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Meditation Newsletter by Marcia Sacks March 2002 ~*~*~* Table of Contents: * Intensify Your
Joy!
~*~*~* Intensify Your Joy! There's a spiritual principle that states, "What you focus on, expands." We all have a tendency to spin our problems and negative situations around and around in our minds. And an inclination to take the good times in our life for granted. This gives our memory track the impression that our lives have been one difficult or uncomfortable circumstance following the next. One solution is to intensify your joy. By this I mean be aware of the pleasant moments in your life: looking out your window at the blue sky on a sunny day, the crunch and flavor of your breakfast cereal when you take the first bite in the morning, the pleasure of snuggling up under the covers at night. And when you realize your pleasant moments, don't let them go right away. Take an extra minute to enjoy them. Speak your thoughts out loud, if possible: "What a beautiful day!" "What an amazing sunset!" If it's not too embarrassing, say "Mmmmmmmmmmm!" when you eat something delicious. Sway or dance to beautiful music. A simple exercise: think about the most joyful moment in your life. Close your eyes and just hold the image and feeling in your mind for a few minutes. OK, now how do you feel? Better? Joy-filled? Use this and other moments of joy to change your state of mind when you feel low. This poem is also
a meditation which helps us to be mindful and appreciate more deeply the
quiet, simple, 'just being' moments of our
Breathing in, I calm
my body.
---Thich
Nhat Hanh Being
Peace
One last idea for intensifying the joy in your life is the practice of keeping a gratitude journal. At night, before you go to sleep, write down five things you're grateful for. They can be the big things like a roof over our heads, a loving family, or just being alive. But don't forget the little things that you might have noticed during each day, i.e. "I am grateful for the park in the middle of my neighborhood, for the ability to walk around that park, for my friend who wrote me a letter, for the interesting book I was reading today, and for the abundance of books in my life." What you focus on expands. By appreciating the good things, good times, and good people in your life, taking a few extra minutes to intensify the joy, day by day you create an entire lifetime of happiness. ~*~*~* "What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind." ~~~ from the Dhammapada,
Two good translations of the Dhammapada are: ~*~*~* 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. ~*~*~* Sunday, April 21st
is the Babaji Festival at the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago (2414 N.
Kedzie). The Babaji Festival is a annual celebration honoring Babaji,
the founder of our line of teachers. There is music, chanting, inspirational
talks, and plays based on wisdom tales.
If you'd like to see some pics and stories from the plays 2 years ago, check out: http://www.marciasacks.com/babaji/Babaji2000-1.htm Read articles on yoga and find a hatha teacher in the Chicago area at Yoga Chicago online. Articles on religion, spirituality, and inspiration at Beliefnet. An article on health and the power of positive thinking: ~*~*~* Marcia Sacks, Professional
Astrological Services
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