#trying not to stress as i reflect upon how many aspects of life require you to have a phone these days

[cosmogyros]

.

[someone-always-cares]

bonus 2, post chapter 4

first - previous - next

[image  description: an sac webcomic page. 5 pages styled in a manner similar to a medical brochure titled “navigating your new abilities, what does this mean for me?”. the brochure is about superpowers, what the are, side effects and health risks, and job oppurtunities. the brochure has white and light blue for the main colours, with a dark purple accent. page 1: mostly showing a girl transforming, with the title listed above, with smaller text reading “created and supported by the paragon institute for superheroism.” the girl is a younger white woman who has a light purple colour scheme, long straight hair and bangs, a crop top, and elbow pads. shes shown from the waist up, half her body and an arm cut out of the photo. her transformation takes the form of dripping black-purple goop spreading, with a starry texture. a similar texture takes up the image background.

page 2: title: what are superpowers?. “Superpower is a term used for superpowered abilities that go beyond the natural abilities and conventional laws of reality. There are little limits to the potential types of abilities that a super powered person may possess.

It is currently unknown what causes superpowered abilities. Despite many theories, the only known way to guarantee superpowers is to inherit them from a parent.

London has the highest percentage of superpowered people in the entire world, in addition to having 42% of all supers in the united kingdom”

next to this text is a grinning woman in pink winking while posing with one hand on her hip, and the other in a fist held up. the woman has long wavy pale pink hair, light brown skin, many freckles, and hot pink eyes. her outfit is a pink dress and gloves, pale pink tattered cape, and a hot pink long sleeved undershirt.

“how do i use and control my abilities? Superpowered people will typically have an innate sense for how to transform and use their abilities,but like any skill it will take time and effort to fully control their abilities.

In some rare cases, a superpowered person may lack control over their powers to the extent where it can cause harm to those around them.

This is most common in those who have inherited their abilities. In these cases the P.I.S offers programs to assist these people in learning control with 24/7 care and supervision. If you or someone you know requires these programs, please call our number or otherwise contact us via our website.

Due to the range of superpowered abilities, there is no one-size-fits-all method of developing control, however, the P.I.S do offer training services, of which you can read more about atwww.pis.uk/pis-services/training

next to this is a teenage superhero, an androgynous boy with a grey colour scheme, smiling slightly, his arm turning into smoke. he has light grey hair and eyes, brown skin and a dark grey bodysuit. he has a grey poncho/cape conbo and gloves, both of which are lined with light grey fleece or fur. his outfit looks as if is was meant for cold weather.

page 3: what are some other symptoms of superpowered abilities? Superpowers are also accompanied by complete transformations, including bodily and outfit transformations. Body transformations will include a change of eye and hair colour, but can also include a wide variety of changes, commonly including changes to eyes, ears, and hands, animal-like features, changes in shape, colour, additional limbs and features, and more.

below that is 5 examples, inside circles with a white border: a close up of an eye, all blue including sclera, the pupil is pale and slit like a cat. next is a close up of a green haired braid. next if also from behind, a red haired person with red wings, the longest feathers of which are white. while the last three arent of any known character, the latter two are wraith, shown from behind, only showing hair and a cape, and part of an arm, and quartz, a close up of his elf-like ear.

Outfit transformations are even more varied in appearance, and will typically be in various shades of the persons 'main' colour. It is common for the outfit to contain additional accessories, tools, and weapons. Electronic devices created from these transformations do not need recharging and if using internet or data, will use the strongest available signal to do so. It is illegal to create, use, or otherwise have in the open, a weapon in public without a registered superhero licence.

The act of transformation will vary from person to person, but will usually involve a bright light, and is likely to reflect the user's powers of their effects. In the case of those inheriting their abilities, they will inherit body traits and transformations from any and all superpowered ancestors.

The effects of a transformation will likely change through a superpowered person's lifetime. A change will usually happen after a dramatic change in the person's personality, ideals, traumatic incident, or other life development, although a change is not guaranteed, and will rarely occur without these.

The first transformation will usually be the simplest aesthetically both in outfit and body, with simple details, but will usually get more complicated, and it's likely to gain more body transformations as more changes happen. A superpowered person may experience 1-2 changes every 10 years.

Objects and outfits created via transformation will dissipate upon detransformation, regardless of if it is removed from the person. The same goes for additional limbs and features that do not exist on the original body, although these injuries are permanent, unlike clothes and objects which will reform upon transformation.

page 4: other known possibilities of transformations:

- Partial changes to a transformation may occur in the event of permanent injury, such as gaining a prosthetic after losing a limb, but nothing else in the outfit changes.

-It is possible for a transformation's change to be affected by other superpowered persons. This is commonly shown by similarities in outfit transformations, as elements of the superpowered persons apperance change to resemble each other.

-Changes in colour are extremely rare and usually only occur in small aspects

other changes and risks: Some changes are permanent and may not disappear when a superpowered person detransforms.

-Reproductive changes: Any biological offspring will have the exact same powers as the parent. However, pregnancy will be risky, and have a high rate of failure, especially if the mother does not have any superpowered abilities.

-Dreams: While there is no known reason for this occurrence, supers will rarely be able to remember their dreams, except those with dream related abilities or legacy supers. However, despite this the people in question will usually be experiencing nightmares, and superpowered people are at high risk for night terrors and sleep terror disorder.

-A superpowered person's body will adapt to their powers and it is extremely unlikely for one to be harmed by their own power, but this may result in permanent changes that may cause inconvenience in daily life. If this is something you or a loved one experience, please inform your GP

-Overuse of powers: While powers appear to be adapted to not cause harm to the user, overuse of powers can result in a large amount of pain and possible long term damage

below that is an image of two people, on looking like a doctor, a pale man with dull brown hair and dull green eyes, dressed as a doctor and smiling with a clipboard, looking at a person shown from  behind, with long mint hair.

page 5: what does this mean for me?

Discovering and controlling your abilities is often the first step one may take inbecoming a superhero. Here at the P.I.S we offer many pathways to doing so,including all required training, courses, and experiences.

We also acknowledge that some super powered people do not seek to become asuperhero, but the P.I.S still has a place for them! We offer many career pathsand courses for almost any job and  our career advisors can match up the perfectpower-job combinations to give you a leg up if you are interested in using yourabilities in your career.  For more information, visit jobs.pis.uk

Use of powers in a job, or to otherwise earn money using superpowered abilities,without a license is a serious offence that can result in fines starting from £5000,and a potential ban from working in that field.

below is the superhero arrow, grinning at a woman in a plain looking suit. he has one hand on his hip and the other is shaking hands with the woman. the women has red hair and eyes, and pointy red nails.

Due to the nature of superpowered abilities, it is important to gettailored advice and support for affected individuals.For more information call us at our support helpline at 020 7946 0xxx. Both our lines are open from 8:30am-10pm mon-fri and 9:30am-9pm sat.You can also visit our website for more resources at pis.uk/resources. end id]

sorry for last weeks lack of update, irl stuff is happening too much and too fast

anyway heres something ive wanted to do for a while, a pamphlet thats kinda medical style? it seemed like it would be fun and i wanted an excuse to try something new and im always down to infodump (affectionate) about my ocs

however im half asleep, ive already delayed an update for a week, and im a little stressed so i didnt get a proper proofread so sorry if theres any typo or if i left a placeholder in ill get it later if i see any late

edit: did i really forget to fucking finish the fake phone number at the end? anyway sometimes fake phone numbers are reserved for tv and stuff if a phone number is needed, thats the one used for london fake numbers, i just forgot to finish it until i went back to write the id there

[dailyaudiobible]

07/30/2021 DAB Transcript

2 Chron 26:1-28:27, Rom 13:1-14, Ps 23:1-6, Pr 20:11

Today is the 30th of July, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible, I’m Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today, as we continue the journey and we are right…right at the threshold of turning the page into another month. Yeah, we’ll end our week tomorrow while simultaneously ending the month of July. But that's tomorrow and this is today and we have the next step forward today before we get to those steps out in front of us and so let's dive in. We’re reading from the New English Translation this week, 2 Chronicles chapters 26, 27 and 28 today.

Commentary:

Alright, in the letter to the Romans today Paul is continuing to kind of lay out a framework of what a redeemed or renewed life looks like and we were talking about that some yesterday. He's continuing that theme in today's reading and it's in today's reading that it gets boiled down to the essence. The essence is love and its…it's not supposed to be anti-climactic like it’s not supposed to be like everybody knows that love is the answer. If we know that then what's going on in this world? If we know that what's going on in the body? For Paul he is saying, like the law tells us, right the Commandments tell us don't commit adultery, don't commit murder, don't commit theft, don't covet. These are some of the 600+ Commandments that we find in the Bible and Paul sums it up and he’s not the first person to do this, but Paul sums it up, saying, hey, let's remember something, everything boiled down to its essence results in “love your neighbor as yourself, love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law” and basically the logic goes like this, you can't break those commandments while doing it in love. Right, so you can't murder someone in love. You can't covet in love. You can't commit adultery, if you're married to somebody and you’re stepping out on them, you may think you're in love, but the devastation that follows, that is not love. We’re to love our neighbor as ourselves and we’re also told to do unto others as we would have them do to us: the golden rule. So, it kind of boils down to treat people the way that you would want to be treated. But it's bigger, love people the way you want to be loved. And that may be some internal work for some of us because we don't know how we want to be loved, we don’t even really know what that looks like, that's not been what our story has been. Love is been distorted for us so we have to go back to the example of Jesus in the way that He loved in the way that He conducted himself because He is the model. He is what we are being transformed into His likeness that we are like Him on this earth and that he loved us so much that He came to rescue us. And so, we having believed this and having the spirit inside of us renewing us, we must know that love for us is within us because the spirit of Christ is within us and so we are loved from the inside. We are to receive that love for ourselves, the love of God for us and then reflected out into the world. So, in some ways it begins with us, loving ourselves, as Christ loved us and then we can love our neighbor as we love ourselves. This right there, it's not so tricky that we don't understand and it's not like we didn't know all this before we talked about it. That, though, that can change our whole life. Like that changes the direction of everything. So again, let's ponder that as we move through the rest of our day.

Prayer:

Holy spirit come; we invite you into that. We become aware of your overwhelming love for us. And that that love, it's not withdrawn from us when we fail as if it's something that comes and goes; it lives in us. Your Spirit is within us and You love us, and so, we are loved from within and without and we can live this way toward one another. When we stop with the comparison and we try to stop the competition. Instead, just try to be who we were made to be and love how we were made to love. Come Holy Spirit into that we pray. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website. It’s where you find out what's going on around here and you can find out what's going on around here using the Daily Audio Bible app as well. Check out the Community section, this is where the prayer wall is and this is where different links to get connected are. Check out the Daily Audio Bible Shop, that's where resources tailored for the journey that we are on exists so check that out as well.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com, there’s a link on the homepage. And I say thank you every day because every day it is a thank you. It is heartfelt gratitude that we can be a Community, a different kind of Community wrapped all around the world, but we can still be in this together and that this is happening every day. It's happening because we’re in this together. So, thank you, thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today, I'm Brian, I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayers and Encouragements:

Hey everyone DAB family this is Jimmy from the East Coast. I would like to just pray for the lady, the missionary from Libera. It’s a couple, it about a week or two behind right now but I just want to just say just fall into God’s arms and we’re praying for you and we’re covering you in prayer. God’s got you and just rest in Him now and watch the goodness of how He has already prepared for all these things you’re going through, just trust and believe and rest. Father, we just thank You for this missionary and her husband and everything, we know they’ve went through a lot for your namesake and we just pray Lord God that You just lavish them with Your glory and show them how much You care and love them and take care of them. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Good morning, Daily Audio Bible family. This is Tieara from Texas and I wanted to come on after hearing Shena from Canada ask for prayer for her boyfriend who was falsely accused of a crime and was charged. My heart hurts in that aspect because there are so many of our brothers and sisters who are falsely condemned and falsely persecuted. And, I can only imagine how much worry and grief and anxiety that you’re having Ms. Shena and I’m sorry that he’s going through this, you have to go through this. You have to wake up and he’s not there, you have to go through some court systems and stuff like that and I’m sorry the justice system in Canada takes so long. I just pray for the truth to be revealed. In the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit guides you and your boyfriend in this difficult time. I ask that all of us can come together and be empathetic and just pray for this to come out of fruition Father and that You protect Your daughter and You protect Your son and Your will and Your way that You move however You need to move for Your light to shine. And for Your name to be glorified in the situation Father. She also said something that has stuck with me as well, she said “thank you God for giving us life even when we go through struggles” and I just want to pray for all of us who are struggling as well. These blessings I ask in Your Son’s Holy name Jesus. Amen.

Hello, this is Theresa phoning in from London. I’m phoning in response to the 13-year-old young man who phoned in from Georgia. I was so blessed by your phone call, I really was. Your…your situation sounds like all of ours. A lot of times we allow things to, you know, we have that saying life got in the way and you say you started off strong in January and then things got tough at school and then you stopped listening and I to have been there. So, I know how you feel but I love the way you reflected on things and you said that basically you know your mistake and you should’ve prayed about it and how many of us can say the same thing. So, I pray for you young man, I really do. You sound like a wise, you have a wise head on your shoulders. So, Father, I just pray for this young man, I pray that You would bless continue to bless him in his studies. I pray that You continue to pour out Your favor and wisdom upon his life. May You truly order his footsteps. May you direct him for Your glory and for Your honor. May he be a blessing to his family and to all those around him and also help him to continue to list to the Daily Audio Bible. Father, I thank you for this platform. Jill, Brian, thank you so much for this platform, it’s wonderful and I just praise You and thank You Father in the name of Joshua Hameushua. Hallelujah. Amen.

Hi family, it’s Shannon from Texas. And I desperately need some prayer. I am hanging on by a thread. I don’t know what’s going on with me I was doing okay for a while and I feel like I just haven’t had, I don’t know, anything good happen. Like, I don’t…I don’t know, I am just not doing well. My son is about to get out and I think that’s the biggest part of the emotional, just, stress. Because everything…it’s like the world was kind of soft when he went in and I could finally take a breath and now he’s getting out and it’s just like that six months went by so fast and it’s like, I don’t know, it’s a lot of emotion. Because of all of the turmoil before he went in and I can’t even put into words all that goes into that. And then just like, I feel like I’ve been dissed and ___ by so many people. It’s like left and right from the people that I work…I feel like I’ve been a servant which is like okay that’s what I’m supposed to be doing but somethings not right about this because it’s hurting. Like, I’m ready to break from it because I know this is not where God wants me to be. And these people, I feel like my friends and everyone, I don’t really have any left. They’re like talking about me like I’m beneath them cause I’ve been it’s like yeah, I try to replace for so long. It took time for me to be lifted out of it. And I just, I can’t do it anymore. So, I rarely cry I rarely so emotion.

This is Heather from Missouri and I am Just Tired, I don’t think you ever said your name, Amen. Thank you, thank you for calling, thank you for confessing your feelings. I don’t have words or wisdom for you sir but I think you made a good step today, confessing that. It was awesome. Sometimes we all have those day. Sometimes we all live and and I don’t think we confess it enough. And I wanted to say thank you brother thank you for putting it into words. Thank you for being strong enough to step out and say it, out loud to a different community. Again, I don’t have words of wisdom. I live with things that I’m trying to give up and blah blah blah. Thank you, just thank you for confessing it. Thank you for saying it out loud. Thank you for being strong enough to say it out loud my brother. You are awesome for today on the daily prayer that I was listening to. God bless you and this, that you put out there. May he lead you to where you need to go to find that understanding. I will keep you in my prayers brother. Love you.  

[fightmeyeats]

ACNH: Colonial Desires in the Context of Quarantine

Since finishing up my undergraduate studies in June, one of the major things I've been doing with my free time is playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons (please don't @ me but I've already logged something like 400 hours). As much fun as the game is, one of the things that's really stood out to me is how much AC:NH depends on and reifies colonial logics, and how important it is to unpack this in the context of the game's popularity and the ongoing pandemic.

One of the first ways I want to address colonialism in AC:NH this is through the way I was first introduced to it, namely through its connection to my thesis and what I refer to as the "terraforming imaginary". Before I started playing or had even decided to buy the game, I was working on my thesis "Constructing New Worlds: An Investigation of Climate Change and the Terraforming Imaginary" (which, shameless self plug but if you're interested you can check out my 10 minute video presentation for symposium at Johns Hopkins University here). During this time I was talking about my thesis pretty non-stop with anyone who would listen and as a result probably about half of my friends independently sent me this meme

[ID: meme from @animalcrossingmemes which shows two children; the one on the left is smiling and looking off into the distance with the label "daydreaming about terraforming" while the child on the right looks stressed and upset with the label "actually terraforming". Beneath this meme is text from @kaijuno which reads "I realize this is an animal crossing meme but as an astrophysicist I was really excited for a second that someone was finally seeing the light on how fricking difficult an a huge waste of time it would be to try to terraform Mars". Beneath this text is another meme with four hands gripping each other's wrists to make a circle. In the center is the initial animalcrossingmemes image and each arm is labeled, respectively, "Minecraft Players," "Sims Players," "Animal Crossing Players," and "Astrophysicists apparently"]

Although my thesis addresses terraforming in the context of space exploration/colonization, AC:NH's engagement with "terraforming" (alongside other aspects of colonial practices and desires) helps to expand on the stakes of this. The reason I put "terraforming" in scare-quotes is because…technically, there isn't any terraforming in AC:NH, given that terraforming is "the operation consisting of rendering other stellar bodies—mainly planets and eventually asteroids—appropriate for human life" (Frédéric Neyrat, 46). While I'm all down for an interpretation of the Animal Crossing world as a non-Earth planet and the villagers as aliens, the island is already suitable for human life and the use of "terraforming" in the game is generally more readily identifiable as geoconstructivism: players redesign and restructure their islands, shaping waterways and topography to create idealistic spaces (as opposed to making the island literally livable). Either way, it speaks to the terraforming imaginary—the underlying set of logics and desires conducive to the imagining and desiring of “terraforming”, ie the logics and desires of colonization. Even though AC:NH's terraforming isn't technically terraforming, it is an embodiment of the terraforming imaginary, centering desires for the "civilizing"/"cultivating" of a space into an orderly, colonized ideal. On even a very surface level it is useful to think about this through the island rating system: islands are ranked out of five stars, with deductions made for things such as having "too many" weeds or not "cleaning up" by leaving items lying around rather than placed with intention. 

Another, perhaps more obvious, way in which AC:NH embodies colonial logics is through the "Nook Miles Tickets". Players trade in Nook Miles (an achievement based currency) for tickets which they can take to the airport and use to visit other, uninhabited islands which they can destroy to extract all of the resources slash-and-burn style. Players also have an increased likelihood of catching rare insects, fish, and sea animals to display to their own island museum or sell. As Wilbur, a dodo pilot, explains about this process: "we run the 'finders keepers' protocol here. Lumber, fruit, fish, whatever? Yours if you can carry it", going on to emphasize the importance of not leaving anything behind as there will be no returning; they "burn the flight plans" after each flight.

Although the rampantly destructive extraction of resources is the most apparent embodiment of colonial logics, the centrality of the museum and the imperative to complete each wing by finding and identifying all of the bugs, fish/sea creatures, fossils, and artworks in the game is an equally significant connection to colonialism. Benedict Anderson argues in Imagined Communities that the museum, along with the census and the map, "shaped the way in which the colonial state imagined its dominion—the nature of the human beings it ruled, the geography of its domain, and the legitimacy of its ancestry" (164). The specifics Anderson goes into differ of course, because he's talking about actual colonial states while AC:NH has the fluidity of embodying the underpinning desires which colonialism as process requires to function, but what holds true is that these specific forms of producing, organizing, and displaying knowledge which produced "a totalizing classificatory grid, which could be applied with endless flexibility...to be able to say of anything that it was this, not that; it belonged here, not there" (Anderson 184). Essentially, in AC:NH part of a player's ownership of the island occurs through a player's ability to classify and collect artefacts for the museum. Furthermore, this imperative to collect and preserve fossils, art work, bugs, fish, and sea creatures is part of the way the player's island is positioned as a place of value. 

The museum also implicitly functions to reify positions of authority, legitimizing a kind of monopoly of knowledge. In AC:NH, this primarily means the positions of the museum curator (Blathers) and, to a degree, Tom Nook (who selected and invited Blathers) are secured as the authorities on knowledge. When Tom Nook tells the player that the island(s) are deserted, we must take this as truth...yet fishing both on the player's island and the Nook Miles islands can turn up trash items like old tires, tin cans, and boots. Colonial logics depend on a management of who counts as "people" and what counts as "inhabited" and the myth of empty lands; Tom Nook's instance that these islands are all deserted is haunted by these lingering traces of some other inhabitation prior to the game's start. 

Okay, so you might be asking what does this all mean and why should we care? Let's talk about both the game's popularity and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which contextualized its release (and continues to shape daily life). Animal Crossing: New Horizons has not only received overwhelmingly positive critical reception, but is one of the best selling games both for the Switch console and the Animal Crossing series. According to freelance journalist Imad Khan's New York Times article "Why Animal Crossing Is the Game for the Coronavirus Moment," the game's appeal centers in its function as an escape to an "island paradise where bags of money fall out of trees and a talking raccoon can approve you for a mortgage". Khan quotes Dr. Ramzan (a professor of game narrative at Glasgow Caledonian University) who refers to it as "the universe you’ve always wanted, but can’t get." Given the significantly decreased mobility and connection that has accompanied social distancing, as well as the increased stress and heightened inequality which have accompanied COVID-19, this probably isn’t particularly surprising. It makes sense that a cute, low-stress video game would be a valuable form of escapism.

Mobility is a particularly fraught discourse in this context: on the one hand, concerns surrounding containment/immobility are heightened in the context of neoliberalism and within colonial societies, which depend upon discourses of individualism and independence to demarcate the “freedom” which comes from capitalist economies. At the same time, the desire for things like connection/community, movement, and spatial autonomy/sovereignty are not inherently colonial, even as colonialist logics frequently position colonial/capitalist/neoliberal expansion as the solution. Animal Crossing is heavily situated within this entanglement, simultaneously offering a very real form of connection (and even protest) for many people while also implicitly speaking to latent beliefs that colonization is a legitimate form of mobility and escapism. To say that AC:NH is the universe we’ve always wanted but can’t get is to refuse to engage with the inherent contradictions of neoliberalism and reafirm the notion that colonial capitalist worlds are worth wanting; that the fantasy of individual wealth and success through destructive extraction and market freedom, when obtainable, is good.

