New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
When people feel ill at ease, there's a tendency to reach for things that help you feel grounded, more safe and stable. This is as true for people of any background as it is for people who follow witchcraft. One of the trends in witchcraft that some have noted is that it is during times of the greatest social upheaval when increases have occurred in the popularity of the craft. The craft can be a powerfully seductive force. If you're someone who falls outside of what the dominant culture has deemed is acceptable, the allure of the craft can be particularly poignant; it's empowering to find a worldview that says not only are you powerful, but here are the tools for empowering yourself ...
When people on their journey to well-being ask me, "Where do I start?" my answer is always the same. You start with mindfulness. And end with mindfulness. What is between is there for your lessons and entertainment and enjoyment. NonattachmentIn my book Well-Being I start you off with the simplest of mindfulness practices: observing your breath. You are told that when a thought comes, or a feeling comes, simply label each as "thought," "feeling," or "sensation," and return to your breath. If you practice this technique for 5 minutes a day, you will experience a difference in your life. The process provides you with a foundation with which to work on your stress. You are learning ...
Every person behaves based on their experiences, and the beliefs that were formed as a result of those experiences. Meaning, our interpretation of any experience dictates our life moving forward. In yoga, these mental imprints on our soul and our psyche are called samskaras—psychological grooves formed from a particularly memorable experience. Samskaras can be healthy and unhealthy. If an experience stays with us, and we form a belief because of that experience, we have created a samskara. Once attached to the belief, we will continue to reinforce and behave within that samskara, keeping it alive, keeping it real, and deepening the groove. Negative samskaras seem more difficult to ...
Do you ever wonder what a cat or dog sees when they look at themselves in the mirror? What about the times we catch a toddler glimpsing a reflection of themselves in a bathroom or hallway mirror: what do they see? Do they see themselves as we see them, or is there a different point of view that we know nothing about? Do dogs compare the length of their tails with each other? Or the sound of their voices? I have always been fascinated by the process of self discovery, not only of myself but watching others find out about themselves and the world around them. Who—or what—we think we present to our world isn't necessarily how the world sees us. I have found that the more we know ...
