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VLOG: Refurbish. Restore. Regenerate.

You are currently viewing VLOG: Refurbish. Restore. Regenerate.

VLOG: Refurbish. Restore. Regenerate.

Ruminations about Mind, Body, and Spirit in staying healthy while improving wellbeing and performance.

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Sense of Being https://soulfulsojourn.com/sense-of Sense of Being
https://soulfulsojourn.com/sense-of-being/
∙ ∙ ∙
Sitting quietly, where is the focus? Listening to Life or to thoughts?

The mind is a miraculous tool, no doubt. But it’s also a random noise generator. It weaves fantastical dances that mesmerise and entrance. It distracts the senses, instating its machinations as truth. Beliefs laid overtop of Reality lead to constant searching, not Being.

Pausing, listening, feeling, Life’s ongoing artwork becomes evident—a continuous creation of colours, scents, touch, tastes and sounds, ever-present in an endless array of magnificence. 

∙The sound of rain drizzling as a background canvas for varying pitches in birdsong.
∙The scent of flowers and trees, so intense and subtle that colour is smelled.
∙The touch of cool, humid air on fingers, cheeks and nose.
∙The sight of droplets in a spider’s web and on blades of grass.
∙The taste of salt in the mouth mixed with sweetness in the breeze.
∙ A beating heart and whooshing blood.
∙ Lungs rise and fall in gentle resonance of breath.
∙ Tingling nerves, some for who knows what, others for contraction and relaxation of muscles moving fluids and bones.

Vigilant noticing becomes serene Being. The gentle vibration of unbounded orchestration. Life aware of itself through itself.

Attention steadfastly on Life, attuned to the Bliss that always is. Oh dear One, let me live without pause in this Joy. Ever awake in the engagements of living.
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❝𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 ‘𝘺𝘰𝘶’ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮.❞
~ 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙟𝙞
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✌️ ∙ 🌱 ∙ 🙏

* Note: For a further look at the discovery of simply being aware, check out Rupert Spira’s book “The Essential Self”. A free extract that quickly presents the premise is available on his website.
My best friend and I like to remind each other of My best friend and I like to remind each other of the important things. We often do this by checking in with each other, sharing what's happening inside, and asking the same of the other.
.
What was just shared with me:
❝We can't be authentic with others if we aren't authentic with ourself.❞
.
That's it in a nutshell. Look inside and let that be a constant process that's always running. That's authenticity.

For me, there's nothing more satisfying and beautiful than pure, authentic Life. Some say that it's difficult to do. Yes, until it isn't. It's a practice.
🙏
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... Just checking in. Howzit with you?
🤗
Enlightenment is not an escape from your vulnera Enlightenment 
is not an escape 
from your vulnerable humanity,
but a courageous embrace of it!

(Those who claim 
to be 'beyond' human feelings,
and who boast 
about being 'untouchable',
are secretly terrified
of this being human.)

It takes great courage
to be soft and flexible 
in a hard world. 

The true hero of the story
bows to their human limitations. 

True power lies in our willingness
to embrace difficult energies:
doubt, shame, fear, heartbreak.
To see them as movements of the Beloved. 

So, today, be light, and shine!
Willing to see what you don't want to see. 
Willing to soften into the hard places. 
Willing to be kind to your imperfections. 

Willing to hold darkness
like a newborn.

- Jeff Foster, @jefffosterofficial
"There is only one thing that is real, the present "There is only one thing that is real, the present moment in which I am face-to face with God...."
~Swami Abhishiktananda (Father Henri Le Saux, Benedictine Monk)
Eternity Many people want to live forever, but the Eternity
Many people want to live forever, but they aren’t even living now.

Eternity is in the present moment, not the future.
✌️ ∙ 🌱 ∙ 🙏
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❝𝘌𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵; 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘌𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.
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… 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴…❞
~𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝘼𝙗𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙠𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖, 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 8, 1952, 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘺, 44
Who https://soulfulsojourn.com/who/ Years ago, I h Who
https://soulfulsojourn.com/who/
Years ago, I had the belief that experiencing bliss and peace required toning down my emotions so that my actions would be more measured. This approach was inherently not blissful because I continually desired something in the future, something I thought I didn’t have, a particular experience. At its core, it was a hostile and unsustainable approach at forceful removal.

