Sunday, June 24, 2012

Quiet Mind Meditation System

Quieting the Mind

Quiet Mind Meditation System - By Michael Hughes

"To the mind that is still, the whole Universe surrenders.” - Lao Tzu

I want you to find a place where you won’t be disturbed for at least twenty minutes. You’ll need to sit in a chair, one without arms is best. A dining room or an office type chair is fine but don’t use an armchair as it’s too easy to fall asleep. Also don’t do this in bed for the same reason, unless you are physically unable to sit in a chair. In a straight-backed chair if you nod off to sleep, you’ll tend to fall forward and wake yourself up. Make sure that if you do fall asleep, you won’t fall and hurt yourself; for example on the edge of a table. (Yes, it has happened to me!) When you’re more experienced with the meditation you can do it in an armchair or sitting up in bed in the morning. But for now, stick to the chair.

I want you to sit in the chair with your back straight and both feet on the floor. Close your eyes and place both hands on your lap. When you close your eyes what do you see? If you are like most people you will see darkness in which there are occasional flecks of light; this is what I want you to look at.

I want you to look into this darkness but don’t look with your eyes - don’t strain to see the inside of your closed eyelids. Look into the darkness as if you were looking through your forehead. As if your forehead was a window and you were looking through it into the darkness.

At the same time hang your right hand down by your side. I want you to feel your hand. Concentrate on each finger in turn. Concentrate on your thumb for a few seconds until you can feel something, perhaps warmth or tingling. 

Now concentrate on your first finger until you feel something. Do this with each finger in turn until you get to the little finger and start again with the thumb. You are now concentrating on each finger in turn and at the same time concentrating on the middle of your forehead. (When I say “concentrating” I mean feeling – you concentrate on your fingers so that you feel them).

If a thought arises in your mind, I want you to look at it dispassionately. Don’t get involved with the image, stay distant from it. When you concentrate on a part of your body in such a way that you can feel it, you are in the present moment, not lost in thoughts of the past or future.

Continue feeling each finger in turn and, at the same time, looking through your forehead (as if it was a window) into the darkness. If you get lost in a daydream and forget to be aware of your hand or forehead, something will make you realize this and you will instantly be aware of your hand and forehead again.

Carry on with the technique for fifteen to twenty minutes then open your eyes. Don’t stand-up straight away. Raise your arms up and stretch and allow yourself a few moments to reorient yourself before standing up. You may feel different than usual, perhaps a bit distant or lightheaded. Don’t worry this is normal.

Do the technique three times a day if possible, but if not, do it at least twice a day - first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

When you’ve done the technique for seven days with your right hand by your side, I then want you to do it for seven days with your left hand by your side and the other hand on your lap. Eventually you’ll do it with both hands on your lap and be concentrating on both thumbs at once, then both first fingers at once and so on. Don’t be fooled into thinking, “is that all it is?” Although apparently simple, this technique is very powerful and can change your life.

Points to remember:
  • Keep distant from any thoughts that arise. Do not get involved.
  • Don’t get into a conversation with a character in your mind.
  • Do the meditation technique three times a day if possible, but at least twice.
You can find the full free ebook here: http://bit.ly/IiM7Ch or for more information about meditation you can email Micheal Hughes at: mike@quietmindsystem.com

@LoveKaruna (Twitter)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Today was one of those days of fun in the kitchen and I'm happily sharing my recipe adventures with you all :)

For lunch I made a delicious Spicy Guacamole:
  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
  • 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/4  cup minced onion
  • 2 tbsp. minced jalapeƱo
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cumin

That is a recipe from a book, but I always do everything to taste. It also says to put everything in a food processor, but I like to do it all by hand. It turned out absolutely great: creamy with a bit of kick from the jalapeƱos (I added extra). I also served mine with multigrain tortilla chips, just to be healthier, haha!

The next thing I made was a Vegan Chocolate Cake (see above):
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 6 tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp. vinegar
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour sugar, salt, baking soda and cocoa. In a second bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, vanilla and water. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Pour into the pan and bake at 350 degrees until the cake is firm in the center and begins to pull away from the pan, about 35-40 minutes.

Chocolate Icing:
  • 4 tbsp. oil
  • 4 tbsp. water
  • 6 tbsp. sifted cocoa powder
  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Place the water and oil in a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Blend in the cocoa and sugar. Beat until smooth. After the cake has cooled down for 30 minutes, pour the icing over the cake and spread it to the edges.

Don't be fooled; vegan desserts are not necessarily healthy desserts! I just finished having a piece of the cake and it was fabulous. Of course I took time from all my cooking and baking (and eating) to call my dad. As you can see, it was a happy father's day! 

@LoveKaruna (Twitter) 

Sunday, June 10, 2012

New York Trip

Some reflections from my trip in New York City... I finally got to do some touristy stuff! (All the photographs were taken with my crumby blackberry unfortunately)

Times Square

The photographer doesn't like to be photographed

American Museum of Natural History
We're Chillin'

Boats in Central Park

Central Park

Police Horses

The Apollo Theater

The Queensboro Bridge
@LoveKaruna (Twitter)

Sunday, June 03, 2012

A Course In Miracles

Choose Again

A lesson from A Course in Miracles...
"There are no triumphs of love. Only hate is concerned with the triumph of love at all. The illusion of love can triumph over the illusion of hate, but always at the price of making both illusions. And as long as the illusion of hatred lasts, so long will love be an illusion to you. And then the only choice that remains possible, is which illusion you prefer. There is no conflict in the choice between truth and illusion. Seen in these terms, no one would hesitate. But conflict enters the instant the choice seems to be one between illusions, for this choice does not matter. Where one choice is as dangerous as the other, the decision must be one of despair... Every illusion is one of fear, whatever form it takes. And the attempt to escape from one illusion into another, must fail. If you seek love outside yourself, you can be certain that you perceive hatred within, and are afraid of it. Yet peace will never come from the illusion of love, but only from its reality... Every fantasy, be it of love or hate, deprives you of knowledge, for fantasies are the veil behind which truth is hidden. To lift the veil, which seems so dark and heavy, it is only needful to value truth beyond all fantasy, and to be entirely unwilling to settle for illusion in place of truth. Would you not go through fear to love? For such the journey seems to be. Love calls, though hate would bid you stay. Hear not the call of hate, and see no fantasies. For your completion lies in truth, and nowhere. See in the call of hate, and in every fantasy that rises to delay you, but the call for help, that rises ceaselessly from you to your Creator. God loves you, wholly without illusion, as you must love. For love is wholly without illusion, and therefore wholly without fear."

@LoveKaruna (Twitter)