Elisabeth's reflections on the benefits of meditationhttp://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog© Fragrant Heart Many people project outwardly a very positive countenance.  They don’t voice negative thoughts when talking with others.  This is a good start. However, it would be very rare for just about anybody to have a constantly positive inner dialogue.  Just by observing how the mind keeps on producing thoughts in meditation, I believe it becomes possible over time to be very conscious of the validity, o...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/112Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 PST I met a person who had tried yoga and walked out half way through the class.  She also tried meditation and found she “didn’t need it.”  I visited her home and while she constantly complained about her situation the local radio station blared out ads and music.  For this person there is not a moment in the day that is not being filled up in some way.  Not that I’m saying that yoga and meditation a...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/111Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST Do you have a book that is a well-thumbed, well-worn favourite, a book that you pick up from time to time that inspires and delights you? One of my favourite books is a collection of Rumi’s poems, translated by Coleman Barks with John Moyne.  Rumi was a mystic who lived in the 13th Century in the country now called Afghanistan. Often I will pick up the book and just open at any page.  What is so...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/110Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST I receive a lot of emails from dedicated meditators all over the world who come across our Fragrant Heart website.  I notice that each one of them as they write feels really good about what they are doing in their meditation practice.  Some are beginners and find the site helpful.  Each person shares an enthusiasm for meditation, and how it is changing their life in positive ways. If you are read...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/109Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST How seriously do you take your thoughts?  I notice that when I am meditating thoughts are passing on through some of the time.  Well, yes some thoughts can tend to hang about for a while.  Sometimes thought after thought arises and I am observing them but not giving them any extra energy like consciously connecting another thought to the previous one.  In meditation I see how clearly the job of th...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/108Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST People who share their life experiences often offer others new ways of looking at the world from a different perspective.  They may also ignite inspiration and a desire to change.  All great teachers have done this for humanity over the ages.  Recently I borrowed a book from the local library called, “Moving Forward” by Dave Pelzer.  I had never heard of Dave Pelzer before but after reading the ...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/107Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST Have you ever had a bunch of thoughts woven into a problem or worry that never seems to go away?  In fact you just don’t get a moment’s peace and quiet from the relentlessness of your obsessive thoughts.  They cloud everything you do.  They even affect you physically so that you may lose your appetite, or overeat, become sleepless, confused, even irritable and reactive. You may find that in your ...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/106Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST What does loss feel like for you?  Here are some reflections that I have gathered over the years. “Loss to me feels like a part of me is missing.  Loss feels like I have no one to turn to who will understand and comfort me.  Loss is like a deep hole inside me where I cry to be able to reach out to be held and soothed.  It feels like the only one who would take me in their arms and resonate with t...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/105Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST I have been reading about attachment in young infants.  All evidence shows that babies whose mothers pay attention to their cues grow into secure children and adults.  These mothers know when to pick up their little ones, when to feed them, when to give them space, and when to attend to their other needs.  The mothers do this through a now recognized physiological process whereby a part of the bra...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/104Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PST When you experience inner peace through your meditation practice it will show in you as you move through your day.  You will not be so agitated or irritable by what others do, or don’t do.  You will smile and laugh quite spontaneously for no other reason that just the sheer joy of being alive.  When people around you are angry and disturbed you will have a soothing effect on them.  With inner peac...http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/blog/post/103Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST