Mindful Soul Center Volume 1, Issue 6 [Nov Dec 2020]

xis eussi eno emulov

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020

MINDFUL SOUL CENTER bi-monthly magazine

DEJA DREWIT'S SELF-CARE CORNER

IMPOSTER SYNDROME NAMASTE

CHASING T H E

S U N

THE ART OF BEING ECLIPSES SPIRITUAL BYPASSING THE YOGA DIARIES

SUNLIGHT HEALING ENERGY FINDING ETERNAL LIFE IN THE TEMPORAL

k e Pac x u l e the D e s a h Purc s tation i d e p3 M M r u Fo olume V t n i 1 Pr

+ S U 3 $5 ng i p p i sh Self-Care Mindset Inspiration Affirmation Yoga Meditation Lifestyle Art Health Wellness

h c a e US 5 9 .

5 $1 ng i p p i + sh Individual print editions from volume one are available to purchase: Visit https://themindfulsoulc enter.com/magazine

Holidays H A P P Y

May all your days be filled with all that you need.

Wishing you an

abundance of joy,

peace,and love & a bright New Year! with love from the Mindful Soul Center

[the]

Mindful Soul Center VOLUME ONE, ISSUE SIX

| NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020

Mindful Soul Center magazine features news and

information

on

all

your

favorite

health,

wellness and spiritual topics like healing, selfcare,

yoga,

meditation,

gardening

and

even

food.

Editor: Amy Adams Editorial Assistant: Ruxandra Badulescu Mascot: Princess Kiki

Features Contributors in alphabetical order: Christine Boyd Miller, PhD Deja Osbourne of Deja Drewit Charles Sharar Helen Sanchez

Cover art by Raluca Illin

website:

Contact us for advertising rates, corrections and other matters via email: hello@themindfulsoulcenter.com

Volume One

is free to read online on our

website as a flipbook.

website: https://themindfulsoulcenter.com

A paid version to

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4

FEATURES CONTRIBUTORS in alphabetical order

Christine Boyd Miller, PhD Christine is a California mountain mama transplanted from the East coast. In The Yoga Diaries

she explores the obstacles &

challenges she faces as she learns new yoga poses, explores new

ideas

and

attempts

Needless to say that

The Yoga Diaries

she's

not

writing

to

maintain

a

regular

practice.

she shares the benefits & joys too! When

or

practicing

yoga,

frolicking in the redwoods with her son,

she

spends

her

time

hula hooping, cooking,

and helping her husband tend to their garden and bees.

Deja Osbourne Deja

is

an

artist,

an

oracle

deck

creator

and

owner

of

DejaDrewit. Born in Russia and raised in NY, she now lives in California. As a young girl, Deja experienced bullying and as a result developed social anxiety. Drawing was her escape. As she healed she knew that she wanted to inspire and help people

Deja's Self-Care Corner

through her art but wasn't quite sure how. From 2005 until 2013, she

worked

as

a

graphic

artist

and

designer

in

the

fashion

industry. She left to raise a new baby and discovered a way to use her art to help others and started to create oracle decks.

Check out her Self-Care Corner.

Helen Sanchez Helen

Sanchez

is

the

founder

of

Tanagui

LLC,

a

career

consultancy that helps women over 40 find valuable meaningful work.

She

is

a

graduate

of

the

Institute

for

Professional

Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). With over forty years experience working in recruiting, she continues her studies at the College of

Peering into the 'isms'

New

Jersey

with

a

double

major

in

Women

and

Gender

Studies, and African American Studies. She received the Alice Paul Award for Activism and is a member of the Honor Society in Women & Gender Studies.

Charles Sharar Charles Shahar is a clinical psychologist by training, and a social researcher by profession. He has taught yoga and meditation for over 18 years, and is currently living in India. Please visit his website at: www.lightfigures.com

Uncovering Existence 5

CONTENTS NOV/DEC 2020 Volume 1, Issue 6

THE SUN, ENERGY&FLOW 21-23 Sandhya takes us on a journey as her words flow telling us about the Sun's energy, healing power and flow.

THE ART OF BEING

11-14

Charles Shahar looks at why we need to create more space in our lives to simply be.

SELF-CARE CORNER

21-23

Artist Deja Osbourne shares her monthly selfcare and personal power deck picks with us.

WHAT IS THAT? SPIRITUAL BYPASS Our regular feature detailing some unusual 52&55 terms, concepts and ideas yogic or otherwise.

IS THIS HOLDING YOU BACK? Helen Sanchez joins us and walks us through imposter syndrome and gives us practical tips 30-32 to help us address it and stand in our power.

NAMASTE IN A PANDEMIC 19-20 The perfect greeting in a pandemic.

THE YOGA DIARIES

27-28

Three Breaths of Gratitude, Christine Boyd Miller, PhD shares her experience with us.

FINDING ETERNAL LIFE IN THE TEMPORAL

43-48

Solar and lunar symbology and lessons from Joseph Campbell on eternity

RING OUT WILD BELLS

9

This month's poem

SOLAR ENERGY & THE ECLIPSE

40-42

Learn about the Full Solar Eclipse on Dec 14th

CHASING THE SUN

37-39

The Majesty of the Solar Eclipse

FOUNDATION 04 Masthead 03 Editor's Letter - Holiday Greetings

BECOMING FEARLESS

05 Contributors 17 Learn where you can find our free meditations

Embracing fear and making friends with your ego.

24-25 Giving: Fundraising Effort for Dogs

SUPPORT THE WORK

Support The Mindful Soul Center and purchase a print copy of the magazine

57

This

practical

guide

demands

that

you

don’t

merely

think about gratitude but do it too. Chapters are divided into two parts; think and do. The ‘think it’ part includes stories and sometimes facts for contemplation and the ‘do

it’

part

at

the

end

of

each

chapter

includes

actionable steps to take and explore gratitude.

A truly helpful guide!

This book has really helpful suggestions to follow to make our lives a bit better.

And we all need that now!

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8

RING OUT WILD BELLS ALFRED LORD TENNYSON Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky The flying cloud, the frosty light; The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind, For those that here we see no more, Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all humankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the careless sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease, Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out a thousand wars of old, Ring in a thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant human - free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the consciousness that is to be.

MAY YOUR DAYS BE BRIGHT!

9

Anywhere is the center of the world.

Quote: Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux 10

THE ART OF SIMPLY BEING WHY WE NEED TO CREATE MORE SPACE IN OUR LIVES.

BY CHARLES SHAHAR What

do

we

mean

by

creating

more

space

in

our

lives?

We

can

look

at

this

question from two perspectives - in terms of what we do and in terms of how we think. The former has to do with our non-stop lifestyle and how we have forgotten how to simply be. The issue of creating more space in one’s mind is less obvious, so I will deal with it later.

Let’s begin by considering "more space" as a pause in one’s life. By a pause, I am talking more about a quiet interlude, a time in our lives when we stop striving or struggling and experience a state of calmness. As I will point out, this is different from sleeping because such interludes involve not only a state of calmness but awareness as well.

People are so used to being active that they usually have little time in their lives to experience tranquillity. In fact, they are so used to filling their time that any gap of quietude might make them feel like they are missing out on life or that their time is not being spent productively, or they may simply find it boring.

There are three reasons why such interludes make us uncomfortable. The first has to do with the pace of modern living. How many of us have gotten impatient when the driver in front of us has taken more than a couple of seconds to react to a green light, when a website has not downloaded quickly enough or when a cashier at the local supermarket starts to chat with the customers in front of us?

These types of pauses can make us feel agitated, nervous or frustrated. They may lead us to behave in uncharacteristic ways.

We

may

give

a

person

a

dirty

look,

make

a

snide remark, or even lose our temper. Even the

gentlest

people

can

get

frustrated

and

have negative thoughts about the slow driver ahead of them.

In

the

last

few

decades,

just

about

every

aspect of our waking lives has sped up: the way we communicate, the way we eat, and the way we work. Just stand on a busy downtown street and witness the harried looks of people who

walk

middle

of

by,

step

the

into

day,

or

a

busy

watch

office

in

people

the

in

a

department store on the weekend. It all seems quite frenetic.

11

THE ART OF SIMPLY BEING

A

second

reason

as

to

why

people

find

pauses

or

quiet

interludes

uncomfortable is because their behaviour is often purpose-oriented. Pauses are seen as interruptions or delays that prevent them from reaching a goal.

They may feel like they are being held back from getting to where they are headed, or such interludes are seen as impediments to meeting external or self-imposed deadlines.

Pauses don’t necessarily have any goal or objective at their end.

True pauses are usually an end in themselves. Although they can be rewarding in their own way, it may not be the type of reward that we

recognize

or

accomplishment

appreciate.

associated

There

with

is

pauses,

not

necessarily

except

the

very

any

act

of

pausing itself.

The final reason as to why people do not like pauses is subtler.

It

has

to

do

with

filling

up

one’s

life

with

experiences

or

stimulation. We want to feel complete, satisfied and content.

We think that the more we do, the happier we will become.

