Wholesome Resources for Mind-Body Mastery through Yoga, Meditation, Guided Imagery, Stress Relief, Wellness
Pay attention to your spirit. Listen to your core. Touch it and let it touch you.
What do you believe? What’s really important?
Holidays invite reflection. Nurture this opportunity as part of your celebration.
Please share your thoughts with us. It will lift all our spirits up.
Handy Links
sound, color, and special mantras. The Vedic (Yoga) and Tibetan notes and tones are given. It’s fun.
Emotional First Aid Kit [Read more…]
OM |AUM conveys universal peace, harmony, and divinity. Om is the sound vibration of the true Self (Atman) and exemplifies supreme consciousness. The sacred vibration of Om (Hindu, Buddhist, Jain) is similar in sound and meaning to Amen (Christian), Amin (Islamic). Notice how Shalom (Hebrew) and Om Shanti (Sanskrit) share similar sounds expressing peace.
Comprehensive in nature, Om is visualized by the image (yantra) above. It is the cosmic, primordial sound vibration of divine universal consciousness. Like other mantras, it transcends the mind and emotions. Its celestial qualities can be revealed and actualized when one’s body and mind vibrate to its sacred sound through repetition (japa). Repetition can be done out loud to influence us physically, whispered or with one’s lips for a mental-emotional effect, and silently for inspiring one’s higher Self.
Om is naturally heard when breathing out slowly. Start with your mouth open. Breathe out to hear aaahhh. Listen for ooouuu as your lips begin closing. You will hear mmmm when your lips close. Listen to the silent pause afterward.
The full meaning of Om is infinite. Over time, chanting Om and/or visualizing it personally can reveal its significance. Reading about it is helpful but cannot reveal its power. For inspiration, here is some of its meaning and symbolism. Colors are provided to aid understanding of the relationship between the visual and auditory experience of Om.
Written and compiled by Julie Lusk. Primary sources: Vedas, Mandukya Upanishad, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Sutras. ‘The Secret Power of Yoga’ by Nischala Joy Devi. Diagram and explanation of OM’s symbolic significance by Sreedevi Bringi.
OM Sound and Symbol– pdf Chart to Print
| Sound vibration | A (aaaah) | U (oouuu) | M (mmmm) | Silent Om |
| Visual symbolism | Bottom left curve | Side curve | Top left curve | Crescent moon = Illusion. Obstacles |
| Dot = true Self | ||||
| Aspects of time | Past | Present | Future | Timeless |
| Aspects of focus | Outward | Inward | Outer inner harmony | |
| Aspects of being | Body | Mind | Spirit | Absolute |
| Chakra energy | Lower chakras | Middle chakras | High chakras | |
| 4 awareness states | Waking |Duality | Dreaming | Sleeping | Nonduality | Turiya (4th state) |
| 4 mind states | Conscious | Subconscious | Unconscious | Turiya (4th state) |
| 3 realms | Earth | Atmosphere | Heaven | |
| 3 gunas (attributes) | Rajas (overactivity) | Sattva (harmony) | Tamas (inactivity) | |
| 3 universal forces | Creation | Preservation | Dissolution | |
| Trinity | Brahma
Father / Mother |
Vishnu
Son / Daughter |
Shiva
Holy Spirit |
OM Sound and Symbol– pdf Chart to Print
What is Golden Repair Kintsugi or Kintsukuroi 
These Japanese Words mean Golden Repair
Kintsugi (金継ぎ) or Kintsukuroi (金繕い)
“Kin” is translated as Golden
“tsugi” means Repair
Kintsugi or Kintsukuroi prizes imperfection. It is the art of restoring broken pottery with gold so the fractures are literally 
illuminated, capturing a kind of physical expression of its spirit.
“As a philosophy, kintsukuroi, celebrates imperfections as an integral part of the story, not something to be disguised. The true life of an object (or a person) begins the moment it breaks and reveals.that it is vulnerable,” says Georgia Pelligrini.
This technique suggests many things. Maybe we should think twice before throwing away broken objects. Perhaps, we should try to repair things rather than assume it is no longer useful. It may sometimes become a more valuable object.
This is the essence of resilience. Each of us can look for a way to cope with traumatic events in a positive way, learn from negative 
experiences to take the best from them and convince ourselves that every experience makes each person unique and even more precious.
Pictured are a few golden repairs that I have done. Doing kintsugi gave me welcome relief when a few things that held sentimental value to me were better than before.
Inspired by Georgia Pelligrini, Steffano Carnazzi, Leggi L’Articolo, and Beth Owens
Here’s a little more background on Kintsugi with
instructions on how to make your own ceramic golden repairs 
Many thanks to Imaginative Crafts, Do-It-Yourself Projects and Video Tutorials by Robert Mahar, robert-mahar.com
Materials:
Broken pottery
Clear two-part epoxy
Mica Powder
Directions:
1. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, dispense a small amount of the clear two-part epoxy into a disposable tray.
2. Scoop a small amount of the mica powder onto the epoxy and stir thoroughly to combine.
3. Using a toothpick or sandwich pick, generously spread the epoxy along one edge of the broken pottery seam.
4. Align the two pieces of pottery and press together. Hold in place until the epoxy sets. Allow epoxy to fully cure before using.