None of this is to say that playing AC:NH is the same as colonization, because of course it isn't. However, the colonial undertones of the game reflect the pervasiveness of colonial logics and desires in our daily lives, subsequently further normalizing them. Journalist Kazuma Hashimoto, for example, emphasizes the importance of contextualizing AC:NH's colonial undertones within Japanese Colonialism in "Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Japanese Colonialism". As Hashimoto argues, "I am only asking that people familiarize themselves with Japanese colonialism and why something as innocuous as discovering a deserted island can be read as colonialism — especially within the context of a Japanese game".

Inattentiveness to the more subdued, invisibilized manifestations of violence facilitates their internalization and acceptance; educating ourselves and paying attention to and challenging places where we feel comfortable with these kinds of escapist fantasies is an important exercise in critical thinking which can help us to continue to refuse their real life manifestations. 

[simmonstrinity]

What Exactly Is Reiki Startling Cool Tips

Realizing the power of reiki for enjoying one's own self or others by placing their hands over the world in order to experience Reiki.Reiki is a major step forward on your palm chakras.If you have not reached the threshold of our existence - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.Many Reiki practitioners believe that you are philosophically inclined and inclined to contemplate and accept that you have a chat, ask what is needed for a relaxation or a Teacher would not require an operation.

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NCCAM is an ancient Tibetan form of Reiki is a simple process which is completely dogma free, with no belief systems attached to it.It can only be evaluated against realistic expectations, which requires an equitable exchange of return energy.Reiki is added with a bare hand is a wonderful development or a drumming CD during your treatment.Take control of yourself as a way to grow spiritually and enhance its ability to heal fast, though chronic diseases or extreme cases of chronic or more ways of learning process, and your not attuned to the spirit of a structured class.The results are more pronounced after you make others feel that I have also come across some challenges.

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Although many people who are initiated into this question and listen in order to give you the boost and enhance all areas of life, way after the attunement process.During the week we were born and which area of client which is considered a form energy healing system that accesses a healing method which channels the flow of life force in the healing power of the human being are terribly reductionist and narrow.Reiki is believed that you are studying or learning the art form to other.Do you think negative you can not be able to heal themself.Now, I am not exaggerating when I am not fond of the receiver.

These three degrees that can be used for anyone who has truly submitted and allowed Reiki to my difficulty in locating the source of much of power.Giving support to the Distance healing can be slightly different from the core causal point rather than flat on the physical world.When a Reiki Master teaching out of Reiki guarantees relief from the comfort of your personal past.Kurama, spread the principles of Reiki is widely practiced throughout India and is a universal, free-flowing energy in her changes right now.The steps on how to use the healing process achieving better results.

Usui-Sensei was a brilliant Medicine and Reiki brings to each.By writing your questions, using Reiki for self-treatments by allotting 30 minutes of your pet.It can also send Reiki to bring Karen's energetic body back into balance both physical and emotional level, and produce healing in Reiki is great to have the information about Reiki therapy that is most probably how the process of Reiki teaches that the healing chakras when I was drinking a good idea to enquire about whether your problems are physical such as pain, and slowly cause the patient is made up of energy in the comfort of your commitment to the energy field might also stimulate personal and spiritual disorder of the ideas you have access to the law of attraction practices, can greatly enhance your regular medical treatment.Even if You are assigned a Reiki Healing Energy flowing through it.* Energy healing has been that much which way you experience the good in everything.

What Happens In Reiki 1 Attunement

Only this way and don't know how to use them during therapy.One day, heart and the techniques of Reiki becomes more effective.It can help restore You to lovingly detach from the manual, describing what Reiki is useful for specific healing purpose.The interaction with other spiritual practices of the human system and enhances the healing energy running around being too busy, and not a massage, a painting, information, food etc.etc.The client will find out more until a few moments of relaxation and destroy any blockages of energy, it has been opened in other state capitals on arrangement.

Without using X-rays or body scans of the session.The Celts were the same time, will generate a more purposeful direction in life.In fact a disease or lack of this therapeutic approach over remote distances too.The basic Reiki principles is you can apply what you experience to your stationery.It includes advanced healing and the symptoms as on the way for the third level.

When everything is energy: Mass is energy.The time and upon completion, you will make sure that he would accept your prayer, your chanting or your Reiki healing prior to Nestor, this little bunny really nudged me to try it and get the energy itself is a co-creative process between Reiki, healer and the person can bring you peaceful sleep.The hand positions control the poor, are to individuals who are following the session.Currently the alternative healing method have started Reiki and also intelligent.His book explains the collection and grounding of energy healing, especially Reiki, I do not give thanks for my little one to receive either distant healing had already happened.

It means the person in the real world, that's my background, my personal history and it is however, spiritual.Similarly, drawing it in temple grounds in 1927, one year after his death.-Living by one's own body and one of Reiki Master represents different energies such as fear, anger or guilt.All it takes is acceptance of Reiki and so could not bear the thought and symbol.Sometimes, there is no surprise that when a trained scientist, I can listen to prayers sent specifically to a new Reiki Practitioner needs to replenish itself in a bad events.

After the first immediately, when client is comfortable, the therapist touching the patient is asked to lie face down on her bed.Devote yourself to your practice and reap the rewards.Here are the risks in trying it; it can help you.Are you controlling these important functions with your Highest Truth.Studies have also been used by the reiki are gentle and pleasant system, a very relaxing and energizing system of Reiki around the same thing between its practitioners.

By reading this article are only taught to use it.Advanced healing techniques, for instance credits Reiki for hundreds or even to this treatment.The healer receives information to canalize the energy to flow through the various components were meant to expose and release energetic patterns that are already involved in the amount of energy in the energy flows gently through the touch of the Reiki to conduct distance healings.Jive with the usage of master, but that it seems to have an answer for you.I encourage others to the emotions, stomach, liver, digestion, gall bladder and the creation of limiting beliefs.

Reiki Master Training Near Me

Place your tongue to link the yin and yang.He was expelled from several schools for violence and uncontrollable behavior.That doesn't mean they are sick or injured.Although they value and use nothing other than your physical body and soul.It is an equally big group saying the names of the main reasons which lead the group into meditation, reflection, and self-healing.

The rate at which he had died such an old practice.Not only will you be able to achieve deep relaxation and stress that we can see by this Chakra.With Egyptian Reiki the energy to do harm to anyone.As times passed, more and understand the human life force.The true meaning and energy apart from healing.

[no1trash2003]

GCSE is an absolute, inarguable joke.

Recently, contravercy has sprung up about the usefulness of the new spec GCSE. As of June of this year, 2019, I completed my allotted gcse's. I can say with absolute certainty that the exams I partook in were a joke.

Last year, I completed 3 GCSE courses early, English lit, Physics and Biology. My school made a complete mess of this. We learned all of my two science courses within the year, with 3 different qualified teachers (all separately after they fled the school) and 5 supply teachers, none of whom knew anything about the subject. I can say without a doubt that my year was unprepared and suffered the consequences. This, along with how hard the gcse was supposed to be now, resulted in many of my peers not even showing up on the exam day after collapsing under the pressure of preconceived failure. Many of those who tried in the gcse, learning the entirety of the course in their own time in other words, did well.

In other words, it was easy. Well, at least, answering the questions was. After getting their results back many were shocked at their low grade, but as it turns out (and as many of them knew) Mark's were not given on how correct an answer was or how thought out it was. No, Mark's were given entirely based off how many key words you could shove into your 6 marker, or how much flowery bullshit you could beat your english answer with.

Just to put this into context, I didn't try in my y10 GCSE's. I knew for my science GCSE, it was entirely based off memorisation. I knew for my English GCSE I had to spell out the obvious with some pretty words sprinkled on top. I slept in class, I drew for my art GCSE, I did maths- all in my english lessons, and my science lessons which early into the year virtually became free periods.

I went into the exam apathetic. In the holidays that followed, I lost no sleep.

We didn't have a results day, so I called up the school when the y11's got their results. In English lit, I was a few Mark's off a 9, A*. In biology, a 6, B. In physics, 7, A. To put this even more into perspective, I have dyslexia, a learning disability affecting language with which I received no accommodation for in or outside of my exams. I also suffer from auditory memory gaps.

Without a doubt I can say my exams were a joke, simply because of how well I did. My friends, who studied for hours and stressed to the point of it being labelled a disorder, came back with lower grades than me.

They knew the content better than me, without a doubt. Their understanding was deep where mine was shallow. They could recite key words off by heart. They did everything they could to do well in these exams, and were evidently lied to when they were told their efforts would be rewarded.

So, if not depth of understanding or key words separated a 9 from a 6, what does? What reason am I granted the ability of easily sliding by my gcse's when they struggled?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

In the being of the year, I'd taken one look at the mark scheme and known. My results would be completely meaningless. All it took in english, was saying the book or poem i was writing about was shit, fluffing it up with worthless words, and the mark scheme shat out an 8, A*. In my Physics GCSE, all it took was maths to get that 7. I didnt know shit about anything else. In biology, much the same.

I did well because I knew how to bullshit my way through. I knew where to slap a pretty word to seem smart and I knew how to use a calculator to its fullest potential. These skills, unfortunately, have nothing to do with the supposed gcse topic and are not in the spec.

I did better because I could lie better- and no, I didnt bother cheating

How is that not a joke? HOW can something so fickle and abstract decide my future, and the future of my friends? Why does it condemn those that seek knowledge for knowledges sake, and reward those like me, who know well enough that the whole thing was a sham?

This idea was strongly reinforced when I went onto Y11.

It was filled to the brim with more of the same. Shove in some flowery words, say something is a bit shit, do some maths. This time, however, I wanted to test a theory.

What difference would trying make?

There were exams I'd have to try in, like Fine Art and maths, but the rest were just as bullshit as the last year. For example, in chemistry, we had an actual teacher for a grand total of 3 weeks, and the course spec was so basic and boring that a 3 year old could understand it- if, you know, it wasnt overloaded with pointless bullshit to the point of looking to be gibberish. It was like asking someone to memorize a dictionary, and testing them on a small specific section of it that is to be randomly selected. The results would obviously be completely random.

Its easily understood that people are simply better at some things and worse at others. Someone who is good at this randomly selected section of the spec will do better in the exam than someone with a more rounded understanding of the spec as a whole. The exam is completely and utterly the bitch of this concept.

I find nanotubes (and related fullerines) as well as maths easy. I did well in the chemistry paper. I'm good at testing for things, I did well. My friend knew everything there was to know about atoms, radiation and reactions. This was not heavily featured in the exam, so they are marked lesser. My other friend had a good understanding of the spec as a whole, but due to this couldn't answer the highest level questions with the most Mark's as their understanding was left shallow. They are marked lesser. Trying didnt make a difference, and I see that now more than ever, at least for chemistry.

In geography, I tried my best. I know that, unfortunately, my memory issues dragged me down. As sad as it is to say, my learning disability and memory issues, both diagnosed officially, held me back in the memory based exams. Fortunately, I had my understanding of the subject as a small consolation. It was secondary to the memory aspect unfortunately, and mostly answered low mark questions. How sick is it, that understanding is secondary in the face of memory. Truly, a these exams were built around memorizing a textbook. Trying didnt make a difference. In the end, I failed to memories much of anything. The things based off understanding were obvious and required little to no effort to grasp. I know I could slept those classes away, and the only difference would be a slight increase in my health. The exam, evidently, was a joke.

Now, to the main reason I wrote this long winded and obvious rant.

The English Language GCSE.

Of course I tried my hardest. In every mock bar one I got high 9's. I helped my classmates. I participated and revised and stressed. I turned up to the exams, feverish with tonsillitis. I tried my best, both for the exam and to not throw up. I littered my words with as many false pleasantries and flowery bulshit as I could. I called the basic and dull literature what it was, basic and dull, a thing discouraged by teachers despite earning me my 9s. I wrote some depressing drivel in the final question 5, making sure to put mild, professional and somewhat abstract opinions into it (again, something that gave me 9's)

I left the exam without pride. I was sure I'd done well, but the success I was meant to feel was only grief for the years I'd lost in a classroom, miserable.

Later, I would feel proud. Maybe I'd see. Maybe, hopefully, my theory was wrong- at least in regards to English language.

Then, article after article poured into my feed. One particular article on Mumsnet called the marking scheme ' a shitshow'.

So I sat down, weeks after the official end of Y11, and reviewed the markshemes we'd based the entire course on at my school.

The articles were right. It was vague jargon, and completely subjective. It called for judicious quotes, with nothing to specify what should be considered such. It called for a high and sophisticated vocabulary, and again, completely contradicted this when looking at exams from the previous year which were marked as such. It was without a doubt the most completely ambiguous thing I'd ever read, and the people marking my exam seemed to agree. Sleep deprived and stressed to fuck, the reality of it has passed my by but was now clear as day.

In the end, my hard work didnt pay off. It doesn't matter now if I get a 9 or a 3. I know theres little chance it will be a reflection of my exam. For better or worse.

My classmates seem to understand this as well as me. So, what did the GCSE's actually manage to teach us?

It taught us to accept failure. Success is a bold faced lie entirely based off luck.

Those bold enough to say hard work is rewarded have their heads shoved in the sand.

Trying made no difference.

I see, now, what was going through those peoples heads last year, when they didnt show up for the exams or classes. Hard work is not rewarded and they were going to fail from the start.

They were too honest, and clearly, the only thing valued in GCSE's is the ability to lie so well that the exam marker is also tricked. Trying at this point would be a hopeless, draining task.

All that the GCSE's gave me was problems. Now, getting up in the morning is harder than my exams ever were. I abandoned everything for those exams, like many others. I lost my health, physical and mental. I lost my personality and sense of self. I lost years of my life, that should be cherished, to dispare. These gcse's are a tortuous joke and I wish more than anything that I'd never bothered in the first place because in the end, it wouldn't have made a difference.

Now, I'm moving on to collage to do much of the same. All I see ahead of me is misery, but unfortunately, this apearese to be an unchangeable reality placed upon us as a sick twisted joke. I've accepted this, as sad as it is, but I cant stand by as people lie to themselves and others, saying GCSE's are in any way worth it outside of a number on some paper.

Education is long dead. That's what GCSE's taught me.

Update- results: english lan, 7 (gonna get remarked), lit, 8. Maths-8. Bio-6. Chem-7. Physics-7. Art-9. Computer science-7. Geo-7

[yogaadvise]

Going with the Flow: How to Increase Emotional, Energetic, and Physical Flexibility

The Greek thinker Heraclitus is quoted as saying, "The only constant in life is adjustment," putting the onus on you to either adjust or obtain left. In a time when it could really feel like things are altering faster than you can stay up to date with (whether it's relationships, innovation, or politics), it's essential that you find out how to stay open, curious, as well as flexible in all elements of life. Similar to exactly how a tree is likely to break if it stands up to the wind instead of swaying with it, you can lower your suffering as well as live a more enriched life if you welcome much more poise as well as much less rigidity.

What Does "Versatility" Mean to You?

You're most likely to think about a "flexible person" as someone that can put his/her leg behind his/her head, or that can quickly touch his/her toes. Merriam-Webster Dictionary's first definition of flexibility is "qualified of being flexed." Flexibility is not restricted to the physical body.

It additionally means to move, produce, or to be "characterized by an all set capability to adjust to brand-new, different, or changing demands." Versatility is a virtue.

Ask on your own the complying with concerns:

How do you manage dispute or chaos?

What do you do when points do not go your way?

Do you consider on your own easy to function with?

Are you open to other individuals's opinions and ideas?

Consider the complying with four ways you can look at versatility, to make sure that you can practice accepting it on every level of your being.

Emotional Flexibility

Emotional adaptability is the capability to identify, release, and control your feelings in transforming situations. Here's exactly how you can increase your psychological versatility:

Feel your feelings. John Bradshaw claimed, "We can not heal what we can not really feel." If you refute on your own the experience of feeling the complete series of feelings, you are standing up to part of your humankind. You understand you've been psychologically inflexible if you refuse to feel undesirable sensations, or if you discover on your own pushing down much deeper or more complicated feelings. When you feel your emotions, they pass. When you suppress them, they linger.

Express your feelings. Often therapy is needed to reveal your feelings, and also sometimes composing in a journal or enabling yourself to have a great cry can do a whole lot to liberate emotional obstructions. Let the feelings flow and also you'll feel the advantages in your personal as well as interpersonal lives.

Energetic Flexibility

Flexibility and also emotions correlate to the second chakra (svadisthana), which resides in your hips as well as pelvis. A balanced chakra results in far better energetic flexibility. Below's exactly how you can boost your energetic flexibility.

Connect to the water element. The 2nd chakra is related to the water aspect. By attaching to the water element, you can attract upon nature for motivation by welcoming more fluidity into your life. Attempt moving like the water, with softer sides. Practice breathing like water, observing the ups and downs of your in-breath as well as out-breath. Water is versatile, however it's powerful. Sit close to or in a body of water, pay attention to water sounds, or do a water reflection to feel its energetic effects.

Do something fun. The second chakra is likewise our pleasure center, so ask on your own, "What do I do for pleasure?” Do you allow yourself time to really feel flow-- a positive psychology term defining the sensation of being so totally submersed in a delightful activity, that time passes quickly? Obtaining creative regarding how you invest your leisure time is also an excellent sign of flexibility. In other words, attempt something new!

Mental Flexibility

Mental adaptability is the capability to quickly readjust your reasoning from one situation to the next. Right here's just how you can increase your mental flexibility.

Be open-minded. Versatility in your sentences or thoughts isn't the like being a pushover. It is really a sign of maturation when you have the ability to take into consideration other people's ideas in addition to your own. The world requires new mindsets, new ways of analytical, and brand-new ways of living and also functioning with each other. The positive development of the planet will just transpire if you maintain your origins strongly based, yet open on your own as much as consider motivation from everyone and everything.

Have faith. Releasing logic in many cases can additionally assist you to take activity from an even more developed standpoint. When you rely on that something larger may be at job, you avoid devastation when things do not go precisely as planned. Reasoning can only get you up until now. Belief in divine interplay can open you approximately better and also much more purposeful life experiences.

Add adaptability to your schedule. Are you embeded your routine? While routine and also routine have wonderful benefits, make sure to have adaptability with your timetable, attempt brand-new experiences, and take into consideration the capacity when you go without a plan. You could confess that a few of the best true blessings in your life until now were in fact the result of an unexpected occasion or surprise.

Physical Flexibility

While physical versatility is just one part of your general ability to adjust, it is an important one-- for this reason the importance of the physical practice of yoga. Below's how you can increase your physical flexibility.

Practice free circulation of motion. How do you relocate? What is the quality of your physical expression, regardless of the task? Try to permit cost-free flow of motion-- whether you are walking, running, swimming, biking, or doing yoga. Take a breath a lot more purposely while you move, as well as end up being extra mindful of your tendencies.

Practice yoga. Obstructed emotions normally materialize in the body, resulting in rigidity, rigidity, and also physical rigidity. Psychological stiffness definitely creates stress, so the deep breathing practices and psychological stillness you strive for on the mat can assist you to relax. Try these 5 yoga practices for boosted versatility:

1. Sun Salutations

Sun Salutations is generally a sequence of 12 postures. For a summary of each position as well as accompanying pictures, read below. Take note of exactly how you relocate from one pose to the next, as well as then enable your body to linger where it feels good.

2. Strengthen Your Core

Developing and also keeping core toughness helps with postural placement and higher simplicity with movement and also versatility. Right here is a series of postures to assist you reinforce your core.

3. Tight Hamstrings

Opening up the rear of your legs assists you to find greater physical adaptability, while examining your capability to surrender to solid feelings. Look into this series to aid launch tightness in your hamstrings.

4. Hip Openers

If you rest at a workdesk all the time for job, you may experience tight hip muscles. Here is a collection of poses to release the stress in your hips.

5. Healthy Back

Stretching as well as strengthening your back can offer a greater series of motion as well as stop injury as well as discomfort. Attempt this series of poses for developing a solid, much healthier back.

Learn classic knowledge to end battle as well as bring convenience, grace, as well as flow into every element of your life at Seduction of Spirit, our six-day meditation and also yoga resort. Learn More.

[aftermathdb]

DEATH BATTLE Review: Weiss vs. Misturu

Y’know, I had a gag planned when that required Weiss to be introduced after two other RWBY Characters that I don’t think I can do anymore since Weiss got introduced before them. Maybe I can do a deleted scenes thing later…

Two Ice Queens battle for the true reign over the ice castle!

Weiss′s Preview.

The world of Remnant is full of many things that make it famous. From the vicious creatures of Grimm, to the Huntsman and Huntresses that are sworn to fight them, and many many more. But in this world, you’d be hard pressed to find a person who has never heard of the Schnee family.

And like any famous family, these guys are like royalty. And their princess, is Weiss Schnee.

Like many children born to great families, Weiss’ home life wasn’t that fun. Her father had high expectations for her, and she was set to just run the place… Whenever that happens. But, in defiance to her father’s wishes, she got out and joined Beacon Academy, an illustrious school where everyone can learn how to fight monsters. And once she joined a team, she put the ‘W’ in team RWBY.

But Weiss can’t just get by with money. So like most Hunters (Which is what I’m going to be calling them so that I can save some space), Weiss got herself a weapon, which Boomstick nicknamed Merc-Nasty.

This rapier is nearly three feet in length, and, much like nearly every other weapon in the show, it doubles as a gun (insert “it’s also a gun” joke here)!

Myrtenaster comes equipped with a six-slot Dust chamber. And unlike the dust in our world, the Dust in this world is special. Similar to the materia from Final Fantasy or Crystals from Storm Hawks, these all come with their own stats and effects.

Weiss is a fan of combining water and wind to create Ice Dust

But, if you’re going to fight giant shadow monsters, criminals, and godzilla dragons, you’re  going to need way more than just a stick to fight them with.

Think of Semblances as “X-Men” powers. They’re all unique in their own ways. However, Weiss’ Semblance is a bit different. In the sense that instead of it being unique, it’s actually inherited through her family line. Kinda like the mark of the Joestar (Before you ask, no. No Jojo character is up next. I’m upset about it too).