Some

people

are

contentment,

almost

and

this

desperate

desperation

in is

their

striving

suggested

in

for

how

they gorge themselves with experiences. For these people who are used to filling up their lives, a pause will often feel empty.

It

is

pauses

as

instructive

doing

that

nothing

and

they

will

will

interpret

likely

be

these

bored

and

frustrated whenever such interludes arise.

For

all

the

above

reasons,

people

may

feel

odd

about

introducing periods of stillness into their lives. The lives of most

people

are

overloaded

with

activities

and

obligations. Their day-to-day is so crammed that there is no

space

mean

when

that

they

they

are

can not

"simply

be."

focused

on

By

simply

going

being,

I

somewhere,

accomplishing something, or gaining anything.

Stated "being"

in

a

and

complete,

more

because

something

abstract

"becoming."

that

we

will

In

are

make

way,

there

terms always us

of

is the

a

striving

feel

difference

latter, to

satisfied.

we

add

between

don’t that

When

feel

extra

we

are

"becoming," there is always a sense that something is missing; we don’t feel whole. In the case of "being," we are completely content.

We have no desire to add or subtract anything from our lives. We can simply be.

We may give a person a dirty look, make a snide remark, or even lose our temper. Even the gentlest people can get frustrated and have negative thoughts about the slow driver ahead of them.

THE CONSCIOUS PAUSE How many of us take the opportunity to just be? This question may seem a bit odd. Most of us don’t have a sense of what it means to simply be. Some of you might ask, "Oh, you mean simply doing nothing?" You might think about how a few days ago, you sat on your couch and stared into space and then vegged-out while watching television.

12

THE ART OF SIMPLY BEING

continued

This may seem a little strange. How can being

Actually, that is not what I mean by enjoying

focus on itself? Some of you may have picked

being. Someone who is comatose or in deep-

up a subtle fact about the term "being," at least

sleep might simply do nothing but, they will not

in

term

be enjoying being. To enjoy being, you need to

refers to both a verb and a noun. The act of

be aware of something — literally, you need to

being and being itself are one and the same.

be conscious of your own existence. At the same

When

time, you need to have enough space in your life

the

way

the

that

I

being

separation

am

using

focuses

between

it

on

the

here.

itself

being

The

there

itself,

is

the

no

one

and in your mind to be able to do this.

who focuses and the experience of being.

Simply

being

happening

does

to

not

you.

In

mean

fact,

that

simply

nothing being

is

is

a

dynamic process that requires your attention to

be

active.

There

are

many

things

in

your

environment or your mind to which you can be attentive.

But

existence

is

having

not

your

attention

something

that

on

we

pure

practice

very often, if at all.

You

might

wonder,

"Well,

if

I

exist,

why

do

I

have to know about it? I just exist and, that’s all."

The

fact

is

that

we

can

be

alive

yet

not

really live with awareness. We can get pushed and pulled in many directions, flitting from one activity to the next, and we lose something in the process. We get distracted and forget our true nature, which is pure being.

Of

course,

ways

of

enjoy

touch with ourselves. How can we do this? Well, two things need to happen for us to connect to our-self as pure existence: we need to stop our

This

is

and not

then as

turn

easy

as

our it

are

many

periods

of

tranquillity or calm. You can

That is why we need quiet interludes to get in

activity

there

gaining

attention

sounds

inward.

because

a

nature,

lovely

or

sunset

listen

to

in

classical

music, or hold a baby in your arms. All of these are highly recommended

ways

of

re-

laxing and enjoying life. But

we

don't have much practice doing both together.

But the difference is that meditation puts you in touch directly with your self, your being.

What happens when people stop being active?

They often feel tired and somewhat lethargic.

If you practice it often, a conscious pause, such as

Tiredness

meditation,

Often,

is

we

built

go

into

from

a

our

busy

revved-up

lifestyles.

state

to

one

You

will

will

begin

change to

the

detach

texture

of

somewhat

your

from

life. your

then

thinking, the bustle of activity, and the results of

becomes; is there a way of taking a conscious

your actions. You will be able to disengage from

pause

by

the emotional roller-coaster and not be buffeted

"pure

about by the twists and turns of daily life. As you

that

is

sluggish

where

actually

or

you

being

dull.

can

aware

The

enjoy of

question

simply

yourself

being as

become more conscious, existence will become a

being?"

meditation on its own, with being aware of itself The

best

method

attention

on

I

their

have

found

being

to

is

to

put

one's

MORE SPACE IN THE MIND

meditation.

Meditation

throughout.

practice

is

a

dynamic

process

that

is

very

We

just

talked

about

creating

more

space

(or

different from sleep. In meditation, a person's

pauses) in our lives. We further made the point

awareness is focused on their being. But the

that

question

states

is,

who

is

doing

the

focusing?

answer is that being is focusing on itself.

The

conscious states

pauses of

are

sleeping

very or

different even

from

physical

relaxation becausethey involve putting attention

13

THE ART OF SIMPLY BEING

continued

on the being. Not only do we need to create

In response to whether or not it is possible to

more

slow down the motion of the mind, I return to

space

activities,

in

but

terms

we

of

also

our

need

lifestyle

to

make

and more

space in our minds.

meditation.

ismuch I recall a friend of mine telling me about how she spent a week at a silent retreat where she did

not

speak

at

I

mentioned

earlier

that

in

meditation, the being is watching itself. That

all.

Everyone

ate,

sat

and

harder

to

do

when

thoughts

pass

before the mind’s eye. The being is distracted by thoughts and cannot simply enjoy itself as pure existence.

walked around in silence. I asked her whether or

not

she

felt

more

peaceful.

She

said

she

certainly did. But after speaking a bit more, she

confessed

that

she

had

a

hard

time

keeping her mind still.

In

fact,

in

thoughts

some

seem

ways,

more

the

silence

prominent,

made

her

particularly

during the silent group meditations. It wasn’t enough to be silent, on the speaking level. The mind continued to chatter on, and if it did not find

sufficient

stimulation

from

outside

of

itself, it would create a distraction from within.

My

friend’s

appear

thoughts

just

because

were she

not

going

didn’t

to

speak

dis-

for

a

week. That interlude of silence was too brief to stop the motion of her mind, particularly since she was a busy person who rarely bothered to pause in her life. She had not trained her mind to be able to slow down.

This is a normal facet in the life of humans, particularly since our thoughts have dominated

I

have

been

meditating

for

many

years,

our

inner

life

since

childhood.

The

and question

then

be-comes,

how

do

we

create

people ask me if it is possible to stop the train more pauses or space between the thoughts of your thoughts through meditation. I usually so that we can appreciate the nature of our tell them to not even try because that would exist-ence more directly? To directly expericreate

stress,

and

the

mind

would

likely

be ence our being, we need to create more space

more activated than before. in the mind.

So how do we deal with a busy mind that just won’t

quit?

insights

Firstly,

into

the

we

need

nature

of

to the

gain

some

mind.

The

mind’s nature can be described as always in movement or flux. The only time it is quiet is in deep-sleep or in other unconscious states.

whether

It

needs

it

experiencing

is a

to

experience

perceiving memory.

something,

something

When

it

or

has

no

experiences, the mind will invent experiences out of its imagination. This is what happens in sensory mind

deprivation

begins

to

experiments

fill

hallucinatory activities.

14

in

the

when gaps

any regular practice of meditation will begin to make you aware of the space between the thoughts. Within a period of deep meditation, the thoughts gradually become more tenuous, decrease in frequency, and gradually dissolve

The second characteristic is that it abhors a vacuum.

It takes some application and diligence, but

the with

into the background of your awareness.

The thoughts may not disappear altogether, but it is the being behind the thoughts that comes

to

the

forefront.

As

the

thoughts

recede, "being" then enjoys simply being.

WE ARE ALL VISITORS TO THIS TIME, THIS PLACE. WE ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH. OUR PURPOSE HERE IS TO OBSERVE, TO LEARN, TO GROW, TO LOVE… AND THEN WE RETURN HOME. AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL PROVERB

15

“Your thoughts are a veil on the face of the Moon.

That Moon is your heart, and those thoughts cover your heart. So let them go, just let them fall into the water.”

— Rumi — 16

MEDITATE MEDITATION MUSIC PIECES AND GUIDED MEDITATIONS Mindful sound

Soul bowl

Center's

original

pieces,

music

meditations meditations,

include mantra

meditations, and guided meditations. Headphones are recommended but, of course you can listen to them without

headphones

if

they

interfere

with

your

comfort. You don’t need to know ‘how to meditate’ experience

the

benefits

of

these

meditation

to

tracks.

Get cozy and allow yourself to drift into another world.

Do not operate heavy machinery whilst listening.

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18

Why ‘namaste’ has become the perfect pandemic greeting

BY JEREMY DAVID ENGLES Hands over the heart in prayer pose. A little bow of the head. A gesture of respect. An acknowledgment

of

our

shared

humanity.

And no touching.

As

people

ditch

the

the

world

over

handshakes

contracting

the

and

are

choosing

hugs

coronavirus,

for

fear

namaste

to of is

becoming the perfect pandemic greeting.

As a scholar whose research focuses on the ethics

of

communication

teacher,

I’m

rituals

and

interested

in

rhetoric

and

as

how

people

to

a

yoga

affirm

use

their

interconnectedness with one another – and with the world.

Namaste is one such ritual.

i bow to you.

Originally

a

Sanskrit

composed

of

two

word,

parts

–

namaste

“namas”

is

means

“bend to,” “bow to” or “honor to,” and “te” means “to you.” So namaste means “I bow to you.” This meaning is often reinforced by a small bow of the head.

In

Hindi

and

a

number

of

other

languages

derived from Sanskrit, namaste is basically a respectful

way

of

saying

hello

and

also

goodbye. Today, namaste has been adopted into the English language, along with other words

from

words,

when

non-English borrowed,

sources.

keep

their

Many

spelling

but acquire new meanings. This is the case with namaste – it has shifted from meaning “I bow to you” to “I bow to the divine in you.”

For many American yoga teachers, beginning most likely with Ram Dass in the 1960s and 1970s,

namaste

means

something

like

“the

divine light in me bows to the divine light within you.” This is the definition of namaste I first learned and have often repeated to my students.

In the words of the popular American yoga teacher

Shiva

consummate hello,”

that

Rea,

Indian means

namaste

greeting,” “I

bow

to

is a

the

“the

“sacred divinity

within you from the divinity within me.”

19

namaste

continued

Deepak Chopra repeats a similar definition

The definition of namaste as “the divine light

on

in me bows to the divine light in you” is very

his

podcast

“The

Daily

Breath

with

Deepak Chopra”: namaste means “the spirit

much

in

and

me

honors

the

spirit

in

you”

and

“the

in

the

spirit

of

19th-century

both

Indian

traditions

of

religions American

divine in me honors the divine in you.”

spirituality.

Namaste has a sacred connotation. When you

Namaste as an ethical commitment

bow to another, you are honoring something sacred in them. When you bow to another, you are acknowledging that they are worthy

The definition of namaste as “the divine light in me bows to the divine light in you” is very much

of respect and dignity.

and

in

the

spirituality.

However,

In

are

critics

who

say

that

today’s

typically

context.

understand,

claim

that

the

greeting

has

said

been infused with a religious meaning that

moment

doesn’t exist in Indian culture.

associated

yoga

at

for

of

both

Indian

traditions

global

global yogis have taken namaste out of its Some

of

19th-century

I bow to the divine light in you there

spirit

culture,

the

yogis,

of

end

yoga

class.

namaste

contemplating with

American

namaste

of

saying

religions

the –

is

As

I

is

a

virtues including

peacefulness, compassion, and gratitude and I

see

things

salutations

differently.

have

religious

Many

common

roots,

including

how to bring those into one’s daily life.

adios, or “a Dios,” to God, and goodbye – a

I asked Swami Tattwamayananda, the head of

contraction of “God be with you.”

the Vedanta Society of Northern California in San Francisco and one of the world’s leading

Most

Indian

religions

agree

that

there

is

something divine in all individuals, whether it’s a soul, called the “atman” or “purusha” in

authorities

on

Hindu

ritual

and

scripture,

how he felt about Americans like me saying namaste.

Hinduism, or the capacity for awakening in He responded: “It is perfectly appropriate for

Buddhism.

everyone, including Westerners like yourself As

I

argue

Ethics

of

in

my

Oneness:

forthcoming Emerson,

book,

“The

Whitman,

and

the Bhagavad Gita,” this idea, of bowing to the

divine

deep

in

others,

spiritual

also

resonates

inclination

in

with

a

American

to

say

namaste

classes.”

He

at

also

the

end

reiterated

of

your

that

yoga

namaste

means “I bow down to you” – in the sense that

I

bow

down

to

the

divine

presence

in

you.

culture.

One need not be a Hindu, or a Buddhist, or a Beginning

in

the

1830s

influential

philosopher

and

and

1840s,

essayist

the

Ralph

Waldo Emerson, in dialogue with a number of

yoga teacher to say namaste. Namaste can be

as

religious

or

secular

as

the

speaker

desires.

other thinkers, invented a form of spiritual practice actively

that

encouraged

address

the

divine

Americans soul

in

to

others

What matters most, I believe, is the intention behind the word namaste. When you bow to another, the question to consider is this: Do

every time they spoke.

you truly recognize them as a fellow human Of

particular

note

is

that

Emerson

often

used the metaphor of light to imagine this inner

divinity,

likely

because

of

his

great

being

worthy

suffering

of

and

dignity, a

bonded

shared

in

shared

capacity

for

transcendence?

admiration for the Quakers, whose Christian denomination holds that God lives inside of us all in the form of an “inner light.”

This is

recognition

what

namaste

of is

our all

interconnectedness about

–

and

exactly

what we need during the pandemic.

This article is republished from The Conversation (September 30, 2020) under a Creative Commons license. Read the original

20

article online here.

DEJA DREWIT'S SELF-CARE CORNER

NATURE SELF-CARE

My Quality Time Self-Care Deck I absolutely LOVE being out in nature. Find a way

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step

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have

a

picnic.

Connect

with

trees

and

flowers. If you can, find running water like a fountain

and

sit

and

listen

to

it

for

a

few

minutes. You can also listen to running water or

ocean

waves

as

an

audio

if

it

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you

relax.

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22

PERSONAL POWER

I AM LOVABLE Personal Power Deck

THE MESSAGE I didn’t always believe I was lovable. It took many years of acceptance to finally realize that I am lovable just the way I am. I only learned this after being loved by someone else, but I wish I had learned this on my own. There are still many women out there who, after many failed relationships have given up on love or blamed themselves. They lost hope. But we are all lovable exactly the way we are, with all our flaws, especially because of our flaws! Your flaws are what make us unique.

When we feel unlovable or too needy for love, we might attract the wrong people or even settle for the wrong relationships because we don’t you

think

feel

we

you

can

need

find to

someone

change

better.

things

If

about

yourself for someone to like or love you, that

JOURNAL PROMPTS When have you felt unlovable?

What makes you feel loved?

Which parts of you can you accept, love, and appreciate?

should be a warning.

23

MAKES A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT AND SUPPORTS RESCUED DOGS Make a donation when you BUY a tshirt or tote. $10 USD from each sale goes to help this effort The Mindful Soul Center Fundraising Effort

Click on any of the images below to visit the site and purchase a cozy t-shirt, tank-top or tote bag and support the dogs.

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$10 USD from item sold will go towards the purchase of items listed below to help 16 rescued dogs to be cared and provided for the rest of their lives. When you support this effort you get something in return knowing you are helping the dogs and a cozy t-shirt or cute tote bag. 15 of the 16 dogs are over 7 years old. One is only 2 and was dumped on the side of the road with 2 other pups. Because this shelter exists they have shelter, food, volunteers who pet them and visit

them

daily.

This

is

privately

funded.

All

Fundra ising E ffort For ev ery tsh tote y ou pu irt or $10 g oes to rchase aid th e dog sh elter

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were rescued from the street or dire situations.

Current needs for the shelter at this time: We need food for all the dogs.

We no longer receive the leftovers from a school that donated uneaten scraps of food from student's lunch plates.

A water pump to bring water onto the property.

If we can get the pump installed we will be able to have fresh water for the dogs year round and we will no longer need to refill the plastic water bins that freeze during the winter so they are only good for approximately 8 months per year.

Special food Lourde is allergic to most dog foods. He cannot eat the same foods that are given to all the other dogs.

New roofing is needed over some of the dogs compartments. Some leak and need immediate repair

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before the harshest months of winter come.

A solar powered motion detector light to help protect the premises (no electricity on the property)

25

"To anyone who may be reading this. To anyone that’s trying their best to hold on. To anyone who is losing their grip, may you realize that: you are infinite."

- a message from Rachel -

26

THREE BREATHS OF GRATITUDE THE YOGA DIARIES

A

couple

of

months

ago,

I

made

a

commitment to myself and to my therapist,

BY CHRISTINE BOYD MILLER, PHD

who also happens to be my yoga teacher, that each day I would meet what she calls a “daily

Finding the time and motivation to practice yoga feels nearly impossible these days. As 2020

continues

horror

movie,

to

I

roll

feel

by

like

a

unsettled,

B-grade

displaced

within myself. This past year started off for me with the tragic death of my sister. Then came

the

through

frenetic

the

injustices,

American

pandemic,

devastating

sociopolitical

evacuations,

and

montage

turmoil,

minimum viable practice (DMVP.)” This is the minimal

time

and

energy

with

which

I

can

attainably commit to my practice, that being at

least

one

breath.

I

challenged

myself

to

begin with three breaths a day and for each of those breaths, contemplate something for which I am grateful.

racial

wildfire

zoomschooling.

Most

recently, my mom moved out of her nursing home

to

come

live

with

us.

These

have

all

become reasons I tell myself that I don’t have time for yoga.

Most days I remember to do my DMVP and consider it a sacred moment to connect my

When my yoga teacher’s home burned down and she stopped teaching virtual classes, her personal excuse

tragedy

to

stop

became

practicing

my

convenient

yoga,

full

stop.

