If you’re celebrating Christmas today you’re probably in close proximity to angels. We see them on decorations, greeting cards, and tree ornaments.
Do you know that the majority of North Americans believe angels are real? In this interview we hear from Corin Grillo. She says angels are real, and they’re standing by to help you in your daily life.
Corin Grillo is the author of The Angel Experiment: A 21-Day Magical Adventure to Heal Your Life.
Click on below to hear the interview. And, enjoy your holiday!
Wanted to remind you that CHI FOR YOURSELF continues the series on finding your “why.” I hope you’re using some of the suggestions in each post to help you get to your genuine place. A place that’s waiting to yield your purpose and direction in life.
A few years ago on CHI FOR YOURSELF we heard from a guest who had to face some big challenges before her genuine life could flourish. Barbara Hofmeister is a refugee from former Communist Germany and knows first-hand what it’s like to be living in adverse circumstances. Hear the replay by clicking on this player:
We finally caught up with author Matthew Fox, and last week’s long-awaited interview didn’t disappoint. As you probably know, Matthew Fox became an Episcopal priest after being expelled from the Catholic Church by Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI. He discussed his latest book “Meister Eckhart: A Mystic Warrior for Our Times, and he gave us some examples of the controversial viewpoints that put him at odds with the church hierarchy. You can hear the show by clicking on the BlogTalkRadio logo below.
Here are some of the talking points from the show:
The meaning of Christian Spirituality
Christian Spirituality and the scriptural story of creation
Meister Eckhart on the women’s movement of his time (the Beguines)
Matthew Fox’s expulsion from the Catholic Church
On the new Pope and chances of change in the church
The Matthew Fox interview on CHI FOR YOURSELF that was planned for August 21st has been re-scheduled. You’ll be able to hear the interview this Thursday, August 28th at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com. A problem in Matthew’s phone connection forced the change, so we’re looking forward to getting him back with us. Thank’s so much for your understanding!
Though he lived in the thirteenth century, Meister Eckhart’s deeply ecumenical teachings were in many ways modern. He taught about what we call ecology, championed artistic creativity, and advocated for social, economic, and gender justice. All these elements have inspired spiritual maverick Matthew Fox and influenced his Creation Spirituality. You can hear Matthew Fox on Chi For Yourself today at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific at chiforyourself.com.
When Zen teacher Karen Maezen Miller and her family land in a house with a hundred-year-old Japanese garden, she uses the paradise in her backyard to glean the living wisdom of our natural world. Through her eyes, rocks convey faith, ponds preach stillness, flowers give love, and leaves express the effortless ease of letting go.
Karen Maezen Miller is the author of Paradise in Plain Sight: Lessons from a Zen Garden.The book welcomes readers into the garden for Zen lessons in fearlessness, forgiveness, presence, acceptance, and contentment. Miller gathers inspiration from the ground beneath her feet to remind us that paradise is always here and now.
Karen Maezen Miller is our guest on Chi For Yourself. Hear the interview today at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific at chiforyourself.com.
In yoga practice, mantra and kirtan (call-and-response devotional chanting) get short shrift in the West because they aren’t well understood, though they are an integral part of almost every Eastern spiritual practice. They are designed to provide access into the psyche while their underlying mythology helps us understand how our psychology affects daily life. Our guest on this show has written a book dealing with the myths behind the mantras and kirtans Alanna Kaivalya is the author of SACRED SOUND: Discovering the Myth & Meaning of Mantra & Kirtan, Her intention is to illuminate their meaning and to put their power and practicality within reach of every reader.
Alanna Kaivalya
Join us for today’s interview at 4pm Eastern..1pm Pacific at chiforyourself.com
Be with us for today’s Chi For Yourself and guest Daniel Parmeggiani. Daniel is the author of The Magnificent Truths of Our Existence: Unlocking the Deeper Reality of Permanent Happiness.
” Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared”
Buddha
Article: The Simplicity of Choosing Happiness
In our new age of spirituality, where east meets west in the modern labyrinth of mental and spiritual healing, two clear definitions to happiness remain; (1) that happiness is a value synonymous with well-being and thriving, and (2) as opposed to depression, it is something we as humans seek. In essence happiness itself remaining the primary goal – and more elusive.
