If you’re having difficulty navigating these challenging times and looking for ways to feel supported, fortified, and less alone, it’s helpful to know that there are wise and timeless forces in the divine and natural realms…

… that offer guiding principles to live by and assist you in healing and recentering in love, compassion, and a renewed commitment to peace.

Why Attend “Learn the Ancient Healing Secrets & Cosmic Transmissions of Egyptian Divinities”

Join Isis Indriya, founder of the Academy of Oracle Arts, for this free online spiritual healing class, in which she’ll share how ancient Egyptian knowledge can make life today far more magical, beautiful, and divine as you learn how to bridge heaven and earth.

From sound-healing technologies to ritual practices and initiations to cosmological activations, the wisdom from ancient Egypt can help you attune to a cosmic resonance and the remembrance that you are not alone.

Isis will illustrate how you can connect to divinities and the natural world to co-shape a new reality that’s committed to cosmic truth and integrity — and become a steward of the sacred in your everyday life.

She’ll guide you through three simple embodied rituals you can use regularly to strengthen, empower, and assist you in harnessing your inner warrior in the service of healing.

With these rituals, you’ll access healing energy and bring about positive transformations in your life and the lives of those around you.

In this hour-long free online event, you’ll discover:

• A deeper understanding of ancient Egypt/Khemet and its importance for creating harmony, balance, and peace on earth today
• An introduction to Ma’at and her relationship to cosmic law, which will strengthen your commitment to cosmic truth and ground you in integrity and service to future generations
• An experiential journey into the lion-headed Neteru Sekhmet, whose fierceness can help you summon your warrior power and consecrate it in the service of healing
• A fascinating exploration of the mysteries of Isis, who not only preceded so many Goddess lineages in Western civilization but also serves as the cosmic Great Mother, eliciting your compassion and an interdependent relationship between discipline and liberation
• Why the journey after death was so central to Egyptian cosmology and how the death-rebirth mysteries offer a gateway into deeper dimension of spiritual realization
• Fascinating information about the specific temples used for spiritual initiation in Egypt and how they’re arranged to create a specific journey into divine embodiment

You’ll learn how each Egyptian deity is the embodiment of sacred principles for designing a life that bridges human, natural, and divine realms. Isis will focus on three divinities that are known for complementary qualities and revered within mystical literature — Ma’at, Sekhmet, and Isis.

By engaging with these specific divinities, you can enter portals into a more profound understanding of yourself and your place in the world.

About Your Teacher – Isis Indriya

Dedicated to a life of prayer, culture, and community building, Isis Indriya is an educator and founder of Academy of Oracle Arts, where she teaches many classes alongside other luminaries. She offers classes in Ritual, Divination, Egyptian Cosmology, and Hermeticism, as well as a 9-month Apprenticeship program in Oracular Arts.

She also leads annual pilgrimages to Egypt, hosts community gatherings in Northern California, is co-founder of Imaginal Community (an online virtual temple), and is a lead producer of The Compass at Lightning in a Bottle Festival.

Born in Mesa, Arizona, and raised on the island of Guam, Isis’ journey into ancient mystery studies and sacred sciences began at a young age after the loss of her mother, driving her passion for cultural exchange and inner transformation. As a bridge builder, she connects generations to wisdom carriers of various traditions, fostering cultural and social evolution at both local and global levels.

Even if you can't attend as scheduled, register now because you'll be able to listen to the recording afterwards.

Health Disclosure: The contents of this website/e-mail are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Affiliate Disclosure: We are grateful to be of service and bring you these life-changing events free of charge. In order to do this, please note that whenever you click the links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases we will receive a referral commission.

Your support in purchasing through these links makes it possible for people in over 150 countries globally to attend these live-changing events for free. Thank you! 🙂

The post Learn the Ancient Healing Secrets & Cosmic Transmissions of Egyptian Divinities appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

What You'll Learn During “Where Are You on the Drama Triangle?”

Most of us don’t even realize that we’re on the Drama Triangle — a perpetual loop of control we learned early on in life and continue to participate in through the roles of Rescuer, Victim, and Persecutor.

Energy depletion, over-the-top empathy, rampant self-sacrifice, an inability to let go, and engaging in the same unfulfilling relationships again and again are just some of the patterns that land us on the Drama Triangle.

