Qigong Standing Meditation

Here's a wonderful ~ simple & powerful ~ Taoist meditation practice, which can be done either outside (in a beautiful natural setting is best!), or indoors. It's similar in many ways to Buddhist Shamata sitting meditation practice, but ~ and hence the name! ~ you're standing. (So, for one, it's less likely that you'll fall asleep ... J)

Begin by standing with your feet parallel and about shoulder-width apart. Take a couple of deep long breaths, saying "aaah" (either out loud or to yourself) with the exhales. Let go of any tension you find in your shoulders, neck or face ~ simply let it "melt" away, with the exhale ... as though that tension were a frozen river, being touched now by a warm sun, and flowing downward, like the gentle cascade of a waterfall, forming pools at your feet. Feel your energy, your awareness, settling into your feet & legs & hips & belly, connecting you strongly to the earth. Bend your knees just slightly ~ just enough to feel a softness at the backs of your knees.

Let your arms hang down next to your sides, so that your thumbs are gently touching your outer thighs (which means the backs of your hands will be facing forward). Separate and extend your fingers downward, so that they're straight without being rigid, and so there's space between each pair of fingers (as though you had webbed fingers). Now, float your hands directly forward, three or four inches, so they're hovering now just in front of (but still to the sides) of your thighs. This should create a feeling of hollowness in your armpits. Let your elbows be bent just enough to create a feeling of softness in them.

Now choose a gazing point, eight or ten feet in front of you. Rest your eyes very softly on that point (or area). (The meditation Masters of the past have discovered that there's a connection between the movement of our eyes, and the movement of thoughts in our mind ... So making the eyes still is a wonderful way to calm the mind.) Try to let that spot you're looking at come into your eyes, instead of reaching out (with the energy of your eyes) to "grab" it. In other words, let your eyes become receptive, instead of active ... Relax your jaw, so that there's space between your upper & lower teeth, even though your lips are gently closed.

So now that you're in the Qigong Standing Meditation position, stay here, for awhile. Once you've arranged yourself in this way, there's nothing much to "do." Simply notice what's it's like being here, in this position.

If you're new to the practice, hold the position for a couple of minutes. You can make small adjustments to it, as this feels necessary for your comfort, but the idea is to do as little moving around as possible. Once you've got the correct alignment of the pose, holding it in a fairly "motionless" way will support internal movements of qi/life-force which will be very pleasant, and healing. As you continue this practice ~ over weeks or months or years ~ you'll be able to hold the position for longer periods of time (30 minutes, a hour). But in the beginning, a couple minutes is wonderful!

When You Eat at the Fridge

I spent a few days at a resort in Mexico this past summer for a friend's wedding. I've known her since the 2nd grade and it was a really fun time hanging out with familiar faces.

It was also hot, so very hot. I took sweating to a whole new level. During the afternoon wedding in full sun on the beach, I discovered parts of my body that I didn't know could sweat. Toes, chins, elbows, you name it... I was drenched. Despite the intense heat, it was undoubtedly the most beautiful and moving ceremony I have ever had the privilege to witness.

It took some strategic eating to keep my sensitive body cool and comfortable. Not only in what I ate, but how I ate. I was in a different country and yet I had every type of food available to me. When you are in a contained environment, such as an all inclusive resort, with many different nationalities represented, there is food for all types of tastes and appetites. Being a naturally curious person, fascinated by other cultures, I kept my eyes peeled.

Culture Curiosity

As I walked by the all day buffet and grill, I noticed something rather special. Families, many of them, quietly and peacefully eating together. They would sit down at a table, have selected an array of fresh foods, chosen the ceramic plates, knife, fork, and a glass for their beverage. They were looking at their food, casually taking in their surroundings, eating relatively slowly and seemingly with care and attention. There was a definite appreciation of the food before them. It was subtle, but it immediately caught my eye. I always like to see what people like to eat. It is, after-all, my favorite subject.

Upon closer inspection, (that's right, I snooped) I noticed they didn't speak English. I heard German, Spanish, French and even Russian. Day after day, I noticed the same thing. Families, eating together peacefully and they were not American.

