Wholism and the New Age

Author: Diane Brandon

WHOLISM AND THE NEW AGE

by

Diane Brandon

We find ourselves perched on the "cusp" of a new era, or so we're told -- a "new age." A whole new era will be ushered in -- with the emphasis on newness.

Part of that newness, I believe, will be new thinking, a breaking of the old, the creation of the new. New thinking, new forms. But are we still caught up in the old thinking? Are we marching into the "New Age" dragging our old thinking along?

We talk a lot about wholism -- "wholistic health," "wholistic living." And I feel that wholism is a form that we are inexorably moving towards, an integral part of the "New Age." But what does "wholism" really mean and what are the implications of wholistic being?

Well, obviously the term wholistic comes from the word "whole." And a whole is the combination or total of its parts. "Wholeness" is considered to be desirable: we strive "to be whole."

Unfortunately the age and culture we live in has heavily swayed us against wholeness. We separate and compartmentalize, rather than uniting. We live in an age of specialization, splitting off parts of ourselves and earning a living doing one thing, thereby neglecting our other talents and interests.

We separate and reject, rather than unite and accept. We compete, rather than cooperate. We fear and push away that which is feared, rather than accept and understand. We judge, rather than forgive and accept. We talk about dualities of good vs. evil, light vs. dark, rather than look at the whole, which is composed of both, and combinations and gradations thereof. We engage in simplistic labeling and thinking, rather than deal with totalities and nuances -- the polar opposites, rather than mixtures or shades of gray.

All of these engrained habits of thinking have been salient characteristics of the Piscean Age, and we have all been under their spell.

So, how do we move toward wholeness, given all the influences on us to the contrary?

The Personal Level

Let's take a look first at wholeness as applied to the individual or personal level. I would think that, to be whole, we must first accept ourselves as a whole. Rather than split off parts of ourselves as undesirable and disowning them, we can accept that everything exists for a purpose. To believe otherwise is to reject creation and second guess the Creator.

Therefore, we can first accept all our faculties: left brain and right brain; logic, feeling, and intuition. How many times have we heard someone say, "I don't think; I feel?" Why not think and feel. Instead of labeling one as "bad" and the other as "good," why not consider that both serve a purpose? Why thinks in terms of "ors" that separate, instead of "ands" that unite? If any of these faculties did not serve a purpose, why were they created? There are times when I don't know where my thinking or ideas come from: from my logic or intuition or feeling. It feels, instead, as if the parts are working together as a whole -- which is a nice feeling, a feeling of wholeness. We can become more whole by reclaiming all parts of ourselves.

Emotions

Emotions get a lot of bad press. We tend to reject emotions as undesirable qualities, especially "negative" emotions like pain or anger. We suppress our emotions; it's not "good" to be "emotional." Isn't it possible that emotions serve a purpose, perform a function? To me, emotions are indicators, or signals: they tell us when something is going well or needs to be worked on. If we pay attention to our emotions, we can learn and grow.

If the different parts of ourselves are working together, then we achieve a wholeness or balance in our lives. If we suppress or deny parts of ourselves, the energy of the parts disowned does not dissipate; it remains and throws us off balance.

The Role of Fear

Certainly fear is an emotion that is a big bugaboo to us. When we label something as "bad," we push it away. The more "bad" it is for us and the more we push it away, the more we fear it. As anyone who has worked on his or her issues knows -- or as any truly spiritually wise person knows -- fear is our teacher, if we go into it. Fear separates and holds us back; it does not unite. If, however, we face our fear and go into it, we learn from it and reclaim a disowned part of us. We also usually learn that our fear of the fear was worse than what we thought we feared, the object of our fear. We learn that superstition and fear are only shadows, projections from within ourselves with no real substance, projections from our own lack of wholeness. We also gain in self-confidence when we go into fear. We become more whole.

A healthy curiosity can also help with fear, because curiosity opens us; its energy goes outward. An open mind is an inquiring one. A closed mind holds us back. Curiosity impels us forward to learn and grow.

Fear exists in the New Age community as well and, unfortunately, at times is taught to others. There was an idea going around last winter before the first Uranus-Neptune conjunction about "negative space entities" that were going to use the conjunction as some sort of opening to do "negative," bad things to "lightworkers."