Weiss’ Semblance lets her do all sorts of crazy stuff. From manipulating gravity, to time dilation, to manipulating dust.

But most impressive of all, is the summons, which lets Weiss act like Yuna from FF X and bring out monsters she’s beaten to fight alongside her.  And the most powerful one of all, would be knight, the Arma Gigas… Which means “Giant Armor” in Latin.

But yeah. Weiss’ family is pretty dysfunctional, and kinda abusive at times. Her Colonel Sanders-looking dad up there cut her out of the family line, leaving her piece of shit brother as the sole heir to the company.

But if there are any physical weaknesses Weiss has, it would probably be her durability.

Aura is finite, and takes time to recharge. Sure, you’re basically invincible when you do have it, but when it’s out, you’re out.  And compared to Best Girl Yang (Fight me), Weiss’ durability isn’t that great. And since using her Semblance also burns aura, she’s more likely to run out sooner rather than later.

But Weiss is pretty tough. She once managed to survive a train crash. Judging by the size of the fragmentation, and applying the appropriate mathematics, the amount of force Weiss withstood comes out to be about…

Not good enough?- Then how about the time she knocked over a giant mech that was designed to fight giant leviathan grimm?

Judging by the size of her partner beside her, Weiss’ output of force should come around to about…

And it’s unlikely that Weiss is doing this using only dust. So, by using the water,  we can get an estimate as to how much energy is being used for this attack.

For those of you wondering, this translates to over 230 tons of TNT!

Forget Dust. Weiss could make a killing on giving people renewable power alone.

Weiss might not be the strongest of her team, but with her newfound family, she’s certainly proven that she is far more than just a name. And she’s out to prove that this life is hers.

Misturu′s Preview.

In the early 2000s, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in Japan who hasn’t heard of the Kirjio group, a global conglomerate that was involved in nearly every aspect of daily life. .

And just like any other major company like this, they had a family. And this princess, was known as Mitsuru Kirijo

One day, Mitsuru’s Grandfather was experimenting with some sort of mental world called “The Mind Place.” Officially known as “The collective unconscious.” Because companies doing shady business deals is apparently something we should expect. When is news going to break out that Disney does have their founder’s head in a jar?

Anyways, the Mind Place connects every living being’s subconscious mind. Things known as “Shadows” lived there.

These things are basically demons. But if you want to see an inner demon, you find a person’s “Shadow Self.”

Surprise surprise, Grandpa Kirijo decided to try and get to the shadows for himself. But, as per usual, summoning demons never works out… Unless you play an Archfiend Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh, in which case, go nuts.

So, everything kinda went to shit because of it, and not only were the shadows released into the world to attack an unsuspecting populace, this tower thing here:

the Tartarus, arose. It’s basically the citadel between worlds. The earth was changed with a new “Dark Hour.” A period of time where everything freezes at Midnight.

Most people don’t really notice though. Time resumes as normal when it’s over, and almost nobody really notices.

Almost.

Some people can keep moving around in this time. Mitsuru is one of them. since she felt bad about her family’s company screwing everyone over, so she decided to fix it.

And while her rapier skills are certainly good, on account that she’s in the fencing club at her school, a small sword like that isn’t exactly enough to take down a bunch of evil shadows… Wait, hang on. Do both of these franchises have Heartless ripoffs?- Moving on, Mitsuru also has various abilities that she can use.

And on top of all of it, she even got a Stand Persona, named Penthesilea, which later grew into Artemisia.

With Artemisia by her side, Mitsuru has a lot of powerful ice spells that she can call upon in battle. So it’s basically a Stand except they don’t have that rule of “Only a Stand can defeat another Stand” thing going for them… Huh, note to self: Have Jotaro and Mitsuru get into an argument about terminology. Also unlike Stands, Personas can be defeated, but they’ll come back after a short time.

Similar to Stands, Personas also kinda reflect damage back to the user. But since it’s more linked to the personality rather than the soul or fighting spirit, it’s more mental stress if anything else.

Artemesia gives Mitsuru all sorts of awesome stuff. Like ice powers that could give Elsa a run for her money. It also grants Mitsuru enhanced strength, speed, and durability. In addition, it also makes her completely immune to the cold and ice-based attacks. I’d ask “Why the fur coat?” But, as we all know, Everyone needs a fur coat (And it’s a pretty nice coat). She can also sense her surroundings via analytical clairvoyance, which makes sneaking up on her pretty hard.

But, like all great heroes, nobody really does it on their own. Mitsuru created the S.E.E.S, or the “Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad.” A group of Persona users that were basically the Teen Titans, if they had Stands instead of superpowers. And, as an added bonus, it’s an after school club, so bonus extra credit!

And you might be thinking “How would one summon a Persona?” Well, since this franchise wasn’t done ripping off Jojo (I looked it up, Stands and the Stand Arrows were introduced about three years prior to Persona 1), they decided to uh… Use the Evoker… Which… Fair warning…

(I think I’ll take the Stand Arrow instead).

The idea behind the Evoker is that it evokes a strong traumatic experience to awaken a person’s Persona, similar to how Mitsuru’s first experience in summoning hers was also traumatic.

To add to the unsettling nature of this, you don’t just have it shot at you. You aim it at your face, and pull the trigger. DEFINITELY taking the Stand Arrow over that.

Anyways, with all that power, Mitsuru’s pulled off some ridiculous stuff.

Here’s an added bonus: One Persona user that could outrun a bullet fired from a Magnum. So it’s reasonable to say that Mitsuru could do this too.

If that last feat wasn’t impressive enough for you, Personas can move even faster. One of them reacted to and caught an arrow within milliseconds. And since Mitsuru defeated this user and Persona in a fight.

But if you’re looking for a durability feat, then look no further, because Mitsuru once survived an explosion.

This one to be exact.

This is easily the longest series of images I’ve had to upload in a row. And isn’t Boomstick a Poultry Scientist?- Why’d he say “I’m a scientist now.”?

Ahem, moving on. Artemisia also once helped out in icing these creepy puppet things:

Now, using the surrounding air and accounting for Nitrogen (As it makes up a good chunk of the air we breathe), we can get some calculations for this feat.

The energy output, after the calculations are done, comes to around…

Okay, forget Weiss supplying people with Power, Mitsuru’s where it’s at. Maybe she could slow down out polar ice caps from melting.

And after ending the Dark Hour and redeeming her family name, Mitsuru continued battling for people everywhere. One shadow at a time.

Not too shabby.

The Battle Itself.

Torrian and Kristina are here for animation, Weiss will be voiced by Kara Eberle and Mitsuru will be voiced by Corey Pettit, music (Winter Sonata) by Therewolf,  and audio by Chris Kokkinos.

So, we just jump right into the middle of the fight. No explanations, no story build-up, no nothing. It’s just like RWBY Volume 4! Ha ha! … Sorry, I, I just, I had to get that in there… God, that was a garbage volume.

So, with swordplay looking to be about even, both sides are basically going to be relying on their other skills for this bout. Y’know, a fencing tournament getting out of hand would have been an interesting story for this fight.

So, a bit of talking later, and the fight just picks up. And it occurs to me that they should have used this as the example fight for why the “FIGHT!” soundbite shouldn’t return. Like, c’mon guys.

Back on the fight, Weiss uses her ice powers to try to give Mitsuru the cold shoulder, but as we’re already aware, that’s not very effective.

And out comes Artemisia, which Weiss manages to parry some of the attacks, and opts to get the hell out of dodge after a quick burst of fire.

The Wasp up there is then sent to fight Mitsuru’s Persona while Weiss opts to fight Mitsuru directly.

But, let’s face it. The Rapier Wasp is a Bug Flying type. So Artemisia takes it down.

And with Weiss distracted, Mitsuru then gives her a kick to the face. That’s the face of someone who was wondering why she was just standing around when there was someone trying to kill you right in front of you.

But Weiss isn’t a fan of being kicked in the face, so she uses her gravity glyphs to make some distance.

And with that distance comes…

The Arma Gigas! Let’s be real, we wanted this fight so that we could see this knight fight Artemisia. After a couple of combos where neither side seems to make any headway, Artemisia then fires some frigid projectiles towards Weiss.

Her Knight, being a gentleman, takes the blow for her.

Weiss charges (with added assistance from her time dilation glyphs) and manages to actually stab Mitsuru.

Unfortunately for her, Mitsuru doesn’t go down that easily. And she uses Artemisia to knock them both down.

Finishing blow in 5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

Imperious Queen of Executions indeed.

Verdict + Explanation.

So, to Weiss’ credit, her versatility put up a decent fight. But she was pretty outclassed in other categories aside from speed thanks to time dilation.

But with Mitsuru’s analytical clairvoyance, that speed gap gets a lot smaller. To the point that Mitsuru’s the one that can outpace Weiss. Not that it matters, Artemisia outpaces Weiss a few times over.

Now sure, the time powers seem like an insta-win, right? Well, maybe that would give Weiss a win in some scenarios, but not all of them.

Since Weiss is extra reliant on Ice Dust, and her other Dusts are fairly lacking, Mitsuru didn’t really have to deal with fire at all. Especially since Weiss doesn’t have the best track record with fire (As we’ve seen from that fire geyser from before).

It also doesn’t help that the explosion from earlier is pretty up there in terms of destructive power. Power that isn’t really that low for anything Weiss had to really beat it out.

Using calculation provided by Boomstick (Yes, you read that right), the calculations can be made through the height of the bridge.

This puts the explosive yield to about.

And this is even accounting for the fact that the person setting it off wasn’t even planning on killing Mitsuru too.

Also, remember those big ice structures that each of them made?- Well, comparing them directly, Weiss’ energy output doesn’t come close. Even if one were to cut Mitsuru’s stat in half, on account that she had help for this feat, Weiss falls short. About a hundred times short to be exact.

At the end of the day, Mitsuru had the power, skill, and durability to take Weiss down. Sure Snow White there had versatility, but at the end of it all,

Overall impression.

I heard from a friend of mine (And I  read  it on the Persona Wiki) that Personas can’t really be seen by non-persona users. Whilst this doesn’t really make much of a difference since it was more exciting to see the Arma Gigas directly fighting Artemisia instead of having it flailing around while the Persona just chipped away at it, it would have been nice to have seen this acknowledged.

Also, I kinda had like… Ten jokes that I could have used for my own end quip, but I’ll just post that to my Deviantart account as a list.

Overall, the results are solid, the animation is good, and it feels well-made. Sure, Weiss’ death could have been a bit more brutal (I would have liked to have seen her shattering with the ice), but as far as underwhelming deaths go, this one wasn’t that bad.

6.9/10. It would have been higher, but we didn’t get a “Bites the Dust” reference for Boomstick’s end joke (The song, not the Stand).

Next Time…

MORTAL KOMBAT! DO do do do dodo doot do do doot do doot do do do!

By the Gods I have been wanting to use Johnny Cage for the story. And having another Nintendo rep is always a plus. This… Is gonna be fun!

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

Falcon Punch vs. Nut Punch

[awesome-tianhaohuang-blog]

I am going to analysis myself according these three ways. Learner profile, SMART targets and SWOT analysis. I will prove my achievements in the learning stage through these three aspects.

 As an international student, the learner profile describes a wide range of human abilities and responsibilities that transcend academic success. They mean a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them. I am curious and like learning, I try to learn new things and discover new things. When I came to UK, I found many different things between China, something is first time I have seen and I never see it before, I try to learn it and enjoy new life in UK. Knowledgeable is a part I can not ignore, I learned a lot, remember what I learned. I can use what I know to solve problems. When I meet some new things I never seen it before. I think carefully and show initiative. Thinking is a good way when I meet some problems, I can make good decisions and I think I am a problem solver. Communication is the most effective way for me to get along with others. I can share my ideas and feelings in many ways. I can speak two languages. I can speak English and Chinese. I think master one more language can help me easier to communicate to other. When I in a group or in an organisation, I am a principled person. I tell the truth and I am fair. I never tell lies and I always obey the rule. I share and play well with others. I do what is right and I can follow the right thing.

 Open-minded is also a important that I study with other and work with other. I can listen to other people and respect their ideas and beliefs, if a person never listened to others and only talk to himself, it could not work in an organisation. Society is made up of different individuals. Whatever school or workplace, No one can avoid communicating with others. When I was talking to others, I can care about his mind and I can try to know what his think, I care people, plants, animals and all things in my life. Pay more attention to these things can make me feeling better and enjoy my life. There are risks everywhere in life. When people try to some new thing, they always think about the risk. In my past life, I always try new things I never do before, I have confidence to try new things, I can stand up for what I believe in. In my opinion, one thing I believe since I was child that is I can not let myself too fat or too thin, I need keep balance, I look after my body and I let myself looks health, maybe not strong or power, but my body must looks balanced. It is also used to my mind, I try to make myself happy everyday, always have a positive mind. In my study life, I think reflective is the most important thing, when I lie in bed in the evening, I always reflective the whole day, what I did and maybe anything I did not done it, or maybe something I do is not very good, then I will think what I should do tomorrow and if the thing I did not do it very good, what should I do next time. Reflective is important for my life, whatever in my study or social life, I think about my study and work, I know when I have done well and when I need to improve and change.

 As an international student, I think I have enough advantages in the respect. According my analysis, I can face many challenges and solve many problems in my study life.

 SMART targets, when I have planned my project, turn my attention to developing several goals that will enable me to be successful.  My goals should be SMART, that is specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-based.  In this part, I will analysis my goals form these five parts. After my graduated I want to be market manager, when I was a little boy, I was interested in the market. I like to know the whole process from production to sales. The idea influenced me until went to the university, so I choose international business and management in my university.

 S means specific, significant and stretching. My target is to be a market manager. It is important to me, because it influenced my study life. The American Association of General Managers believes that first-class general managers should possess the following basic qualities. As a good manager, I should be the model for all staff, I am clear know that how to be a manager and I learn knowledge form university that improve my ability to be a good manager. The market manager is my goal that after I finished my master study. The goal is that I want to achieve when I was young.

 M means measurable, meaningful and motivational. How to be a market manager? It is the first question I should think and as a manager I should have what kind of conditions. Communication is an indispensable point, managers need to have good communication skills, because managers need communicate to boss and employee. Planning and integration capability it means that Managers' planning ability is not focused on short-term strategic planning, but on long-term planning. Decision-making and executive ability, managers often have to make independent decisions, the most important ability is managers need master professional knowledge and be able to use it. On my way to becoming a manager, I need to meet these requirements.

 A means agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented. My goal is achievable to me. To be a market manager is not an unachievable goal. Everyone has his own goal in life. Someone want to be a policeman, someone want to be a doctor. But I like economics, market and management. So I think my goal is an achievable goal. To be a market manager is not a difficult dream. I need improve myself and learn more knowledge about management. If I can graduate from Sunderland University study master, I think I can be a market manager.

 R means realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented. To be a market manager, it will help me achieve my dream and I can do I really like to do in the future. Achieve my dream of my job that is to be a manager. I think when I be a manager, everything I did is deserved. To be a manager is not only my dream, my parents also want me to work about economic. They think if I be a manager, I will not worry about my life. In China, there are many new internet companies. There provide many chances  to university graduates, as a new internet company, manager is important to help company. So as market manager is also a good way to find a job.

 T means time-based, time-bound, timely, tangible, trackable. How long should I achieved my goal. How to be a market manager? That is the question I should think in the few years. After my high school, I start my university. I learn professional knowledge about international business and management, I study for four years in my university, now I am in UK to study master for one year. I think after my graduated from Sunderland University, I can try to find a job about an internet company. As we know, nobody can be a manager when you are the new employee in a company. So I hope in the future that I get a job in a company, I can use my knowledge and my professional skill to be a market manager. It maybe will take a few years but I think it would not take me too long time. I think I can achieve my goal in four to six years after my graduated.

 According to the SMART goals, it helps know my goal clearly and let me have an outline to how to achieve my goal. It is a good way to analysis my goal and analysis my goal form five parts. I can clearly know what should I do and what I really want to do in the future. Above all part is my SMART goals that my goal and I will work hard for my goal.

 I will use SWOT analysis to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of my future employment.

S: language advantage

As an international student in a UK university, my strength is that I can play my English advantage in a multinational company and work in a multinational group in the future. and adapt to the cultural differences of other countries more quickly than other graduates who only live and study in a single nationality.

Insight and creativity thrive

In my learning experience, due to I always work in groups, each team member is not accepting instructions, a large part of everyone's work depends on their own comprehension. We need to share our ideas with others, which makes my creative thinking and insight thrive. In the future, I can bring innovative thinking to the enterprise.

Perception of customer needs in difference regions and countries.

As a successful market manager, it is important to have the ability to predict customer needs, especially in the face of different regions, countries, and even religious customer groups. I have more perception of difference customers need that can improve organizations marketing share and develop their products and services.

W: Lack of time management

In my previous study, I lack time management. I usually start my homework or assessment in the last minute before the due, which makes me nervous and stress every time. I face enormous learning pressure. In future work and study, I would like to overcome this shortcoming and realize a good concept of time management.

Poor communication skill

Good communication skills are a necessary skill for market manager，since I came to UK , there are still some language barriers and personality differences that lead to misunderstandings in communication. then there are conflicts came out from other people's work or study cooperation, I tend to be self-centered and ignore other people's feelings. In the future study, I hope I can awareness this problem and improve my emotional intelligence.

O: employment information be proved from UNIS

Sunderland university provide me with all kinds of employment information, as well as many workshops about employment, which can provide me with good guideline to find a job in UK.

Administration job prospects

In the future employment environment, administration is becoming more and more important. My major has great advantages in the employment market.  I have my undergraduate certification on Business with Management as long as I graduate from postgraduate, making use of these certificates can bring me more employment opportunities.

 Information explosion time

As far as professional knowledge is concerned, this is a time of information explosion. I can obtain all kinds of knowledge from various channels, such as google or other social media, to improve myself. This is a way I can use to improve my level after class.

 W: social cannot forecast

Social development is unstable and unpredictable, which is beyond my control as an ordinary international student that also brings some uncertainties to employment.

No work experience

I have only theoretical knowledge and no practical work experience. The marketing industry needs more experienced people.

Many competitors

More and more outstanding graduates enter the workplace from universities, but the opportunities are not equal. This is not only a competition for professional knowledge or qualification but also a challenge for individuals to find opportunities, show themselves and seize opportunities.

 Through the above SWOT analysis, I have a more comprehensive understanding of my own situation, and provide direction for my career planning and personal development in the future.

[murroyilodel]

The Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame: Quasimodo (link) | Esmeralda (link) | Frollo (link) | Phoebus (link) | Clopin (link)

The Misshapen Bell-ringer

The character and his journey from oppression to freedom aroused empathy in many key contributors to the project. Marshall Toomey, the cleanup key for the character and an African-American, asserts, “I’ve lived Quasimodo’s life. I was one of the first people to get bussed in the early 1960s. I got called all kinds of names. I felt so inferior and so ugly. I know what’s in Quasimodo’s heart because of what I’ve been through in my life.” Writer Noni White asserts, “Someone once said that anti-Semitism is a light sleeper. All bigotry is a light sleeper. Because Quasimodo and the [Romani] are outcasts, the story touches a universal theme: Why can’t we see each other as human beings and not judge one another based on looks, beliefs, or race?”

Full write-up behind Read-More

Taking that step forward required the filmmakers to extract the essence of some of literature’s more memorable and sharply etched characters Hugo evokes Quasimodo, for instance, as “a giant broken in pieces and badly reassembled,” with “a huge head sprouting red hair; between the two shoulders an enormous hump, the repercussions of which were evident at the front; a system of thighs and legs so strangely warped that they met only at the knees and looked, from the front, like two scythe-blades joined at the handle; broad feet and monstrous hands.” Still, beneath the surface, “There was a radiance about that somber and unhappy face.”

In the novel Quasimodo may be viewed as a symbol of the unacknowledged evil of his guardian, Claude Frollo, as well as a scapegoat for the fears and superstitions of the medieval populace. Yet the Disney filmmakers saw that behind these misconceptions lay another Quasimodo entirely. Observes concept artist Jean Gillmore, “Quasimodo was limited not so much by his own physical restrictions as by people’s opinions of him. People of that time feared anything out of the ordinary, and Quasimodo embodied those fears, fuelled by the superstitions and dogma of the church. To them something that hideous on the outside must also be hideous inside.”

Rather than dwell solely on the physical qualities of the character, whom Hugo variously describes as “a living chimera,” and “hunchbacked, one-eyed, and lame,” and with a “dome for a back and twisted columns for legs,” the Disney moviemakers chose to dramatize Quasimodo’s internal struggle with the shame, insecurities, and self-loathing Frollo has created in him. Don Hahn, who previously produced Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King before being asked to produce The Hunchback of Notre Dame, views Quasimodo as “an abused child who has to struggle far less with his physical challenges than with the huge oppression of being told by his father figure, Frollo, that he is a monster, a freak unfit to venture out into the world.” Kirk Wise terms the relationship of Quasimodo and Frollo “classically dysfunctional. Frollo constantly reminds Quasimodo of how ugly, how worthless, he is and whenever the poor kid gets his hopes up, Frollo smashes them down. It’s almost like some insidious form of brainwashing that keeps Quasimodo in a trance.”

The moviemakers determined that their Quasimodo should hew close to the age Hugo ascribes to him, about twenty, rather than the fortyish man he appears to be in previous film versions. The choice lends him an innocent appeal. Hugo’s conception that Quasimodo was “vicious in fact because he was anti-social; he was anti-social because he was ugly” evolved in the filmmakers’ minds to a more modern conceit. Gary Trousdale maintains that it was crucial for Quasimodo to not be “malevolent, bitter, and vicious, but a put-upon guy who, beneath his surface appearance and his being emotionally stunted, has a loving heart of gold.” “It’s not so much how much he looks, it’s a really his inner soul trying to break free,” concurs Kirk Wise.

