Thanks to advances in neuroscience a new research field is emerging, one which studies spiritual phenomena through neural images. It could be argued that science and technology, as understood currently in the mainstream, might not be suitable for investigating the spiritual realm. This is because different paradigms of enquiry apply. However, interdisciplinarity is leading to a blurring of boundaries and increasing numbers of science scholars are practicing meditation, while a growing number of meditators are studying and using the latest neurotechnology. read more

I just wanted to write a quick post on gratitude and being thankful, following on from the gratitude stone post I wrote a while back. Sometimes in our busy daily life we forget just how lucky we are to be alive.

How is your life? Is it good? Do you have problems at the moment, are you healthy? For most of us, if we looked upon our life from an objective point of view we would realised we are blessed with a beautiful life. Yes, we may have issues and things going wrong, but these are probably quite small and trivial in the grand scheme of things. You may have trouble with a friend or family member, arguing a lot lately. What you need to keep in mind is that this is insignificant. It will work itself out eventually. Has your car packed up? Don’t stress, get it fixed. Sure, it will cost you money but you will live.

I have been enjoying these kind of inspirational typography boards on places like Pinterest for a while now so I thought I’d make my own. For this initial one I want to use some of the strongest words that inspire a spiritual life. Of course there are many more words, scriptures and spiritual quotes but for starters these stand up well.

I love the way these boards have huge typography sizes which grab your attention. Many of them are either set against a background image or on a plain background. I decided to have a textured, simple background with a beautiful butterfly at the bottom, representing Mother Nature.

Tell me what you think of it! I’ll be making more in the near future. If you like it, please share it with your friends and pin it on your board, or post on your social networking sites. If you really like it I’m offering it as a canvas print. There are a few sizes available so let me know if you are interested.

Today we stand and live in an age that is pushing us ever on, faster and faster. We are driven by society to do more and more, yet we still have the same 24 hours in a day. Work work work. It’s like we wake up on the rollercoaster and only step off when we go to sleep at night.

Most people don’t even have the time or awareness to notice how hectic our lives have become, or how far we are straying from the path of a spiritual life and our connection to the source.

If you are reading this, chances are you are interested in a better way of living and may even have noticed how your life has become so manic. The point of this post is not to cause worry and panic about the way we live today, more to help people open their eyes to what is REAL LIFE. Once we do this we feel much better, more connected and happier.

Start by taking just 5 minutes a day to meditate. It can be a real meditation or just taking time to reflect on your day with your eyes closed. Remind yourself to be grateful for your life, your family, friends and all that you have. Feel the peace in the stillness and let it heal your mind and body. Relax.

Do this every day and you will find yourself veering back onto your spiritual path. It really is very simple to do.

Yesterday I asked one of my dogs if she could give me a tip to help improve my animal communication technique. She told me to “do it with an open heart”. Simple as that. It’s incredible how deep animals can be. Having an open heart will improve your communication, whether it’s telepathically with animals or in everyday verbal talk with humans. An open heart helps on so many levels and whether the recipient notices it or not, they will be affected by it in some way.

So please, talk with an open heart.

Telepathic Animal Communications

What do I mean by that title? Surely we can’t talk with animals can we? They don’t speak our language, if they even speak at all!

Well I’m here to tell you they do, and we can communicate with animals, using the physic gifts we all have within us. They are ready to listen and send us messages and the best part is – everyone can do it with a little practice.

I recently purchased a cd set of animal communication training by an animal communicator called James French. The cd is terrific and a great way to start your communicating with animals. Using his techniques I had a little success but when I recently attended an animal communication workshop in my area the results blew my mind!

I was part of a group of 8 students on the day course which was an introduction to talking with animals. The main method was through telepathy, which is an incredibly interesting topic all by itself. There were three dogs there on the course so we all had some close connection to start us off. The thing is though, we don’t have to be in the same room to communicate with telepathy. It’s like distant healing – we can do it from thousands of miles away if we wish. In fact, quantum physics even supports the notion of this, which means science, in a way, proves it can work!

And to go a step further, you can even communicate with the spirit of an animal that has passed away – wow! I did a reading on someone else’s dog using a photo. I was told before I started that the dog was no longer alive. The things I got back from the reading though made me understand I was communicating with the animal. I correctly read that he died early in his life (2 years old) and was told his favourite friends name, his favourite walk (I was actually shown an image of the scene for this one) and many other things which I could not have possibly known beforehand. The lady who cared for the dog (I don’t like to use the word ‘owner’ as it gives the wrong impression about the relationship between an animal and it’s human family) was amazed I had received so much information. I’m not trying to blow my own trumpet here, it’s a long journey and practice is important but it’s such an important technique to bridge our world with theirs.

So how does animal communication work?

To connect telepathically with another species, we must first quieten down our ‘monkey mind chatter’. You know, that aimless stream of thoughts we have going on in our heads (whether we realise it or not!). Think about it – even when you’re in the shower I bet you’re thinking about things in the past or future, like what you’re going to have for dinner, what happened at work etc. Our mind is constantly thinking and this is what is blocking us from connecting with animals. We need to tune that out so our thoughts are reduced.