I was taken aback when I heard this, as well as baffled and somewhat saddened. Here was fear in all its grandeur, rearing its head again -- this time in the New Age community, a community I had thought was enlightened. New drama, old thinking. The old myth and fear of evil and Satan in New Age clothing. The old need to fear something and project it outward in an anthropomorphic fashion: Satan was now "negative space entities."

Fear wields its power pervasively, especially when one feels separation, and it rules with an iron fist. Unfortunately fear can contaminate and be contagious: we teach our fear to others. Again, we can learn from going into fear and examining it openly, thereby reclaiming our wholeness. A life without fear is a "whole"-some life.

Self-Development

The human potential development movement also springs from a move toward wholeness. As we develop talents that have lain dormant and acquire new skills, we develop more parts of our selves – and thus become more of a whole.

As we start to reclaim disowned parts of ourselves and truly develop ourselves as whole human beings, wholeness is not the only result. Self-development can also lead to self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-empowerment.

We can also apply wholism and new forms to the personal area of career. I first found myself expounding the following idea during a reading and was surprised by what was coming out of my mouth. An idea had formed, unbeknownst to me, and it was an idea that I could apply to myself.

Basically, I found myself saying that one could assess one's talents, abilities, and interests and come up with a career that combined these, thus drawing on one's wholeness. That perhaps we err in trying to think of having a job or career that already exists in our economic structure -- of trying to fit ourselves into a pre-existing hole, instead of carving out and creating a career that suits us. A new form customized for us specifically.

In our one-dimensional society, we tend to think of people as being or doing only one thing. But this, of course, is the antithesis of wholeness. The eclectic person tends to be whole. And that eclecticism can be incorporated into how one earns one's living. This idea runs counter to our era of narrow specialization, but I feel that we are truly moving toward just this sort of whole living and career, and away from specialization that cuts us off from things.

Wholistic living does not imply a closed system. The moment we think we have all the answers and stop seeking and questioning and adding to our whole -- we close down and cease learning and growing. Closing down -- not being open -- also implies separation.

The Societal or Larger Level

Which brings us to another area of wholism -- the societal, or our interactions with others and our world. How can we apply wholism to our interactions with that which is outside us?

Just as being whole means accepting all our own parts, it also implies accepting other people. It means feeling a connection, rather than separation. Just as Native Americans view all of life as interconnected, wholism as a world-view implies that we are part of a whole. We are not only connected to other humans (both those we deem "bad," as well as "good"), but to all of life: animals, plants, rocks, air. We are part of an interconnecting and very complex web of life -- the ultimate symbiotic relationship. Any time we separate ourselves from the whole, we are negating not only the whole, but also aspects of ourselves.

There are many ways in which we separate ourselves from the whole: by judging others; by seeing ourselves as separate or different or better; by criticizing; by "shoulding" other people; by labeling.

Personal Causes of Alienation

Why do we feel this separation (so strongly that at times it is more alienation than separation)? One of the reasons is that old word "ego." We are trapped in our egos -- and the ego need to feel important in comparison to others and separate from things. And the ego need to feel important comes from not loving ourselves, from low self-esteem. Which ultimately goes back to not accepting ourselves -- and all our parts and traits. Ergo, learning to accept ourselves -- all of our parts -- is a step towards loving ourselves, as well as loving and feeling connected to others.

Another cause of separation is our own pain. And our pain comes from different things -- from not accepting ourselves, from unresolved issues from the past. The more we go into our pain (similar to going into fear), the more we resolve and heal it – and heal ourselves. As we heal our pain, we become more whole. Pain closes us in into ourselves. It pulls our energy in and prevents that energy from radiating out. As we heal ourselves of pain, we feel our energy flow outward -- thus connecting ourselves to other things and people.

Even our language may contribute to our feeling of separation. We define by difference, rather than similarity or commonality. We want to know how something is different from something else. We have a need to distinguish by differences. It is interesting to note that many Native American languages do not have nouns, only verbs. In these languages, what we see as things or people are instead processes or actions -- a dance of energy, rather than something fixed or immutable. It is very hard to label something that is in movement and thus changing. And once we label or define, we cease seeing something or someone as unique; we cease seeing them afresh. It is a mental shortcut to label and define -- we no longer have to deal with the more involved process of seeing freshly.