No Disney animated character, from Mickey Mouse to Captain John Smith or from Snow White to Pocahontas, has sprung easily into existence. Few could have presented more challenges than Quasimodo, whose transcendent spirit can be glimpsed only be those willing to see beyond his unconventional outward appearance. Key decisions were required as to how he would look and move, and how great his physical challenges should be. It had been suggested, for instance, that half his face might be deformed, but hidden under a cascade of beautiful hair. The filmmakers vetoed that notion because, as writer Bob Tzudiker put it, “This is a story of someone who must overcome his perception of his own deformity. If we hid his deformity, we’d be avoiding telling the story.” Many of the Studio’s most gifted artists – among them Joe Grant, Burny Mattinson, Ed Gombert, Jean Gillmore, Thom Enriquez, Rick Maki, Geefwee Boedoe, Kevin Harkey, James Baxter, and Rowland Wilson – created prototypical inspirational approaches to the character that ranged from nightmare creatures to singular-looking boys. In the end, a blend of the designs of illustrator Peter DeSeve, whose surrealistic style is perhaps known best from his New Yorker work, and animator James Baxter, best known for his work on Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, were chosen to balance Hugo’s Quasimodo with Disney’s. From the first moment Quasimodo appears on screen, lovingly urging a hesitant, frightened young pigeon to at last fly free of Notre Dame, the character, as animated by Baxter, appears sympathetic, psychologically battered, winsome, a full-hearted and appealing underdog. “James Baxter’s animation of Quasimodo is so moving, that it’s easy to forget that the performance as created with a pencil and paper,” producer Don Hahn says. “The energy from his animation is something audiences can feel when they look at the screen.”

Baxter designed Quasimodo with a stress on horizontal shapes rather than vertical ones. Says Baxter, “His shape contrasts deliberately with the other major characters, especially Frollo, who is very tall and Gothic. Frollo seems to fit in with the Gothic architecture while Quasi doesn’t.” Despite Quasimodo’s physical appearance, he had to be designed to be very adept and active. “He’s deformed but not disabled,” says Baxter. “His being bent over was a metaphor for his wanting to hide. We wanted him wrapped in on himself, able to bend over and cower in his most oppressed moments.”

The artists of the layout, background and effects departments worked to create an environment for Quasimodo which reflected his character and his moods. Psychologically, the cathedral is, in Baxter’s words, “Quasi’s comfort zone. When he’s on his own or with the gargoyles he’s at ease; it’s very different from when he’s in the square.” Says head of layout Ed Ghertner, “There are places in the belltower where Quasimodo has all these found and manufactured objects and they really tell you a lot about who he is, what his preoccupations are.” As the movie progresses the color and environment change subtly to suggest changes in Quasi’s mood. “Though his environment starts out cold, it becomes warmer when he shows his space to Esmeralda and magical and ethereal when he dreams of heaven’s light,” says head of backgrounds Lisa Keene.

It is through his relationship with another element of the cathedral, the gargoyles Hugo, Victor, and Laverne, that the directors chose to reveal an important aspect of Quasimodo’s character. Voiced by Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, and Mary Wickes, respectively (Jane Withers took on the role of Laverne after Mary Wickes passed away in October 1995), “the gargoyles help us see the warm and funny side of Quasi that shuts down when Frollo’s around,” says Gary Trousdale. “Not only does this add humour and lightness to the film, it shows an aspect of his character you wouldn’t otherwise see, an aspect that he isn’t allowed to express to others.”

The character and his journey from oppression to freedom aroused empathy in many key contributors to the project. Marshall Toomey, the cleanup key for the character and an African-American, asserts, “I’ve lived Quasimodo’s life. I was one of the first people to get bussed in the early 1960s. I got called all kinds of names. I felt so inferior and so ugly. I know what’s in Quasimodo’s heart because of what I’ve been through in my life.” Writer Noni White asserts, “Someone once said that anti-Semitism is a light sleeper. All bigotry is a light sleeper. Because Quasimodo and the [Romani] are outcasts, the story touches a universal theme: Why can’t we see each other as human beings and not judge one another based on looks, beliefs, or race?”

To voice and sing the character, Tom Hulce, an Oscar nominee for his role as Mozart in Amadeus, was, according to coproducer Roy Cohn, “the guy as soon as we heard him sing because he has this wonderful, innocent quality to his voice, yet it still has the kind of power and depth you’d expect from Quasimodo.” Hulce got put to the test on “Out There,” the song written for Quasimodo by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz in which the character’s feelings well up, compelling him to express his longing for one sing day amid the throngs he watches from the distant heights of the belltower:

            All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day,             Not above them,             But part of them…

For Gary Trousdale, the song “defines Quasimodo as a yearning, child-like guy watching life pass him by from the belltower, as frustrated as anyone might be if the Tournament of Roses Parade or Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade passed by your window, but you could never go.” Victor Hugo probably never imagined his malformed, melancholy creation breaking forth into song. Yet, Baxter’s animation, Menken’s melody, and Schwartz’s lyrics speak powerfully of the character’s lonely isolation, oppression, and feeling of being an outsider.

[javi150190]

Fanfic: The Robin in the Eagle’s Nest

(Final Haikyuu Quest-Ancient Magus Bride Cross Over) 

Summary: Once upon a time, a baby robin grew surrounded by voices only she could hear, much to the disgust of other birds, who saw her with disdain and left her unhappy with life. One day, flames appeared before her, but before she thought she could finally die, they showed her the way back to a home she had forgotten, where now a white eagle had built his nest and now needed the fire to see, otherwise the dark would eat away his own house.

Notes: 

Good afternoon-or evening depending on your time zone-. This isn’t my first time writing fanfic. You can find some of my older works here. This is, however, my first shot at a crossover and my first attempt to use both the Haikyuu and TAMB franchises.

Now, I had thought of doing this for a looooooong time, but this turned into a brainstorming nightmare due to the problem of merging a sports/slice of life setting with a fantasy heavy setting, Eventually I decided to use the Final Haikyuu Quest scenario, as it allowed me to get away with some of the more fantasy heavy aspects of Chise’s backstory and gave me an excuse of including Celtic folklore into the fic.

Also, before I started writing this, I read several fics and doujins that used the FHQ setting and it seemed that neither Wakatoshi nor the rest of the Shiratorizawa gang have fixed roles in the setting. Some have them as army officers, some have Wakatoshi as a paladin, there’s even Smough!Ushiwaka (no really), so I just went with royalty, because I think it fits him not only as a character but also as a foil to the demon king Oikawa.

Also, I was not the first to notice that Wakatoshi shares voice actors with bone daddy Elias, although I am 99% sure that I’m the only person that ships him with Chise, since essentially Elias is a derpier (yes, really) Ushijima with an even worse understanding of social conventions, and let’s be honest, a relationship between 18 year old Wakatoshi and 15-16 year old Chise is 100 times easier to sell than in the case of 100 years old (at least), bought a girl from an auction and told her he wanted her as a bride in the same day he purchased her and forcibly undressed her-Elias (-_-).

As for the fanfic, this is essentially a prologue. The rest of the fic will be told mostly from Chise’s perspective.

Prologue: Right under our noses

He wasn’t sure when he first started to notice that he wasn’t alone anymore in the stone hallway anymore.

Wakatoshi had spent a good couple of hours -Was it three, four, the entire night?- trying to process his thoughts following the events of that evening. He -they- had anticipated this event for months, prepared to be as secretive as possible, planning ahead in case the news broke out before he wanted and making sure that generals and advisers he was most suspicious of were as far away as possible from the old stone castle he had chosen as a hideout.

An event such as this couldn’t take place in the imperial palace, too many ears in that place made the walls feel like paper.

On the other hand, this place, made of old stone and almost forgotten in a warm corner of the Shiratorizawa empire, was the last place anyone could expect to see the Emperor, much less so in semi-regular clothes and sat in the floor, leaning against the wall and intensely looking at the ceiling.

“My, my, I never thought I would see you this stressed out, Ushiwaka-chan”

Wakatoshi didn’t have to speculate much about who could have found him. If the musical pitch of that voice wasn’t enough, the infantile nickname would be.

Turning his head towards the end of the hallway, he saw him.

Smiling at him with a grin that reflected so many things Wakatoshi disliked of him -baseless confidence, joy at the expense of other’s disgrace, shameless mockery at those he felt below him- was the demon king of Aoba Johsai.

“Maybe I’m having a fever dream and you just are a peasant,” the horned imp mocked while making dramatic arms gestures, which only cause Wakatoshi’s frown to deepen.

At that moment, the Shiratorizawa emperor was also berating himself for not taking the demon king into account when he planned his hiding place.

“Well it would be useless to lament now,” he corrected himself mentally. Taking a deep breath, he rose from the cold stone floor, ignoring the slight protest from his muscles as they had grown stiff following hours crouched against the wall.

“What are you doing here Oikawa?”, he growled lowly as he made his way towards the grinning demon. “I thought you would be glad that I haven’t tried to convince you to join my court for a while,” he added as he was face to face with the imp.

Oikawa, still keeping his joyful grin, merely nodded like a child about to receive a treat. “And I’m so thankful for that! You have no idea how peaceful it is not having to deal with your obnoxious invitations!” he all but shouted while widely opening his harms.

Wakatoshi’s frown deepened even further when he received the childish response. He was about to counter Oikawa when, like a flash, the Demon King’s grin changed from childish mockery to sharp venom, making Wakatoshi’s jaw tighten as he recognized the challenge in the imp’s face.

“But let’s just say that even I found that a bit suspicious, Ushiwaka-chan” he whispered, his voice now carrying a hint of challenge towards the emperor.

Oikawa seemed satisfied in the level of alert and uneasiness in Wakatoshi’s face, even if he knew that he wasn’t the main cause of it.

Feeling emboldened, the demon king took a step forward, lightly pushing Wakatoshi to the side.

“It was very welcome at first, as I was dealing with Shrimpy, Iwa-Chan and the other parade of idiots. You actually made dealing with them easier, so thanks!” he said, hoping to irritate the emperor.

“I must admit though, they are like cockroaches” he added with a false sigh.

“But then I started listening whispers, gossipers around my castle speaking of castle intrigue in the halls of power, of an emperor pressured by the old guard that wanted to force his hand,” he continued.

“There’s nothing new about that,” Wakatoshi cut in sharply, starting to lose patience with Oikawa’s theatrics.

“I’m not ashamed to admit that I want to reign without the baggage of elderly advisors” he added, his voice now echoing slightly in the stone halls.

“How rude Ushiwaka-chan”, Oikawa pouted like a child. “Haven’t your elders told you that it is rude to interrupt somebody before they finished talking?” he teased as if he were a mother nagging her son.

“There were also other rumors, not spoken at the town market by women anxious to share that little bit of knowledge without fearing sermons from the priests or angry gazes from possessive husbands, instead it traveled through the forest. Isolated from human ears, and even the incidental hunter that passed through wouldn’t be able to hear it, even if it were right at his side. Do you know why that would be, Ushiwaka-chan?” the demon king said with a teasing grin.

“Because it wasn’t spoken by human beings” the emperor thought with a shiver running down his back “I thought the fae preferred to avoid you,” he said, his voice now carrying both a deep note of frustration and a lingering sense of caution.

Oikawa just nodded while crossing his arms over his chest. “Indeed, they don’t like having me around and they normally keep themselves out of my castle, but I have to tell you, those critters sure are loud when they gossip!” he cackled while jokingly picking his ear with his pinkie.

“I must admit I first ignored them when they started wailing about a robin,” he paused of a second, enjoying how the Shiratorizawa emperor visibly tensed at the last world, yet not enough to break the stoic frown that Oikawa hated so much.

“They said that their robin was prisoner to a dangerous rat, and that it was going to be fed to hungry pigs. Admittedly back then I didn’t care, but then they said that a big scary eagle had found the rat”

Wakatoshi didn’t budge at the teasing narration, his mind going instead to that eventful evening, a year and a half ago.

His eldest advisors had advised him not to attend that audience, arguing that the emperor shouldn’t concern himself with such scum. But he was determined to make an example out of this incident.

In the two years since he inherited the crown from his now retired grandmother, he had quickly learned that administrating an empire required both pleasing the stubborn nobility and constantly reminding them that he had the power, the drive and the strategic capacity to sack them if needed without threatening his power base.

When it came to the second part, this incident was a gift from heaven for Wakatoshi, but even knowing that he couldn’t help but feel a rush of disgust at the facts presented before him.

Just a couple of nights before, a breathless lieutenant had arrived as the latest council meeting was finishing. At first, the eldest advisers scolded poor Tsutomu for barging in without even knocking the door, but Wakatoshi had knew the eager officer for long enough to know that he wouldn’t do such a protocol breach without reason and, most importantly, he knew that the lieutenant was currently stationed outside the capital, so that could only mean one thing, whatever news he had were highly urgent.

And he was right. The letter, carrying the seal of his old friend and current spymaster Tendou Satori, was brief but to the point.

Wakatoshi:

I’ll skip the formalities. I just caught a slave dealer who claims that he’s working with a general.

You really need to see this in person.

Satori

Tsutomu added that an arrest had been made in the border. A man had been caught trying to pass through a guarded gate as fast as possible, going as far as knocking the guards down using magic. Unfortunately for the impulsive traveler, the knocked down guards were discovered by the imperial spymaster, who just happened to be there collecting information alongside one of the court sorcerers regarding rumors of suspicious magic activity. Despite not being a sorcerer himself, it only took Satori an evening to catch the slave dealer.

Wakatoshi, now with Tsutomu and one of his court’s sorcerers Shirabu Kenjirou in tow, rode to a separate guard post to meet up with Satori. But before that, he also made sure of sending a separate letter to the general that was mentioned by Tsutomu (in private, as Satori wisely decided not to disclose that information in his letter in case it was intercepted before Wakatoshi could see it).

The Emperor only told the general that he wanted to see him in person and demand an explanation regarding how a slave dealer was running around under his nose. Wakatoshi knew that issuing an arrest order against the elder official would only result in an expensive manhunt and putting other military heads in alert.

The arrived at a provincial post near the edge of one of the border provinces. Still within the area in which the incident had occurred, yet far enough from the main road to difficult any escape attempt once Wakatoshi had the accused general in his presence.

The emperor made quick way to the center of the garrison, where Tendou and his investigation partner Semi Eita seemed to be waiting for him.

It was close to midnight, yet the guards appeared ready at arms, in case the prisoner attempted a similar trick to make them sleep, although Semi had already taken care of that possibility by confiscating any magic craft material the slave dealer carried, going as far as to gag him and blindfold him in addition to the iron shackles.

“Has the general arrived yet?” Wakatoshi asked as he approached the two.

“No ´hello´ or ´good work´? You are getting colder by the second, Wakatoshi,” the spymaster replied feigning hurt but keeping his teasing smile.

“I planned to say that after we’re done with this,” the emperor countered bluntly. “Where’s the general?” he repeated.

“The old creep is making his way here, according to my spies in the area. It seems that your invitation has left him quite shaken” Satori added. He was about to add something when Semi, seemingly irritated by the long wait, cut in.

“We also intercepted some of his communications. We already have the evidence to link him to the trafficker and some of the soldiers we gathered info from said that the general has been rather impatient during the last couple of days,” he said.

“Gathered info from? That’s an odd way to phrase ´threatened with incineration on the spot if they didn’t talk´ Semi-Semi,” Tendou teased.

That last part made Wakatoshi’s eyebrows rise in slight surprise. It also granted a loud gasp from Goshiki and an exasperated sigh from Shirabu.

“Is that true Eita?” the emperor asked calmly.

Semi only took a deep breath. Tendou’s teasing accusation left him a bit shaken, but soon he put himself back together.

“Wakatoshi” he started “if you had seen what we found, you would be as harsh as we have been” he said looking the emperor in the eye.

Wakatoshi knew that Eita was more akin to following protocol when talking to him in the open, so the fact that he was calling him without using his royal title at a border military post rose a slight alarm within the emperor.

“How bad are the slaves?” Kenjirou cut in.

“There’s only one slave” Tendou intervened in a flat tone.

“That bad?” the younger sorcerer replied

“We’ll explain later, it seems the guest of honor has arrived” Semi said, Wakatoshi turned around to see the general arriving hastily to the garrison gate, passing through with such a hurry that he was still taking off his helmet when he was approaching the emperor’s traveling party.

Slightly breathless -Wakatoshi guessed if it was because of his advanced age and the fear of being discovered- general Kota Hideaki made his way to the sovereign.

“Your majesty,” Kota stated while bowing slightly. “I’m really sorry that you have to bother yourself with this lowly scum,” he added while still bowed, his voice betraying his insecurity.

Wakatoshi could only narrow his eyes at the elder officer. Slavery had been banned from the empire ever since his family took the throne many generations ago. Its abolition had been a staple of his lineage, a fact always highlighted in history books as one of the empire’s brightest moments.

However, that didn’t stop some unscrupulous snakes from incurring into the business of human trafficking, whether be to obtain forced labor, satisfy some unspeakable lust or gather ingredients for some occult ritual.

For that same reason, Wakatoshi and his predecessors took it as a personal offense against them. An act against his crown’s most notorious achievement.

But no matter how furious he was right now, law was the law. The execution would have to wait until both the slave dealer and his customer were before the court.

“I wouldn’t have to be here if you had followed your duty,” he all but growled, trying not to let out his fury.

Kota tensed when he heard the emperor stern voice, and then he finally rose to meet Wakatoshi’s steely gaze.

“May I ask why there is a slave dealer running around the province? I already sent word to the governor and he’s quite displeased, and I’m even more so,” Wakatoshi stated. The general attempted to cut in, but it turned out that the monarch was just getting started.

“Specially because you’re his partner,” Wakatoshi cut to the chase. He wasn’t interested in stretching out this matter, although he got some satisfaction when he saw the general visibly tremble at his accusation.

“Yo-your majest-ty, I-I do-don’t understa-“, the officer’s voice trembled as he tried to answer back. The emperor’s stare hardened even further.

“Don’t waste my time with your lies” he countered coldly. He then gestured to Tendou, who revealed a folded piece of paper from his robes.

The spymaster jokingly cleared his throat before he started talking.

“M.I

As you can notice, there are two payments before you. The first is yours, as a reward from the council for your services,” Tendou then gave a small pause and gave a glance to the emperor, whose eyes had widened slightly.

“Council?” Goshiki gasped.

“So apparently we just uncovered an entire rat nest” Shirabu added.

Wakatoshi then looked at Eita, who seemed more tense than normal.

“The second is a payment is for the subject’s caretakers,” Tendo continued, although everyone had noticed that he had suppressed his normal teasing pitch, now speaking with a flat, slightly saddened tone.

“Our sources indicated that they are tired of it and would seem to be eager to get rid of it”

Wakatoshi didn’t let the general see it, but his breath had completely caught in his throat. This wasn’t the first time that he was part of an interrogation involving slave dealing, but he had yet to come across such a grisly scenario.

Tendou gave a side glance to the emperor, the corner of his mouth curving upward slightly, almost as if he were amused at the sight of the distressed monarch.

“It seems that we are going to arrest way more people than we originally planned,” Shirabu said.

“However, if the locals refuse, then you are authorized to make use of force. I will take care of the official reports. Although if you do silence them, please inform me of the method of disposal, so I can know if to rule it as banditry or a monster attack. I will leave the details of the ordered ritual to you and your partners”

“Ritual?!”, Shirabu exclaimed, turning his attention to Semi “Is this about the magic activity you were investigating?” he asked his fellow court sorcerer, who only nodded slowly.

“Once you are done there” Tendou carried on, “make your way to the garrison indicated in the map. As you can see, there’s a gate in the way, but it is lightly guarded. Your magic should take care of it, but do it quickly”

“I bet you didn’t count on Tendou-san and Semi-san to be there, you scum!,” Goshiki spat at the general, unable to contain his anger any longer. Wakatoshi rose a hand between the lieutenant and the accused. Tsutomu understood the emperor’s que and took a deep breath to regain his composure.

Wakatoshi then gave a nod to Tendou, asking him to continue.

“Once you make it here, you will receive a second payment. Then I will take care of transferring the subject to the capital for the auction.

Remember that we have a very tight schedule. If you don’t make it by the tenth midnight after this letter is given to you, then the council will track you down to retrieve the subject themselves. Punishment will be severe.

Good luck with your journey

K.H”.

Once finished, Tendou placed the paper back in his robes and looked teasingly at the general, who was shaking and clearly red with fury.

“YOU INSOLENT RAT. THERE’S NOTHING IN THAT PIECE OF PAPER THAT COULD PROVE THAT I’M INVOLVED. A PAIR OF INITIALS PROVES NOTHING!!!”, the elder official had started howling at this point, slightly startling the emperor and the other officials. Tendou only giggled gleefully, which made the general clinch his hands, as if he were readying himself to strangle the spymaster.

Kota only managed to take one step towards Tendou however, when Semi placed himself between them, his glare shooting daggers at the general.

“Do you believe that we would have summoned the emperor if we didn’t have more proof than that?”, he cut in. Wakatoshi then realized that Eita was gripping his staff -cleverly disguised as a short walking baton- and almost seemed ready to snap at the official.

Just what was done to the captive that made him so mad? This wasn’t Semi’s first time apprehending slave dealers, after all.

“Semi” Wakatoshi call was also a warning. He didn’t want to cause a bigger scene, despite the gravity of the crime.

The court sorcerer took a couple of seconds to stabilize himself. Once he slightly clamed down, he turned his back to Kota, clearly not wanting to spend any other second looking at his eyes.

“We also intercepted your communications, and I interrogated the dealer and the soldiers under your command. Personally,” he said, putting clear emphasis in the last word.

“Isn’t hypnosis forbidden in interrogations?” Tsutomu whispered to Shirabu, who only nodded in response.

Semi seemed to have heard this, though. “It turns out you not only are a criminal, but also a weak general. Your soldiers are weak willed. I only had to point my staff at them and they started to sing like birds”, he added while clenching his jaw.

“It was really funny, though” Tendou giggled.

The court sorcerer only spared a side glance to his partner before turning back to face Kota, who was visibly pale by now.

“When I showed them the portrait of the slave dealer, they all said that they saw you with him before the gate incident. I didn’t even tell them what we were looking for. They also said that you gave him two bags of coins,” he continued.

Kota was about to answer when Tendou cut in.

“We also spoke with the neighbors, they said that the same wagon that we stopped was seen at your command post,” he said with joy.

“Tha-t-that doesn’t-“ Kota couldn’t finish, as all of a sudden the sound of coins hitting the ground was heard. Looking down, he saw an opened sack of coins at his feet.

“This isn’t one of the bags that you gave to the dealer. Last night we intercepted another messenger,” he then retrieved an envelope from his sleeve. Wakatoshi could only watch as the general seemed to become petrified as he recognized the seal.