Psychological research suggests that each individual has what is called a ‘Happiness Set-point’ (HSP) determining overall well-being; happier when things balance our inner HSP and quite unhappy (even miserable), when things go against us, or fall short of it. We alone draw that line and in so doing compound our intrinsic belief, that sentience has a right to happiness, no matter what. Even an animal (and our basic survival instincts) will seek comfort against pain, to find it.
Evidence from research shows that 40% of our happiness is within our control and a voluntary choice we make. Psychologist William James, adds that it is our attitude that hinders or helps us reach our HSP. It seems that it is a natural human reflex to alter our attitude to achieve it. We want to maintain our HSP at all costs. Ironically, the indifference of the depressed, is a matter of ongoing research on lower HSP levels as per socio-economic standards, environmental and chemical imbalance.
Biblical and Buddhist philosophy maintain that all happiness comes from seeking it, yet ironically, a principle point of Buddhism is that all striving is suffering. This would explain why realistic goals are paramount, as true happiness may only be achieved through the balance of effort and suffering, and not the eternal ‘good-time’ that modern pop-psychology would have us believe. Being happier takes effort, especially if it’s a choice we make and maintain with mindfulness. Without effort, one can argue that happiness is hollow and not happiness at all.
Transformation might well be as simple as ‘Seek and ye shall find’ and no matter your labour to your HSP (health, diet, supplements; yoga and exercise; meditation, gratitude, education, journals, self-help, new-age, and/or new-thought mindfulness); the bottom line is that you are still only partaking in the most natural human birth-right of our species. Best to keep it simple.
We’re starting off the April Chi For Yourself schedule with a visit by Peter Sklivas, author of THE SECRET OF ENDURING LOVE: Yoga Romance of Damayanti and Nala….it’s a 21st century re-telling of an ancient Vedic tale from India. Peter will talk about Princess Damayanti’s archetypal journey of embracing a life of loving the self, God and the beloved and the true nature of yoga.
Reviewers call it “an original and well-written tale about achieving true love.”
You’ll hear the Peter Sklivas interview on Chi For Yourself on Thursday April 3rd at Noon Pacific, 3pm Eastern on the Start Here page.
The Chi For Yourself interview with Meagan McCrary on January 9th saw some problems in our Google + Hangouts presentation. The podcast was posted and has been up and running, but if you haven’t heard that show (and your tastes lean toward YouTube) I’m including the finally finished ‘Tube version of Chi For Yourself with guest Meagan McCrary..
On the surface it may appear that yoga is yoga is yoga, but take a closer look and you’ll discover myriad different yoga systems and lineages. There are dozens of yoga styles to choose from, and while yoga is for everyone, not every style is the perfect fit for every person. But how do you choose between mysterious-sounding names such as Ashtanga, Kundalini, Bikram, and Kripalu? Our Chi For Yourself guest Meagan McCrary says finding the right style is essential for establishing a steady yoga practice. Her book Pick Your Yoga Practice: Exploring and Understanding Different Styles of Yoga is described as the first book to describe the most prominent yoga styles in depth, including teaching methodology, elements of practice, philosophical and spiritual underpinnings, class structure, physical exertion, and personal attention. Meagan encourages those new to yoga that they will discover they have options and can confidently attend a class of their choosing, while experienced practitioners will expand their understanding of the vast world of modern yoga, and perhaps find themselves venturing into new territory.
Click on Meagan’s picture to hear the show..
Meagan McCrary
..and, don’t forget to listen Valentine’s Day Friday February 14th- 1pm Eastern for the 2012 interview with guest Dr. Debra Reble, author of Soul-Hearted Partnership: Creating the Ultimate Experience of Love, Passion, and Intimacy.
Click on the BlogTalkRadio logo to hear the show..
On Valentine’s Day the Core Values of Love Matter
By Dr. Charles D. Schmitz and Dr. Elizabeth A. Schmitz, the Official Guides To Marriage
Commit to the seven core values of successful love and marriage and you can make your Valentine’s Day the best ever.