Our very society has influences for alienation. As our population has increased and increasing urbanization has crowded us together more and more, we increasingly tend to view other people as objects -- as obstacles that get in our way. We have to "fight" through traffic. We have to stand behind others in line. It is hard to feel connected to others when we feel others are "in our way." So some of us seek a more "wholesome" life in less urban settings.

Cooperation

The very idea of competing for things -- competing for food, for jobs, for space -- has been a hallmark of the Piscean Age. The Aquarian Age, we are told, will be one of cooperation, rather than competition or domination. Some people speak of the shift from the Piscean to the Aquarian Age as a shift from the dominating, paternalistic force to the rise of the cooperative, feminine principle.

Certainly cooperation is a facet of wholism -- the parts of a whole cooperating or working together, rather than fighting or abrading against each other. But striving for wholeness in society or the world ultimately begins on the personal level. A whole entity cannot be working together smoothly and "wholesomely" if the individual component parts are not smooth, whole-functioning microcosms of the whole.

Charity Begins at Home; Wholeness Begins in the Self

Perhaps healing our pain, working on our issues, shining a light on our less-illumined areas, accepting ourselves, striving to be whole within ourselves, developing our potential, having an open, curious outlook, and changing our thinking -- all of this together is the first step. It is no coincidence at all that there has been an intense flurry of activity in the past several years as more and more people have been "working on their issues." This is definitely happening for a reason, for we can't bypass the personal work to leap into the divine. Ofttimes an intense desire to immerse oneself in the New Age movement without having done one's personal work may represent an unconscious desire to escape from pain -- a denial of one's reality and diversion of attention from one's problems. (Denial is not just a river in Africa!) If we are here for a purpose, then part of the purpose may be to fully experience life and learn and grow -- here and now.

I often hear some people refer to themselves as "lightworkers," who are on a mission to save people. That we are now in the throes of a struggle between light and dark. That people are being forced to choose between "life" and "death." And woe to those who choose "death."

This is a very seductive idea. But does this picture feel right to you? It encompasses a lot of the old thinking and pulls people in through fear and separation. It taps into a lot of ego needs and pain-based needs. Physician, heal thyself.

We first have the duality of light vs. dark, the totalitarian and simplistic thinking dividing things and people into polar opposites -- no grays, just black and white. People are good or bad, light or dark. Period. There is no in-between. We also have the old separatist thinking of Us vs. Them, the Good Guys vs. the Bad Guys. (If we wanted to give it a Western touch, we could add white and black hats -- just so people could tell at a glance who was who.) We also strongly have the element of fear: if you don't choose life, you get death. It pushes people's fear buttons big-time. (If you're not good, you'll get coal in your stocking; "so you'd better be good for goodness' sake....")

And, after it has pushed all the big fear and separation buttons, it then gives a pay-off, the Reward, by pushing the ego-need button. The need to feel good about oneself. And not just good -- superior. Superior to others. A savior. A "lightworker," separate and above others (except for those other lightworker members of your exclusive clique). Who needs a country club when you can have your own New Age substitute version? This, for many, is an enticing notion, coming out of pain and need, but, unfortunately, at the expense of others: others must be seen as in the dark and needing to be saved in order for the "lightworker" to be exalted. For anyone with low self-esteem, who feels alienated from others and has deep-seated fears, and who has not done his or her personal work, this is very strong stuff.

And it is exactly the same heady brew of button-pushing that we have seen in religions over the years. Take a populace that has fears, is alienated from itself as well as others, and is into separation (Us vs. Them) and, voila: we have the Crusades and other variations on a theme. We can all be susceptible to such ideas.

We all have a mission and a purpose. Otherwise, why are we here -- any of us? But are we divine saviors? (Or are we all not divine saviors?) Must others be base, foundering in the dark and needing to be saved -- by us in our elevated and rarefied position? Or are we all not a mixture of light and dark -- somewhat less than perfect (and yet perfect because we are where we are meant to be)?

In reality, we are all at different places on our respective paths, and we all contain grays and gradations of light. We are all in this together and are connected. We all learn from each other, and we all have something to contribute.

And, as we contribute, there is an exchange of energy, which can be wholistic as well -- a circle, if you will. With wholistic energy, the cycle must be complete: if it goes out, it must be returned. An equal give and take. As we teach, so we learn. As we give, so are we given.

Transitions are not easy. As we go through change, a lot of dirt and discomfort are stirred up. We are, however, inexorably moving towards wholism. All our separation and fear and underlying dualistic thinking are gradually dying away. The old rigid and separatist forms and thinking are winding down. More and more people are changing their thinking, working on their issues, healing themselves, and becoming whole. And seeing themselves as part of the whole. And as we heal and grow, the whole reflects our change by also healing. The throes of change may be discomfitting, especially when the change is fundamental, but wholism will be part of the future. We can be healthy parts of that whole.

(Published in Connexions, November and December 1993)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/new-age-articles/wholism-and-the-new-age-397654.html

About the Author

Diane Brandon is the Host of “Living Your Power” on the Health & Wellness Channel of VoiceAmerica.com and the new show, "Vibrant Living" debuting late May 2008 on Webtalkradio.net, as well as an Intuition Expert & Teacher, Integrative Intuitive Counselor, and Speaker. She is the author of "Invisible Blueprints" and several articles on personal growth topics, as well as a contributing author to "Speaking Out" and "The Long Way Around: How 34 Women Found the Lives They Love." Her private work with individuals focuses on personal growth, working with dreams, and personal empowerment, and she has done corporate seminars on intuition, creativity, and listening skills. More information may be found on her websites, www.dianebrandon.com and www.dianebrandon.net. She may be contacted at diane@dianebrandon.com.

Popcorn, Pop and Pure Awareness

I love to go to the movies. For a couple of hours I become completely engrossed in what is happening on the screen. When I step into that theatre I leave my everyday life behind. The movie is only a flickering of light and shadow on a screen. But, I get wrapped up in the illusion as if it were real.

The flow of thoughts in our minds, from past to future and future to past, creates the illusion of movement. Watching thought is like watching a movie. Movie film is along strip of individual pictures or frames. In a single second 24 still frames will flash on the screen. This is faster than our minds can process and it looks like there is actually motion on the screen. That is pretty amazing. We see motion where there is none. That is the illusion that a movie produces.

The movie projector works on a simple principle. A bright, white light shines through the film and creates a picture on the screen in the front of the theatre. As the audience, we sit contentedly watching as the actors work their magic, forgetting that they are nothing more than light and shadow. We laugh and we cry as if the fantasy were real.

Our life is just like that movie. It unfolds thought-by-thought, minute-by minute, year-by-year. We, the audience, get completely absorbed in the drama of our own movie. We worry over the bills, love the new house, watch the children grow up and think about our own death. Like a movie, our lives are an illusion, a play of light and shadow. Don’t get me wrong. Our lives exist, but not the way we think they do. This mistaken identity is the cause of great human suffering.

Our awareness is like the white light from the movie projector. It is that light of consciousness that shines on our lives, letting us know we are alive. It observes as the people, places, loves and losses come and go. Our awareness is our most important possession. If we lose it we lose everything. The quality of our reflected awareness determines the quality of our lives. Poor quality awareness is like a movie projector with a dim bulb. Dim awareness illumines a tedious world filled with constant struggle.

Activities that waste awareness are overworking, over indulging in alcohol, drugs and food, watching long hours of TV, and labeling and judging people, things and situations. When we squander awareness we eventually get the feeling that something is missing from our lives. We could have riches, fame and a loving family and still feel incomplete.

On the other hand, life becomes fresh and full and vitally alive when we care for our awareness. And now, you have to ask, “How do I care for my awareness? That is the most beautiful part of it all. You take care of your awareness by becoming more aware! How simple can that be? You strengthen awareness by using it.