We can change this, medical intuitive Rev. Tiffany Jean Barsotti, PhD teaches, through empowered surrender, self-love, and consciously creating relationships that bring out our higher gifts and the best — not the beast — in everyone, including ourselves.

During this free online spiritual growth class with Tiffany, you’ll identify where you are on the Drama Triangle, and how this revelation can help you repattern your self-talk, deepen your intuitive skills, and recalibrate your relationships for greater harmony, love, and freedom.

Class Topics for “Where Are You on the Drama Triangle?”

In this free online event, you’ll:

• Explore the 3 archetypes of the Drama Triangle — the Rescuer, Victim, and Persecutor — and their modes of control and behavior for managing fear and anxiety
• Discover where you are on the triangle — and how you can begin resonating with the joy, freedom, and sovereignty you desire for your relationships and your life
• Experience a guided meditation to establish healthy boundaries and a deep sense of worthiness
• Learn why unconditional self-love is key to freeing yourself from the unconscious patterns of the Rescuer, Victim, and Persecutor — and how the Empowered Surrender Triangle provides a map to greater agency and mutually empowered relationships
• Reset the rules for healthy engagement as a healer —and discover why many healers get caught up in the Rescuer role, and why this has negative consequences

Benefits of Exiting the Drama Triangle

As you begin to understand the interplay of Rescuer, Victim, and Persecutor, and how you learned to shift between them early on as a strategy for mitigating fear and anxiety, and for ultimately receiving the love you needed…

… you’ll gain deeper access to your higher self and gifts — and your capacity to live with sovereignty and a willingness to allow others to do the same.

From here, Tiffany shows you how this willingness to recognize and respect the truth of others empowers your own truth. Your relationships become life-giving, each enlightened by a calm and confident inner agency.

You’ll:

• Activate greater inner agency
• Better manage fear and anxiety
• Gain deeper access to your intuitive gifts
• And begin redesigning all your relationships for harmony and freedom

By identifying your dominant survival pattern on the Drama Triangle — Rescuer, Victim, or Persecutor.

About Your Teacher – Rev. Tiffany Jean Barsotti

Rev. Tiffany Jean Barsotti, PhD, is a renowned medical intuitive, clinician, author, and researcher of subtle energy and biofield therapies. She’s published in books and prominent journals about integrative medicine, consciousness studies, and the human biofield, sharing co-authorship with clinicians and scientists from academic institutions around the United States.

She’s presented her work at numerous events and venues, including The Science of Consciousness Conference, Science and Nonduality Conference, the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine Conference, and The Chopra Center for Wellbeing. Tiffany is a favorite on Gaia TV and is a Visiting Scholar at the University of California San Diego’s School of Medicine.

Her recent book, The Biology of Transformation: The Physiology of Presence and Spiritual Transcendence, explores an ancient yet little-known axis in human anatomy: the Reticular Activating System-Vagus Nerve-Alta Major Chakra Axis as the nexus of communication from Higher Consciousness to the physical and subtle energy bodies of the human being.

🌟 Even if you can’t attend live… 🌟

Register now because you'll be able to watch the recording afterwards.

Affiliate Disclosure: We are grateful to be of service and bring you these life-changing events free of charge. In order to do this, please note that whenever you click the links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases we will receive a referral commission.

Your support in purchasing through these links makes it possible for people in over 150 countries globally to attend these live-changing events for free. Thank you!

The post Identify Your Sabotaging Patterns to Empower Self-Love & Conscious Relationships appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

In the sacred healing space where sound meets silence (yes, silence!), you can open a door to the medicine of your soul.

Learning how to use the complementary forces of sound and silence liberates what pioneering voice teacher Chloë Goodchild calls your inner music…

…the wisdom of your soul that lies at the ground of your being, waiting to be unleashed, eager to transform difficult emotions into positive feelings.

When Chloë shows you how to unabashedly sing with your unique voice…
and then listen to what happens when the sound stops…

you discover that silence isn’t the absence of something. Rather, it’s the missing ingredient in a troubled world.

It’s the invisible, all-imbuing force that unifies and connects, enlivening our communication.

The alchemical dance between sound and silence offers an ancient elixir and a spiritual practice that can help you,

• access loving presence
• express your highest truth
• witness yourself through nonjudgmental listening
• enhance your inner authority

In this spiritual class, you’ll discover the dynamic, medicinal, life-changing role that silence can play in invigorating you and your unique, authentic sovereign voice.