To be honest, it was a bit of a relief to accept that emotions are part of life. What wasn’t pleasant was that they seemingly controlled me. I was reacting to stimuli rather than being fully conscious and respectful. Seeking to assert some control over how emotions and thoughts presented themselves in action, I sought to become aware of their inception. This approach worked reasonably well. I began to notice the internal weather patterns sooner, diffusing rising energy before a storm developed, or enlivening reverence. By being very clear about what I wanted to bring to the world I had more influence over my conduct; yet, it didn’t feel like I was getting to the root. I was always a step behind in the process and never truly aware.

𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘮 𝘐?
This simple question shon light deeper into the cave: Who feels? Who thinks? Who seemingly acts?

I’m going to leave that with you to muse. 

To whom does anything happen or arise? (Look carefully, deeply and often. …Feel into it.)
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❝𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 ‘𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥’, 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵. 𝘖𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦?❞
𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙙: 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖.39
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✌️ ∙ 🌱 ∙ 🙏
No Separation - No Opposition https://soulfulsojou No Separation - No Opposition
https://soulfulsojourn.com/no-opposition/
We humans divide existence into things, feelings, and ideas. We then separate them from each other by believing them to be independent parts. What we misunderstand or, more precisely, misrepresent in this process, is that there is no inherent separation. It is a mental projection that leads to discontent and internal noise. We believe in ‘I’ and ‘You’ and we fiercely protect that which we deem to be ours for fear of loss.
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In non-separation there is silence because we know that all is one and regard all equally. “All things, all bodies, all organisms, are from the same source and activated by a single life principle.”* This is the peace of Being.
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When we stop believing the thoughts that separate, previously clear delineations that falsely dissociate objects begin to dissolve. We understand that separation is an imagination, a construct, an illusion of mind. Knowing this, we abide without the running commentary of the mind or hostility, even its subtlest forms. This is the awareness of being that is Bliss.
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❝𝗤: 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴?
𝗠: 𝘛𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥’𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.❞
~𝘚𝘳𝘪 𝘕𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘫, 𝙄 𝘼𝙢 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩, 𝘤𝘩. 48
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✌️∙🌱∙🙏
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* All Is One (Ellam Ondre), Vaiyai Subramaniam
https://realization.org/p/vaiyai-subramaniam/ellam-ondre/ellam-ondre.3.html
It really is this simple. • • @non_duality #ni It really is this simple.
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@non_duality #nisargadatta #enlightenment #selfrealization #jnana #jnani #advaita
Conversation, like everything else, starts with yo Conversation, like everything else, starts with you. Do the Inside Work. That's what brings about change.
•
@richroll Conversation matters. It’s the antidote to what ails us—a cure for ‘the death of nuance’. 

A few thoughts courtesy of @terrycrews from episode 676 of The Rich Roll Podcast.
Empty Concepts https://soulfulsojourn.com/empty-co Empty Concepts
https://soulfulsojourn.com/empty-concepts/
(1/2)
There was a time when I fully embraced nihilism, which is ironic since the philosophy rejects fundamental aspects of human existence. But I was looking for a way to express and explain my experience that everything in the world felt empty. Essentially, I was attempting to blame objects for their hollow animation (yet failing to grasp the absurdity of said pursuit.)

The more I looked, the more I noticed that the actual problem was an inability of the mind to adequately describe and define the underlying presence of the perceived. I discarded the theory and focused my attention instead on consciousness. While more interesting and mystic, this effort also left me wanting since consciousness can neither be divided into parts nor exist separate from awareness. Eventually, the focus shifted again, from the experience to the experiencer; who or what is being aware?

Recently, during a conversation with a good friend, the concept of nihilism made a cameo. Having trained myself to investigate nuances, the old abstraction started bobbing around inside as I looked at it from various angles, observing its hues and contours. Why *exactly* had I abandoned it?

I see now that nihilism was, for me at least, nothing more than a concept created by the mind and is just as empty as delineations used to define the world.

In the text below, the questioner accredits existence only to what he can imagine. Nisargadatta points out that since it’s imagination it doesn’t exist. What is actually real is that which is not imagined. This computes for me. Why? Because I’m not interested in attempting to assign reality to the temporary whims and fantasies of the mind.
—>
🕊 Q: What shall I find beyond the mind? M: The 🕊
Q: What shall I find beyond the mind?

M: The direct experience of being, knowing and loving.

~I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, ch.17.
Being honest means being deeply and precisely trut Being honest means being deeply and precisely truthful with yourself... all the time... unceasingly.
•
"You will inevitably run up against your hesitation, your fears. But that’s ok because you run up against those things eventually anyway."

"What is integrity? It's the capacity to be absolutely, totally honest with yourself."⠀
~ Adyashanti, adyashanti.ogs
Truth for Truth's Sake
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