Once again, I found myself spiraling down a whirlpool of excuses, and consequently selfneglect.

body,

breath,

slowly

built

myself

and

on

self

to

pausing

with

this

for

a

the

earth.

practice

breath

or

I’ve

and

find

two

and

acknowledging gratitude throughout the day.

This is an especially soothing practice when I feel stressed or frenzied, which is often. Just one breath and a gentle nod of gratitude is a

I haven’t participated in a yoga class since

pinpoint of light through the fog.

summer, before the evacuations and my mom moving in. I am finding ways to reintegrate whispers,

snippets

of

yoga

into

my

days

though. I remind myself that yoga isn’t just about attending a class or committing to my

My

favorite

breaths

The

soothing

into Yoga

can

be

as

simple

as

recognizing

the

with

porch.

things

mat.

place

mind

thankful

easily

when

I

the

is

now

grateful

for

practice

gratitude

fresh,

and

I’m

to

outside

three on

smoke-free

becomes

for.

my

one

Nature

practice sound

of

of

often

is

the pops

gratitude. the

my

air

I

water

am that

calm ebb and flow of my breath as the air

bumbles over the rocks in the creek outside

caresses

of

repetitively

my as

lungs, the

effortlessly,

ocean

does

the

and shore.

my

kitchen

and

the

towering

redwood

trees that feed us oxygen and give us shade

Yoga is pointing my toes upward and rooting

in

to the ground through my arches while I’m

relationships come to mind like that with my

the

navigating the smart tv for my mom. I stack

son

my vertebrae one on top of the next and drop

alongside my sister. I’m grateful for shelter,

my shoulder blades, growing tall like a tree.

food,

With the smallest of steps, ever so slowly, I

quickly thoughts of gratitude bubble up once

find myself moving forward.

I get started.

or

summer.

having

health,

and

Other

had

44

safety.

times,

profound

precious

It’s

years

amazing

how

27

THE YOGA DIARIES

continued

I strive to be mindful in the moments along

Most days I’m running to stand still among

the

the endless piles of laundry and dishes that

quest

care.

It’s

to

offer

easy

self-neglect.

I

to

myself

get

compassion

caught

embrace

the

in

the

notion

and

web

that

of I’m

are

multiplying

exponentially

as

I

take

the

time to write this. But then I remember that

unworthy of the time and energy to invest in

is

myself. I fail at so many basic self-care tasks,

beautiful life intertwined with so much love

knowing

and harmony.

full

well

the

repercussions.

I

know

life

happening.

It’s

a

busy,

imperfect,

My gratitude is boundless for

that if I don’t floss, I’ll get gum disease and

the constantly churning mess in my house, as

my teeth will fall out. If I drink a bottle of wine

I feel sympathy for my friends and neighbors

at night instead of a nice, hot cup of tea, I’ll

who lost all their possessions in the wildfire.

feel like shit in the morning. If I eat cheese and crackers at midnight, I’ll gain weight and my already stretched-out fat pants won’t fit.

These

choices

have

a

cumulative

negative

effect on my health and well-being.

I

become

disappointed

in

myself

and

over-

whelmed by my grossness. In these moments, yoga feels far away and unachievable. Then I stop

and

gratitude

take that

a I

breath. have

I

remember

dental

floss

at

my my

disposal and my teeth haven’t fallen out yet.

If this past year has taught me anything at

I’m thankful to have enough food to nourish

all, it’s to accept the personal victories no

me and fat pants to cover my ass.

matter how small they may seem. They add up like coins in a piggy bank. I find a thought

The

other

classroom groomed other

kindergartners zoom

and

parents

screen

engaged. have

all I

on

my

look

wonder

their

shit

so

son’s well-

how

the

together

enough to have their kids clean, dressed, fed, and willingly on screen by 9 am. I can barely get my own teeth brushed by then, let alone my kid’s. Maybe they’re just better at hiding it.

28

of gratitude for something - anything - I take a deep breath to grant myself a moment of calm. I accept that simple act as a win for the day.

gratitude shmatitude: Don't just think it do it for

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Is this holding you back?

BY HELEN SANCHEZ Allow me to introduce you to James Chartrand. James is a very successful writer who founded Men with Pens in

2006,

early

a

full-service

stages

of

James'

website career,

company. the

story

But

in

was

the

quite

different. Success seemed to elude James. James was on the verge of having to apply for social welfare and wanted to find a way to secure a fair wage to support the family. James registered for internet writing work and

found

the

compensation

was

barely

livable.

However, once James found there were better-paying jobs available, James targeted them. James applied but was not receiving offers for these better-paying jobs.

So

after

carefully

assessing

the

market

and

checking to see if the pay rate was hitting a plateau turns out it was not - James decided to try something entirely eluded

different.

James

Everything

were

easier

to

changed. claim,

and

Jobs

that

eventually,

James found success. What changed? We'll get back to James' story in a minute. But first, let's take a look at men's

view

of

themselves

in

the

marketplace

as

compared to women.

31

Is this holding you back?

see, James is a woman and, she isn't the first

continued

woman Men

often

consider

themselves

intelligent

to

find

success

this

way.

Once

she

and made that change, the jobs that had eluded

capable and usually express this self-confidence her were easier to claim. Eventually, James quite naturally, resulting in them winning highergrew her writing into the successful business paying jobs and positions. Women, on the other she has today. Nothing changed except her hand,

are

often

their

own

worst

critics.

An name. Her abilities and the jobs she sought

example of this is when a man gets a promotion all

remained

the

same.

You

can

read

more

her

blog,

and feels that it was well-deserved and he is the details

about

her

story

in

Why

best person to do the job. When a woman with James

Chartrand

Wears

Women's

similar experience, qualifications, and education Underpants. This fascinating story serves to gets

a

promotion

she

might

feel

that

she

is illustrate that society itself has different sets

undeserving or just lucky. What about you? of

qualifications

Ask Yourself These Questions, and Write Down Your Answers to

your

success?

Do

you

believe

you

were just in the right place at the right time? Do you

think

people

thought

you

had

more

knowledge than you thought you had? Were you concerned

that

the

truth

would

prevail

to

assess

based

on

a

an

individuals'

variety

of

traits,

including gender.

Are you a successful career woman? What do you attribute

standards

when

everyone discovered you were not as capable as

These types of scenarios haunt many women who

have

reinforcing doubting abilities.

a

success,

phenomenon

their

that

intelligence,

sometimes has

women

skills,

and

These doubts have a name and are

symptoms

of

imposter

phenomenon.

Imposter

a

by

omenon

they thought?

achieved

is

a

syndrome

term

identified

coined

Dr.

as

the

phen-

Pauline

R.

Clance and Dr. Suzanne A. Imes in their 1978 article entitled, The Impostor Phenomenon in High

Achieving

Therapeutic commonly Imposter more

Women:

Intervention.

known

as

syndrome

women

than

Dynamics

Today,

it

imposter

creates

and more

syndrome.

experienced

men

is

by

many

self-doubt,

anxiety, and even depression.

Imposter syndrome is "the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's efforts or skills."

This syndrome predominantly affects women who publicly portray an image of success but privately

question

why

they

have

been

successful. The questions posed earlier are some of the second-guessing that women do when

they

feel

they

do

not

deserve

their

success because they are in over their head, and someone will find out soon.

James' Secret As I mentioned earlier, James made one change that

changed

everything.

What

was

it?

She

changed her pen name to James Chartrand. You

32

Why It Happens In years past, we identified the roles

- such

as teaching or nursing - that we considered

Is this holding you back?

continued

acceptable and appropriate for women. These fields have been and are still dominated today

by

women.

Women

who

hold

these

positions

are

not

immune

from

criticism

or

imposter syndrome but, success in these fields is more accepted. Yet when we see a successful businesswoman in any industry, we will question her ability and how she got there. What is she wearing? How is she speaking? She cannot be overly harsh nor too mild.

All

of

these

approaches

contribute

to

women

frequently

distrusting

their

ability

and

lacking self-confidence. As we have seen in this article and unfortunately, as a society, we reinforce these beliefs.

Now What?

So if, like so many capable and intelligent women you have imposter syndrome, what can you do to alleviate the self-doubt? I would like to share a few options with you:

1. Try changing your behavior and act confident when speak-ing about or sharing your skills and abilities. They truly are yours. They exist, so take the time to acknowledge them and feel good about them.

2. Write a letter of recommendation for yourself that highlights all your accomplishments and

list

your

achievements.

While

you

are

doing

this,

assess

what

you

have

accomplished. Give yourself credit for your accomplishments.

3. Ask someone you trust for objective feedback on your abilities.

4. Seek out projects or tasks you know you can handle and build up your confidence as you complete them. When you have become comfortable with your ability to complete these tasks, your confidence will increase. As a result, you can then undertake a project with more risk.

Give your best and, when you succeed, you will be bolstering that confidence. If you make a mistake, keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes, not just you. If we learn from our mistakes, then they are just as valuable as our successes. Women must learn to trust themselves

and

their

abilities.

It

is

critical

to

truly

believe

in

your

abilities,

your

considerable strengths and, to confidently chart our professional journey.

33

"Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows."

- Helen Keller -

34

Do you suffer from imposter syndrome?

Imposter

phenomenon

interferes

with

the

psych-

ological well-being of a person. According to Clance (1985), imposter phenomenon limits the acceptance of success

as

an

outcome

of

one's

own

ability

and

influences feelings of self-doubt and anxiety. Although impostor phenomenon is marked by six characteristics, not every 'imposter has all of them, a minimum of two characteristics can mean that someone suffers from this syndrome.

Six Possible Characteristics 1. The Impostor Cycle 2. The need to be special or to be the very best 3. Superman/Superwoman aspects; 4. Fear of failure 5. Denial of competence and Discounting praise 6. Fear and guilt about success

The Imposter Cycle Diagram illustrating the Imposter Cycle based on Clance (1985). The cycle begins witht he assignment of achievement related tasks.

Anxiety

Achievement Related

Self-doubt

Tasks

Worry

OverPreparation

Procrastination

Accomplishment Achievement Related Tasks

Effort

Feeling of relief

Luck

Positive feedback

Discount positive feedback

35

Pulvis et umbra sumus.

WE ARE BUT DUST AND SHADOW. ― Horace, The Odes of Horace ―

36

HOW CHASING SOLAR ECLIPSES OPENED ME UP TO THE AWE OF LIVING by Kate Russo, PhD It is 11 August 1999 and I am gazing up at the Sun, my eyes protected completely

by

a

flimsy

unprepared

cardboard for

what

is

solar to

filter.

come.

In

I

am

a

few

moments, my life will turn upside down as I experience my first total solar eclipse.

I am in the path of the Moon’s shadow – the path of totality – that is to sweep in a narrow band across much of continental Europe. My partner and I are in a crowd of 10,000 people congregating along a French beachfront promenade.

We hear a multitude of languages as we prepare our patisseries and wine.

Through our solar filters, we watch the Moon slowly move in front of the Sun. I know what is to happen – a perfect alignment of Sun, Moon, Earth. And me.

A sense of unease suddenly washes over me.

Something is wrong.

Looking around, I notice the oddness of the light. It is as if we are on a stage and the Sun is a spotlight that’s dimming. The colour of the world is draining. My senses widen; I notice the cooling of the air on my skin. I shudder. Dread and terror crawl through my body. This isn’t how the world should be! I no longer understand what is happening. The hair on the back of my neck stands up. I shiver again with goosebumps.

I look around for several minutes with creeping unease. The spotlight above continues to

fade.

Then,

without

warning,

nature

goes

haywire

in

a

way

that

I

struggle

to

comprehend. I let out an involuntary noise as the Moon’s central shadow rushes in with an ominous presence. Suddenly, an eerie darkness envelops us. There is absence of day, the spotlight is gone. Where moments ago the Sun shone, there is now nothingness. We are in totality. My logical brain screams at me: Where is the Sun? We need the Sun!

Around me there are screams, then a hushed silence. My mouth remains agog, solar filters clenched uselessly in my fist. I stare at the black Sun – now an unfathomable black hole in the dark sky. I cannot believe what I see: cannot comprehend the disappearance of our life force.

This surely is the end of the world! Another wave of terror passes over me.

37

As my eyes adapt in the darkness, a halo of ethereal light appears around the eclipsed Sun. A somersault of emotions now replaces the terror – excitement, euphoria, amazement and wonder. The world is not ending! Instead, we are witnessing our Universe. Profound awe washes over me in a way I have never felt before. How could such immense, sublime beauty be possible? I notice a deep sensation in my chest, buried within, like a swelling, a knowing.

We are in the Moon’s shadow and the world is holding its breath. The full meaning is finally revealed. This darkness is the shadow of our closest

celestial

body,

our

beloved

Moon.

We

are

in

the

Moon’s

shadow! I have viewed the Moon thousands of times, but never before have I connected or understood it in this way. I am experiencing the three-dimensionality of our Universe – and it is vast. My mind expands with understanding, and with this comes another epiphany. The totally eclipsed Sun is like a portal, allowing me to fully experience our reality.

Time unravels and unites past, present and future – condensing my existence into this one moment.

I am disoriented in place and person. I am here in another lifetime, thousands of years ago, facing the same wonder and terror. I am my primitive ancestors, and also my future selves. Yet I am also present and alive in this moment. How is this possible? It makes no sense, yet this revealed wisdom of unity seems the key to understanding life.

My prior-held understandings of the world seem so limited. Instead, I gain a deeper perspective, a life-changing shift in knowing. I understand that I am part of something so much greater than I could have ever imagined. I am connected to our Universe; to life itself. I am connected to humanity – to those immediately around me, and beyond. I understand I am but one person, a

small

speck

of

humanity

in

this

vast

Universe.

I

am

insignificant,

yet

powerful in communion. I am humbled and in awe in a way I’ve never before felt, but I understand now. This experience is what makes us human, and unites us. That swelling sensation in my chest returns. I have an embodied appreciation and gratitude for everything.

I

am

in

this

altered

state

forever,

in

this

strange

inbetween

shadowland. But somehow the spell breaks and I return to our timebound

Earth.

I

am

aware

again

of

the

crowd

around

me,

recommencement of time. I sense totality will soon be over.

38

and

the

The crowd screams in unison as the Moon’s central shadow sweeps rapidly over and away. The Sun’s blinding light returns, bathing everything in warmth and

colour

again.

Our

life

force

is

back!

This

fills

me

with

relief,

yet

an

incredible longing to return to where I was, when I was there. I remember to breathe

again.

I

hug

my

partner,

unable

to

speak,

my

throat

tight

with

emotion. I turn to take in the world around me. Birds return to the skies.

People are hugging, I see their tears. The total eclipse is over. The world did not end. Life as we know it, and always knew it, continues, with every second.

Yet I am no longer the same.

What

just

happened?

Totality

is

an

awe-inspiring

natural

event,

surpassing our imagination of what is possible. It triggers an ‘altered state’ in which we are no longer time-bound. Fully immersed in the moment, our egos dissolve.

At a physical level, the experience heightens our senses, and our skin tightens with

goosebumps.

This

triggers

a

feeling

in

our

core

that

the

American

psychologist Dacher Keltner in Born to Be Good (2009) explains as the vagus nerve (which connects the brain and key bodily organs) responding to calm us down.

Totality

is

an

example

of

what

the

German

philosopher

Martin

Heidegger in Being and Time (1927) described as ‘ecstasy’: moments of eerie darkness triggering our primal fear, which turns to wonder and awe, allowing deep insights into what it means to be human.

The

American

existential

psychologist

Kirk

Schneider

argues

that

some

people will be averse to these experiences: as long as they prize efficiency and

a

‘quick

fix’

approach

to

living,

they

will

be

awe-resistant

–

guarded

against the chance of transformation. Like him, I believe that, by opening up to awe, we can find meaning in suffering and live a deeper, fuller life. This requires an unconditional acceptance of the experience of being present, and an understanding that we can, and should, just be.

On that day in August 1999, unwittingly, I became an eclipse chaser. I am now part of a swelling movement, a community of chasers – gathering along the path of totality every 18 months or so. We stand united in awe and wonder as the

Moon’s

found

what

shadow binds

plunges

us

us

together,

into and

an

uncanny

understand

darkness our

again.

We

connection.

have

Eclipse

chasing is more than a hobby or mere Instagrammable event. It is a way of life, an understanding, a state of being. I am an eclipse chaser.

Kate Russo, PhD is a clinical psychologist. She is the

Totality is the perfect metaphor for life – it is intense, terrifying, aweinspiring, beautiful, fleeting, and then it is over. Let’s chase these moments that inspire and connect us. Open yourself up to awe, and find meaning in moments that are there for the taking. Make your every second count.

author of Total Addiction (2012) and Being

in

the

living

in

Belfast,

Shadow

(2017).

Northern

After

Ireland

for over 20 years, she has recently returned home to her native tropical North Queensland where she works in private practice. This article was originally

published

in

magazine in ideas CC License.

https://www.beingintheshadow.com/

AEON

39

Energy and eclipses, an invisible doughnut and flower power!

By Amy Adams

Modern humans want to deny that they are animals or driven by their animal nature. Yet we are more

If

we

pay

attention,

we'll

notice

subtle

changes disconnected from nature, now more than ever, as

feeling through our senses especially at dusk and we

sequester

in

buildings

in

cities

and

in

the

dawn. This is daily life. The daily life of a bird, a dog, countryside. Natural light is replaced by artificial a cat, a plant or any living being on earth changes light and as we work and live, hiding away in our each

day

with

the

light.

The

morning

brings modern-day caves we sometimes eat essentially un-

together

a

murder

of

crows,

they

depart

and

go natural

foods

(processed

foods)

and

we

rise

and

about their day, later to meet again in the evening rest at varying and often unnatural times of the day before

returning

to

their

resting

place.

The and

night.