At first, I didn't know why I was looking at these families. Something about them was attractive to me. Something about the way they were being and eating during their mid-day meal that seemed so pleasant. They actually seemed to be enjoying each other's company and tasting their food. Ah! That was it!

My eyes darted from table to table with curiosity. Where were my fellow Americans? There they go! Drive by eat-n-run; grab a paper plate and fix some food to-go; take-out for pool side munching or for seascape snack. Busy! Busy! Busy!

Sometimes, I actually saw families sitting together, and oddly enough usually with one or more family members looking away, squirming in their seat or, I silently giggled, trying hard to control an energetic child running circles around their table. There was a distinct if not subtle energy in the way American families were eating their lunches and the way European families ate. A cultural lab experiment, if you will. And I found it fascinating. What IS that about?

Food American Style

Have we gotten so busy that even during vacation time, we've forgotten the pleasures of dining together? Do we have so much going on that we can not pay attention to what nourishes us? Are we so plum tired from every day life that we can't be bothered? I say, bring on the Slow Food Movement and let's sit down and hang out over delicious treats that also happens to fuel our life energy. Bring on the broccoli revolution! Vote yes for two hour lunch hours! (that IS on someone's campaign promises, isn't it?)

It's not just what you eat, it's also HOW you eat. How you may ask? Well let's not omit the obvious benefits of eating consciously: the pleasure and enjoyment factors. That IS nice. But did you also know...

- I've had clients get rid of Tums and other digestive aids by simply slowing down enough to chew their food well

- you'll eat much less when you pay attention to your food: given half a chance your body will get it's nutrients much more easily and effectively when you give it time to assimilate and concentrate on food digestion vs. your next "to-do"

- the presentation of your food, just like a gift, is part of the satisfaction, wouldn't you say? - do you pay attention to how your food looks on your plate or do you slop it on? Is it visually appealing and attractive? Is it colorful and vibrant? Your cravings will actually decrease

- eating on-the-go all the time can cause malabsorption of essential nutrients and constant cravings

- connecting with the people you dine fills you up on real-nourishment, it just doesn't come on your plate

Mindless, Frenzied, Stand-Up Feasting

A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon from the new reality show (yes, this is the quality stuff I watch) "Dr. 90210" showed the viewing audience his daily morning routine. He takes 2 dozen, hard-boiled eggs onto his patio and proceeds to choke down each egg white, discarding the yolk. (His wife makes him eat outside due to the smell) You can see his body reflex gag and he winces as he forces himself to eat what keeps him full and trim. I nearly puked just watching this. It wasn't pretty. Nuts I tell you!

Borrowing from the author Geneen Roth(www.geneenroth.com), "when you eat at the fridge, pull up a chair." We could all put cameras on our refrigerators and see what we look like in our frenzied, mindless, stand-up feasts. I imagine I look like a lost little girl, when I stare into the fridge, hoping and praying I can spot some chocolate-wrap foil twinkling in the fluorescent glow. No such luck!

Here's an idea: Try having ONE meal a day in peace, even if it's just a mini-meal snack, sit down without television or reading. It may feel difficult at first. Whether alone or with someone, choose to make that meal enjoyable. Breathe... Just check yourself and see how you're eating. Is it always on the go? Hurried? Distracted? Worried? Could our way of eating be affecting our health concerns? Yes, consider it possible. Trust me, you will crave less junk and your digestion will be much better.

Now is the perfect time to enjoy slowing down. Pull up a chair and enjoy your meals.

No Shame on You

As the dad of a 13 year old autistic boy, this is advice I would give to a younger me.

You feel some shame for your sons condition. Don't. There is no shame in being disabled. This should be obvious but it is not.

I had an interesting discussion about shame with a friend. They talked of feeling shame. They suffered through an illness and now there are things they can no longer do physically. They are now disabled and were ashamed to admit it.

