I frequently visit Illuminated Mind by young, iconoclastic Jonathan Meade. His purpose is to “shed light and bring awareness in an unconventional way” and he does very well in his blog, and his ebook Reclaim Your Dreams . Warning, Jonathan does not coddle egos; his ideas are unconventional and direct; there isn’t much fluff. If [...]

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!” “Like this [...]

photo credit: mysticspiritman Beyond Karma is hosting the Carnival of Healing for week of May 02 through May 09. I am now accepting submissions. Good for you! What the hell is a carnival of healing? It’s a weekly round up of blogs about, well…healing. I’ll review the links that are submitted and post them. So [...]

This is a quick, simple, energizing meditation. It can be done at anytime. We don’t have to know the colors or positions of chakras or even what chakras or Tantra are, for this to work. Become aware of your spine from the very bottom to the crown of the head. Imagine a bright, energizing light [...]

You’ve by now probably heard of Susan Boyle, a modest 47-year old spinster from Scotland who showed up a derisive audience and and even more derisive panel of judges on the TV show “Britain’s got Talent.” Here’s how USA Today described the event: Boyle — 47, unglamorous, unfashionable, unknown — faced down a sneering British [...]

Once there was a man who hated his own shadow. When he walked and found that his shadow was close behind him, he began to walk faster and faster. But the faster he moved, the closer his shadow came. So he ran like a madman.. and in the end, he dropped dead. Those who do [...]

We hardly ever sit down and pay attention to attention. It’s actually an amazing phenomena; it directs the envelop of awareness to wherever we point it. Note the nature of attention. It is a funny thing. Attention doesn’t multi-task. It may hop quickly among several things, but we already know we don’t multi-task. Have you [...]

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -Aniis Nin Is this a familiar pattern of your life, your relationships, and your work: Periodically, you examine your life-situation. You don’t like a lot of things about your situation. You feel [...]

What was or is your antidote to the uneasiness of being? Alcohol? Nicotine? Opiads? Whatever it is you’ve probably discovered that addictions and depression go hand-in-hand, and if it isn’t full-fledged depression, it is the constant uneasiness of being. The solution of course is to awaken. Awaken from the illusion of the mind and the [...]

It’s just here and now. There is awareness and all experience is in the now. We already know this. If we simply stop ignoring the present, the world opens up. Be aware. Be present. Observe the mind without judgment or analysis. Put attention in the body. Be patient. Be present with that which is already [...]