In

contrast,

think

about

how

cats

and

sparrows' chirp and the pigeons coo. The dog rises dogs and

stretches

with

her

paws

pressing

lightly

react

before

an

earthquake

comes,

or

even

but indigenous

people

who

have

survived

natural

audibly on the floor. The dawn chorus begins. This disasters due to their higher degree of connection is daily life. Then there are days when the sun and to consciousness. the moon dance in the sky and eclipse one another.

Disconnected

not,

a

study

performed

at

four

different locations in the UK, revealed that there is,

not careful blind. It is a sensory phenomenon for all

in fact, a greater influx of electromagnetic waves

beings.

during the period of the solar eclipse. There are still

When

a

solar

eclipse

brings

about

the

conditions of diminished light or increased light at

scientists

a time outside of the normal cycle, it brings about

eclipses. For now, some theories or 'myths' abound

other changes that are not normally visible. Like in

about the impact of a solar eclipse as having an

our daily lives with the dusk and dawn, we can feel

effect on food and life in gestation. Perhaps there

the

are

temperature

change

and

see

the

changes

in

trying

truths

to

to

these

measure

myths

as

the

we

are

impacts

part

of

of

an

light. Yet, we cannot see the accelerated waves of

energy system, so the introduction of energy that

electric

does

electrical

and

magnetic

charge)

that

energy penetrates

(accelerated the

earth's

not

normally

seep

through

the

atmosphere

may impact us and all life on earth in invisible ways.

the

Our human nervous system uses electrical energy

invisible forces that impact our earth and life on it.

where both positive and negative ions flow through

We might recognize these frequencies and energies

both the central and autonomic nervous systems.

and probably did before we disconnected.

This is the same for other beings, even plants.

atmosphere

40

or

A solar eclipse can leave us awestruck and if we're

during

an

eclipse.

These

are

Energy and eclipses, an invisible donut and flower power!

Invisible Doughnuts

continued

Flower Power

This is important for all life since it seems that we

Like the human eye with its round shape along with

share

a

the iris and pupil, the majority of flowers have a

doughnut-shaped energy field. On the grand scale,

round shape with an opening in the center. It is at

it is thought that the universe itself has a torus. We

this

do

energy comes from the center opening its petals

an

know

energy

that

phenomenon

the

earth

has

a

called

torus

the

and

torus,

like

the

point

earth, the human body also has an aura or energy

inviting

field shaped like a torus.

pollinate

The flow of the positive and negative ions through the

nervous

system,

these

electrical

impulses

create the doughnut-shaped field. Our eyes use the shape of the torus to take in information.

that

bees it.

accelerated

their

and

So

torus

emanates.

other

insects

might

consider

we

electrical

charges

that

The

to

flower

come

too will

that

and the

penetrate

the earth with each eclipse may well penetrate any living species torus as well. What that means to us exactly I do not know.

We do know that a full solar eclipse does disrupt the rhythmic cycles of life for those who are in the visible zone for some minutes and outside of the visible

zone,

geology

of

an

the

eclipse earth

does

due

to

indeed the

impact

forces

the

created

during that time. Whatever scientific data we know does not reduce the beauty and mystery that we can experience and feel when an eclipse occurs.

Share your comments and insights by recording a message

on

our

voicmail

or

write

to

us

visit

the

website https://themindfulsoulcenter.com

41

SOLAR ECLIPSE & RELATED INFO A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s descending node of the orbit. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse. Usually, there are two eclipses in a row, but other times, there are three during the same eclipse season.

A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE 14 DECEMBER 2020 Location:

Earth;

Australia,

North

Much

of

America,

Europe, South

Atlantic, Arctic Saros: 142 (23 of 72) Max. width of band: 90 km (56 mi) Greatest eclipse: 16:14:39

Much

America,

A solar eclipse is when the sun, moon and earth are in direct alignment. of

Asia,

Pacific,

Our Sun’s corona, the very hot outermost layer of a star’s atmosphere, can only be seen during a total solar eclipse.

Viewing one can damage your eyes unless you wear protective glasses.

Occurs only during the new moon.

Magnitude: 1.0254 Animals enter into the cycles of night and day as the eclipse occurs.

There are electromagnetic waves that enter the atmosphere during an eclipse that do not normally succeed in penetrating the Earth's atmosphere.

The Earth body (including volcanoes) is impacted through the forces generated by the solar eclipse.

Earth interacts with other objects in space, especially the Sun and the Moon.

Earth’s only known natural satellite, the Moon, which began orbiting it about 4.53 billion years ago, provides ocean tides, stabilizes the axial tilt and gradually slows the planet’s rotation.

Watch Tales from the shadow of the moon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo26Or1GGWE

42

FINDING ETERNAL LIFE IN THE TEMPORAL SUN AND MOON SYMBOLOGY

BY AMY ADAMS Throughout

time

we

have

been

telling

stories

with metaphors and symbols to help explain the mysteries of life or understand our place in the vast

cosmos.

We

use

them

in

storytelling

in

paintings and literary works. Commonly, we see the great forces of nature, the Sun and the Moon, amongst

others,

metaphors

are

used

throughout

our

as oral

symbols and

and

recorded

history. No matter where we are on the planet our experience of them as humans are the same.

CYCLES OF THE SUN & THE MOON As days turn into night, we experience the death of day and the birth of night with the sunset. Then only hours later, night becomes the day with the sunrise - endless turnings. As human beings, we experience the tick of time and mark it linearly.

Nature's cycles repeat themselves over and over again.

Death

and

rebirth

are

in

continual

play

bringing both the Sun and the Moon together as symbols

of

eternity.

There

is

that

which

is

enduring and that which is passing.

Still, our viewpoints are coloured and shaped by our environment. So even when we all recognize the Sun and Moon as powerful forces that make

THE SUN, A SUNBIRD AND BIG CATS

remember

The Sun is always radiant even when it isn't in your

every continent has its own flora and fauna that is

direct view. Associated with the Sun is the bird —

beyond

an eagle, a hawk, a sunbird — the Sunbird flies free

life

possible

Because

our

on

this

shared

of

this

Earth,

we

biology

diversity,

must

and

so

unique

will

its

to

it.

cultures

from

the

bondage

Like

progression

of

time

where

its

light

never

dims

can also symbolize the Self, the soul, in relation to

world as representations of the Sun and the Moon

the cosmic whole. It does not have a shadow within

and the principles they represent.

itself. But it is eclipsed from time to time. It does

one

of

and

It

antelopes, rams, boars and others throughout the

in

birds

unhindered.

symbolizing the power of life and consciousness. It

Campbell,

bulls,

is

serpents,

Joseph

and

Sun

free

travels through space and is disengaged from the

lions

the

representing

mighty forces in a variety of different forms.

are

bird,

Earth

represent and give meaning to and denote these

There

the

of

flight.

his

numerous

interviews with Bill Moyers in the series known as The

Power

symbology

of of

Myth, the

not

Sun

only

and

tells

the

us

Moon

of

the

but

its

purpose. He reminds us that even though symbols are based on time and place, and even when the faces

representing

these

symbols

differ,

they

not eclipse itself, something has eclipsed it.

The

Sun

makes

life

possible

on

Earth

and

is

so

powerful it can extinguish all life as well. Big cats like the lion, tiger and leopard embody this energy and are frequently symbols of the solar energy, the Sun. Hence, its strength resonates with the male energies in most cultures (the warrior).

share one common factor. That is, they help us understand the problem of our existence. These symbols,

he

says,

help

us

"to

read

through

our

temporal experience, the eternal life that we are experiencing through it."

THE MOON AND THE SERPENT We can only see the Moon because it reflects the Sun's light. Just as we have half of the Earth lit at any one time with the other half in darkness, the

The background image spanning some of the pages of this article was taken by world-renowned

astrophotographer,

from

Cerro

Paranal,

The

image

shows

Stéphane Guisard, an ESO engineer and the

region

spanning

the

sky

from

the

constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer) to Scorpius (the Scorpion). The very colourful Rho Ophiuchi and Antares region features prominently to the right, as well as much darker areas, such as the Pipe and Snake Nebulae. The dusty lane of our Milky Way runs obliquely through the image, dotted with remarkable bright, reddish nebulae, such as the Lagoon and the Trifid Nebulae, as well as NGC 6357 and NGC 6334. Source:https:// eso.org License CC4.0

43

44

45

FINDING ETERNAL LIFE IN THE TEMPORAL

continued

Sun is always shining on half the Moon. This means

Moon. Thus, the relationship between the eternal

there is no dark side of the Moon, just a side facing

order

away from the Earth. The fancier way to say it is

symbolized in the polarity of these two principles.

that

the

Earth,

Moon

and

is

thus

in

synchronous

always

shows

rotation

the

same

with

side

to

Earth, the near side.

and

the

temporal

order

is

one

that

is

The bird is unbound and free. The Sun doesn't need the Earth, nor does it require the existence of the Moon for itself to exist. The Moon is bound to Earth. The Earth needs both the Sun and the Moon. Thus, the relationship between the eternal order

and

the

symbolized

temporal

in

the

order

is

polarity

one

of

that

these

is

two

principles.