We have learned a lot about successful love and marriage in the USA and around the world over these past 32 years. The results of our studies are shared in our multiple award winning book entitled Building a Love that Lasts. In this article we would like to do is share with you what we have found to be the Seven Core Values of All Loving Relationships.
Over the past 32 years, we have learned much about what makes great marriages tick – about what makes them successful. Even in spite of ominous odds from time to time, the best marriages survive and thrive, and we know why! They survive and thrive because they are committed to the Core Values present in all great marriages and successful loving relationships. Here they are in a nutshell.
1. The couple in love is committed to always putting each other first in their relationship with each other.
The first thing you notice in all highly successful loving relationships is that those who purport to be in love recognize that their relationship is not about you and me, it is about US. Discovering that YOU are not the center of the universe is the hallmark of a great relationship. Actually putting another human being number one is a powerful indication that you are truly in love.
2. The couple in love is committed to democracy in their relationship.
Always remember, successful loving relationships are egalitarian. Namely, the best relationships understand that theirs is a shared relationship. If one person has all the power and makes all the decisions, it is NOT love! True love is a very democratic thing!
3. The couple in love is committed to ensuring their mutual happiness.
Remember, true love is not just about ensuring your happiness. More importantly, and often for the first time in your life, you actually enjoy and are motivated by ensuring the happiness of someone other than yourself. It is a good feeling!
4. The couple in love values absolute trustworthiness and integrity in their relationship with each other.
If you cannot trust the one you love, then it is not true love! Trust us on that. The most successful loving relationships report that they trust their mate unequivocally and without hesitation. To violate that trust is to undermine and, ultimately destroy, the relationship with the one you say you love.
5. The couple in love is committed to caring and unconditional love for each other.
When you truly love someone you do so without conditions. It is not about loving you IF . . . True love is unconditional.
6. The couple in love is committed to being mutually respectful towards each other.
There is a Golden Rule in true love and it is like the one you learned early in your life – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Do not expect to be treated with respect when you are disrespectful to the one you love. Respectfulness is at the heart of all great loving relationships.
7. The couple in love values their mutual sense of responsibility for each other.
People in love care for each other in ways that they have never cared for another human being. They feel a sense of responsibility for another person that they have never felt before. It feels so good to put another’s needs above your own. To do so is to love deeply.
The Core Values of all successful loving relationships are at the heart of the matter. If you and your mate master these values, your love will, in all probability, last a lifetime. What a Valentine’s Day gift that would be!
Simple Things Matter in Love and Marriage, particularly on Valentine’s Day. Love well!
* Creating a successful marriage is not always the easiest thing to do. Your visiting our blog suggests you are highly interested in making your relationship work! And truthfully, we have learned over 30 years of marriage research that there are proven effective ways to ensure a happy and healthy marriage. In fact, as love and marriage experts we took hundreds of tips from the thousands of happy couples we interviewed throughout the world and put them into our award-winning and bestselling book, Building a Love that Lasts
Author’s Bio:
Now you can order the Doctors’ multiple award winning book Building a Love that Lasts, the Mom’s Choice Awards Gold Medal Winner for Most Outstanding Relationships and Marriage Book. With 32 years of research experience on successful marriage and their own 47-year marriage, Drs. Charles and Elizabeth Schmitz know what makes marriage work. From their hundreds of interviews with happily married couples, representing 15,000 years of marriage, they’ve discovered the seven pervasive characteristics present in all successful marriages. Their book exposes the secrets for success through these poignant, real life stories.
During their distinguished careers the Doctors have received some 65 local, state, and national awards; published nearly 350 articles and manuscripts; delivered over 1000 speeches, workshops and public presentations; traveled throughout the world; and appeared on radio and television and in the print media. Dr. Charles D. Schmitz is Dean and Professor Emeritus of Family and Counseling Therapy at the University of Missouri in St. Louis and Dr. Elizabeth A. Schmitz is President of Successful Marriage Reflections, LLC.
Additional Resources covering Marriage can be found at: