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Meditation Newsletter by Marcia Sacks ~*~*~* Table of Contents: * Your everyday life
*is* your spiritual life
~*~*~* Your everyday life *is* your spiritual life Most of us are not monks or nuns, living a life of quiet contemplation. We are 'householders.' That means we are out in the world with our families, our work, and our communities. Therefore our spiritual path must incorporate all this. Sometimes we think that the only time we are being 'spiritual' is while we are meditating. But life is all one piece. Our meditation practice helps to put us in a peaceful place. Then we take that peace out into the world. When we practice non-violence, for example, in our daily lives, we are able to take peacefulness back into our meditation. Non-violence (the Sanskrit word is 'ahimsa') can be practiced on many levels. The first that most people think of is physical force, harming someone else by hitting them. Of course, our society has laws against harming another person's physical body, and we're pretty clear on the idea that hitting another person is wrong. But how about the physical violence we do to ourselves? Some of us overeat and/or underexercise. I know diabetics that eat sugar, people with high blood pressure who eat salty snacks, and people with wheat allergies that eat bread, who afterward share how miserable they're feeling. Some of us smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or do drugs. This is all physical violence. Verbal non-violence generally means not shouting, yelling or saying nasty things to others. But once again, we're much less aware of all the negative things we say - out loud - about ourselves. Do you make a mistake and say, "Why am I so stupid!" ? Do you deny compliments others give you with a put down of yourself? The only way to see if you fall into a habit of verbal violence is to stay mindful for a couple of days and watch everything you say to other people and about yourself. Now for the most subtle level of non-violence -- mental. Sometimes we can use our self-control not to hit someone, or even to yell at them. But what's going on in our heads? Are we spinning around in our minds what we would have liked to have done or what we should have said? The practice of meditation will help to quiet our minds and help us let go of these repetitious cycles of resentful thinking. Angry thoughts about another person or situation is also self-violence because our physical bodies are affected by the stress. Be as aware as possible throughout your day. Observe what you do, say, and think. Your conscious intention for peacefulness and non-violence will begin to change your life in wonderful ways. And your everyday life becomes a spiritual journey, an equal partner to your inner meditation. ~*~*~* Do you have a daily
practice? See what I and other readers of the "Comfort Queen's Weekly
Self Care Minder", shared about our daily
~*~*~* NEW!!! Kriya Yoga Satsang: A Meditation Circle with Marcia Sacks, Swami K. Adinadananda Satsang is the Sanskrit word for fellowship, a gathering of like-minded souls. These evening gatherings will include chanting, silent meditation, and a talk on spiritual living and our inner journey. March 21, April 18, & May 16 (3rd Thursday of the month) at 7:30 p.m. (Love offering requested). 1595 Fairfield Lane, Hoffman Estates, IL Please call 847-882-3315 or email marcia@marciasacks.com if you will be attending. ~*~*~* Goswami Kriyananda will be in Chicago for the Sunday Noon Meditation - March 3 & 10, 2002, and also offer a seminar on Kriya Yoga on Saturday, March 9 at the Temple of Kriya Yoga, 2414 N. Kedzie, Chicago, IL - (773) 342-4600 The Noon Meditation is a weekly 45 minute inspirational talk combined with chanting and silent meditation, followed by tea and fellowship . If you cannot attend in person, audiotapes of the noon meditations are available. Contact the Temple of Kriya Yoga for more information. http://www.yogakriya.org ~*~*~* The Holistic Arts and Health Alliance (HAHA) is sponsoring its first Holistic Health Fair on Saturday, March 16, 2002 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Lord's Park Pavilion in Elgin, IL. This event is free and open to the public. "Renewal of Mind, Body & Spirit with Holistic Arts & Health Practices" is an opportunity for the public to meet professionals in complementary health care and the arts. There will be demonstrations, exhibits, and lectures on topics such as Immune System Support, Meditation & Visualization, Sleep & Stress Management, Herbs & Aromatherapy, Massage, Yoga, Reiki, Bach Flowers & Psychotherapy, Life Coaching, and more. (I'll be giving a 45 minute talk on "Inner Work for Self-Healing" at 1:15 p.m.) Because complementary health care is growing rapidly in popularity and is being integrated into Western Medical Practices, this free event will help you make informed decisions when designing your personal health care program. If you are a practitioner who is interested in information about membership in HAHA contact Vicki Rae Thorne, President, at 847-551-1806, email eharoma@earthlink.net, or mail P.O. Box 414, Dundee, IL 60118. http://www.marciasacks.com/HAHA-HealthFair.htm Read articles on
spiritual living from The Monthly Aspectarian online
A huge collection
of Himalayan Art:
A very creative presentation of reflections, aphorisms, art, and music: http://www.life-unfolding.com/ ~*~*~* Marcia Sacks, Professional
Astrological Services
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