You’ll learn how to open yourself more than ever to conscious, compassionate, courageous communication in everything from your everyday speech to ecstatic states of soul.

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↘️ Click Here To Register For Free ↙️
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During this free spiritual growth class, you will explore:

• 3-Step Silent Body Singing — a simple, soul-expanding practice to explore the quality of silence your sacred voice leaves behind
• Silence as a living presence and an untapped resource for transformation (rather than an awkward pause or an absence of sound!)
• How to reclaim the dynamic presence of silence — and how doing so restores coherence in your body’s auric field
• Why grit, gradual revelation, and grace are crucial to personal and global transformation
• How the Practice of the Witness can help you completely reconsider your relationship with what you think is going on in the world… and usher in a flood of unconditional love for yourself and those around youive” can illuminate

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↘️ Click Here To Register For Free ↙️
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As you learn to access your soul’s wisdom in the heart of silence…

…you’ll relish how embodied experiences of love and unconditional presence can lead you to healthier and happier realms of coherence and harmony.

The best part is that if you think you “can’t sing,” Chloë will show you how to release that culturally imposed illusion…

…so you can access a direct experience of your eternal self, what Chloë calls “your unique sound of oneness.”

As you’ll discover, the sheer act of sounding and listening relaxes you, nourishes you with self-acceptance, and helps you transform separateness into connection.

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↘️ Click Here To Register For Free ↙️
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About Your Spiritual Teacher – Chloë Goodchild

Chloë Goodchild is the founder of The Naked Voice, a pioneering experiential vocal training program providing a sound-awareness toolkit of conscious core practices, music, audiobooks, and spoken and sung meditations that empower you to find and embody your authentic voice. She established the Naked Voice Charitable Foundation in 2004, an initiative to disseminate a deeper awareness of the essential role that deep, nonjudgmental listening and conscious communication play in strengthening ethical awareness, sound health, and wellbeing in all realms of human life.

Chloë’s seminal book, The Naked Voice: Transform Your Life Through the Power of Sound, invites you on a compelling adventure of self-discovery and creative fulfillment through a direct experience of your own authentic voice — the voice of your personal authority, the song of your soul, and your eternal identity.

Chloë sings, teaches, performs, and records on her Naked Voice Music label. Her podcast series,VOCE Dialogues: Voices of Compassionate Evolution, explores the transforming practice of compassion with innovative practitioners, teachers, healers, visionaries, musicians, artists, authors, social activists, new scientists, and entrepreneurs.

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↘️ Click Here To Register For Free ↙️
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🌟 Even if you can’t attend live… 🌟

Register now because you'll be able to get a copy of the recording afterwards.

Affiliate Disclosure: We are grateful to be of service and bring you these life-changing events free of charge. In order to do this, please note that whenever you click the links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases we will receive a referral commission.

Your support in purchasing through these links makes it possible for people in over 150 countries globally to attend these live-changing events for free. Thank you! 🙂

The post How Sound & Silence Reveal Oneness With YOUR Sacred, Eternal Self – With Chloë Goodchild appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

Energy medicine expert Ellen Meredith, a medical intuitive and author, teaches that to skillfully navigate change at this crucial time in our evolution…

…it’s important to learn how to fully activate the internal guidance systems that are already built into your body-mind-spirit…

… and to connect with all the voices of your soul so you can see a deeper truth from a broader perspective, and find your own True North.

Ellen believes that we can all break through the obstruction of polarizing, or what she calls “binary thinking,” with energy medicine tools that help us cultivate a more spherical consciousness…

… so we can awaken and thrive as the world transforms, and follow the path of our greatest potential.

In this spiritual class, you’ll be guided to,

• tap into your inner compass, and
• work with your energies

…so you can move beyond an either/or way of walking through the world, and ground energetically into wholeness.

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↘️ Click Here To Register For Free ↙️
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During this virtual healing class, you’ll:

• Be guided in a powerful energy practice that supports your body, mind, and spirit in the transition from binary thinking to spherical consciousness
• Discover how to use energy medicine tools to activate the internal guidance system that already exists within you
• Learn how to work with your energies to navigate these rapidly changing times so you can emerge transformed and thriving
• Gain a new perspective on the change that’s happening in our world as part of a larger global evolution in consciousness
• Understand that constructs fall apart in order to reformulate and make space for a new, more resilient way of being

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↘️ Click Here To Register For Free ↙️
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You’ll discover that you can teach your subtle energies to operate in a synergistic manner that reflects an awareness of interconnection…

This allows you to not only cope with change, but to thrive within it and contribute to the healing and transformation of our world.
Ellen will help you truly feel your interdependence with everyone and All That Is…

…and build your awareness of what needs to be born now to support change from the inside out.