Oh, I hear you. You may be asking, “How do I use my awareness?” Do I have your attention? Well, that’s the answer…pay attention. Pay attention to what you are doing right now. Pay attention to everything. When you see a bird, don’t label it, look at it. Observe its feathers. Watch how the wings move its body through the air. Listen closely to the noise it makes and the noise will become your song. Now pay attention to the wind, the rustling of the paper in your hands, the flow of your breath, the beating of your heart. Pay attention to everything. In the white light of awareness, step off the screen and become the spectator of your own movie-life. Only then will the illusion of life melt before your eyes to be replaced by the rich reality of pure awareness.

Frank Kinslow has been a chiropractic physician and a teacher for the Deaf. He is a guest on numerous radio and television programs and has lectured extensively on Self-Inquiry, a system that answers the age-old questions, “Who am I” and “What is my purpose.” For more than 35 years he has helped people from every walk of life see how truly easy it is to find inner peace. He is the developer of Quantum Entrainment and is the author of the international #1 best selling natural healing book " The Secret of Instant Healing". He is currently lecturing and teaching his powerful technique, QE, around the world. His first book is Beyond Happiness: How You Can Fulfill Your Deepest Desire. Both are available on his website at http://www.QuantumEntrainment.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Popcorn, Pop and Pure Awareness

Beyond Skin

The scientific world is undergoing a tremendous make-over. Newtonian physics no longer has all the answers. Euclidian geometry is being upstaged by fractal geometrics. And that which was nothing is now everything. Can religion stay in its four walls and not be changed as well? Spirit doesn't stop with our skin you know.

The whole of creation is ALIVE and in needing LOVE!

We were created in the IMAGE of God. Almost all major religions on this planet teach some form of unconditional love. Though they TEACH it, they don't always PRACTICE it. Conditional love is more the practice. From Sunday school the indoctrination of conditional love is hammered into their minds and spirit. Be a good boy and girl and God will LOVE you. You know the dark side of that equation. :-(

Everything and everyone is sustained by LOVE.

George Washington Carver put it this way, "If you love it enough, anything will talk with you." I know that stretching the imagination, but it can take the stretching. As Duane Elgin wrote, "Our being does not stop at the edge of our skin but extends into and is inseparable from the universe. We are all connected with the deep ecology of the universe and each of us has the ability to extend our consciousness far beyond the range of our natural senses."

Will we?

Let us not be afraid to try. May we experiment with who we are the divinity that resides within ALL. Intercessory prayer is distant healing, distant healing is a form of remote viewing with compassionate intent, and we are all connected- ONE! Love is the field, the stream that unites everything. How united are you?

As a spiritual-futurist, I have a BA degree majoring in history. One cannot know the future without knowing the past which holds clues to what is on the horizon. The world is in such a rapid expansion of knowledge that we are close to entering a tipping point that will forever change earth as we know it.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Beyond Skin

Newage Relaxation Techniques on Stress Management

We all know how unpleasant excessive stress can be. We also know the feeling of sickness in our stomach before an important performance, and the intense 'fight-or-flight' reaction we get when we face frustration after frustration.

In this society where challenges have to be met and limits to be broken all the time, there are just too many stresses which one had to handle & faced, be it student who faces stress at school work & during exam period or the working adult who had to meet the demands of never ending workload & unrealistic deadlines. Relaxation techniques become a marvelous way to help in the quest for stress management.

A lot of people have the misconception that relaxation is just only about having peace of mind or simply enjoying a hobby during their past time. However, relaxation is much more than just that, relaxation is actually a process that helps reduces the wear and tear of life’s challenges both physically & mentally so that one can recharge & keep on going positively in life.

Regardless whether one has a very stressful & hectic lifestyle or they have managed to get it under control, one can still benefit from learning the different relaxation techniques. Learning basic relaxation techniques is easy & by exploring these simple relaxation techniques, one is able to get started on de-stressing their life and improving their holistic health.

