Loading ...How Dare You Force Me to Live Like This!
I am dying. I am very slowly drowning, my lungs unable to get enough oxygen. It’s not the amount of oxygen in the air that’s the problem, it’s that my diseased lungs cannot process it. I cannot sleep or eat properly. I am constantly on edge. My nerves are shot. When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters much.
I am going crazy with this constant feeling of drowning. It’s like the “water boarding” torture, except that it goes on and on and on. The doctors have told me that nothing can be done. It will only get worse. Get worse???
If we were talking about your pet, what would you do? If you have any compassion at all, you would take it to the vet and gently “put it to sleep”, peacefully.
But for me? Because I am human, you believe I should endure this. You have laws to keep doctors from helping me pass easily. You even have laws preventing them from telling me know how I might do it myself without pain. Do you have no mercy?!
You force me to choose to either die very, very slowly, or get it over with quickly using violent and painful means. Why? Why? How can you feel justified in forcing me to be in such pain for as long as possible? The outcome will be the same. Does your religion tell you to be this sadistic?
I hope that when it’s your time, you are allowed better choices.
[name withheld]
To be free to live, you have to be free not to.
For more information visit Compassion and Choices.
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Does Esther Hicks really channel other beings?
As the original proponents of the Law of Attraction, Jerry and Esther Hicks have had a huge influence on spiritual thought.
Their philosophy was the foundation of the very popular movie, The Secret. As you may know, Esther was in the first version. She was edited out of the “new expanded” version of the movie for not signing away her intellectual rights.
For over 20 years Jerry and Esther Hicks have shared their work with “those who are attracting this information” (as Jerry says at the beginning of every CD). Notice that they are not recruiting people, trying to convince them that their ideas are the only real truth. Actually it’s quite the opposite. They are very happy to go about their business and let you believe whatever you feel is right. If you want what they have, they make it available. This, to me, is refreshing, considering that just about everyone else wants to convince you they are right and that you should “just have faith” when you are told the most ridiculous things.
And what are the Hicks teaching? Mainly that “Life is supposed to be fun.” How many of us forgot that along the way? We knew it as kids. Then someone (actually several some ones) taught us that life was hard, and that we were supposed to work at a job we don’t like and do whatever it takes to get by…until finally we drop dead. And then, some say, is when we will find happiness.
Ok, then how do we know what to do? Well, if you’re feeling bad, you’re not doing it right. If that little voice in you is complaining, you can’t be happy. In order to be happy, here and now, you must be doing what YOU think is right, whatever that may be. You can tell by your emotions how you’re doing.
But what about the “channeling”? One of the definitions of channeling is “the practice of professedly entering a meditative or trancelike state in order to convey messages from a spiritual guide.” Sounds kind ‘a spooky, doesn’t it?
According the Abraham-Hicks website, “Abraham, a group of obviously evolved teachers, speak their broader Non-physical perspective through the physical body of Esther.” This sounds like channeling, though Jerry and Esther don’t use that word.
Watching or listening to Esther isn’t the least bit spooky. You can see for yourself in these videos. She does answer questions from a broad perspective. “Abraham” even refers to Esther in the third person.
It’s not like we, as a society, do not believe in channeling. A large percentage of the US population believes that about 2000 years ago God spoke through individuals who channelled it and wrote it down. Now it’s collectively known as The Bible.
So, is Esther really channeling? Honestly, I don’t know. Just set that question aside, forget where the words come from, and listen to what she says. The philosophy is very positive and internally consistent. (Esther/Abraham once said they only have one answer, they just tell it different ways.) I’ve seen it help a lot of people. You can read more about the Abraham philosophy at the Abraham-Hicks website.
If The Bible is your authority, Matthew 7:20 says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
What do you think?
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The Hubble Deep Field
It’s been called the most important image ever taken…
In 2003, the Hubble Space Telescope stared, for a little over 11 days at a rather unremarkable section of sky. The results were humbling on a universal scale.