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↘️ Click Here To Register For Free ↙️
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About Your Spiritual Teacher – Ellen Meredith

Ellen Meredith, Doctor of Arts, is a conscious channel, medical intuitive, energy medicine practitioner, teacher, and author. She has been in practice since 1984, helping over 10,000 clients and students across the globe tune in to and communicate with their own energies, hear their inner guidance, and heal.

Ellen is renowned for her down-to-earth, yet out-of-the box thinking. Originally trained as a healer by her inner teachers (Councils), Ellen later became an Eden Energy Medicine Advanced Practitioner (EEM-AP) and is an emeritus member of Donna Eden’s faculty.

Ellen brings humanity, humor, and insight in many forms to the world of energy healing. Her approach to self-healing with energy medicine offers students ways to understand and get to the heart of their health and life challenges, and work compassionately with their body, mind, and spirit. She builds on everyday experiences and common-sense frameworks, believing that life reveals more of its meaning if you treat it as an evolving story, and see yourself as a unique character helping to co-create it.

Ellen is the author of The Language Your Body Speaks: Self-Healing with Energy Medicine… Listening In: Dialogues with the Wiser Self (channeled book)… In Search of Radiance: Learning to Stand with Your Wiser Self (channeled class audiobook)… and the soon-to-be-published book, Your Body Will Show You the Way: Energy Medicine for Personal and Global Change.

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↘️ Click Here To Register For Free ↙️
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🌟 Even if you can’t attend live… 🌟

Register now because you'll be able to get a copy of the recording afterwards.

Affiliate Disclosure: We are grateful to be of service and bring you these life-changing events free of charge. In order to do this, please note that whenever you click the links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases we will receive a referral commission.

Your support in purchasing through these links makes it possible for people in over 150 countries globally to attend these live-changing events for free. Thank you! 🙂

The post Improve Your Ability to Manage Personal & Global Change With Powerful Energy Medicine Tools – With Ellen Meredith appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

She came down out of her house and requested the monk to come and reside with her. And soon the rainy season was coming so the prostitute said, “Why don't you stay with me during the rainy season? – because monks have to stay somewhere. For four months, during the rainy season, monks don't move, so you will have to stay somewhere, you will have to find some shelter – why not with me?”

He said, “Perfectly okay. I will just have to ask my Master, ask his permission. If he says yes, tomorrow morning I will be present at your door.”

The prostitute could not believe the way the monk said it so simply, as if there was no problem!

He said, “Perfectly okay. I have to stay somewhere. I was going to ask somebody to give me shelter for four months, and this is a gift from you! I just have to ask my Master; it is just a formal request because that is the way. I have to tell him that a certain woman has requested that I stay with her. Can I stay with her?”

Other monks heard about this, and of course they were jealous. It was impossible to tolerate. This was too much! But they waited – they waited because they thought Buddha would absolutely say no, categorically would say no. A sannyasin, and staying with a prostitute?!

And when the monk asked Buddha, Buddha looked at the monk and said, “Perfectly right! You can stay with her.”

Now others stood up and they said, “This is not fair! And do you see the risk? This is a young man, and that woman is almost a magician. Even great kings are trapped by her, and this young man is almost innocent. She is not interested in giving him shelter, she has become lustful towards his beautiful body. And you say yes?”

Buddha said, “You wait! We will decide who is right after four months. Let him go and let him stay with the woman.”

Those four months looked very long for the other monks. It was really difficult to wait, and they knew that Buddha was going to be proved wrong – for four months living with that woman? She could not leave this monk, she would seduce him; it was absolutely certain.

And after four months the monk came back and touched Buddha's feet. The others said, “Now tell the truth – what happened?”

And the monk said, “Just wait a few minutes, because the woman is coming and it will be better to hear it from the horse's mouth herself.”

And the woman went and she touched Buddha's feet, and she asked to be initiated into sannyas.

Buddha said, “Why?”