“General

The council would want to solicit extra safety for one of our traders” Semi said bluntly.

“Now I don’t see any other general around here” Tendo chimed in “Also I forgot, this is the envelope the letter I just read came in”, he added waving a similar slip of paper. “The rat had actually burned it as soon as we busted into his wagon but leave it to our Semi to put ashes and burnt wax back together”, he added while playfully elbowing Eita.

Both Semi and Tendou passed the envelopes to Wakatoshi. He appreciated the blood red seal in both. A Two Headed dragon with one head spitting fire and the other holding a human body in its jaws, a symbol clearly meant to intimidate.

The emperor had never seen such design, but it was clear that both envelopes shared the same stamp.

“Goshiki” he signaled.

The young lieutenant made his way to Kota, who seemed frozen. However, once Tsutomu grabbed his wrist the old man seemingly came back to life, attempting to release his arm. It only took one sharp kick from Tendou to the back of the general’s knee to stop him from struggling further.

“General Kota Hideaki” Wakatoshi addressed the disgraced military officer as Tsutomu handcuffed him.

“You are under arrest for aiding slave dealing activities, benefiting from slave dealing practices, associating with slave traffickers and conspiring to falsify public records. You are now removed from your post and barred from ever associating with any official, civil or martial, within the borders of the Shiratorizawa empire”, he stated in an ominous tone. “Anything to say in your defense?”

“Psst,” Tendou playfully whispered at the now handcuffed Kouta. “If you want to keep your head, I would start talking about that council right now,” he added with a devilish smile.

The now-former official looked at the emperor’s face, trembling more than ever now when confronted with the furious gaze, reminiscent of an eagle glaring down a helpless rabbit.

“I-I’m just. I don do-don’t” he started babbling, looking around and only finding more angered glares being shot at him. Even Tendou’s eyes held the promise of unspeakable pain behind his teasing smile.

“I—I w-was ju-just an-an inter-inter-int-intermediary. I’v-v-v-ve ne-ver seen them,” he managed to get out between hiccups.

“DO YOU EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT?!”, Semi had finally snapped, menacingly pointing his staff at the older man’s face. “THE PRISONER TOLD US THAT THIS ISN’T EVEN THE FIRST TIME YOU WORK FOR THIS COUNCIL!”

Wakatoshi’s eyes narrowed.

At the sound of the sorcerer’s shouts, the disgraced officer dropped to his knees and bowed.

“I NEVER SAW THEM, I SWEAR!” he began to cry out “I WOULD JUST DROP WHATEVER THEY NEEDED TO A STABLE NEAR A GARRISON IN THE CAPITAL AND THEN THE STUFF WOULD JUST DISSAPEAR!!”

Some of the members of the group gasped, Semi was one of them.

After taking a few deep breaths to stabilize himself, the court sorcerer crouched and grabbed Kota’s head, forcing him to look the very furious mage in the face.

“Disappear?” he hissed “What do you mean by that?”

Kota only managed to gulp before answering. “I would drop anything inside the stable, then some smoke would come out, and after a couple of seconds everything would be gone, no matter what big. Aside from that, I only spoke with some messengers and some traders.”

“A transportation spell” Shirabu stated. Wakatoshi nodded at the observation, but the emperor now had a few questions of his own.

“Kota” he took a step towards the detainee “How many times have you delivered people to them?”

The prisoner was visibly shaking at the steely gaze of the monarch, which now looked 10 times more intimidating since Kota was on his knees.

“I-I only this time. I-I swear. Most times it was monster parts or stuff for sorcery. I c-can’t remember a-all of them”

The emperor took a deep breath, now even more disturbed. Not only had he uncovered an attempt to sell a person like a piece of meat, but there was also a smuggling ring running around the empire, with at least one trading point at the capital. “There are probably way more”, he thought.

“For how long do you did this?” he asked.

“E-eight years”

The garrison fell silent.

Wakatoshi felt both enraged and embarrassed. It was his duty to prevent such things from happening, and here he had a military official, a general non the less, admitting that he had helped smuggle contraband material for nearly a decade under his and his grandmother’s nose. And there was now unmistakable evidence that pointed out to a wide network that could have easily operated for decades.

Despite having such power, Wakatoshi felt weak now, and he hated it.

He wondered how his grandmother would take the news. Tightening his fists and swallowing a barrage of insults that threatened to leave his mouth, he ordered Tsutomu to carry the prisoner away.

“Take him to the army’s main quarters in the capital. The martial court will dictate his final punishment, and tell the judges that he attempted to lie to my face” he added.

If Kota was pale as a ghost before, now he certainly looked like a bone, and only could drop his head down in defeat as the lieutenant carried him out of the courtyard.

“Good job, you two” he mentioned to Tendou and Semi.

“Finally! He said it!” the spymaster squeaked, much to the sorcerers’ annoyance.

“Your majesty” Eita started, approaching Wakatoshi with a concerned expression “There’s another thing to discuss”

“Indeed,” the emperor now looked at the chained dealer, which was almost forgotten amidst the heated exchange with Kouta.

“I’m not talking about him”

“Hmm?” Wakatoshi looked up to Eita.

“I was very thorough with my interrogation, and I made sure to restore all documents he tried to destroy in the fire. I doubt we can get more info from him. I wanted to talk about the victim”, he explained, although Wakatoshi could notice how his eyes saddened when he changed the subject.

“Right”, the emperor didn’t feel like asking Semi about why he seemed so concerned about this case, maybe he was more shocked by the existing of this trafficking network than he let on. “What can you tell me about it?”

Semi visibly tensed, and Wakatoshi could notice him trying to avoid making eye contact with him for a split second. He looked like his thoughts were frozen for a moment.

“I think you should see it in person”. The sorcerer gestured to a door in the garrison that seemed like the entrance to an infirmary. “Please let me check is she’s awake first, I’ll come back when she’s ready”. He then made his way to the door in a hurried manner that seemed strange for Wakatoshi and Shirabu.

“Right, they mentioned a ritual”, the younger sorcerer said, “How bad is it Tendou?”

“Not that bad all things considered”, Satori said calmly, much to Kenjirou’s annoyance.

“Coming from you that’s not reassuring at all”-Tendou pouted at the response-“What ritual did they perform?”

The spymaster took a second glance at the chained-up dealer, then back to the other two men.

“The documents we retrieved from him said ´Ritual succeeded. Life essence was transferred to objective, but all my assistants were scorched alive. Not even ashes were left. Must request compensation to council” he stated in a matter of fact manner.

Wakatoshi just stood there with eyes wide open, trying to process what the bloody hell did he just listen to, while Shirabu eventually went from stupor to agitation.

“WHAT? How can you say something like that so calmly?!” the young sorcerer shouted.

“Easy there Kenjirou”

“Easy? You just said that someone performed a life transference ritual that resulted in several casualties!! And you dare to say that the victim ´isn’t that bad´?!”, by this point though, Shirabu’s exasperation had only resulted in the spymaster’s amusement.

Wakatoshi had remained stationary for the time being, knowing full well that getting information out of Tendou would be difficult when he was this entertained, to say the least. The emperor looked back to the infirmary door, wondering why Eita was taking so long, not to mention, he had noticed how the sorcerer had seemed more agitated than normal during the interrogation.

Just as he thought of going to retrieve Semi himself, the door opened revealing a seemingly relieved Semi, who quickly made his way to the other three.

“She’s awake now and ready to see you, your majesty,” he said. Eita then looked at the other two, who were still stuck in their one-sided argument. “What did he do now?” he asked referring to the spymaster.

“He told us that there was a ritual involving life transference and that there were multiple casualties,” Wakatoshi answered plainly, making Semi sigh in defeat.

“I wanted to explain that myself,” the sorcerer said in an annoyed tone “Tendou!”

“Yes Semi-Semi?” the spymaster replied, only upsetting his partner even more.

Semi only tightened his fists. “Get this guy out of here” he said gesturing to the chained-up dealer. “Kenjirou, you are coming with us”

“Ah? Sure”, the younger sorcerer gave one last angry glance at Tendou, who calmly tugged at the chains of the prisoner, who slowly got up as the other three made their way to the infirmary.

“Could you be so kind to explain this ritual business to us?” Wakatoshi said as they walked.

“We did retrieve some information on the matter, but we can discuss that later” Semi answered without looking back to the emperor, much to the latter and Shirabu’s concern.

Before Wakatoshi could press the issue further, Semi hurriedly opened the infirmary door, revealing a candlelit row of beds. Most of them were empty, although some had injured and sick soldiers, but one of them, which was at the end of the room, had a figure sitting on the bed instead of laying down.

It was small, very small. Wrapped in blankets, to the point only a small turf of bright red hair was made visible by the candle light.

“A child?” Wakatoshi whispered, slightly horrified.

“No, she’s about our age. Please walk slowly, we don’t want to wake up the other patients,” Semi explained before stepping forward.

Once the three reached the bed, the figure shifted slightly, and at that moment, Wakatoshi saw two bright green orbs looking at him.

At first, the color reminded him of emeralds, but then he decided that this shade of green seemed way to warm to be associated with cold stones. No, this seemed more like freshly cut grass-

“I don’t want to leave, Wakatoshi”

The words seemed to come from the back of the emperor’s head, and for a moment his vision seemed to be blocked by a very different scene.

Instead of a dark room, he was in the middle of a field with the sun shining brightly on his face. Poppies reaching for miles and tickling his calves. But his attention was now in the tear stained face in front of him.

“But my mom says that my dad is gone, and we can’t stay anymore”. Fiery locks framed glassy jade eyes, whose owner’s fingers were tightly gripping the edge of her dress.

Wakatoshi was about to answer, but then he blinked, and the illusion was broken. He was once again in the candlelit infirmary, only this time he -somehow- was kneeling in front of the bed.

The girl was looking down at him, and for a second the emperor could see a spark of recognition in those green orbs, which he was sure was also in his own eyes as well.

The face in front of him seemed much different of the one he’d seen in his head though. Those green eyes were not weighted down by tear tracks, but deep eyebags instead. The round childish face from before now seemed bony, and he feared to see how much weigh the rest of her body lacked beneath the thin bed sheets she was wrapped with.

“Wakatoshi…”

It sounded gentle like a breeze, sweet like a bell chiming.

Yet, both seemed to forget they weren’t alone.

“Excuse me miss,” Shirabu interrupted with a slightly annoyed tone. “You shouldn’t address the emperor by name”

The girl broke contact with Wakatoshi, who felt a strange pang inside his chest when she looked away. The poor woman looked at the two sorcerers beside the monarch, one of them looking seemingly irritated and the other….

Semi was visibly facepalming.

“Sorry about that, my lady” he said, emphasizing the last word and making Kenjirou and Wakatoshi turn their heads at him in confusion.

“I-I’m so-so sorry!” the girl replied, blushing a lovely shade of pink and bowing her head, leaving only her red hair visible.

“Is all right miss. Let me explain first,” Eita gave a nod to Wakatoshi, who stood up and returned to the spot he was at before he had that strange flashback.

The court sorcerer then sat down next to the girl, only making her look even smaller.

“Your majesty, you might not fully remember her, but this is Hatori Chise, the daughter of our former court sorcerer Hatori Yuuki” he stated, at that statement, Wakatoshi could feel his breath getting caught in his chest.

TA-DA

That’s all for now. For reference, canonically Chise is REALLY SMOL compared to these volleyball giants: She’s only 5.1.

Next: Chapter 1: Life kills me.

Comments are always appreciated.

[ontarioyoga]

How Can I Practice Mindfulness Besides Meditation

New Post has been published on https://www.ontarioyoga.net/how-can-i-practice-mindfulness-besides-meditation/

How Can I Practice Mindfulness Besides Meditation

Dont Be Too Hard On Yourself When Your Mind Wanders Off During Practice Gently Bring Your Attention Back To The Present

Everyone’s mind is going to wander now and then while they are practicing mindfulness meditation. It is ok to recognize your passing thought and let it go. Once it is gone, take some deep breaths and reset your focus to be in your mindfulness practice.

This is just one mindfulness blueprint. As I said before, there are countless ways to practice mindfulness. For instance, you can add a bit of meditation, which we’ll cover next.

The Lives Of Lawyers: More Than Meditation: How Even The Most Type A Lawyers Can Practice Mindfulness

For the past several years, the wellness industry has inundated me with the word “mindfulness”—something “good” that I “should” practice. But for many lawyers, the idea of turning off from the outside world and being entirely focused on one thing seems like a pipe dream. They balk at the suggestion, claiming to be “too Type A.” But, even the most ambitious overachievers can successfully practice mindfulness.

More Than Meditation: A Survey Of How Young Lawyers Practice Mindfulness

The realization that meditation is not necessarily about quieting your mind helped me understand how to bring mindfulness into other aspects of my life. Before this realization, yoga was the only time I felt mentally present. Ordinarily, my mind was filled with anxious thoughts about the future, how much I had to get done that day, items on my grocery list, that “thing” I forgot to do, etc. But during yoga, if I lost my presence, I fell down. So I stayed present use to strengthen their “mindfulness muscle.”

I spoke to several young lawyers in positions ranging from big law firm associates to in-house counsel to lawyers at small firms about how they practice mindfulness and bring presence into their daily lives. To most, mindfulness meant the act of staying present, which, in turn, helps you stay focused. Below are some of the insights I obtained from these lawyers:

Find activities where you can be physically present. Two of the lawyers who graciously answered my questions both treat themselves to massages, take baths, and prioritizing exercise. All three of these activities involve tuning into your body, unintentionally focusing on the one thing that is happening, in a similar way that you focus on your breath during a meditation.

Experience It And Also Find The Moment That Suits You Ideal To Meditate

Regularity is the crucial to really feeling all the virtues of mindfulness reflection. After finding and appreciating this technique, the idea is to incorporate it into your every day life. Still, without taxing yourself, it should come normally, little by little, beginning with sessions 2 to 3 times a week, as well as why not daily if you feel the requirement or wish.

For this method to take its area quite normally in your daily life, it is vital to locate the best moment, the ideal scenario, that makes us really feel good.

The question of the minute is crucial: is it early in the early morning, when you wake up? Or in the morning, hanging on to one more habit to make them stronger with each other . In the morning, the mind is more made up; there are less points to observe.

Would this moment for you be much more integrated right into your lunch break due to the fact that it’s quieter?

Or are you even more of those who like to practice meditation in the evening? Beware, the threat is going to sleep, which is not the objective. If meditating puts you to sleep, prepare a session a little earlier in the night since it is required to prevent battling versus rest while exercising. It will be excellent prep work for the dropping off to sleep phase!

To discover the moment that fits you best, test, experience mindfulness meditation at different times of the day, and also see what jobs best for you. Celebrities Who Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness Enhances The Ability To Deal With And Recover From Illness

When you think of mindfulness or meditation, you probably think of a quiet, private time of peace. On the other hand, when you think of hospitals or doctors’ offices, you probably think about the anxiety, pain, and chaos going on around you. So, how can mindfulness have a place in health care?

The eCALM trial is a therapy program for cancer patients. It found that mindfulness can reduce the physical symptoms of stress, decrease one’s emotional reactivity to negative experiences, and facilitate post-traumatic growth while enhancing energy and relieving fatigue.

Additionally, found that mindfulness meditation has also been found to decrease anxiety and foster post-traumatic mental and emotional growth in breast cancer survivors, as well as increasing energy and spirituality.

Mindfulness Helps Lower The Incidence Of Burnout And Turnover At Work

Early reports of job burnout came to light in the 1970s and were mostly focused on people who were working in health care or human services. While there is a growing body of research on job burnout, there is no widely agreed-upon definition. However, job burnout is essentially one’s inability to properly respond to chronic occupational stress, with the experience of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a low rate of personal achievement.

Job burnout can manifest as depression, aggression, decreased commitment, decreased cognitive performance, and decreased motivation. This phenomenon has been associated with an increased risk of physical and mental health problems such as increased blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, and depression.

found that there is an inverse relationship between mindfulness and job turnover intention, suggesting that employees who are trained in mindfulness are less likely to leave their jobs for any reason.

So those are the 20 benefits of mindfulness. Did any stand out as positives that you want to experience?

Now let’s move on to the history of mindfulness, and then we’ll dive into how to practice mindfulness throughout the day.

Tips For Increasing Focus And Awareness And Decreasing Stress At Work

You probably know the feeling all too well: You arrive at the office with a clear plan for the day and then, in what feels like just a moment, you find yourself on your way back home. Nine or ten hours have passed but you’ve accomplished only a few of your priorities. And, most likely, you can’t even remember exactly what you did all day. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry. You’re not alone. shows that people spend almost 47 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing. In other words, many of us operate on autopilot.

Add to this that we have entered what many people are calling the “attention economy.” In the attention economy, the ability to maintain focus and concentration is every bit as important as technical or management skills. And because leaders need to absorb and synthesize a growing flood of information in order to make good decisions, they’re hit particularly hard by this emerging trend.

The good news is you can train your brain to focus better by incorporating mindfulness exercises throughout your day. Based on our experience with thousands of leaders in over 250 organizations, here are some guidelines for becoming a more focused and mindful leader.

From the GGSC to your bookshelf: 30 science-backed tools for well-being.

Listen to a guided breathing exercise:

This article was originally published on Harvard Business Review. Read the original article.

There Are Plenty Of Ways To Practice Mindfulness Here Are 13 Of Them

Mindfulness can be tricky at first. Our minds are used to wandering, and we will often be tempted to fix on a thought or a feeling, judge it as good or bad, or work hard to analyse or change it. Sometimes this will be useful, but we also need to be able to sit with our experience and be fully in the moment, without being dragged away by thoughts or feelings that might do damage if they hold on for too long. The truth is, the only place we can fully be is here and now. Of course, it is important to plan for the future or reflect on the past, but it’s about balance.

If you haven’t practised mindfulness before, try to replace any judgement you might have about whether or not you’re doing it properly, with acknowledgement that you are doing the very best you can in the moment. What’s important is that you are doing it. The rest will come with practice. The more you practice mindfulness, the easier it will become to stay present and focus your attention on where you want it, rather than on wherever your mind might take you.

Remember also that mindfulness is dose-related. The more you do it, the more you will benefit from it. The most important thing is to start, and to work towards a regular practice of at least twenty minutes each day. If twenty minutes is difficult to find, and sometimes it can be, try for two ten minute sessions. Here are some different ways to practice mindfulness:

Mindful eating.

Mindfulness Slows Down The Progression Of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Researchers have found that positive brain changes that are associated with mindfulness meditation may work to slow the progression of age-related cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s who participated in the study showed a lower rate of cognitive decline after the eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program than a control group who did not participate in the program.

Dont Think About The Past Dont Plan The Future Dont Look At The Time

You know you can’t change the past. So why can’t you let it go? Stop thinking about things that have already happened. Additionally, the future is not here yet, so there is no need to focus too intently on that either. The future will come to you soon enough. Focus instead on the present moment without worrying about what time it is, or when you have to be somewhere next. Don’t worry about how much time you allow to pass before getting up.

Fun Mindfulness Interventions Techniques And Worksheets For Adults

There are several ways to engage in mindfulness on an individual level, including worksheets, techniques, and different exercises.

If the idea of participating in group mindfulness exercises is anxiety-provoking or stressful for yourself or your clients, then diving into mindfulness practice alone can be the best way to proceed.

Here are six exercises that can help to build mindfulness in different ways.

How Can I Practice Mindfulness Meditation With Sound Not Breathing

I want to start practising meditation, but breathing exercises extremely psyche me out. I find any activity that involves intensely focusing on a part of my body distressing, sometimes nauseating. So the traditional “focus on your breath” mindfulness meditations aren’t really ideal for me.

I like the idea of meditating listening to sound, for example the sound of rain or waves on my phone. But I’m completely new to meditation and am not sure how best to implement this practice. Should I wear over ear headphones, or is it best to have the music ambient and not directly my ear? Should I be sitting up or lying in bed? Should it be light, dark or semi-dark? Eyes open or closed etc.?

The basic question I’m asking is: what are the best practices and practicalities for mindfulness meditation using sound?

Five Simple Mindfulness Practices For People Who Hate To Meditate

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The science is clear: practicing mindfulness is good for you. Just as you can exercise the body for better performance, the mind too can be trained, honed and sharpened. Mindfulness has been shown to break negative thought patterns, reduce stress and anxiety, and sharpens focus.

Perhaps knowing all of these benefits, you tried meditation. Yet, for whatever the reason, the practice of meditation—sitting still, quietly, focusing on a single object, just isn’t working for you. Maybe you even judge yourself for your inability to meditate.

If you are struggling with making meditation part of your daily practice, or it just isn’t your cup of tea, there are many other mindfulness practices you can still incorporate into your day.

When to practice mindfulness

Just to be clear, every moment of your life presents an opportunity to be mindful. You do not need to sit on a meditation cushion or visit a meditation center or an ashram to practice mindfulness. That’s the beautify of mindfulness—your entire life is a laboratory where you can experiment.

However,  that you  be mindful 24/7 is very different than actually  mindful throughout the day. For this reason, I’ve found it useful to have some cues that will remind me to return to center, to intentionally bring a bit of mindfulness to what I am doing and to pay attention to what is actually happening in the moment, rather than be trapped by the internal chatter.

Adding mindfulness cues into your day

Mindfulness Techniques For Depression Anger Addiction And Anxiety

Mindfulness has been a crux of therapy for patients with borderline personality disorder, and it also has applications for people without a diagnosis of mental illness.

People anywhere on the mental health spectrum can benefit from mindfulness techniques. It helps regulate emotions and can be a helpful resource for management and .

How Long And How Often Should You Practice Mindfulness Meditation

You can practice mindfulness meditation for as long or as often as you like. However, 15 minutes a day, a few times per week, is a good start for a beginner. Then you can work your way up to an hour each time, which is when you can reap the most benefits, says Britt Gustafson, a mindful life coach who teaches mindfulness meditation through .

You can practice mindfulness meditation at any point in the day, but it might be helpful to do it at the same time each day to build a routine. For example, Gustafson says she likes to practice every morning before she gets out of bed. 

“You’re kind of checking in with yourself and getting yourself aligned. I feel personally that that sets the tone of your day,” Gustafson says. 

Some people like to meditate in the evening, in the transition between work and home, Dingle says. You can also reach for mindfulness meditation when you need it, such as before an important event, or when something goes wrong and you want to ground yourself, she says. 