Society has conditioned us to feel shame if we deviate at all from the status quo we see in the media. If you don't look like Megan Fox or George Clooney, you should be a little embarrassed. But if you, God forbid, become disabled through an accident or illness, you should feel shame. Not sadness over loss, but out and out shame.

You're disabled? You should hide.

You should tell no one.

Don't open up to others about what you are going through.

Life is always grand, we never go through any difficult times.

Fake it till you make it.

That is my least favorite one. I understand where it comes from. But if you fake it and then never make it, you're just a faker. Nice advice. Just lie to everyone and most importantly to yourself, forever. Great.

When I look around and see people with giant Cheshire cat grins on their faces, I always wonder: Real or replica, blissful or bitter?

People feel shame in disability when they should not. You should not feel shame for being something you did not chose. It is what it is.

Why do we suffer in pain, silently? Alone. Quieted by the shame. Why do we feel shame at all for suffering from a disability we did not chose?

We don't (and shouldn't) feel shame about your height, bone structure, skin color, or race, things we didn't decide. No one chooses disability.

In that way my son is lucky. He does not have societies baggage to deal with, shame is not something he struggles with. We have no shame in being who we are.

He could run through a Walmart, butt naked screaming and feel no shame. (Being Walmart, no one would even give him a second look, come on people, its Walmart).

Oh to be like my son and be yourself 100% of the time and feel no shame.

Foundation Repair Techniques

The first thing you need to know when dealing with foundation repair is to recognize the problem. The biggest mistake homeowners make is ignoring or not knowing the early warning signs of foundation damage.

Warning Signs:

Structural damage might not be readily visible to an untrained eye. This is why it is very important to know what to look for when dealing with foundation damage. If you live in an older home that is built on top of clay surface chances are you may have foundation problems already. If your home all of a sudden have uneven floors, or develop gaps above the kitchen cabinets you should probably have your home inspected by a contractor.

Repair Methods:

It is an obvious fact that when dealing with foundation repair, you should leave this type of work to licensed contractors with experience dealing with foundation damage, and good local references.

The strength of your foundation is dependent on the soil to hold it up. However, if you already have foundation problems, this means the soil has proven to be unreliable. You will need to have piers installed to help support the home from further damage. The type of pier you need to use will depend on the type of soil underneath your foundation. The contractor will need to determine what type of pier to use, as well as how deep it will need to go. There are two main types of piers being used today for foundation repair, friction and point bearing piers. Friction piers are dependent on the type of soil it is surrounded with to hold it in place, whereas point bearing piers is dependent on the load bearing strata beneath the foundation in order to hold it in place.

The most important thing you can do is to get different quotes and opinions from different contractors and engineers. They will be able to tell you what is best for your home and situation.

The Secrets Of Creating And Selling Infoproducts On The Internet

Selling information is one of the quickest, easiest and most profitable ways to make money on the internet. Millions of dollars worth of information are sold every single day throughout the world.

People come online looking for information on how to do something. There is a huge market for valuable, up-to-date information products. Those people who have in-demand information are the ones who make their own fortune and live the good life.

People are hungry for all kinds of information - information that will help solve their problems. And they are willing to pay for well-written, top-quality information products. And the good news is that you can profit by providing beneficial information and solving problems. You can do this by publishing ebooks. The market is practically limitless.

Ebooks are books in electronic format, which can be downloaded from anywhere on the internet. Ebooks can be produced quickly and easily, and at a very little cost. Compared to any other business, starting an information selling business has a very low start-up cost.

There is no inventory to keep. You have no delivery costs. Your information product can be instantly downloaded by your buyers. You keep one copy in the website and that's it. Buyers will continue to download the ebook from the website after each purchase.

You can put sales and delivery on autopilot. That way, people will still be able to purchase and download your ebook, even when you're out playing or on vacation.

You can write and publish your own ebook. Everyone has valuable information that can benefit other people. Take what you know, package it and sell it to other people.

Choosing a topic to write about is not hard. You can write about what you know or interests you. What is your hobby? What are you passionate about? How long have you been in your line of work? What skills have you acquired through education or your line of work? Have you started a successful business? Have you designed a successful website? Do you have an insight into a subject that you'd like to share?