She said, “I tried to seduce him, but I failed. He seduced me! He seduced me into sannyas! For four months I tried every possible way, but he remained like a lotus leaf. I would dance naked around him and he would meditate! I have never failed in my life, this is the first time. For the first time I am impressed by a man, for the first time I have encountered a man!

“Up to now I had seen only slaves. They may have been great kings but they all touched the dust of my feet. This is the only man I have seen who remained like a lotus leaf I tried every possible way – good food, beautiful room, beautiful clothes, beautiful bed, every possible comfort for him – and he would never say no! – but I failed. I could not distract him. And he used to laugh at me.

I would dance my most cherished dances and I would start throwing my clothes away, waiting, now some lust might arise in his eyes – but never! He would laugh and giggle, and he would say, ‘What are you doing? And it is too cold, you may catch cold!' He has transformed me. Now I would like to become the same, a lotus leaf.”

From Osho – The Guest

What Is the Spiritual Moral / Message of the “Buddha and a Prostitute” Parable?

The parable of Buddha and the Prostitute, resonating through time, speaks not merely of the visible actions but delves into the deeper realms of human consciousness.

At its core lies the symbolic essence of temptation, resilience, and the triumph of spiritual fortitude over the allurements of the material world. It unfolds with the tale of a monk and a woman, each representative of contrasting worlds, colliding in a transformative dance orchestrated by destiny.

The monk, a symbol of spiritual dedication, faced an unexpected invitation from the most unexpected source – a woman deemed as a temptress in the eyes of the world. Her request seemed a deviation from the norm, a deviation that echoed the whispers of human desires, vices, and societal judgments.

In this encounter, we witness the unfolding drama of desires attempting to entwine the monk in their intricate web. The woman, initially ensnared by her own desires, sought to seduce the monk, employing every conceivable worldly pleasure, anticipating his surrender to the fleeting charms of the material realm.

Yet, the monk remained unwavering, akin to a lotus leaf poised upon the waters, unaffected by the ripples of temptation that danced around him. Despite her efforts, the monk’s inner serenity and commitment to his spiritual path remained unshaken.

The Buddha and a Prostitute story is a profound metaphor for the human journey towards enlightenment. It encapsulates the ceaseless struggle between the ephemeral pleasures of the material world and the unwavering pursuit of spiritual evolution. The woman, initially perceived as a temptress, metamorphosed into a student humbled by the monk’s unwavering dedication.

At its essence, this story unveils the power of inner strength, resilience, and the transcendence of the material world’s allures. It invites reflection upon the nature of desire, the impermanence of worldly pleasures, and the unwavering strength that lies within the core of one's being.

In this saga, the monk symbolizes the embodiment of spiritual discipline and the power of mindfulness. His steadfastness amidst the storm of desires reflects the capacity of the human spirit to rise above transient pleasures and find solace in the depths of inner tranquility.

The transformation witnessed in the woman, once engulfed by desires, highlights the transformative potential of encountering spiritual purity. Her recognition of the monk’s unyielding strength not only altered her perception but also ignited a longing within her to embark on the same journey towards inner liberation.

It beckons us to ponder upon the frailty of external pleasures, the fleeting nature of desires, and the profound wisdom encapsulated in spiritual resilience. The monk's ability to remain unperturbed amidst the allurements of the world serves as a beacon, guiding us towards a deeper understanding of self-control, detachment, and the true essence of spiritual liberation.

Ultimately, the Buddha & Prostitute parable is an ode to the triumph of the spirit over the transient and illusory nature of the material world. It stands as a testament to the power of inner strength, unwavering dedication, and the transformative potential of encountering spiritual purity in a world entangled in desires.

May this tale serve as a guiding light, inspiring us to cultivate resilience, fortitude, and a steadfast commitment to our spiritual evolution, transcending the transient pleasures of the material realm and embracing the eternal bliss of inner awakening.

The post The Monk Who Seduced A Prostitute appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

The first one went just outside the house. There was nobody – it was a hot afternoon and nobody was on the road. He killed the dove, came back.

The other disciple never turned up for three years. The master waited and waited and after three years the disciple came with the dove and said ‘I could not find a place where He was not the witness. I have tried all kinds of places, places where there was nobody watching. I had gone into deep dark caves where even if somebody was there he could not have seen it. But everywhere He was watching from inside me. So I closed my eyes but then He was watching from inside the door. In these three years I have tried all that was humanly possible. I am sorry – I cannot fulfill the mission.'

The master was very happy and he said ‘You are accepted and the first is rejected. You have found the very secret of meditation. Live always aware of this witness and God will become available to you. He is available.'

“Zahira.” That too is a sufi name for God. It means: the manifest one. Shahido means the hidden one who is looking from inside, Zahira means the manifest one who is manifest everywhere – in the trees, in the rivers, in the mountains, in people, in animals. God is both, the hidden and the unhidden. He is not only the inside, He is the outside too because He is all.

As told by Osho in Dharshan Dairy: The 99 Names of Nothingness

The post You Cannot Hide It From Yourself appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

“What has happened to this boy?”

And then he sat in the way seekers should sit before a Zen master. Then he waited, as seekers should wait, for the master to ask, “Why have you come?”

The master asked, “Toyo” – Toyo was the name of the boy – “why have you come?”

So Toyo bowed down and said, “Master, I have come in search of truth. What shall I do? How should I practice?”

The master knew that this boy was simply imitating, because everybody he heard came and asked the same questions, so just jokingly the master said, “Toyo, you go and meditate. Two hands clapping can create a sound. What is the sound of one hand clapping?”

Toyo bowed down seven times again, went back to his room, started meditating.

He heard a geisha girl singing, so he said, “Right, this is the thing.” He came immediately, bowed down.

The master was laughing. He said, “Did you meditate, Toyo?”

He said, “Yes sir, and I have found it: it is like a geisha girl singing.”

The master said, “No, this is wrong. Go again, meditate.”

So he went again, meditated for three days. Then he heard the sound of water dripping, so he said,

“Right now, this is the thing – I have got it.” He came again, the master asked… he said, “The sound of the water dripping.”

The master said, “Toyo, that too is not it. You go and meditate.”

So he meditated for three months. Then he heard locusts in the trees, so he said, “Yes, I have got it.” He came again.

The master said, “No, this too is not right.”

And so on and on. One year passed.

Then for one year continuously he was not seen. The master became anxious: “What happened to the boy? He has not come.” So he went to find him. He was sitting under a tree, silent, his body vibrating to some unknown sound; his body dancing, a very gentle dance, as if just moving with the breeze.

The master didn’t like to disturb the boy, so he sat there waiting. Hours and hours passed. When the sun was setting and it was evening, the master said,

“Toyo?”

The boy opened his eyes and he said, “This is it.”

The master said, “Yes, you have got it!”

Osho – Vedanta Seven Steps to Samadhi

The post What Is The Sound Of One Hand Clapping? appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

The research is pouring in on the profound benefits of meditation practice. Science now confirms what practitioners have known for centuries: Meditation is a powerful tool for human evolution.

How could sitting quietly “doing nothing” possibly make such a difference in your life? The truth is found in many dimensions. We'll explore some of the most important points in this brief article. Of course, to fully understand, you'll have to meditate for yourself. If you need some inspiration or re-motivation for that venture, read the free “Raise Your Vibration” ebook on the right and also continue reading this article.

Let's talk about the benefits of meditation in four dimensions of our being: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Meditation in its best forms is a truly holistic practice; it works on all levels of your being. It has the power to improve your health and immune function, increase your emotional sensitivity and emotional balance, clear and focus your mind, and strengthen your sense of spiritual connection.

Let's go through each of these in turn…

Dr. Herbert Benson began his research into the physiological changes during meditation practice at Harvard University in 1968. He published a groundbreaking book, called “The Relaxation Response” in 1975. In this book, he described a state of deep relaxation that occurs in meditation that counters the physical and emotional effects of stress or the “fight/flight” response.

Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system which puts us in a state of hyperactive readiness that can be useful during real emergency situations. However, chronic stress is a condition that tears down the body and inhibits its ability to adapt, grow, and repair itself. Chronic stress shunts blood away from the internal organs to the extremities which hampers digestion and immunity. Our muscles tighten into a state of persistent tension, blood pressure rises, emotions get locked into a protective fear mode, and our mind is less able to process new information and find creative solutions.

In addition, chronic stress is associated with chronic inflammation in the body which is being linked to almost every major disease, including cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune dysfunction. With the speed, pressure, and intensity of human life at an all-time high and on the rise, it's absolutely imperative that we learn to master stress and relax our bodies.