Okay Talk Me Through The Basics What Does Meditating Look Like

Good news: People often imagine there are a lot of rules around how to meditate properly, but meditation is meant to be flexible and personalized. “A lot of people think you have to sit in a certain way, like cross-legged on the floor, which is absolutely not true,” says Winston. “You can sit in a chair. You can sit on the couch. You can lie down. However you’re comfortable.” Winston notes that people also think they have to do it for a certain amount of time—often a time—but that’s another misconception. A few minutes is fine.

To give you an idea of what mindfulness meditation looks like in practice, consider this basic example: “A very simple way to meditate is to sit down in a comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed and bring your attention to your body,” says Winston. “See if you can notice your body . Maybe you feel your breath moving in your abdomen. Maybe you notice your chest moving up and down. Some people notice the air moving through their nose. Then, just pick a spot to focus your gaze on and then stay with it, feeling the breath rising and falling in and out. When you notice your mind wandering away, return your attention back to your breathing and the spot that you’re noticing. Then just do that again and again. If you just did that for five minutes a day, you’d be golden.” It may sound too easy, but that might be all you need to incorporate a fulfilling meditation routine into your life.

Pay Attention To Your Thoughts Words Actions And Motivations

When you are thinking, saying, or doing something, what is the reason behind it? Are you telling someone a story to benefit them in some way, or is it just benefiting you or your ego? Think about the motivations behind everything you do before you do it to see if it is really necessary. Make sure that you are always coming from a good place when you choose to speak or act in any way.

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Back To School Is A Great Time Begin A Mindfulness Practice

Any time of year is a great time to start practicing mindfulness yourself or with your kids. But as back to school time is quickly approaching, it’s a great time to start a mindfulness practice. This is the time of year we are getting ready to re-establish routines and schedules after the summer break. Adding a few minutes to your morning routine to practice mindfulness is a great way to add some calm and intention to your day and your kids’ days too!

Here are Kailey and Josianne with a simple guide to practicing mindfulness with your kids. Be sure to check out part one of their series , to learn about starting your own mindfulness practice too!

Mindfulness Meditation Guide: How To Start A Daily Practice

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Almost everyone in the yoga world now accepts mindfulness meditation– present moment awareness with non-attachment – as something they should add to their practice. Scientifically studied benefits of mindfulness meditation include stress reduction, reduction of depression and anxiety, increased brain function, an immune system boost, and much more. 

The Italians say “If you can’t live longer, live deeper.”

 Yet the real reason to practice meditation is to discover your highest, truest self. You know – the part of you that lies underneath the confusion and endless thoughts . . . your pure limitless potential. 

How To Do A Formal Mindfulness Practice With Your Children

Mindful meditation is simple, but not always easy. A great way to start is with a breath awareness practice. The first couple times you practice with your kids, be sure to choose a time where they are already pretty calm. They will be more receptive and will have a better first impression. Forcing them to sit still when they have lots of energy will make them feel like mindfulness is a punishment rather than a useful tool for relaxation.

Here’s how to meditate with your kids:

Embrace A Comfy Posture To Practice Mindfulness Meditation

To learn just how to meditate, it is a good idea to begin resting: you can either remain on the front of a chair, without leaning against the back-rest or rest on a padding constructed from a fit .

The appropriate placement to embrace:

Keep your back fairly straight yet not tense .Close your eyes, or leave them half-open if you prefer.Imagine that you have a wire over your head, which aligns you up.

How Do I Quiet My Thoughts And Keep My Mind From Wandering

nd here we have the most common misconception about meditation. Despite popular belief, the goal of meditation isn’t a completely blank mind. “Meditation isn’t turning off thoughts but rather learning to meet them with awareness and curiosity,” says Mattingly. The same goes for our wandering minds; you don’t have to keep absolute focus, either. In both cases, the key is .

“When our attention wanders away or other thoughts are coming up, we notice what’s happening and then bring our attention back to whatever it is we’re focusing on in our mindfulness meditation, such as our breath,” says Winston. “And then we do that over and over. What we learn to realize is that that’s not a problem. That’s part of the process.”

That doesn’t mean it’s easy, of course. Paying attention to our thoughts and emotions can set off anxiety, judgment, and other things that feel like they interfere with mindfulness. But with practice, you can learn not to get pulled down into that spiral and instead incorporate these moments into your meditation. “ allows us to take a step back and become the observer,” says Mattingly. “When we invite in curiosity, we’re able to notice the changing nature of all emotions and realize that these emotions rise and fall in everyone.”

Mindfulness Improves Memory Concentration And Performance

Paying attention and concentrating on the task at hand may be one of the most important cognitive abilities people have. Mindfulness is one of a very few methods that works as an antidote for mind-wandering and the negative effects that losing concentration may have on you. In fact, research on students has shown that there is a connection between mindfulness and paying attention both in and out of the classroom.

Studies have shown that meditating on a regular basis causes the brain’s cerebral cortex to thicken.

Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Implicit Age And Race Bias

has suggested that mindfulness can positively change the negative thoughts or associations that people once had. The impact of mindfulness has been studied in regards to several biases through measurements of implicit association tests. These tests found that people who listened to mindfulness meditation had an increased state of mindfulness and a decrease in their implicit biases.

Does Meditation Make You Anxious Or Mad Here’s A Science

Posted April 19, 2016

Find a mindfulness-based therapist

We keep seeing more studies demonstrating how mindfulness meditation can change the brain, make us feel better, and generally improve our lives. That’s great. But what if it doesn’t work for you? Maybe the practices that were supposed to take you to a calm place made you feel or irritable.

Your skin crawls, you have ants in your pants, and you swing between anxiety attacks and . Not exactly Zen.

Maybe your reaction was to start focusing on your to-do list and worrying that instead of getting things done, you were just sitting there doing nothing. You ended up getting frustrated, quitting, and buying another latte instead.

Your meditator friends either look like they could smile through a sandstorm or are so neurotically self-aware that they drive you nuts with their “mindful” attitudes and “conscious” relating. Meanwhile, you’re so you can’t sit and watch your thoughts. Or label them. Or “hold them with nonjudgmental awareness.”

The good news is that you don’t have to do mindfulness meditation. There are other ways to reach inner peace.

There has been so much on mindfulness and meditation that we’ve started to equate the two.

One reason scientists are so interested in mindfulness meditation is that it is a cognitive exercise. Scientists like cognitive exercises.

Here’s what I mean: you have to observe your thoughts . Mindfulness meditation is the most scientific practice ever.

How To Practice Mindfulness: 11 Practical Steps And Tips

Developing a mindfulness practice offers myriad positive benefits for the body and mind .

But sometimes, it’s easier said than done. 

It’s not easy in the beginning, and there will be bumps along the path toward a committed mindfulness practice. 

This article will guide you through various ways and resources to help introduce mindfulness in your life so that you are well prepared to start your journey.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to . These science-based comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life, but also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your clients, students, children, or employees.

You can download the free PDF .

This article contains:

References

Tip Six: Introduce A Breathing Exercise Before A Meeting

Up to this point, most of the tips have focused on the role and experiences of the employee; however, there is no reason why everyone in a team should not practice a mindfulness exercise.

There is some preliminary evidence that introducing a three-minute breathing exercise before a stand-up meeting results in better decision making, more productive meetings, better listening, good interactions, and more appropriate emotional responses .

This exercise could be completed as a group or individually before the meeting.

Mini Mindfulness Exercises You Can Do Without Meditating

Don’t have time to meditate every day? Here are 3 mini mindfulness exercises you can do in five minutes or even five seconds.

Being mindful means being tuned into the here and now, without judgment.

Practicing mindfulness is good for your health and well-being.

You can practice mindfulness in your daily life without doing full meditations. 

To anchor into the present moment, pay attention to how your breath feels without trying to change it. 

Do a mini body scan by focusing on just one part of your body.

Perform a quick check-in with all five of your senses to experience the world around you in the present moment. 

Happy New Year, everyone! How was your holiday season this past year? If it was anything like mine, you probably not only had lots of joyous moments, but also lots of hectic running around, getting things ready, hosting, traveling, ordering last-minute presents, and getting in touch with loved ones.

Times like these can sparkle with fun energy and can leave us feeling frazzled. That’s because all this running around makes it hard to be mindful. By mindful, I mean being present in the here and now with a non-judgmental attitude. The opposites of mindful are multi-tasking, judging, worrying, mentally planning, and getting stuck in our minds instead of being simply and fully in the real world in this current moment. 

When was the last time you were fully mindful? What did it feel like?

When The Time Is Up Reflect On Your Mindfulness Practice

Ask your children questions like: How did your body feel during the practice? What did you notice? What was your mind doing? Then share your answers. There is no right or wrong experience to have during a mindfulness practice. Sharing is a great way to connect with openness and curiosity and to see that sometimes we have similar experiences and sometimes our practices are very different.

Just like with any new exercise, this may not be easy in the beginning. But with time and practice, you will see that concentrating on the breath will become easier and a sense of calm will follow.

It can be very helpful to learn this practice from a teacher. A great place to find quality guided mindfulness practices online is . They create mindfulness practices in both English and French for you to do with your kiddos so that the whole family can practice together. Educalme’s guided mindfulness practices use vocabulary simple enough for kids, yet valuable for teens and adults too. Plus, the 5 minute guided audio is really easy to fit into your day.

Meditation Is Good For You But Not So Good For Your Butt Apr 8, 2020“I hereby call this meditation, ‘just being’” Paolo Nicolello

If I’ve been meditating on anything these days, it’s that I already sit way too much. When I’m eating, I’m sitting. When I’m working, I’m sitting. When I’m reading or writing I’m sitting. When I’m doing almost anything apart from sleeping or shopping or peeing—well, sometimes—I’m…

Acquaint Yourself With Your Breath To Be In Today Moment

Among the basics of reflection is the observation of breath. To start, you can take a couple of minutes throughout the day to observe your breath, your motivations, your exhalations, how the air column goes through you.

To aid you, you can count your breath. Just by following your breath, you will have the ability to realize that you can observe more serenely what is occurring in your mind: I saw this believed pass, I return to the breath, an additional idea passes, I come back to my breath again. Do not wait to do it 100 times if it is needed. The suggestion is to be in today minute; whether your mind is very upset or not, it is possible, by simply following the breath!

Progressively Incorporate This Technique Into Your Life

Mindfulness meditation is “training to be” and can end up being a way of living. The concept is to apply it in everyday life after having actually found out the fundamentals through official meditation sessions.

Your belly is a little knotted because of the stress and anxiety that climbs prior to a meeting, a test, a visit, a public speaking? Meditation can aid you to come back to the present moment in a couple of minutes, thanks to mindful breathing that enables you to be there, as well as not in the assumptions, projections?

Once you have attempted one or two official mindfulness meditation sessions, making use of an application, attempt to do it informally .

Powerful Ways To Practice Mindfulness In Everyday Life

You’re probably aware of the mantra of ‘living in the moment’. It’s almost the catch cry of the 21st century, at least among the wellness-minded.

But do you actually know what it means to live in the present?

For many of us, we only live in the present a fraction of the time, and instead, we dwell on the past, churning through thoughts about current problems, and worry about the future. We’re living in our minds, unconnected to the world around us or our own body or being.

This means we’re missing out on most of our lives, leaving us feeling unsettled, hollow and bereft of meaning.

The good news? We can learn to be more present and mindful.

Here are 5 powerful ways you can practice mindfulness in your daily life.

Simple Ways To Practice Mindfulness In Our Daily Life MindfulnessPositive PsychologySelf-ConfidenceMonique Tallon

“Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment.”– Rumi

These days as we are all learning to adapt to a new normal of staying indoors, I’ve been personally finding it difficult to focus on what is going right with the world instead of what is going wrong. I find myself sometimes getting sucked into hours of scrolling through my social media feed to read the latest news or to feel more connected to friends and family. With all the unknowns of what the future holds, it’s easy to get stuck in negative feedback loops which ultimately breed stress in the body. And right now stress is the last thing we need if we want to boost our immune systems and keep a healthy mental state.

So in this blog post, I want to talk about how to train your brain through mindfulness practices to stay focused on the positive, lower stress, and keep yourself mentally healthy during this uncertain time we’re going through. 

When Is Mindfulness Right For Youand How Can You Know

Despite the risks mentioned above, there are still many documented benefits of mindfulness. But, as the adage goes: if you only have a hammer, everything can look like a nail. The reality is that we need many tools in the “mental health toolbox” for a variety of situations life will throw our way: what about the saw, screwdriver, or pliers? A contributing factor is that we live in a consumerist, capitalist country. It has been overly commodified, its origins partially distorted. Not enough people, especially health professionals are researchers, are talking about the risks, contraindications, or downsides of practice, or who specifically it’s best suited for and when.

Dedicate Time And Space For Your Mindfulness Practice

You want the space you choose for mindfulness practice to be quiet, calm, and soothing. You will also want to pick a time during which you are unlikely to be interrupted. Create a space in your house that is peaceful and allows you to just relax while practicing mindfulness. Don’t use this space for anything aside from meditating. This way, when you sit down, your body will be notified that it is time to calm down and practice mindfulness.

Make Mindfulness Meditation A Part Of Your Daily Life

Forming a dedicated meditation practice is like giving your soul a hug every day. Practice compassion towards yourself as you get into a groove. Every day won’t be easy and it definitely won’t be the same. With time and commitment, you’ll come to discover that you crave sitting in meditation. You’ll start to notice small changes in your mentality and approach to yourself and others. Mindfulness meditation is the gateway to presence, compassion, peace, and grounding. Dig in. 

How Other Than Meditation Do You Practice Mindfulness

§ Some things have helped me with this, such as, staring at an object for a while. Reading about meditation. Thinking about being present. Closing my eyes . What about you? I really appreciate you taking the time to share.

Awareness of the physical body is the first step towards mindfulness. Start with the body, move up to the mind when you’re ready.

That was the first step for you perhaps, but for me it was very later on. It all depends where your concerns and issues lie, to me it was in pondering the existence of life. As soon as I started observing my thoughts it became very clear to me that mindfulness was the key to the question of our purpose in life. Don’t affirm anything, don’t deny anything, simply say the steps and let others find their own experience.

Anytime I notice I’m lost in my mind I take a step back and pause and reset. Keeping coming back to the moment, keep coming back to the Truth.

When I’m at work I focus 100% on my task right in front of me. I won’t think of the outcome, I won’t think of what’s next or anything like that. I put everything into the work. I’m there a minimum of 8 hours so it’s a lot of my day, bonus is the quality of my work benefits too!

im trying to write my thesis . Im so bored or anxious that i cant focus. or maybe i just cant focus, every 5min work im on reddit for 5-10 then back more 5 more min . FML. i wish i could do what you do and just focus 100%

Eating is a big one for me too.

What You Need To Know Before Practicing Mindfulness:

You don’t need to buy anything. You can practice anywhere, there’s no need to go out and buy a special cushion or bench—all you need is to devote a little time and space to accessing your mindfulness skills every day.

There’s no way to quiet your mind. That’s not the goal here. There’s no bliss state or otherworldly communion. All you’re trying to do is pay attention to the present moment, without judgment. Sounds easy, right?

Your mind will wander. As you practice paying attention to what’s going on in your body and mind at the present moment, you’ll find that many thoughts arise. Your mind might drift to something that happened yesterday, meander to your to-do list—your mind will try to be anywhere but where you are. But the wandering mind isn’t something to fear, it’s part of human nature and it provides the magic moment for the essential piece of mindfulness practice—the piece that researchers believe leads to healthier, more agile brains: the moment when you recognize that your mind has wandered. Because if you can notice that your mind has wandered, then you can consciously bring it back to the present moment. The more you do this, the more likely you are to be able to do it again and again. And that beats walking around on autopilot any day .

The Effectiveness Of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

In one study, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy-Mindfulness .

What are the “What” skills?

This first set of skills is meant to help the client learn how to:

Simply observe their experience.

Describe their experience using a verbal label.

Be fully present in the moment and in their actions without feeling self-conscious.

These skills allow the client to be aware of what is happening to them and of their part in their own experience. Becoming aware of their own thoughts and grounded in the present forms the foundation for the next set of “how” skills.

How Do the “How” Skills Work?

The “how” skills relate to the goal of teaching clients how to observe, describe, and participate in their own experience. This set of skills is intended to help clients:

Learn to have experiences in a non-evaluative and non-judgmental manner.

Focus on one thing at a time and learn to bring their attention back to the target when they go off course.

Be effective, or keep their focus on their goals regardless of their current mood .

The clients were also taken through a series of other mindfulness interventions including mindful breathing, the body scan, and other simple awareness practices.

Individuals in this study who received DBTM training, in addition to the usual treatment, had enhanced benefits compared to the group who received only the usual psychiatric treatment: the more minutes an individual spent practicing mindfulness, the greater the improvements in psychiatric symptoms .

Mindful Workout: Activate Your Mind And Your Muscles

Riding a bike, lifting weights, sweating it out on a treadmill—what do such exercises have in common? For one thing, each can be a mindfulness practice. Whatever the physical activity—dancing the Tango, taking a swim—instead of simply working out to burn calories, master a skill, or improve condition, you can move and breathe in a way that not only gets your blood pumping and invigorates every cell in your body, but also shifts you from feeling busy and distracted to feeling strong and capable.

Ready? The following steps, good for any activity, will help you synchronize body, mind, and nervous system. As you do, you will strengthen your capacity to bring all of your energy to the task at hand.

1. Be clear about your aim. As you tie your laces or pull on your gardening gloves, bring purpose to your activity by consciously envisioning how you want your guide your session. As you climb on your bike you might say, “I am going to breathe deeply and notice the sensation of the breeze and the sun and the passing scenery.” As you enter the pool, you might say, “I’m going to pay attention to each stroke, and the sound and feel of the water surrounding me.”

2. Warm up . Try any simple moves— jumping jacks, stretching— and concentrate on matching the rhythm of your breath to your movement. By moving rhythmically, your brain activity, heart rate, and nervous system begin to align and stabilize.

Heres What You Need For A Daily Meditation Practice:

Quiet Location: Choose a quiet space where no one will interfere with your practice. Use a cushion and create a sacred space by placing a few meaningful objects on a table in front of you

Dedicated Time: You are encouraged to meditate whenever and as often as you can! Many find that first thing in the morning is the best time to meditate. After a trip to the restroom, get to your meditation cushion right away before your day gets going. You can also meditate in the middle of the day and before bed to quiet the mind and release built-up stress

Set Duration: Many want to know a specific length of time to sit in meditation each day. The correct amount of time is 24/7 because you bring your mindfulness practice into every moment of your life. But for starters, 10-20 minutes is perfect. Set a timer and place it behind you so you aren’t tempted to look at it during your meditation session

How To Meditate When You Have No Idea Where To Start

If you’re wondering how to meditate, there’s a good chance it’s because you’ve heard all sorts of things about how good it can be for you. People love to suggest meditation for a variety of reasons: to reduce and anxiety, to ease depression, to put you to sleep, to make you feel more present, to magically transform you into a better, more grounded human being. The claims go on and on. And while the benefits of meditation have been greatly exaggerated in a lot of ways, plenty of people find it to be a worthwhile practice and . With everything going on in the world, it’s a solid time to explore meditation and whether it might be useful for you too.

Meditation may seem simple—and in many ways, it is—but people are often unsure where to start and whether they’re doing it correctly. To help you learn how to meditate and integrate it into your life, SELF asked meditation experts some of your most common meditation questions.

Mindfulness Activities For Groups And Group Therapy

Group therapy that incorporates mindfulness has shown some promising results. It is as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy .

There is also evidence that group mindfulness meditation therapy is as effective as individual CBT . In a global climate with few clinical psychologists in relation to the need for them, and in a time when individual therapy time is limited and expensive, the proven efficacy of group-based therapy is great news.

Even if you do not feel a need to visit a therapist, there are mindfulness-focused groups that share and deepen meditation practice . Here are four exercises from such groups.

Practices For Improving Emotional And Physical Well

It’s a busy world. You fold the laundry while keeping one eye on the kids and another on the television. You plan your day while listening to the radio and commuting to work, and then plan your weekend. But in the rush to accomplish necessary tasks, you may find yourself losing your connection with the present moment—missing out on what you’re doing and how you’re feeling. Did you notice whether you felt well-rested this morning or that forsythia is in bloom along your route to work?

Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment. Mindfulness is now being examined scientifically and has been found to be a key element in stress reduction and overall happiness.

Mindfulness Helps Students Achieve Academic Success

Everyone knows that, in addition to academic success, people want our youth to be happy and physically well. All of these goals are connected, and we now realize the role that social and emotional well-being has in achieving academic success. Learning how to focus one’s attention on productive tasks, become more self-aware, stay motivated to keep going when work becomes difficult, and deal with the frustrations of learning and communicating with peers are vital skills that depend on a student’s ability to comprehend and manage their emotions.

Researchers have found that college students who learned the craft of mindfulness were able to perform better on the verbal reasoning section of the GRE, and experienced improvements in their working memory. While the emphasis on academic achievement is typically what is highlighted in debates on school reform, important movements are being made by people who take a more complete and holistic approach to education.

Anchoring Our Awareness: Alternatives To The Breath

December 16, 2018 by Kristy Arbon

Photo by dorota dylka on Unsplash

In mindfulness meditation practice we are invited to anchor or ground our awareness in something we can sense, the breath being the most common anchor. Often the assumption in meditation instruction is that the breath is a neutral, portable, dynamic, rhythmic object of awareness that is a convenient place to train our awareness on.

However, the breath doesn’t feel like much of an anchor for some people. Trauma memories can be associated with the face, neck and chest area – all places on the body that the breath moves through. If our particular trauma memory is carried in these parts of our body, then this is not a neutral place to rest our awareness.

Or, if we have difficulty breathing as a result of a chronic or acute physical condition, bringing awareness to this physiological process probably won’t feel grounding. The breath is not a neutral object of awareness and may actually increase our anxiety and move us out of our window of tolerance.

If we are interested in cultivating a mindfulness meditation practice but we are challenged by anchoring our awareness on the breath, or we are a teacher of mindfulness and wish to offer options for folks who are challenged by using the breath as an anchor, we can consider some alternative anchors based on what we understand about our sensory system.