An auto mechanic may be able to write an ebook on "inside information" car owners should know before buying a car. A child-care center operator may be able to write an ebook offering tips on how to evaluate a daycare.

Before you spend your time and effort in creating a product, find out exactly what people are willing to pay for. One way to find out what products are being sold to your target market is to visit online booksellers and read the bestseller lists.

Another way to find out what people want is to visit online discussion forums. Go to discussion forums where your target audience get together, and review the posts. Find out what topics are being discussed.

You can also use keywords to find out what people in your target market want to buy. You can use the keyword tool at Overture.com. Type in a keyword related to the idea you have in mind. It will tell you how many people searched for that keyword within the past month. This will help in creating products your target market will pay for.

Create the pages in a word processor and convert it into an ebook. There are many ebook compiler programs available on the internet.

You'll need to register a domain name and set up a website to sell your ebook. You can create it yourself or hire someone to build your website for you. After you've created your website, you need to get a reliable hosting service.

Once you have your ebook sales page set up, you need to advertise. There are many ways to promote your business, and get traffic to your website. These include, getting your website listed on search engines, advertising in ezines, bidding on pay per click ads, writing short articles to promote your ebook, and email marketing.

eBook publishing is a very lucrative business. Thousands of people are making huge amounts of money by creating and selling ebooks on the internet. You can do it too.

Chinese Numerology

Although the exact origins of numerology are unknown, Chinese numerology is believed to be one of the earliest forms of numerology. It is thought that the origins of Chinese numerology date back nearly 4000 years to the banks of the Yellow River.

The tale that is told is that the first of the five mythical emperors of China, Wu of Hsai, was working on the banks of the Yellow River trying to find a method to prevent the floods that regularly devastated the communities located along the river. It was during the course of this work that Wu found a tortoise shell, which at the time was considered to be a very good omen.

This particular tortoise shell, however, was extremely rare, unique and special because it had fascinating markings on it. The shell showed a magic 3x3 square on its back that later became known as the Lo Shu Grid. The Lo Shu Grid was particularly remarkable because every row, column and diagonal on the grid add up to the number 15.

The number 15 was very significant because it is the number of days between the new moon and the full moon. Additionally, the number 5 was highly respected in ancient China, and was located in the important center square of the grid.

The Lo Shu Grid became the basis of Chinese numerology and is still used today in the Far East.

The grid took on a different adaptation in the West, and eventually over time Chinese numerology evolved into three different systems that are used today. There is the Western Version of Chinese Numerology, Traditional Chinese Numerology and the Ki system.

There is very little known about the origins of the Western version of Chinese numerology, although Hettie Templeton is credited with its popularization. Templeton taught classes and gave numerous public lectures and broadcasts throughout Australia during the 1930's and 40's. Her teachings helped Western Chinese Numerology gain the popularity it enjoys today, so most of the current information regarding this form of numerology comes from Australia and New Zealand.

The Western version of Chinese Numerology is by far the easiest of the three versions of Chinese Numerology to learn, and it is believed by many to be the most accurate. In fact, there are a large number of numerologists in China and Hong Kong who use the Western version rather than the traditional version of Chinese Numerology.

Chinese numerology uses only the numbers 1-9, and 0 is not included. Western Chinese numerology uses a square made up of 9 boxes - 3 down and 3 across. You can think of this square like a tic-tac-toe square or like a number sign (#) Each box in the square has a number from 1-9 associated with it. The boxes are numbered from 1-9 starting in the lower left square and moving up each column. So, from bottom to top in the first column would be 1,2,3, from bottom to top in the second column would be 4,5,6, and the last column from bottom to top would contain the numbers 7,8 and 9.

The numbers from a person's date of birth are then input into these boxes one at a time. So for instance, if someone was born in the year 1966, they would have one 1 in the bottom left box, one 9 in the top right box, and two 6's in the top middle box.

Depending upon how many of each number a person has in their grid, you can tell a lot about their strengths and weaknesses, their character traits and more.