The relaxation response described by Dr. Benson activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is our recovery and repair mode. People who learn to activate the relaxation response using a simple meditation technique show almost immediate positive physiological changes. Their breathing slows and deepens, their hearts come into rhythmic coherence, their brainwaves slow and synchronize, and they experience a pleasurable sense of relief and relaxation.

Long-term meditation practice lowers blood pressure, increases the release of “feel good” neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, and stimulates the production of DHEA, a hormone which helps the body repair and regenerate itself.

When you meditate, your body not only comes down from stress, but you feel better and more in charge of your inner life. You are more aware of your inner feelings and more able to manage them. Research at the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania shows that meditation practice develops the anterior cingulate, a structure in the midbrain that enables you to manage your thoughts and feelings and increases your ability to empathize with and have compassion for others. In other words, meditation is good for your personal well-being and for building strong relationships.

Meditation also develops the prefrontal lobes in the front of the brain, just behind your forehead. The prefrontal lobes enable you to focus your attention and integrate your experiences in meaningful and productive ways. Studies with Tibetan monks at the University of Wisconsin have shown increased thickness in the prefrontal lobes and increased neural connections between the frontal lobes and the rest of the brain in those who have meditated for extended periods of time.

Research at the University of Pennsylvania also suggests that meditation practice enhances memory formation and retention. This points to its use as a possible preventive measure for Alzheimer's and other conditions associated with aging and the brain.

Not only does meditation have these powerful effects on the body, emotions, and brain, but there are more profound and less easy to study spiritual effects. In general, meditation develops your ability to feel connected to life. People often describe their deep meditations as times when they feel most like themselves. They also experience themselves as part of the One Life that we all share. Meditators often describe a deep sense of trust, support, and guidance that comes in their meditation practice.

Kevin Schoeninger teaches people how to discover the benefits of meditation. To learn a simple meditation technique (it only takes a few minutes) you can use to instantly release ANY unwanted thought feeling or belief, visit his website at EnergyMeditationSecret.com

The post “Raise Your Vibration” – Free PDF efrom Kevin Schoeninger appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he had told her was empty.

Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.

It had been a year since Safiya, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Safiya now felt condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her.

“How could this have happened to me?” she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted, she knew the painful truth her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Safiya's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was her husband Meraj.

Meraj was an Air Force officer and he loved Safiya with all of his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Meraj's military background had trained him well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this was the most difficult battle he would ever face.

Finally, Safiya felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Meraj volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city.

At first, this comforted Safiya and fulfilled Meraj's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task.

Soon, however, Meraj realized that this arrangement was not working – it was hectic, and costly. Safiya is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react?

Just as Meraj predicted, Safiya was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. “I am blind!” she responded bitterly. “How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel like you are abandoning me.”

Meraj's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. Meraj promised Safiya that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Meraj, military uniform and all, accompanied Safiya to and from work each day. Meraj taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment.

Meraj helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her and save her a seat. Meraj made her laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus or drop her briefcase. Each morning they made the journey together and Meraj would take a cab back to his office. Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Meraj knew it was only a matter of time before Safiya would be able to ride the bus on her own. Meraj believed in her, in the Safiya he used to know before she would lost her sight, who was not afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit.

Finally, Safiya decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Meraj, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love. Safiya said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday… Each day on her own went perfectly and Safiya had never felt better. Safiya was doing it! She was going to work all by herself!

On Friday morning, Safiya took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, “Sister, I sure envy you.”

Safiya was not sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, “Why do you say that you envy me?”

The driver responded, “It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you are.”

Safiya had no idea what the driver was talking about, and asked again, “What do you mean?”

The driver answered, “You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky woman.”

Tears of happiness poured down Safiya's cheeks. For although she could not physically see him, she had always felt Meraj's presence. Safiya was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she did not need to see to believe – Gift of Love that can bring light where there had been darkness.

– The author of this story is unknown and greatly appreciated!

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Hold on a minute, Socrates replied. Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?

Well, no, the man said, actually I just heard about it and…

All right, said Socrates. So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now, let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?

Umm, no, on the contrary…

So, Socrates continued, you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left — the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?

No, not really.

Well, concluded Socrates, if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?

The author of this spiritual story is unknown and greatly appreciated. If you know who wrote this, or can provide a source that I can cite then please contact me and let me know!

Also, if you decide to reprint this story on your website, you do not need to include this author biography box… please just link back to http://www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com

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