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Get Lucky
Ready to get lucky? There are many very specific techniques for
generating luck in your life. One of the simplest is to just
start looking for good luck. Yes, it really can be as simple as
that.
Maybe you have noticed that when you buy a new...
Holistics?
"Holistic" is the health industry's new buzzword, most often associated with Alternative medicine, the new buzz phrase. The status of the word "holistic" has made it victim to advertisers and marketers, who are attaching it to everything under...
Migraine Relief
The most common over the counter and prescription drugs used to
treat both tension headaches as well as migraine headaches are
aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol is the best example), ibuprofen
(Motrin or Advil are commonly known ibuprofen brands,)...
Prescription: Laughter
"They" say that laughter is the best medicine. And whoever
"they" are, I'd have to agree.
In fact, studies have shown that when we laugh we...
* lower our blood pressure.
* promote relaxation and reduce stress.
* increase the...
Top 5 Tips Towards Effective Relaxation Techniques
As a general rule we all face much more demanding daily lives. The working day is getting longer and longer, and more of us are required to work longer hours or even get second jobs to pay for mortgages and other bills. As such, we find it difficult...
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Who Am I
Who am I? What come to mind when you ask this of yourself? How
many different memories, ideas, and things seem like a part of
you? What do you identify with? Does this process of
identification help you, or just cause suffering?
Perhaps when your favorite basketball team loses, you suffer as
though YOU lost. When your car is damaged it feels like YOU are
hurt. When somebody attacks who they think you are, it seems as
though they actually reach inside and poke at your true self.
How can you escape this unecessary drama and pain?
Perhaps by seeing who and what you are not. Seeing the process
of identification clearly can free you from the ego attachments
that cause you to suffer. There is a simple meditation that can
help you with this.
Who Am I - A Meditation On Self Identity
Sit or lay comfortably in a quiet place. Relax, close your eyes,
and take several deep breaths. Breath through your nose,
eventually letting your breathing fall into a natural pattern.
Pay attention to your breath, to the air moving in and out of
your lungs and nose. Let the tension drain from your body.
Ask the question in your mind, "Where am I?" Then ask, "What am
I?" and "Who am I?" Just let these questions sit for a moment in
your mind.
Become aware of your body, and consider your leg. Would you
cease to exist if you lost it? Are you your leg? Continue
through the parts of your body, asking of each part, "Am I
here?" and "Is this what I am?"
Then open your eyes and look around. Are you any of these
things? You might feel pain when your favorite chair breaks, as
though it were you, but you are not that chair. Which of these
things you own are you? Ask these questions. Ask, "Am I this?"
Now close your eyes again and say your name in your mind. Is
there a sense of identity? And if you had no name? Ask yourself
"Am I really..." and say your name again. Consider what the most
honest answer is. Try saying "I am..." and insert any other
name. Note how, when you call yourself by another name, you feel
differently. You have a name-identity that is a collection of
ideas, something seen differently by you and others.
Let feelings arise, and ask "Am I this fear?... this pain,
sadness, desire, pleasure, or anger? You can see that your
feelings are not you - they just pass through you. Clothes,
body, reputation - none of it is your true self-identity, is it?
Continue this meditation for twenty minutes or so. Take a deep
breath and get up, noticing if you feel different - maybe less
worried or less attached to things, feelings and thoughts.
Repeat the meditation as often as necessary, to remind you of
what you are not. Oh, and you really don't need to answer the
question, "Who am I?"
About the author:
Steve Gillman has meditated and studied meditation for over
twenty years. You can find a good mindfulness exercise and subscribe to The Meditation
Newsletter at: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com
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