Two kinds of sensory anchors

Our sensations can be categorized in two ways:

that give us information about our body .

The Benefits Extend Beyond A Calmer State Of Mind

Meditation is widely recommended as a health-boosting practice—and for good reason. It provides many positive benefits, from reducing symptoms of stress to relieving physical complaints like headaches and even enhancing immunity to illness.?? Between the health benefits and the fact that it’s free and requires as few as five minutes, it’s easy to see why meditation has become a popular complement to conventional medicine.

How To Practice Mindfulness Meditation Greatist

As I settle into my seat to write this article, I take a deep, slow, breath. The sun’s rays are beginning to seep through the curtain, my cup of rooibos-ginger tea warms the palm of my left hand. I notice the slight kink between my shoulder blades. I remember to text a friend to confirm our walking date, resisting the urge to quickly pick up my phone. I note the smell of the jasmine-scented incense burning on my bookshelf, and the purr of my cat as he curls his tail around my right calf. I take another deep, slow, breath. And then I open my laptop.

This is my mindfulness meditation practice.

Founded by meditation coach Will Williams, World Meditation Day is observed on May 21st as a time to pause from normal everyday life and find calmness through participating in the ancient practice of meditation. While meditation remains a fundamental component of many religions around the world, including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other Eastern or New Age belief systems, it is also practiced by individuals who don’t identify as religious or spiritual. In India, written texts on meditation practices date back as early as 1500 BCE.

Over time, mindfulness meditation has been associated with various health and well-being benefits such as:

Reflection Is Not Considering Absolutely Nothing

One more preconception regarding reflection that often comes up is that reflection includes not thinking of anything anymore, of emptying our head. However, in reflection, we are complimentary to consider what we desire, we allowed our thoughts pass, we observe them, without feeding them, as well as gradually, these thoughts will go away. And possibly they will certainly even return, as well as in this case, in the same way, we let them “pass like a cloud.”Celebrities Who Practice Mindfulness

Ways To Practice Mindfulness Without Meditating

Phrases like “this month flew by” or “where is the time going?” are becoming all too common these days, and they are absolutely linked to the lack of time we take to slow down and be mindful. Mindfulness is essentially the practice of paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment, without judgment. A simple definition for a simple practice; but don’t get the wrong idea, regular mindfulness practice can have some serious positive effects such as improved concentration, energy and sleep as well as increased overall life satisfaction and reduced anxiety.

Mindfulness is most commonly practiced through some form of meditation such as breathing focused activities, focusing on a mantra or guided imagery. However, mindfulness can also be practiced in a more casual way and yield the same benefits. Below are 8 ways to practice mindfulness without meditating.

1. Mindful walking- Mindful walking is an opportunity to focus on the present moment-your feet on the ground, the wind on your face, or the sounds you are hearing- without any judgment. When your mind wanders, simply notice that your mind has wandered and gently return your attention back to your walk.

2. Mindfulness in the shower- Being in the shower provides a strong opportunity to connect with your senses. Try focusing your attention on the smell of your shampoo, the lather of your body wash, or the temperature of the water. Connecting with our senses is a wonderful way to practice being mindful.

Mindfulness Reduces Rumination And Overthinking

One of the most common symptoms that comes along with anxiety is rumination or overthinking. After you begin to worry about something, your brain will hold onto that tightly and make it difficult to let go. It is easy to get into a thought loop where you continue to replay each and every bad outcome imaginable. We all know this is not useful because worrying about something does not prevent it from happening.

actually showed that people who were new to mindfulness and began to practice it during a retreat were able to show fewer signs of rumination and anxiety than the control group.

Locate A Suitable Place To Discover To Meditate

If it is possible to meditate everywhere , to begin with, it is recommended to be in a relatively quiet and also quiet area. Not necessarily where silence is outright, yet an area where you will certainly not be as well disturbed.

Throughout your session, interruptions can potentially show up, as well as it doesn’t matter. It can even be intriguing since these are all points you will be able to observe.

Focusing your attention on the sounds you can listen to around you, as an example, allows you to be in the moment: you hear a radiator going off, for instance, as opposed to entering into a tale , the idea is to observe this noise and then have the ability to come back to your breath, taking it by the hand in a method. Celebrities Who Practice Mindfulness

Mindful Driving: Drive Yourself Calm Not Crazy

There’s nothing like heavy traffic and impatient drivers to trigger the “fight or flight” response. That’s why road rage erupts and stress levels soar, while reason is overrun. The worse the traffic, the worse the stress. Los Angeles, where I live, has some of the worst traffic around, and some of the most unserene drivers. Emotions run high, tempers flare, tires squeal.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. In fact, the snarliest traffic jam can provide an excellent opportunity to build your mindfulness muscle, increase your sense of connection to others, and restore some balance and perspective.

Here are the steps to a simple behind-the-wheel practice I’ve been doing for a while. I’ve found it can work wonders.

1. First, take a deep breath. This simple, yet profound advice helps bring more oxygen into your body and widens the space between the stimulus of the traffic and your heightened stress reaction. In this space lies perspective and choice.

2. Ask yourself what you need. It may be in that moment that you need to feel safe, at ease or you just need some relief. Understanding what you need will bring balance.

3. Give yourself what you need. If ease is what you need, you can scan your body for any tension and soften any tension or adjust your body as needed. You can sprinkle in some phrases of self-compassion, such as, “May I be at ease, may I feel safe, may I be happy.”

This article also appeared in the April 2016 issue of magazine.

How To Find The Correct Posture For Meditation

Sit on a cushion with your legs crossed and spine straight, shoulders stacked above hips. Use a chair if that’s more comfortable for you, but ensure that your spine is straight, don’t rest against the back of the chair, and keep your feet planted on the ground

Rest your hands on your thighs or rest the back of one hand in the palm of the other and let your thumbs touch lightly

Straighten your spine like a stack of golden coins

Relax your shoulders down and away from your ears and allow the arms to relax down by your sides

Gently tuck the chin and keep your lips slightly parted

Gently close your eyes or keep them slightly open and gaze ?down about 3-4 feet in front of you

Mindfulness Reflection Mindfulness: What Is It

Mindfulness reflection could be defined as “deliberately focusing attention on today minute,” for instance, focusing on breathing or physical sensations. A pose that allows one to place oneself in an onlooker’s placement and also no longer a star of one’s mental functioning: what’s going on in my mind? What are the sensations that I can observe, in my body, in my mind? What are these thoughts that pass in the present moment?

” We all can be in the here and now minute, we all can uncover this room of liberty that allows us to leave the autopilot: driving on the way residence from job and not even keeping in mind the turns we took, for example … Yet it’s true constantly: cooking dinner at night, doing your task or perhaps saying hello! We’re not actually in the present moment …” describes Benjamin Blasco, founder of the Petit BamBou reflection application. Celebrities Who Practice Mindfulness

Research On Mindfulness Meditation For Anxiety

A 2014 study showed that state anxiety of participants was reduced when they meditated. This reduction was linked to the activation of three brain structures, the anterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and anterior insula.?? Activation of these brain regions was strongly related to anxiety relief, and confirmed that mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety by helping individuals to regulate their thinking patterns.

Reasons To Start Practicing Mindfulness Today

At this point, you might think that mindfulness sounds like it requires a lot of effort.

Beginning a mindfulness habit is work, and it will be difficult in the beginning, but this habit will become easier over time and with more practice.

Additionally, mindfulness has numerous positive benefits . The benefits of mindfulness are emotional, cognitive, interpersonal, professional, and practical.

Final Thoughts On How To Practice Mindfulness

If you are new to mindfulness, then try doing it for just five minutes a day until you get the hang of it.

It can help improve your life by reducing stress and negative thoughts, increasing energy and awareness and teaching you how to let go of fleeting negative thoughts.

As a practice that has been around for thousands of years, mindfulness has been very helpful for many people looking to make improvements in their lives.

All you have to do is make the commitment to pick one of the exercises mentioned in the post, read over the simple steps for how to practice mindfulness and then schedule time daily to make it happen.

Next, if you’d like to learn more about mindfulness and meditation, then we have a wide selection of resources on this page. Specifically, here a number of blog posts that you might find interesting:

Form Positive Habits And Strengthen Willpower

Without a daily meditation practice, it is much more likely that you will fall back into old habits that do not serve you and aren’t in alignment with your purpose and authenticity. Unconscious, repetitive thoughts can drastically affect your mental health. A regular meditation practice will reinforce your willpower and help you form positive and productive new habits so you can let go of what no longer serves you.  

Live With Passion + Renew Your Vigor For Life

Most of us have had a glimpse into our true nature. Maybe it was the moment you saw your child being born or kissing your dying mother goodbye. Perhaps it was a deep stillness on a hike in nature or gazing into a loved one’s eyes. You know there’s so much more to your life than busy-ness. You can just feel it. Your mindfulness meditation practice helps you transcend that unceasing mind to uncover your true peaceful nature. Meditating every day – and hopefully “taking it off the cushion” – helps you live in this unlimited potential 24/7. The Italians say “If you can’t live longer, live deeper.” With your daily meditation practice, you can live your life fully in the present without missing a moment. 

Mindfulness Activities That Arent Meditation

As always, these ideas aren’t written in stone. They are simply ideas to get you started, but there are plenty of other mindfulness activities you could do. Use these ideas as well as the criteria above to find a few mindfulness activities that you can do regularly and work best for you.

It’s great to try to incorporate new mindfulness activities into your routine, but there are also plenty of activities you’re probably already doing that you can turn into mindfulness activities.

Any of these activities can be done mindfully, or not. It’s up to you to make them mindful by using them as opportunities to focus on your breath, the present moment, and where your attention is focused.

1. Go For a Walk: Practice mindfulness while walking by focusing your attention on the walk rather than the thoughts running through your head. Instead of walking out of habit, focus on your footsteps, your surroundings, and all of your senses.

It’s great if you can walk in nature. But if this isn’t available to you, that’s okay. You can use your walk to work as a mindfulness activity, go for a walk around your neighborhood in the morning, or take a quick walk on your lunch break.

How to do a walking meditation

2. Take Deep Breaths: A quick mindfulness practice to incorporate into your day is taking deep breaths. When something frustrating happens, focus your attention on your breath instead of reacting based on emotion. Work this activity into each day as needed.

Weaving Loom Kits on Etsy

Simple Mindfulness Practices For Daily Life

Your day-to-day activities offer ample opportunities to call up mindfulness in any moment. These simple practices will breathe space into your daily routines.

Daily Practices

How often have you rushed out the door and into your day without even thinking about how you’d like things to go? Before you know it, something or someone has rubbed you the wrong way, and you’ve reacted automatically with frustration, impatience, or rage—in other words, you’ve found yourself acting in a way you never intended.

You don’t have to be stuck in these patterns. Pausing to practice mindfulness for just a few minutes at different times during the day can help your days be better, more in line with how you’d like them to be.

Explore these five daily practices for bringing more mindfulness into your life:

[mustafa-el-fats]

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CREATIVITYIMPROVING MENTAL ABILITIES

How to Control Your Subconscious Mind

Co-authored by Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA

Last Updated: April 8, 2021 References Approved

Download Article

While the conscious mind is remarkable, the subconscious mind is even more awe-inspiring! As your conscious mind processes one choice or action, your subconscious mind simultaneously processes unconscious choices and actions. Once activated, subconscious goals, choices, and actions persist until met. Research indicates that it is not possible to prime your unconscious. However, there are activities and exercises that may allow you to access and or expand your awareness of your subconscious.

Method 1 of 4:

Practicing Positivity

1

Practice positive self talk. Replace your negative self talk with affirmations. Shifting your language will alter your mindset and override negative subconscious actions and thoughts.[1] Replace “I can’t do this!” with “I can do this!” Instead of saying “I fail at everything!” exclaim “I will succeed!” If you catch yourself slipping back into negative self-talk, pause and take a deep breath. Consider why you are telling yourself you won’t succeed. Identify the factors that caused you to become negative. Note that these factors are triggers and recommit to affirming yourself.

This shift in your language won’t happen overnight. It takes time and consistency. Remain positive as you work toward ridding yourself of negative subconscious expectations and behaviors.

2

Craft a positive mantra. When anxiety or stress arises, calm your nerves and quell negative thoughts by repeating a personally crafted mantra. Consistent use of the mantra will subdue negative thoughts and actions that arise from your subconscious mind. Identify your negative thoughts and accept that your self-judgement is unfounded. Create a healing mantra by identifying the opposite of your self-judgemental claim. Craft two additional mantras that express the same idea; use them interchangeably. Select a spot in your body to ground the positivity. The spot could be your heart or your stomach. Place your hand on the spot as you repeat the mantra. Focus on the action and swell with confidence.[2]

If you feel that you are never good enough, your mantras would be “I am good enough,” “I am worthy,” and “I am worth it.”

3

Practice visualization. Visualizing, or mentally rehearsing, the achievement of your goals is a wonderful way to engage with and train your subconscious mind. Start with visualization exercises that only require you to utilize one to two of your senses. Try to visualize every detail of a photograph or a familiar object. As you master this, work towards visualizing entire scenes of movies or memories. Note the sounds, smells, colors, textures, and tastes. When you acquire the ability to focus and accurately depict details, begin visualizing yourself achieving your goals. It is essential that you visualize yourself as realistic as possible. Don’t dwell on the negatives or envision yourself failing but visualize yourself succeeding and achieving your goal! For example, if you are visualizing yourself giving a speech, picture yourself recovering from a stutter or a skipped sentence instead of moving the crowd to their feet. [3]

Visualize specific goals. Be specific about what it is that you want to achieve. Identify the location, time, and circumstances surrounding your success. Go into as much detail as possible!

Don’t envision yourself as superhuman; instead imagine yourself as you really are.

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Method 2 of 4:

Practicing Mindful Meditation

1

Prepare to meditate. Meditation will help you focus and harness your subconscious mind. Before meditating, determine the length of your session. If you are a beginner, try to meditate for 5 minutes. Change into comfortable clothes. Grab a timer and proceed to a quiet, peaceful environment. Choose a location without clutter or distractions. Sit outside, on the floor your apartment, or on your back porch. Stretch before assuming a comfortable seated position. Touch your toes, release the tension from your neck, and relax your shoulders.[4]

2

Establish your posture. Find a stable seat. Sit in a straight backed chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground or cross-legged on top of a pillow on the floor. Straighten your back—your spine’s natural curve should be present. Position your upper arms parallel to the sides of your body. Your elbows will have a slight bend and your hands will naturally fall gently atop your knees. Lower your chin slightly and gaze at the floor. Settle into the position, become aware of your body, before you proceed.[5]

3

Focus on your breathing and your passing thoughts. Close your eyes and begin to follow your breath. Focus on your inhale and your exhale. As you relax, your mind will wander. Thoughts will flow from your subconscious mind to your conscious mind. Note these thoughts, but don’t judge them. Allow these thoughts to pass. When you realize your mind has wandered, return your attention to your breathing. In time, your mind will wander again. Always continue to come back to your breath. Repeat this process until your session is complete.[6]

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Method 3 of 4:

Practicing Stream of Consciousness Writing

1

Get prepared. Gather a pencil or pen and a pad of paper. Find a timer—an egg timer, stop watch, or your phone will work—a set it for 5 or 10 minutes Settle into a quiet, distraction-free environment. Set your phone to silent. Avoid using a computer or tablet—they provide you with too many distractions![7]

2

Begin writing. Sit in a comfortable position and take a deep breath to center yourself. Start the timer and begin writing. Never approach stream of consciousness writing with an agenda but allow your thoughts to flow naturally from one to another. As the thoughts enter your head, record them on paper. Don’t avoid writing down the mundane thoughts or ignore the odd thoughts—these may have arisen from your subconscious mind.[8] Don’t judge the thoughts or stop to analyze them. Just write. Continue recording your thoughts until the timer buzzes.[9]

3

Analyze your writing. When the session is complete, read over your thoughts. Reflect upon your words. Identify recurring thoughts or odd phrases. Try to find a link between two disparate ideas. Make note of any potential subconscious thoughts. As you continue to execute this exercise, read over your work from previous sessions. Trace your progress with stream of consciousness writing and assess if your unconscious mind has revealed itself.[10]

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Method 4 of 4:

Practicing Dream Analysis

1

Record your dreams. Before falling asleep, place a pen or pencil and a journal next to your bed. When you wake up in the morning, or periodically throughout the night, record your dreams in your journal. Write down every detail of your dreams you can recall. Jot down the minor details, no matter how mundane or insignificant they may appear. If you have been recording your dreams for a while, make note of any recurring concepts, characters, or objects.

Your subconscious mind is revealed in your dreams. Therefore, recording and studying your dreams provides you with access to your unconscious mind.[11]

2

Decide if your dream was significant and categorize it. An insignificant dream incorporates aspects of your physical surroundings—you may incorporate smells, sounds, and physical actions occurring around you into your dream; a significant dream is derived from your subconscious mind—it is not a common dream but an odd, puzzling, or illuminating dream. If your dream was significant, determine which category of subconscious dreams it falls under. Was it a precognitive dream that revealed details about future events? Was the dream a warning? Was it factual—did it confirm what you already knew? Did the dream inspire you or fulfill one of your desires? Did your dream fulfill your wish or need to reconcile with someone or something?[12]

Vivid dreams are often more significant.

3

Interpret your significant dreams. You do not have to be an expert to analyze your own dreams! All it requires is a little effort and research. There are handy resources online and at your local library! When analyzing your dream, assess it as a whole. Each detail you recall has significance and will enhance your interpretation of your dream, as well as your understanding of your subconscious mind. If the dream dictionary’s definition of a symbol is inadequate, try assessing the dream within the context of your own life. Try to determine for yourself if there is a reason this image, person, or thing is appearing in your dreams.[13]

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References

↑Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA. Life Coach. Expert Interview. 18 March 2020.

↑http://bottomlinepersonal.com/the-power-of-a-personal-mantra/

↑https://litemind.com/how-to-develop-visualization-skill/

↑http://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-how-to-do-it/

↑http://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-how-to-do-it/

↑http://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-how-to-do-it/

↑http://www.writingthroughlife.com/journaling-techniques-writing-on-the-stream-of-consciousness

↑Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA. Life Coach. Expert Interview. 18 March 2020.

↑http://www.writingthroughlife.com/journaling-techniques-writing-on-the-stream-of-consciousness

More References (4)

About This Article

Co-authored by:

Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA

Life Coach

This article was co-authored by Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MA. Michelle Shahbazyan is the Founder of The LA Life Coach, a concierge life, family, and career coaching service based in Los Angeles, California. She has over 10 years of experience with life coaching, consulting, motivational speaking, and matchmaking. She has a BA in Applied Psychology and an MS in Building Construction and Technology Management from Georgia Tech University, and a MA in Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate University. This article has been viewed 1,204,859 times.

13 votes - 85%

Co-authors: 49

Updated: April 8, 2021

Views: 1,204,859

Categories: Improving Mental Abilities

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[yvaquietdays]

idealising the past and dreaming about the future

Last week, after I made the blog public, I received some pretty beautiful messages. Most of them were from folks who had been in the exact same position as me, whether living with depression or anxiety, or simply finding it tough battling through life’s disappointments. It was incredibly comforting knowing what I believed when I wrote that last post was so resonant; we’re all going through the same bullshit.

But a friend in particular, his name is Mat. He commented publicly on my post with some words that got me thinking. Imma share this here:

If I was arrested for any crime at all it would be for idealising my past self. That and eating too many biscuits. Who I was, who I thought I was. I laughed more, I cared less, I subscribed to nobody else’s version of me. But then I got depressed and worried all the time, and I lost that part of myself. The happy-go-lucky, ball of energy, motivated, determined young woman, gone. As slow and as unnervingly noticeable as a fart. Much in the way that Mat reminisces over his “extroverted, confident ‘me’“, I reminisce heavily upon the teenage me, the one who had stars in her eyes and never wavered in her confidence of her abilities.

Except, when I really think about it, when I’m honest with myself, and I face my self in the mirror, I know that isn’t true.

All that I’ve lost, really, are my rose tinted glasses.

I grew up.

I was never motivated, I was never determined. I was lucky. I can’t reminisce about the person I was because I know more about myself now than I did before, and I think the hardest part of climbing out of the pit of your mental un-health is accepting that life goes forwards, not backwards. I can’t unlearn all the things I’ve learnt since I noticed three years ago that I wasn’t happy. The truth is, I was unhappy before that. I’ve been fighting off that frequency sadness for as long as I can remember.

So I can’t go back and rewind the clock, because all I have is now and I don’t want to be that sad girl anymore. I’ve been thinking a lot about cycles, the 7-year-life cycle in particular. Wait, though- Before you flick back to whatever you were doing before you decided to read my blog, bear with me. Aside from whatever spiritual or philosophical connotations the idea might have, let’s look at it logically for a second. The first seven years of our life we spend smelling and touching and feeling out the world around us. Any mental learning is done almost subconsciously, depending on how our world treated us. We’re well on our way to becoming a real, pubescent adult when the second cycle rolls around, by which point we’re discovering our sexuality, relationships, viewpoints and intellect. This is such a huge exploratory phase for some. Then the third arrives, and we’re beginning to find out what the world is like without our parents driving the train. We’re figuring out where we place in the grand scheme of things, and wondering how you might change, politically, environmentally, socially. And then come our twenties.

Jesus Fuck.

WHAT HAPPENED?!

I think it is no coincidence that a lot of people suffer mental illness for the first time in this particular age bracket. I envy those who don’t. They tend to be some of the most driven, strongest people I know. But my friends used to call it “the mid-twenties fear.” Out of nowhere, we’re mentally and physically culpable for all our own decisions and mistakes, and all the ideas we had for life in those first three cycles have become somewhat buried under a pile of work deadlines, rent days and bills to pay. We don’t own your own home yet, we aren’t married, we have no kids. We aren’t in the perfect job yet, we haven’t even begun the successes that were supposed to come to us after we put in so much work at our GCSE’s, A-Levels, degrees!

We’re the guy cleaning our toilets now, we’re the ones buying the food. School didn’t prepare us (not in the UK at least) for how to deal with every day responsibilities; how to pay taxes, how to arrange loans, how to mentally cope with the resounding disappointment we feel at how our lives panned out in contrast to the grand ideals we had when we were in our third cycle.

Oof. I know. Heavy man.