According to a research done on using relaxation training in improving of irritable bowel syndrome, it was found that with relaxation training in a brief group intervention, it has significantly improves symptom severity, general health perception and medical consumption in irritable bowel syndrome patients immediately after, as well as 6 and 12 months after intervention.[2]

There are also a number of other benefits as to how the body readily responds to stress from practicing relaxation techniques:

* Decrease in heart rate

* Able to stay mentally positive

* Slowing one’s breathing rate

* Reducing the need for oxygen

* Increasing blood flow to major muscles

* Reducing muscle tension

* Reducing emotional responses, such as anger and frustration

* Improved concentration & focus

* Greater ability to handle problems

* More efficiency in daily activities

Although health professionals such as complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, doctors and psychotherapists can teach relaxation techniques, we can also learn some of these techniques on our own.

The relaxation response leads to a quieting of the sympathetic nervous system. This relaxation response thus prevent one from being overstress, however it can only be evoked through conscious effort.

Relaxation techniques usually involve refocusing your attention to something calming and increasing awareness of your body. Regular use of the relaxation response helps to offset the effects of fight-or-flight responses (Benson, 1976). It doesn't matter which techniques one choose, what matters is the need to practice relaxation response regularly to benefit from it.

There are several main types of relaxation techniques, including:

Body-to-mind control is one method which one can use to evoke the relaxation response. It is also known as progress muscle relaxation. In this technique, we will focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This helps us to focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation, and we will become more aware of our physical sensations. We may choose to start off by tensing and relaxing the muscles in our toes and progressively working our way up to the neck and head. Tense the various muscles for at least five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

Mind-to-body control is another method of evoking the relaxation response. In this technique, we will first select a quiet environment, get into a comfortable position and close our eyes. Next, we will concentrate fully on taking a deep breath and slowly to be aware of the breathing. While we are breathing out, repeat a positive cue word or sentence, for instance, “I’m relaxing my whole body”, “my whole body feels relax and free”. Continue doing this for another 10 to 20 minutes. During this exercise, we will adopt a passive attitude, which means that we will allow any distractions that come to our mind to simply pass through and not to focus on the thoughts so as to allow relaxation to occur at its own pace.

Visualization is the third relaxation techniques one can perform. In this technique, one will form positive & relaxation mental images so as to take on a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. We will try to stimulate using as many senses as possible, including smells, sights, sounds and textures. If we imagine relaxing at the ocean, for instance, we will think about the warmth of the sun, the sound of crashing waves, the feel of the grains of sand and the smell of salt water. We may choose to close our eyes, sit in a quiet spot and loosen any tight clothing so that it will help in the process of the overall relaxation technique.

There are also other relaxation techniques which include those that are more familiar with, such as Taichi, yoga, music, exercise, meditation, hypnosis and massage etc.

In Taichi, we combine both the techniques of body to mind & mind to body relaxation responses. Taichi can also be regarded as a form of dynamic meditation and when coupled with music along with the rhythmic, graceful smooth & continuous movements, it can be considered as one of the more holistic and complete form of relaxation techniques where it combines the positive effects of all the other different form of relaxation techniques.

As we learn & explore the various relaxation techniques, we will slowly become more aware of our muscle tension and also other physical sensations of stress. Once we are able to get a understanding of what the stress response feels like, we can then make a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique as described earlier the moment we feel our muscles start to tense up.

In this way, we can prevent & thus avoid stress from spiraling out of control. We need to understand that relaxations techniques are skills just like other skills such as swimming, running, baking a cake and as with any skill, our ability to relax improves with correct practice. We need to be patient when performing the relaxation exercises & stay motivated to reduce the negative impact of stress on our body so as to experience a greater sense of calm in our life & also to be control in stress management.
Taichi Meditation

REFERENCES

[1] Kaushik RM, Kaushik R, Mahajan SK, Rajesh V. Effects of mental relaxation and slow breathing in essential hypertension. Complement Ther Med. 2006 Jun;14(2):120-6. Epub 2006 Jan 10

[2] P. P. J. VAN DER VEEK, Y. R. VAN ROOD, A. A. M. MASCLEE (2007). Clinical trial: short- and long-term benefit of relaxation training for irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Sep 15;26(6):943-52

[3] Rainer Martens PhD, 1987, Coaches Guide to Sport Psychology, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois

[4] Don Greene, 2001, Fight Your Fear and Win, Random House, New York

[5] Terry Orlick PhD, 1990, In Pursuit of Excellence, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois

[6] Herbert Benson M.D., 1992 (reissue), The Relaxation Response, Harper Collins, New York

[7] Martha Davis PhD, 2000, The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook (Fifth Edition), New Harbinger Publications, Oakland, California

[8] Rainer Martens, Coaches Guide to Sport Psychology, 1987, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois, USA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Coach Yip has written various articles relating to Taichi and Sports Science. He has also previously conducted Taichi & Sports Science seminars. Coach Yip took up Taekwondo since young and attained his black belt before he started learning Taichi. He had participated and achieved many medals in various National Wushu Competitions.

