feedback and not criticism, you would be wise to listen carefully and respond appropriately. Is there something being shared with you that you need to hear? It is foolish to defend against feedback that might reflect areas of unconsciousness within you. But in … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags: ,

An interview with Hanakia Zedek, Part 2

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Zedek2

Philosopher. Shaman. Poet. Warrior. Martial Arts expert. Speaker. Spiritual Leader. This, and much more, is Hanakia Zedek, a dreadlocked mystic who was born in the streets of Brooklyn, NY, and now lives near the tree-lined banks of Minnehaha Creek in South Minneapolis. But Hana, as he is called by friends, also is much less. Nothing, actually. His philosophy: Everything comes out of Nothing. He explains that this philosophy "allows for the release of all that you hold onto - belief, fear, … [Read more...]

Category: Spirituality Tags: , ,

An interview with Hanakia Zedek, Part 1

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Zedek

Philosopher. Shaman. Poet. Warrior. Martial Arts expert. Speaker. Spiritual Leader. This, and much more, is Hanakia Zedek, a dreadlocked mystic who was born in the streets of Brooklyn, NY, and now lives near the tree-lined banks of Minnehaha Creek in South Minneapolis. But Hana, as he is called by friends, also is much less. Nothing, actually. His philosophy: Everything comes out of Nothing. He explains that this philosophy "allows for the release of all that you hold onto - belief, fear, … [Read more...]

Category: Spirituality Tags: , ,

The Path of Presence

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anger

Question: I have been feeling depressed lately. Can you speak about depression? Answer: If you have been feeling depressed, it more than likely indicates that you have anger repressed within you. If you want to come out of the depression, you will have to learn how to express anger in a conscious and responsible way. You will have to liberate the energy of anger so that it is no longer repressed within you. Whenever you feel angry, it is an indication that you are not getting what you want … [Read more...]

Category: Health Tags: ,

Immersed in the Sea of the World

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Sciandra

There is a yearning we have as humans: to join with the flow and essence of the world around us. It creates a nostalgia for something we know we've experienced, yet cannot put a name to. There is a longing to be part of the greater whole. It is nearly impossible to walk to the edge of the ocean and not to kick off your shoes, wade in and let the waves lick against your ankles, to find a path in the woods and not take it, to come to a hill and not climb it. I grew up near Niagara Falls, and no … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags:

The Path of Presence

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Jacobson

Question: What must I do to awaken and be free? Where is the moment from asleep to awake? Answer: To awaken requires a deep intention on your part to be present. Every moment you have a choice. Will you be present with what is actually here now, or will you allow yourself to be absorbed into the world of the thinking mind, which is an illusory world of thought, memory and imagination. The present moment is always available, but you have to choose it. The more you choose Presence, the more … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags: ,

The Path of Presence

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fear_woman

Question: What is fear and how do I deal with it? Answer: Fear is a primal feeling that dates from prehistoric days. It is a feeling that was originally designed to move us to "fight or flight" whenever our physical survival was threatened. This fight-or-flight response has played a large part in the survival of the species. But as we became more sophisticated and moved more and more into the mind and its world of thought and emotion, fear entered inappropriately into that world. The … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags: ,

Becoming Habitually Present

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sciandra

I want to be more present. I really do, but I find myself slipping into states of mindlessness more often than I'm comfortable with. I, of course, have no idea that I am checked out until something occurs to snap me back, and I realize that "Elvis has left the building" (as I have dubbed it). I have explored the virtues of mindfulness many times in my writing, so you know that it is something I place great importance on, so these occurrences are a regular wake-up call to me of how far I have … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags: ,

Why Do We Dream?

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jacobson

Question: What are dreams and why do we dream? Answer: Dreams falls into three categories. The first category is a meaningless dream. Just like many of your thoughts during the day are random and meaningless, it is the same with this kind of dream. The more silent your mind during the day, the less this kind of dream will occur during sleep. The second category of dream is more meaningful. Dreaming often gives us the opportunity to experience and release feelings like fear, anger, hurt and … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags: , ,

Ask Leonard

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jacobson

Question: How can I know God? I want desperately to believe in God! Answer: From my perspective, belief in God is an obstacle to knowing God. When we believe in God, we create God in our image, and all we are creating is an illusion to make us feel safer. Belief is a function of the mind and we can only know God through direct experience. So how does one have a direct experience of God? God is here now, but we are not! Mostly we are lost in the world of the mind. It is a world of the … [Read more...]

Category: Life Tags:
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