Zeitgeist

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Fundraising Auction for Pakistan Flood Victims

I was touched watching a father put a wooden plank over his daughter’s grave in Pakistan to protect it from the rain. No headstone, no birth certificate, no death certificate. The family had to move on and leave the grave plot to fend for itself. The father kissed the mound. I cried.

Have we found it harder to be moved by this tragedy?

Many of these natural disasters are made worse due to environmental degradation, and more can be said on this at some stage.

A few of us got together on twitter to start an auction to raise awareness and funds to send to an organisation that would make sure it helped the right people. What is being auctioned is a beautifully crafted bear made by Yvonne from EcoBears http://www.ecobears.com

Yvonne makes her ecofriendly creations with a machine powered by solar power and uses hemp and recycled fabrics to bring them to life. Each bear has a personality of its own and  would make a wonderful heirloom for some deserving adult/child.

If you would like to own this beautiful bear plus an organic hemp bag from Ecolution then please place a bid on twitter using hashtag #BearforPakistan or send a message to @ecobears @DianaRusso @aerlic

Miss Solar Bear will be issued a certificate of authenticity.

This information may be updated  so please check back over the next few days.

Solar Bear is 14″ TALL HOLDING A PLANET EARTH FILLED WITH HEMP-FIBRE. 
MISS SOLAR HAS BEEN HANDMADE USING SOLAR ENERGY – MAY 2010
SHE IS MADE FROM ENGLISH HEMP/RECYCLED COTTON/RECYCLED WOOL FABRIC
HER DRESS IS HAND-DYED HEMP WITH A HEMP-SILK SKIRT.

MISS SOLAR BEAR IS AN ADVOCATE FOR SOLAR ENERGY – AND SHARES A VERY SPECIAL MESSAGE – THAT WE CAN USE MORE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IN OUR EVERYDAY DAY LIVES, WHEREVER WE LIVE IN THE WORLD…

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Meditation

Quite a few years ago I took part in a Vipassana meditation course: ten days of no talking, no eating meat and no killing anything (including mosquitoes). For most of the day we either sat and meditated or did walking meditation. The point of the course, apart from meditating, was to learn to live with awareness, and be present in the moment.

It was not an easy task and many times over the course of that time, I was tempted to pack up and go home. Sitting for long periods of time being bitten by mosquitoes and thinking about what you could or should be doing, instead of confining yourself to one point on the floor for hours on end, was no fun and hard as I tried the benefits of meditation were eluding me, as I wrestled with my thoughts and body.

Both the early mornings and the no talking policy were also bringing up resistance in me: at that time, for me, talking and breathing were one and the same.  On the other hand, the vegetarian food was delicious, though it was strange to share food at a table with so many people and  with no-one talking. Meals became quite a somber affair, until the facilitator assured us it was ok to smile and make eye contact, and that just because we were on a meditation retreat, did not mean that we had to embody a serious demeanor, and that it was ok to smile and laugh.

But the result of these 10 days was that I exuded  vibrant energy and well-being.  So much so, that many people commented on my return, on how well I looked: “glowing” was one person’s comment. This was my first taste of meditation and has stayed in my mind as a landmark for what benefits meditation can bring to the mind and body. 

What does meditation do for you exactly: well as someone who is just beginning to return to the practice, through the desire to have a more peaceful mind, I can certainly tell you what the absence of some sort of meditative practice can result in : a stressful and chaotic mind, that will not be still and constantly plagues us with worries and anxieties. On the other hand, to reach a ‘meditative state of being’ in which the mind is clear and still, we need to take on a practice of meditation, Where we ‘become’ our ‘True Nature’ as outlined below by Michele Meiche of awakenings:

The Meditative State (of being) – Beingness

This state is called your True Nature, as it is you. Your true nature, divine nature is inherent. You are a spiritual being; therefore you don’t have to “try and be spiritual” you can not be “spiritual” Oneness….. A sense of connectedness…. A knowing, feeling and sensing of the subtle energy of the All That Is. An awareness of this no matter what is going on around you or no matter what fleeting states of being or emotion. An awareness and responding from your True Nature. Expanded consciousness
Living & Being from the I Am – —- I Am That That I Am

http://www.selfinlight.com/meditation.html Discover some simple meditation practices here, or you can learn more about using meditation in your every day life by reading any of the excellent books available on the subject including Michele’s book:

Meditation For Everyday Living available on Amazon- Live the Meditative State   http://bit.ly/mPCXO

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Focus

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