The Deep Field/Ultra Deep field images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope represent the farthest we’ve ever seen into the universe. Looking at these images, one cannot help but be humbled by what they mean. At a glance, they show us how tiny humanity is in comparison to the size of the universe.
“If We Are Alone in the Universe, Then It Is an Awful Waste of Space.”
Carl Sagan (1934-1996)
Video by Tony Darnell.
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An Inside Look at The Brain
Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another. Also discussed is the different way our left brain perceives reality vs. the way our right brain perceives reality.
From TED, Ideas Worth Sharing…
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Kapalbhati - Polish Your Skull
A great boon to the practice of yoga is the positive effect that is has on the mind-body, allowing us to better overcome extreme emotion and stress. The breathing techniques used in yogic practice are naturally soothing and calming; the cleansing breath, or kapalbhati in Sanskrit, is used exclusively for this purpose.
Kapalbhati means literally to “polish the skull” in its original Sanskrit, giving a pointed suggestion as to its purpose. Using this breathing technique to cleanse and detox your busy mind, you will find almost instantly that its effects are great and wondrous.
Performing kapalbhati is technically quite easy, though it is important that it is performed correctly in order to obtain the best results. Follow these basic instructions as you prepare to practice:
Take a seat in any position that keeps your spine erect and your body relaxed; I personally find the cross-legged and vajrasana positions have the most beneficial effect. Relax yourself and breathe deeply, closing your eyes and feeling the movement of the breath as you clear your mind. Once you feel fully composed, begin to exercise the diaphragm by exhaling your breath quickly through the nostrils, allowing the in and out of your breathing to remain natural and easy. A general rule of thumb for the beginner is to practice each type of breathing for about seven cycles, allowing the body to gradually warm up to the process. Be aware of the breath deep in your belly and use the upper chest as little as possible.
If you find your breath becoming ragged or broken at any time during the practice, take a break and compose yourself again; the benefits of kapalbhati will not be felt if the body is not relaxed.
What are some of the obvious benefits of kapalbhati?
The powerful breath created in this practice leads to great energy, cleaning and purifying the nasal passage, throat and lungs. The effects on the mind are immediate; relaxation replaces worry, clearness replaces clutter, calmness replaces stress.
Regular and increased practice will help you to maintain these benefits even outside of your practice, allowing you to go through your daily life with the same serenity and clearness of mind that you feel while in seated meditation.
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Stop Following Me!
Child’s Pose
If you know someone who practices yoga regularly and ask them what their favorite pose or posture is, there is a good chance that they will cite the child’s pose. Seen in the picture below, this position is simple and relaxing, stretching your physical body while clearing and relieving the mind body. Here are a few facts about the benefits of this particular pose:
Physical Benefits
The child’s pose stretches the back, sides, legs and arms very gently, allowing your body to feel fully relaxed while it is working. Take care to place something beneath your knees if you are on a hard surface, and it sometimes helps to manually pull the flesh away from the sitting bones so that your bottom rests more comfortably on your legs.
Mental Benefits
You would be hard-pressed to find a yoga posture as mentally relaxing as the child’s pose. Even while your body is gently stretching, your head is down and your eyes are closed. This allows for light meditation or simple relaxation of the mind, bringing with it increased clarity and potential for insight.
Spiritual Benefits
Whether you subscribe to a monotheistic religion, a doctrinal guide such as Buddhism or simply acknowledge your spirituality on a more personal level, the intense relaxation and quiet time can do wonders for the mind body, and thus the spirit. Use the time spent in child’s pose to reflect on your true nature and to nourish the spirit, waking it up and enlivening it with your attentions.
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Total Lunar Eclipse - February 20, 2008
The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurred tonight, giving skywatchers all over the world (including myself) an easy opportunity to observe heavenly bodies interacting with one another. It was difficult to get a decent picture of it (I’m not great with a camera) but I did manage to snap one decent picture out of the bunch; click the thumbnail for the full image (728KB).
A very cool thing to have witnessed, very humbling when you consider the enormity of the Earth as its shadow creeps over the moon. Happy observing!
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