The Moon is a satellite to Earth; its light dies and is

OTHER SOLAR & LUNAR SYMBOLS

resurrected

Large

numerous

in

a

regular

deities

cycle.

associated

The

with

it

Moon and

has

myths

wild

cats

as

symbols

prey

on

a

grazing

horned animal such as a gazelle, antelope or a

abound. The Moon is the feminine energy, the yin

bull.

principle, the creative force. The serpent including

the lion and the bull with the horns of the bull

dragon-like creatures is a common visual symbol.

being associated with the crescent moon. Other

The Moon's shadow is likened to a serpent since the serpent sheds its skin to be born again forming an association with the principle of life. The Moon then

becomes

involved

death and rebirth. and

the

Moon

in

the

field

of

time

with

The serpent shedding its skin shedding

its

shadow

belong

Especially common is the representation of

dominant solar symbols include solar disks and solar

wheels

shapes.

with

Examples

varying of

solar

numbers disks

in

of

rays

or

Christianity

include the haloes of angels and the circle of the Celtic

cross.

There

are

solar

deities

spanning

time and geography.

together - death and rebirth in the dimension of

Stone monuments like Stonehenge or pyramids

time. It's bound to the Earth.

mark

THE BAKUNAWA The

Bakunawa

is

was

used

serpent-like

dragon

in

as

a

geomantic

calendar

system and was also included in shamanistic rituals of

the

Babaylan

spring

and

winter

solstices,

casting

ItzĂĄ in Mexico casts shadows that look like snakes

a

Philippine mythology for ancient Filipinos and its movement

the

shadows. The pyramid of El Castillo at ChichĂŠn

people.

The

Bakunawa

(aka

climbing the pyramid at the vernal and pre-winter equinoxes.

ETERNITY: THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE ETERNAL TO THE TEMPORAL

Vakonawa, Baconaua, or Bakonaua) was believed to

We are involved in the sensory world existing in

be the cause of eclipses, earthquakes, rains and

the dimensions of space and time.

wind.

out eternity.

One tradition during the lunar eclipse included the

Campbell describes eternity as that dimension of

people to go out into the fields or streets and ring

the

bells

displace. The flame of the Sun burns away the veil

from

or

strike

being

other

eaten

items

or

to

protect

swallowed

by

the a

Moon

tiger

or

crocodile.

here

and

which

thinking

and

time

of time so that all things can become. Eternity transcends

and

is

disengaged

from

the

time

principle. He tells us that:

THE SUNBIRD AND THE SERPENT The motif of the serpent and the bird is found in our human stories across various cultures -

now

Time shuts

the

serpent is pounced on by the Sunbird or other bird representing a central theme of the fire of the Sun

1. The experience of eternity - of right here and now is the function of life.

2. The

3. The

drying up the wateriness in the world killing it.

eternal

principle

is

involved

in

the

field of time in the sense world. death

and

rebirth

at

the

same

moment is the moment of becoming.

The bird is unbound and free. The Sun doesn't need the Earth, nor does it require the existence of the

So we reflect back and remember that the Sun is

Moon

free from the bondage of the Earth and the Moon

for

itself

to

exist.

The

Moon

is

bound

Earth. The Earth needs both the Sun and the

46

to

is tied to it representing what's happening

FINDING ETERNAL LIFE IN THE TEMPORAL

continued

in time, in your sensory experience in your life — the temporal nature of reality — the

coming

and

going.

Whilst

the

heat,

the

energy

of

the

Sun

creates

our

experience of existence.

THE SOLAR LUNAR PRINCIPLE This

mystery

and

the

temporal

and

other

reflected

is

pouncing

on

eternal

the

in

relationship eternities nature

gazelle

or

-

of

to the

the

the

each lion

Sunbird

pouncing on the serpent. All the stories we

The Sun is our second symbol of rebirth … When you realize that eternity is right here now, that it is within your possibility to experience the eternity of your own truth and being, then you grasp the following: That which you are was never born and will never die; that is the insight rendered in term of the solar mystery, the solar light.-Joseph Campbell, Thou Art That (89-90)

tell, Campbell calls our attention to the fact that this is more or less the basic symbolism for this - this mystery of our existence and the relationship of the two to each other.

These

symbols

-

these

associations

in

all

Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers: The Power of Myth

their varying forms are telling the same old

https://billmoyers.com/series/joseph-campbell-and-

story where we find the eternal life in the

the-power-of-myth-1988/

temporal.

FORMERLY KNOWN AS SERPENTARIUS, THE CONSTELLATION OPHIUCHUS Ophiuchus is a large constellation straddling the celestial equator.

Its

name

is

from

the

Greek

Ὀφιοῦχος

-

Ophioukhos meaning serpent-bearer, and it is commonly represented as a man grasping a snake. The serpent is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one

of

the

48

constellations

listed

by

the

2nd-century

astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It was formerly referred to as Serpentarius

OPHIUCHUS MYTHOLOGY To the ancient Greeks, the constellation represented the god Apollo struggling with a huge snake that guarded the Oracle of Delphi. Later myths identified Ophiuchus with Laocoön, the Trojan priest of Poseidon, who warned his fellow Trojans about the Trojan Horse and was later slain by a pair of sea serpents sent by the gods to punish him.

HERKULES AND OPHIUCHUS, 1602 BY WILLEM BLAEU

Moon Phases and Orbits

According to Roman era mythography, the figure represents the healer Asclepius, who learned the secrets of keeping death at bay after observing one serpent bringing another healing herbs. To prevent the entire human race from becoming immortal under Asclepius' care, Jupiter killed him with a bolt of lightning, but later placed his image in the heavens to honor his good works. In medieval Islamic astronomy (Azophi's

Ḥawwa', "the snake-charmer"

Uranometry, 10th century), the constellation was known as Al-

47

48

SUNLIGHT, HEALING, & ENERGY FLOW

By Sandhya S. , Bharat Land of Gods Existence is the effect, as life on Earth, with sunlight as the cause.

Sunlight is electromagnetic radiation given to us by the Sun, it includes infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. Earth is enveloped by sunlight in

the

day

and

moonlight

or

its

energies

by

night, even on the new moon (Amavasya.) They are

filtered

through

the

atmosphere

and

we

are able to perceive them with the naked eye.

Light

energy

used

as

from

the

chemical

Sun

is

energy

converted to

and

synthesise

carbohydrates as fuel. Photochemical reactions from

sunlight

ozone

layer.

Vitamin

D

exposure.

lead

Our

is

to

the

skin

created

They

make

production

synthesises by the

the

skin

muscles

of

the

vitamin from and

D.

sun

bones

strong.

Plants use the energy of sunlight and combined with carbon dioxide and water produce simple sugars.

This

photosynthesis. building

blocks

process These that

is

known

sugars

allow

are

as

used

organisms

as

to

Terms used in this article:

live Amāvásyā - is the lunar phase of the New moon in

and

grow.

Existence

is

the

effect,

as

life

on

Earth, with sunlight as the cause.

Sanskrit.

Advaitam or Advaita - non-duality Agni - Fire

The Sun is the source of life and

Chandra - the Moon Deva - means "heavenly, divine, anything of

energy on Earth for our solar

excellence"

system.

Dharma - right way of living (duty, purpose, laws) Karma - action, word or deed, cause & effect

The

Sun

is

the

source

of

Earth for our solar system.

life

and

energy

on

All forms of energy

Moksha - spiritual liberation Sankalpa - an intention to focus and harmonize the

from the Sun - its light and heat energy - are

mind and body

expressed

Santana Dharma (see previous page)

Chandra

through (Moon)

three and

devas:Surya Agni

(Sun),

(Fire).

The

maintenance of our circadian rhythm with time as

an

energy

synthesis

of

keeping

melatonin

machine

are

key

and

the

factors

that

Shakti - energy Icha Shakti - freewill/choice Jnana Shakti - knowledge Kriya Shakti - thinking/acting Surya - the Sun

keep balance in the body-mind-spirit-energy.

49

SUNLIGHT, HEALING, ENERGY FLOW

continued

Healing is all about adaptability to change. Rigidity is sure death.

Traditional

kinds

of

exposure

to

sunlight

the

two

reduce our health suffering from high blood

through

pressure

and

to

cardiovascular-related

diseases.

Health and disease oscillate between stages or

cycles

of

diseased

a

cell

normal and

cell,

dead

adapted

cell.

signs

adapt

to

of

disease.

changes

to

Here

is

When

the

reverse

an

point

the

Karma

effect.

and

Dharma

-

senses

as

emotions

Senses

as

the

expresses with

cause

cause

and

their

indulgence and expressions as the effect.

cell,

imbalance occurs, a normal cell may begin to show

-

the

to

damage

When imbalance happens, there is something that

causes

it.

These

include

ecosystems,

caused. Awareness is important.

