36 results for tag: Spiritual Development
Does Kindness Make You More Attractive? Research Says Yes!
I suspect that all counselors and therapists know that kindness makes you more attractive. It is helpful to see research that supports this premise. The research itself is limited but still has merit. On a personal level, I think I have always sensed that those who express positive character traits seem more attractive, if for no other reason than I find anger, dishonesty, and hate unattractive....
Doubt
Doubt. Just writing the word stirs something inside me. I'm aware of feeling uncomfortable just seeing it, and since I'm using voice recognition software, saying it out loud. Doubt. Where does doubt come from? Are we taught doubt? Is doubt ingrained in our DNA? I wonder how much our life experiences influence the degree of doubt that expresses itself in our minds and bodies.
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What is The Difference Between Freedom and Lack of Self-Discipline?
Identifying the difference between freedom and lack of self-discipline is an essential teaching on our journey as spiritual beings. Thich Nhat Hanh offers us perspective to help those struggling with this important concern for anyone with or wanting to have a spiritual practice, whether it is meditation, Hatha Yoga, Tai Qi, Qi Gong or any other regular spiritual practice....
Spiritual Greed and Gluttony – Dark Night of The Soul
I remember about a dozen years ago, I was going through a particularly challenging time that felt like a hopeless period In my personal and spiritual development. Among other things, my mentor suggested that I read and meditate on Dark Night Of The Soul by St. John of The Cross. She suggested I pay close attention to the teachings on spiritual greed and gluttony. I immediately became furious at her but pretended as if I was okay. Of course, she knew better. Like any "good student" who wants to prove to his mentor just how good a student he is, I left her and directly went to buy a copy of the book.
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... Blindness – A Spiritual Teaching in Seeing
As the weather in South Korea starts to turn, so do the leaves. I have looked forward to this more this year than in the past. I wanted to see what autumn looks like in South Korea. It has arrived. Red, burnt orange, orange, yellow, ochre, green, and light green fill the streets of Cheonan. Today, being a sometimes-sunny, sometimes-cloudy day, I wanted to get out on Tang San Mountain with my camera and hiking shoes to enjoy the day. I did not leave my room till about 3:30, which was fine. It is getting dark around 6:00 these days, so I would have plenty of time to explore and take pictures of the trees and whatever else caught my fancy. I got some great shots of the top of the white cement apartment buildings, foreshadowing all the mountains in the background that surround the city of Cheonan. I had not seen this view before; it was the first time I made it to this trail. This trail was more vigorous and inclined, with better-unobstructed views of the city....
Potential Negative Side Effects of Meditation
Is there a dark side to meditation? Can people experience the negative side effects of meditation? Why is the spiritual community so fearful of the media exposing situations of armful or negative experiences with meditation or Yoga? Or What Research Says about Reiki? I, for one, am not fearful or startled by these experiences or stories. I have known many people who have experienced harmful or negative side effects of Meditation, Yoga, Reiki, Tai Qi, Qi Gong, and most other healing modalities. Why is this a shock? Not all people, bodies, minds and spiritual imprints are the same, why should our experiences be the same? The same would be true for Prayer; who has not had a negative experience praying sometime in their life? Can you honestly say there is anything that you have experienced something powerfully in your life that has been completely free of any negative experiences - sleeping, eating, making love, walking, laughing, relationships, singing, dancing, painting, kissing, medicine, religion, school, hugging, psychotherapy, counseling, etc.?...