Coach Yip is currently NROC registered with the Singapore Sports Council under Wushu/Taichi with a NCAP III certificate. Coach Yip approaches Taichi in a very scientific research based and systematically training system.

Besides giving personal and small group private coaching, he also specializes in Wushu/Taichi coaching for Kids in schools and has previously conducted various Mass Wushu Workout for Kids, ranging from primary to junior college level. To date, more than a thousand students had benefited from his Sports Scientific Wushu & Taichi coaching. For more information, visit www.newagetaichi.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Newage Relaxation Techniques on Stress Management

Zen Meditation Allows A Person To Focus On Truth

There is quite a bit of talk these days in the media about meditation and spiritual enlightenment. Some might even think it is a rather trendy thing to "be into," yet it is doubtful that it will be one of those passing fads of the pop culture. The fact is that there are numerous methods of meditation, such as Zen meditation, that have been part of other cultures for generations, so it is not likely to be a passing craze, no matter how little Western culture truly understands it.

There are numerous meditation techniques that people who are interested and want to learn to meditate can choose from. While all forms of mediation have some commonalities, the techniques do differ based on what part of the world and what culture the particular practice is rooted in. Zen meditation has developed out of Zen Buddhism. It is also known as Zazen and incorporates various seated positions, special breathing techniques and chakras.

The discipline of Zen meditation is essentially focused on enabling the practitioner to live their daily lives in complete awareness of themselves and their surroundings. Through the practice of this meditation approach, people can escape from the "auto-pilot" existence that is so prevalent and which robs people of experiencing their lives fully.

When people fall into the trap of operating primarily on automatic pilot, they rarely notice all of the things that are happening around them; even within their own minds and hearts. This certainly can interfere with a person's ability to be enlivened spiritually or to be on the path to spiritual development. Zen meditation can help to break the cycle of automatic living and help a person to engage more fully in their own life.

Through Zen meditations, people experience each moment of a day directly and with awareness and responsiveness. They consciously practice being aware of everything that they encounter and try to enliven their senses by paying attention to everything that they might hear, see, smell, feel and taste.

Another way of expressing this concept is by attempting to be completely and fully aware, while engaged in any activity, at any particular moment. Some people also call this, "living in the moment" or "living consciously." The idea is to "become at one" with whatever they are currently engaged in doing.

Some examples of this would be: when eating, the practitioner is totally focused on the meal and their actions involved in eating; when they are engaged in a Zen mediation session, they stay concentrated on the reality of that moment and they do not allow their thoughts, their feelings, or their sensations to preoccupy or distract them; when they are engaged in work, they only work; when doing routine tasks such as brushing their teeth, they focus on that task and do not let their minds wander to think about other things.

While the Zen practitioner does not have to be engaged in meditation all day, every day, regular meditation practice helps to calm, center and focus the mind so that the person is able to focus and retain keen awareness. The Zen practice recognizes that all thoughts are a natural and beneficial function of the human mind and that thought should not be ignored, rejected or stopped. Instead, the practice allows wandering thoughts to be acknowledged then set to the side, keeping the mind from being carried away by anxieties, worries, fears and other discursive notions.

This method of meditation practice allows the person to enjoy a sense of liberation from the "pollution" of negative thoughts that can often cloud the mind and confuse thinking. Zen meditation helps to alleviate unnecessary suffering of the mind and allows the person to focus on truth, clarity and spiritual enlightenment.

Mike Selvon portal offers free articles on meditation. Find out more about the zen meditation, and leave a comment at the relaxation technique blog.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Zen Meditation Allows A Person To Focus On Truth