The

imbalance

itself

as

symptoms expressed as the effect or result of. molecules,

cells,

environment

and

organisms,

energy

that

causes them to work. Exactly as the inner Self, The

health

other

of

cells

tandem

one

cell

around

and

grow,

it.

affects They

the

health

always

develop

work

together

or

of

spirit or soul aka Atma housed in this Body -

in

the energy field in a given time and space.

get

damaged together too, one after another. If

Energies are cyclical in nature.

we are aware and able to catch that point of

Much like energy vortexes or whirlpools, like

imbalance

changes,

mass binding together from the core outward,

there is scope for healing. If one is unaware,

like planets or satellites or chakras, Earth and

therefore unable to adapt to the environment

its core energies are cyclical in nature. Like

of

how

and

change

methods,

make

in

the

routine,

then

it

can

required

lifestyle move

or

to

a

healing

stage

of

we

begins

disease and death.

make

the

sweet

treat

treats

like

ladoos aka laddus, small and big - everything small

and

grows

based

on

three

principles; Karma (action, word or deed, cause Flow

is

essential

in

any

of

these;

mental,

physical, spiritual or energetic movements.

Healing

is

all

about

adaptability

to

and

meaning

not

knowing

to

interrupt,

-

how

to

change.

break

prevent,

a

or

fall,

soften

Awareness is important to know if there is a of

any

kind.

Next,

check

resistance.

Then adapt. Use this awareness for everything in

life.

Be

it

emotions

of

anger

or

hopelessness, job loss or effort put in, gain or loss

of

any

kind.

Grounding

and

rooting

is

necessary to create a valued foundation for the

use

of

relationships

money,

material

-

of

lack

gain,

security

and

causes

imbalance.

way

intention

to

of

living),

focus

and

harmonize the mind and body). If these ladoos of

various

sizes

are

ball

bearings

and

their

aura’s cause cascading effects of Karma and Sankalpa, we have no escape as these are all

Our system is a part of the whole. By looking within and understanding that 'thou art that,' we

can

Rishikas edness

emulate -

to

the

seers

understand

opening

intelligence

us

works

-

the

our

Rishis

and

interconnect-

to

understanding

or

expresses

‘how’

itself

in

creation. How nerve cells communicate. How plant cells capture light and transform them into

into

while the mind-energy-spirit is dominated by the psychospiritual in the form of Icha Shakti freewill/choice, Jnana Shakti - knowledge, and

Karma

(an

(right

energy.

How

changes

in

the

DNA

of

healthy cells can trigger their transformation

The gross-body is dominated by biophysical,

Kriya Shakti

Dharma

recorded within our own subtle system.

one's fall, either physically or figuratively.

change

effect),

Sankalpa

Rigidity is sure death. It's like running at great speed

&

- thinking/acting with regard to

(action,

word

or

deed)

and

diseased

healing

cells

occurs.

How

or

damaged

birds

fly.

cells.

How

the

How fish

swim. How land animals breathe air - solving infinite mysteries as known to the conscious expanded human brain is called living Santana Dharma.

Dharma

(right way of living). The coming together of

Advaitham, non-different, non-dual.

About the Author Sandhya is an administrator of the FB Group, Bharat

Land of Gods, you can find

beautiful pictures of temples, caves and other sites from all throughout India.

Sandhya is a passionate writer who takes us on a stream of consciousness.

50

51

What is that?

Santana Dharma Santana

Dharma

synonymous collective

the

with

term

can

Hinduism

philosophical

be

as

thought

a and

belief system since the origin of the term is in from India. BUT it is not limited to a religious institution or body. It was used as

a

socio-political

since

there

within

are

the

unifier

many

Hindu

in

the

religious

culture.

past sects

In

this

definition, it means that any being who recognizes that "thou art that." Because of this knowingness or recognition, they choose

to

guidelines allow

one

and to

liberation practice

follow

a

spiritual

reach

a

(moksha.)

of

set

yoga

as

of

practices

state This

a

ethical

of

spiritual

includes

vital

that

part

of

the the

process as it brings a being towards selfrealization allowing for union with their spiritual nature. Another understanding of this or approach to this term is that sanatana-dharma,

the

self/Self

(atman)

is to perform service based on universal laws that are transcendent and beyond a temporary belief system.

Tat tvam asi: Thou art that.

Thou

art

that

differentiate being.

or

identity

tvam

it

between

that

is

through

asi)

particularize

Instead,

relationship

ienced

(Tat

does

not

any

one

describes the

individual

consciousness a

the

particular

expernervous

system as the ineffable - the absolute the supreme consciousness or all that is and

ever

Chapter

6

was. (c.

Chandogya 600

BCE)

as

Upanishad, the

teacher

Uddalaka Aruni instructs his son in the nature of Brahman, the supreme reality.

52

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[the] MINDFUL SOUL CENTER

PODCAST WHAT MATTERS MOST? Let me know what topics matter most to you. What are your struggles and challenges? Record your message here or shoot me an email here. amy@themindfulsoulcenter.com

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or follow on your favorite podcast platform. Every review and follow helps more people to learn about this podcast. Thank you for your support.

WHERE TO LISTEN Listen on your fav podcast platform, simply search for: the Mindful Soul Center podcast

RECORD YOUR MESSAGE SHARE YOUR STORIES & ASK QUESTIONS Answer a call for stories from one of our episodes or recommend a guest for an interview, tell us a story or let us know what topics are important to you. It's so easy, simply visit the website and on the tab on the right you can leave a voice recording.

https://themindfulsoulcenter.com 54

as a way to avoid dealing with and taking responsibility for their feelings. Anything that is used to avoid taking responsibility for feelings

or

practices media,

feeling

can

be

watching

itself

used TV,

becomes

just

like

work,

an

addiction.

alcohol,

gambling,

drugs,

Spiritual

food,

spending,

social

shopping,

anger, withdrawal to avoid life.

If, when a difficult or painful feeling comes up, you immediately go into meditation in the hopes of blissing out and getting rid of your unwanted feeling, you may be addicted to spirituality.

Distracting when we are uncomfortable is a form of avoidance.

Staying in tune with the ineffable or connecting to the vast consciousness is nice. And, yes, you might even have some very nice

spiritual

experiences

when

you

practice

yoga

or

meditation. A lot of spiritual practices like yoga asanas and breathwork

can

indeed

help

you

on

the

physiological

and

mental levels. But, avoiding feelings by replacing feelings with meditation

or

whatever

else,

that

is

avoidance

and/or

repression. Avoiding what is and feelings about what is will only resurface later if you don’t deal with them in the now.

Life includes all the emotions and feelings and, the truth is that impermanence (a ginormous pain in the ass) is painful. If you add even more spiritual practices to your daily life, you might think that bad things or bad feelings won’t happen or come.

They will, you are a human being living on the Earth. Trying to transcend the experience of life on Earth essentially means that you aren’t truly living.

Your feelings are meant to be felt. It doesn’t mean you need to linger

in

spirals

them

and

everything.

forever,

there

self-criticism; Set

are

ways

Confront

boundaries.

Value

your

to

disrupt

feelings.

both

your

negative

Experience animal

and

spiritual natures. Recognize that fear and ego serve a purpose and can help you intuit your next actions.

I

am

absolutely

NOT

arguing

for

you

to

dismiss

What is that? Spiritual Bypass

Spiritual bypass occurs when people use their spiritual practice

spiritual

practices. They are as important to your well being as food and water. We can even drown by drinking too much water - it’s rare but possible - you get the point - balance.

Meditation,

breathwork

and

yoga

postures

are

essentially

training tools to help you navigate your life path. They are the tools that help you to tap into the silence, to tap into your gut.

P.S. Meditation will work better for you in your daily life if you simply take five minutes in the morning and/or five minutes in the night to sit quietly. It’s not that complicated.

55

“There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it’s all dark.”

— Pink Floyd —

56

BECOMING FEARLESS

BY AMY ADAMS

When you run away from me, I grow bigger

I am Fear and I say to you, “Do not be afraid. Don’t

because

chase me away, embrace me and treat me with the

message

for

respect

meditate

on

I

deserve.

I

serve

a

purpose.

I

will

I

want

to

you. me

be

seen

As you

you will

and

have

continue learn

a to

how

to

accompany you on your journey. Tap into your gut,

recognize me and discern between me and

into

response.

Ego.Some people even claim that fear is the

Listen. Is this? Am I, your fear telling you to get out

opposite of love. Even though that sounds

of a situation to sustain and protect your life? Or

like a quotable, it is not quite true. When we

are you confusing me with your ego? Me, I - like

move away from duality, we move away from

your ego - am going to remain with you throughout

judgement

your life. Me and Ego aren’t your enemies, on the

understanding

contrary.Yes, I may make you feel uncomfortable. I

that everything is neutral. How you respond

might even challenge you at times, but I won’t harm

to

you. I am your friend. Befriend me and allow me to

that is what truly matters. I am Fear and I am

stay

you

not chasing after you, I simply want to stay

when necessary. Stop trying to chase me away and

near you. It is my job to be sure that you

meditate on me when you aren’t sure why I’m here

survive and it is your job to create space for

beside you.

me

your

near

intuition

and

I

and

won’t

wait

for

interfere

the

but

protect

and

so

really

and

opposition.

that

approach

you have

can no

you

any

do

It

will

and

your

interest

is

come

every

work in

with to

this

know

situation,

and

thrive.

chasing

I

you.

Embrace me and become fearless."

57

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