By then focussing on an animal we have to tune into it. Imagine you are trying to tune into a radio station on one of those old analog radios. You turn the dial and all you get is static noise. Nothing. Then BAM! You get a clear channel and music coming through. So the essence of communicating with other species is we need to tune into them telepathically. I would recommend going on an animal communication course workshop to kick-start your animal communications, or try one of James’ cd’s.

I will be writing more on the subject of animal communication in the future as my telepathic journey continues. So how about you? Do you communicate with animals? Let me know your experiences…

Gratitude stones are so simple yet oh so effective. I have used a gratitude stone for a few years now and it has helped me enormously. If you haven’t tried one yet, read on for inspiration…

So what is a Gratitude Stone?

Gratitude stones are basically a simple way to remind yourself to be grateful for what you have in your life. A lot of people jumped on the wagon when it was mentioned on the popular film and book called The Secret. The truth is though, gratitude stones have been around for far longer. The idea is that you put a stone in your pocket and throughout the day you keep finding it there. When you do it reminds you to be grateful of all you have in your life. It serves as a reminder so you can keep your spiritual focus. These days in the hustle and bustle of modern life we tend to forget about how good our life is, how lucky we are. Perhaps you are waiting at a bus stop on a cold and wet day, thinking what a horrible day it is. Then you by chance put your hands in your pocket and find the gratitude stone. Instantly this will remind you how lucky you are. You could be starving or homeless, but no – you have a good life.

Where can I get a Gratitude Stone?

You will find many online shops offering gratitude stones for sale but the truth is any stone will do! It’s not the stone itself that helps, just the way it reminds you to think positively. Buying an expensive gratitude stone will not make any difference. I went outside in my garden and found one in the dirt. After giving it a quick rinse I popped it in my pocket with a quick ‘thanks’. It’s really simple!

Of course you don’t have to put your stone in your pocket, and sometimes it just isn’t practical with certain clothing. Try putting it on your bedside table, so when you wake and when you go to bed at night you see it. Pick it up and say a little thanks for all you have and for the good things you experienced that day. Just make sure the gratitude stone doesn’t get forgotten about. The aim is to  use it as a reminder for daily thanks. It keeps us focussed on the spiritual aspect of our lives. Since using my gratitude stone I have become more aware of how good my life is, and I say a little prayer for this every day. Quite often I don’t even need to see or feel the stone, it has become an integral part of my day to be grateful for what I have.

Go out in your garden, or take a trip to the beach, find yourself a stone and use it in a positive way – you won’t regret it x

One of the most popular ways to meditate is by using a mantra. For those who don’t know what a mantra is, essentially it is a word which you repeat over and over, usually in your head. This helps focus the mind and remove distractions such as thoughts that will naturally pop into your head. It’s an effective way of encouraging the mind and body to let go and relax. read more

Love is hard to describe, yet is probably the most powerful thing in our lives. They say ‘love conquers all’, and ‘all you need is love’, but what exactly is it? Here are 15 of the greatest quotations on the subject of love, by some of the deepest thinkers, writers and poets of all time. Immerse yourself in the madness we call ‘love’…

“Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.” D. H. Lawrence

“If I am given a chance to change one thing in this world, I will change the order of alphabets and place U and I together.” Unknown

“When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. And there are ways in which we can consciously work to develop feelings of love and kindness.” 14th Dalai Lama

“When you feel lonely, look to the sky and know that I am somewhere beneath that same sky thinking of you and wishing you were there with me.” Unknown

“I love thee, I love but thee With a love that shall not die Till the sun grows cold And the stars grow old.” William Shakespeare

“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.” Saint Augustine of Hippo

“The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain signing to it – you and you alone make me feel that I am alive – Other men, it is said, have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough.” George Moore

“I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.”

Elizabeth Barrett Browning read more

If you are a big animal lover like me, and especially have a soft spot for our canine friends, this video will have you laughing, crying and shouting OMG! This video of dogs doing crazy things is absolutely amazing and will make you look at our canine friends in a whole new light! It’s a compilation of videos showing just how amazing dogs can be, from skateboarding and walking upright, to talking and riding a bicycle!

Seriously, I found this video so inspiring I’m going to go and give my dogs a very big hug in a minute! You wouldn’t think dogs could perform such feats but this 7min film captures the essence of them – fun, engaging and wonderfully created.

Who said dogs were lazy and dumb? Hopefully this video will encourage you to engage and stimulate your doggy friend. Take him for a walk, play ball with him, jog with him, make him enjoy life to the max. We can learn a lot from dogs. They don’t have the burdens we have through life – they have a simple life that is focussed on life. If you let your dogs, they will show you how to enjoy life and live in the moment.

EDIT: Here’s another brilliant canine video that you simply must see featuring Jesse the incredibly talented Jack Russell – watch the dog video here on YouTube.