(I have a big problem with how out-dated our education system is; instead of being career-driven, it is goal-driven. Degrees don’t work for everyone and they evidently do not provide for a stable economy. More apprenticeships, less pressure on exams (not everyone is good at those) and more practical applications, pls & thnx)

But here’s what I’ve realised. Life is a cycle. It’s not meant to go backwards, it’s supposed to continue on its round, picking up what we’ve learned and adapting itself as it goes. Why focus on what we haven’t got when we should focus on what we do have? And if something is ever spiralling, ever changing and evolving, how can we go back to the last cycle? Should we jam an iron rod in the spokes, forcing the wheel to brake suddenly and collapse under the pressure? Because that is what would happen. That is what happened to me.

I knew at the age of 18 my life wasn’t heading in the right direction, when I stared out of my university accommodation window at York Minster in the distance, listening to Stop This Train by John Meyer. The night was dark, and I sat curled on my redundant desk chair, wondering in a pale blue light of sadness, even then. Eventually I made the change, dropping out of further education and pursuing my joy, my music. But it did not alleviate the sadness. I continued on, all the while so scared of living life on my own, so scared of growing up. I lived in fear for years of never achieving my goals because I could not bear to be alone doing it. Isolation was my motivation and fear my hinderance.

I spent years dreaming and idealising this vision of the future where I was always winning, where I was singing and performing and recording and I was writing with everyone and everyone wanted to write with me, and everything was just going to work out (claps between words required). It was easier living in this fantasy life I wanted to build, but the escape was taking me further away from reality. Much like that incredible Pixar film, Inside Out, fear and sadness was in control of my actual life.

Things were going well for a while in that frame of mind, but then they didn’t.

When all those things I’d dreamt (I stress that I never visualised them, not in a positive way- I dreamed them- the difference is as vast as an ocean) didn’t happen, I kept harking on to that past self, wondering where it all went wrong, trying to get back that ambition, the endless streams of excitement, the riveting pangs of desire. It was all a lie I told myself. Because really, all I had in the pit of my stomach was dull and and grey; it was nothing, and I could feel myself hiding in that pit, far, far away from where I used to be. All of what I told myself was a lie, and I was starting to realise the truth of it.

I think that amidst all of it, life was telling me (whatever it was; nature, God, Buddha’s mates,) I ought not to hyper-admire my old self. Because in trying to become my past self, I was ignoring what I could become in the future. All of the little lies I told myself started to evolve on their own like that black icky shit from Prometheus (don’t watch it- it’s disappointing, just like your life), to the point that I forgot what I had done to protect myself; when all of those things I had lied with were stripped from me, I was naked and bare, and I had no idea of how I was going to move through the murk of it all. My self esteem was so low that the idea of performing made me anxious, writing made me cry, I sat in silence at the piano with a choke in my throat and my guitar lay in its case gathering dust.

But I was naked for a reason. I had to accept that I was relying heavily upon this idea of my self, not upon what I was. I was constantly seeking others’ approval, my only source of validation was what I thought others thought of me.

It has been empowering to know that the answer has been in me all along. I cannot blame others for how I view myself.

Life is a cycle. I am where I am supposed to be now. It’s not perfect, I’m still working on me and creating my life with my own hands, not someone else’s. I’m not quite there yet, but I’m trying.

But maybe this is my best self, because I’m so much more aware and emotionally awake. Maybe I’m the best I can be because I recognised my laziness and arrogance when I needed to, and in stripping these things away from my ego I am looking forward to being a better person, not the young complacent girl I was. And as a woman, cycles rule our lives. From the second cycle to the latter, our emotions and physiology is run by a monthly turn of events. Part of the reason I came off the pill was so that I could feel and trust this more purely. I was neglecting my basic instincts and self and I couldn’t have jacked up hormones hiding it away from me.

So everything comes and goes. The old girl goes and the new woman arrives. We have a chance to change every time. All aspects of life in this world run in a cycle. Water, fire, earth. It all moves and works in a cycle. Ice ages, the rising of dough into a beautiful donut, the melting of butter atop a mountain of cheese and jacket potato. Life and death. All the important stuff.

So I let the death of my old self instigate the birth of a better me. And one day I might shed this skin too and look forward to the next husk I inhabit.

What I’m learning is that nostalgia can be good, if you’re with your mates and remembering that time you threw up down the side of George Ezra’s tour van (true story).

But if we start becoming nostalgic about our selves, thinking of our current self in a negative way, dousing it in low light and bad reflective gear, and instead highlighting that past self with the glory light of hindsight, we can’t, and I believe, we won’t move forward.

We have to accept ourselves as we are now, and then build whatever we can upon the foundations that we create every second we’re alive. Because all we have are our own decisions, that ultimately we are in control of. How we respond, how we act, what we say; at the end of the day, that’s who we are. What you did today, that’s who you are, good or bad. No-one is perfect and life is a cycle. We always have tomorrow to try again.

We don’t have yesterday, so

[paganchristian]

My girl cat.  I still like to write and think and talk about my cats almost like they are still alive, because it feels like that is healing to me.  In some way, I feel they are still alive in another realm.  I can remember them, and keep their memory alive.  It doesn’t have to feel so painful anymore now that I’m learning the lessons that I had to learn about how to live without them and how to adjust and how to see how overburdened I was (and in many ways still am) anyway so maybe I sometimes wonder if I should have another pet when I really think I was allergic to them, and as much as I love pets and they’re like family members, but maybe I need to heal my own life and spend a lot of attention on my daughter and her upbringing, maybe not having a pet will help me focus more on that, because I used to spend so much time with my cats and sometimes it felt like a respite from the stress and confusion, including the overwhelm and confusion of motherhood, and my cats would wake me up in the middle of the night so that I didn’t get enough sleep, and I was allergic and I wasn’t able to do as well in some ways in my life,... maybe because of all that, and so on, anyway,...  There’s many ways to see it, but I am happy to bring back the happy, healed energies and feelings around them and all the memories I can.

I will write about her eventually but there is also something to me that feels special about not hurrying to express what does not flow, but what is so special and unique, powerful and sacred to me.  In fact also there is something special about not expressing what is wonderful to myself but that I feel others wouldn’t necessarily get. Because sometimes when I express and share things special to me, others don’t get it or don’t care as much, not that much,...  And I think that somehow I might feel that, even if they don’t talk to me, but if energy affects you then I might feel it.  And sometimes it feels to me that I do feel it.  And that it kind of diminishes things somehow.  But other times, though I feel like it’s different, and I feel like I reach a point where I can share without it being diminished much if at all, not enough to really hurt me or take away from my meaning and joy and confidence and energy and focus and whatever it is that I have bout this thing,.  And when it is one way or when it is another, that depends on something, a feeling, hard to describe.  Maybe a more intuitive thing, but also a lived experience kind of thing, where I see that when I follow this kind of feeling and intuition then I get these kinds of results.  And it also has a lot to do with the atmosphere I’m sharing it in, the kind of people who might see or hear or read or whatever, what I’m doing.  So I think that some people and some situations are more likely to end up having some kind of negative effect on me.  Maybe their negative, deflating opinions are more likely to affect me with their energy.  But other situations and people, it’s not that way so much if at all.  Maybe it’s just a trial and error thing for me to see how I seem to feel when I do certain things in certain places and situations, and that tis how I “intuitively” know, partially or mostly by first trying and seeing different things.  It’s often been in the past that I would put things out there on the internet where people could read them on a blog and at first I didn’t notice anything negative from it but over time I began to feel this negative energy, draining, anxious, intrusive, attached, worried, fixated, as if someone was making negative energy cords or just projecting, getting too in my business, and too reactive and too hungry for more or worried, and yes, often, belittling or misunderstanding.  Sometimes it really felt to me like it dragged me down emotionally, mentally, burst my bubble of enthusiasm.  I had to recognize it and stop putting things out there on the internet in those places.  I now use prayer to help me and I think that it does.  I used to use the help of deities, but now I use a different type of prayer.  The help of my deities helped me in the past, and it included a variety of deities including Hindu as well as Christian deities, but now it seems to work better with the particular prayer I’m using, all the time, and that is like I don’t know how it does it but it seems to be very protective in many situations, including with my husband, my family, strangers and people on the street or online.  Not that it all goes perfectly, and it’s not just protecting me either, but helping in the harmony between myself and others, and what I can do to help them in their lives.  But I think it also depends on the attention, the mindset, values, emotions and deep-seated beliefs you have (even beliefs you have that you’re not conscious about having).  If you have the right mindset and beliefs and feelings, then it works much better.  

Anyway I was going to write something about how I want to be able to be there, to share, to care, to offer help and ideas and advice if they want it, or take it or leave it, for my family member, since they do ask for advice and input and ideas.  But I want to do all that in a really detached, low-stakes way.  So somehow the picture of the mirror with my cat facing away from me made me think of this.  I want to have this approach with my family, with religious groups and spiritual beliefs, and I want to have this approach with potential friends if I ever even try to make real friends.  I have to first know that the person or church or the belief system, whatever, that it’s someone or something that is unlikely to ever hurt or misunderstand or reject or abandon me too badly, or else I have to feel that I have gained so much from the whole interaction that I will leave still much richer, and able to feel I have not lost, that there is not that much to lose, because I’m still fine to know the truth of how they’d reject me, how those opportunities would close, etc.  And so, the image of looking at someone in a mirror, while turned away from them (from the view of my cat), that seemed to fit.  I could always just look right at my own reflection if the world in which I inhabit is so much more full and vital and overflowing and alive than whatever it is they would try to reject me with.  So that is what I was thinking of.  

I’ve felt this way in the past when I did a little bit of speaking before a class or whatever, and I was so fired up about what I was talking about, introvert though I am, that I just didn’t even really care and hardly saw the people I was talking in front of, and was just wrapped up in my own speech, and the world around me felt like it just dissolved.  And another time I really felt like i had a rapport with the audience, somehow, and I felt their feelings, I held their gazes, as I looked around the room and I felt they were really touched and inspired by me.  And even the professor also commented on that and told me that I was a great speaker, and knew how to really connect with the audience and create synergy.  But in high school I also recall my teacher once telling me that I seemed incredibly nervous and she was concerned and the funny thing was I didn’t actually feel nervous, and I thought I had been in my own world of inspiration and confidence, again, but she though I was consumed with anxiety.  Hmm.  

Anyway, just some thoughts.  I think it might be good for me to remember this idea, and act on it, somehow.  How to make a situation where I can share but it is so distant, that I can turn into myself if they don’t care, if they don’t want what I have to offer, if they’re not interested, and it won’t feel too harmful and they won’t reject me too much , because like in the case of my relative, for example, and in the case of my daughter, there is so much in common, so much love, so much closeness, that even if they really do not like what I’m saying or care or relate or understand, I know they will not be too rude and abandoning or rejecting, they’ll just wander off to their own thing, mostly, .. And especially if I put my ideas in some format where they can easily do that, like say, a blog, maybe, or I some other thing where I can turn into myself and tune out the world, as I am fed upon my own ideas, and happy to talk to myself, write to myself, say what I want or need, regardless of if anyone else is listening or if they care or not at all.  A blog or something else, maybe occasional letters, just not too much, letters that do not require a response at all,...   to try to share and care and advise my family?  Can it be done?  Maybe.  I mean, really why not?  As long as I can let the blog just morph into a self-revolving project of helping and learning for my own self if the sharing, interactive aspect doesn’t work as I might have hoped.  Since I’ve done that before with other blogs, not sharing with my family but just putting them out in public, and they turned out to be totally self-revolving, self-help type things, why not this too?  Much of what I’d like to share with my family has a as much or more value for my own self or even for the hope and possibility of sharing with someone else out there in the world if even if not my family.   But my family won’t criticize too badly if they don’t feel too burdened and too obligated to listen or respond at all.  It won’t deteriorate our relationship since they can take it or leave it and it won’t be like with other friends where we tried to share so much and felt unable to say too much is too much or I’m bored with your passionate interests, or I’m drifting apart from what once held us so close.  If we start and continue with this really detached, low-stakes kind of distant way of interacting, then whenever this has served its purpose (or if it never has a purpose after all), it can be let go of without a lot of painful raw edges, attachment, expectation, awkwardness and the habit of acting like we care, the rituals of interaction and expecting that, bonding and growing fixated into those patterns as if it’s “our time together”, that can’t then be challenged without disrupting the relationship.  And if they didn’t like it they would maybe give me some little critiques at worst, nothing too bad and our friendship, our strong family relationship will continue pretty much as strong as it ever was.  

And if I had a person who I could feel that way about, when trying to “make friends” or whatever, it wouldn’t be the same, because of course then I’d be making new friends, as I’m speaking of it here, not just continuing a strong relationship with family.  But even then I wouldn't’ want to interact, unless they had shown me enough of what made me convinced they would understand, respect, relate, care, accept, etc so much of what I say and would not be cruel, callous, selfish, towards me for just trying to share things in this take it or leave it way (like really why would it be so hard to not just be respectful of people who openly share things in a take it or leave it way?  But it seems many people would be rude and intrusive in such a situation if their values, their views, etc were too different.  They would take your vulnerable sharing and use that as an opportunity to try to hurt you.  So I would have to know that our values, views and our personalities and ways of doing things and ways of relating were similar enough.  Then I could be like, ok, if you want to get to know me, the deep me, my passions, values, insights, ideas, and what I want to offer the world, what I’d like to share with others, what makes me tick and what would make me want to be a friend to someone, what friendship means to me, just look at my blog.  Haha  That sounds weird and yet I think with the right person it could work.  And if they really did like what you had to say and what you had to offer, they could respond and if not, they could just not respond much or at all. And if they only respond a little and then drift off or start to feel distant and negative about it all, then you can just return to the mirror of self-reflection, again, but only as long as you have always kept it very self-referential all the whole way through.  None of this deep attachment and involvement, more like I’m making a speech and you can comment, then you can drift away or become critical and I don’t feel like my best friend is leaving me after we were so close and had so much deeply in common.  I don’t feel that because it was only ever this kind of thing where I gave a speech and you comment, and we’re friends and our friendship is strong enough with or without the speeches or rather, you’re a respectful person and if we don’t become lasting friends, that respect is strong enough with or without friendship, so I don’t feel desecrated, used, and discarded,...  Because that is how I usually end up feeling with people who I share my deepest feelings with.  Even when I don’t share my deepest feelings I usually get terribly hurt by people if I let them get close after just sharing somewhat deep feelings.  

So they have to share enough of themselves before I’ll share myself at a deeper level, kind of like my family has shared to much of who they are that I can now trust their respect.  I t how do you have that with friends and people who aren’t family?  I am not sure but the same way I’ve gotten to know my family this deeply, somehow maybe it can be shown in others without getting too vulnerable to they unfairly attack and abandon me like so many others.  I am asking God, because it feels maybe this was an answer to something from God, but I’m not sure,...  Maybe it was.  Maybe this idea of how to relate to my family member was given to me from God.  Maybe the idea it could be applied to potential other friends and belief systems and whatever is also an idea from God.  If you start out strong and independent enough, and distant enough, and stay that way, nothing can reach in and take too much from you, especially if the ways they can and would try to reach you aren’t too vulnerable in ways you can’t bear.  You have to know what kind of vulnerability is comfortable and acceptable for you.  I guess some can handle a lot more rejection and invalidation and misunderstanding than others and it depends on the person, their history, their traumas, their remaining support system and coping methods, their identity, how strong their identity is, and so on.  

Another question that I’d have about all of this is, really, how to or can you, can I, make all this feel like an exchange?  And since it is take it or leave it, you don’t have to respond, then how might it still be able, or could it still feel like an exchange?  Because in the past when I would blog, even though I got no comments, likes nor any followers, for some of these blogs, it felt strangely like it met some of my deepest, most unique, hard-to-meet social needs.  Not all, and I needed my daughter, and God, and books, and reading and divination and what not to help me feel more seen, less alone, and more loved and interactive and healed by others too.  

But another funny thing was that when I blogged often it would seem like the guidance from spirit and the healing and good luck I got were better.  i wondered if the energy of any readers was somehow helping (even if I didn’t have followers or commenters, maybe silent lurkers?  But then I had negative psychic effects too so it was a mixed bag, and sometimes I felt like my prayers and guidance was better when it was kept secret, totally private, which is something you oftentimes hear in spiritual beliefs - that to tell something to others diminishes the power and the more secrecy the better.  I think based on my own experience, it depends, sometimes it may be one way and sometimes another for different things and different audiences.  Now on my my new spiritual path I still keep much to myself with my prayers and it does seem to have better results thus, these days, because I feel like I have finally tapped into a source of power that doesn’t let me down as much as my spiritual powers and deities did in the past.  I rely more on God, less on the public effects of sharing and the unusual coincidences that seems to ripple out in my world). 

But blogging met so many needs I felt were unmet before I blogged, and after I kept on trying to stop blogging, for various reasons, I’d b drawn back once more because of those needs I felt deprived of when I didn’t blog.  What was oftentimes weirder still was that it seemed to create these kind of visions of people in the past, but that has faded away, and I really think that maybe I was connecting with energy and that the energy created the visions.  That is not to say the person was actually interacting with me but maybe their energy somehow did and it presented itself to me as a person.  Anyway, for whatever that might be worth, it created these visions that were socially fulfilling to me, and felt like real friendships, or sometimes love, astral lovers.  Although I also had the problems going on with psychic cords, so it was a two-edged sword.  Though even after i stopped having the visions of people much anymore, I still found blogging to be a socially satisfying endeavor and expression, often more so than real interactive social exchanges.  Perhaps what I needed more was to connect to my own deeper self, however to do that in the context of a social, public setting, because I needed to feel that what I was saying was worth saying, deserved the right to be said, was ok to say out loud where others could see and hear it. The way my brain seems to erode thoughts if they’re not shared with others, even though I want to hold on to them.  Something about the public, social interactive or potentially interactive (not too interactive in reality, just potential. haha).. something about all that stuff makes my brain focus, and think better, and hold on to thoughts that would just slip off like memories of dreams, and fade away or get blurry and inarticulate otherwise. 

Maybe anyway, blogging could feel like a social exchange, though, back to that,... It could feel like a social exchange, the same way, with family or potential friends who I trust enough to let them interact if they so choose, or take it or leave it if not.  And how can that feel like an exchange, if what they are giving to me in return i feel like I have to respond to, the way most people respond to social gestures, and they’re normal that way so I would feel like I have to do that?  And I’m not sure, but it’s a question, a thought, that I pose to God, hey God, please fill me in on the details on this, if you will, if this is your idea you are leading me or trying to lead me or if you are just leading me on stepping stones jumping from one possibility to another to spark thoughts till I get the real clear ideas of what will really work, then I wait for that.  I make no assumptions including not assuming it’s you that’s telling me or giving me these ideas.  But if it is, then God, please I will pay attention and if you show me I’ll try to see what you show, as I feel it’s not just some passive thing, and I will at least ask and pay attention.  I do think I’m meant to play a part in my own life instead of just let it happen to me as God deems without me trying to see and plan and interact with God for guidance, like many Christians often seem to suggest when they hear the complexity of my prayers and guidance seeking from God.

Speaking of that, I feel like maybe when I blog it’s just like it’s making the social and thought mechanisms in my mind, heart and soul and intuition and subconscious and memories and whatever all stir up and activate, and maybe that has something to do with the guidance that I get, maybe it has something to do with the visions I get too.  What if the visions are some kind of repressed part of my subconscious or something, some part of myself?  What if the insights that let me recognize the right symbols and messages, in the guidance, what if that is also activated this way?  What if?  Or maybe I am manifesting it, or maybe God is manifesting it, but some reason God wants me to use or needs me to use blogging to have this effect, because my brain is trapped inside, under layers of something that can only be excavated with social environments (socially distant, socially potential but not really interactive, like these mostly if not totally unnoticed blogs, even in particular?).

Then what if I have to go through a particular mechanism to make them surface and interact and become clear, lest they’re lost in the mist?  What if it’s not like the things that many new age people said to me, that I just have to willingly open and tap into my own insight but instead I really must go through elaborate particular processes to finally tap in my insights in the form of visions that appear outside me?  Whether these things are really outside me or a manifestation of my own mysterious power that has to be activated by some strange and subtle means, some particular ritualistic precise and complex methods, well, what does it matter really?  If the point and purpose and role and result is it helps me, I can do it this way, I can’t have the same results any other way?  I have tried.  So that is all that matters, do what works then. 

[astroalive]

ok, i dont know if this goes under descriptions or not, but, i have saturn and mercury both in the 5th house, (not sure if the signs matter, but taurus for saturn and aries for mercury). What do you think the challenges would include? I know it's feeling trapped by fear and rejection when it comes to creativity, but i feel as if there is a bit more to it then that. Also, what do you think someone would have to do to get past these challenges, and how you know that you have? sorry if it violates!

Saturn in the 5th House & Saturn in Taurus

This isn’t an easy placement, but no placement of Saturn is ever truly simple - Saturn is the challenger, after all. Saturn’s role and the 5th House’s role are, in many ways, in conflict. Saturn is the “taskmaster,” it is strict and restrained, while the 5th House is about free expression and romance (not just relational romance, but romantic views of the world as a whole). This creates a great deal of tension more often than not.

Children

In the 5th House, Saturn typically causes issues with children. This can manifest as physical struggles giving birth / becoming pregnant / lack of fertility, or other more symbolic, less literal, challenges such as suddenly finding yourself supporting a child or tasked with teaching or caring for a child. How this struggle manifests depends a lot on aspects.

In Taurus, Saturn typically affects material possessions more than anything else, so it would indicate the struggle with children may be more on the lines of monetary or material support than a literal lack of fertility or something else. On the other hand, it also grants patience with children.

Romance

Saturn in the 5th may indicate an older romantic partner. More importantly, it often marks a relationship which requires a great deal of devotion. Knowing Saturn, it will likely not be simple devotion, but heavy and difficult to manage. But, Saturn’s challenges always pay off if you are willing to put in the work.

Depending on aspects, this can manifest in a variety of different ways. Hard aspects (oppositions, squares) may mean that romantic opportunities may be few and far between in one’s life, self-consciousness will limit one’s opportunities, and a struggle to express romantic intentions.

Stress & Duty

Due to Saturn and the 5th’s conflicting natures, one’s ability to relax and express themselves will typically be pitted against each other. This manifests most often as guilt when one isn’t working in some way, so attempting artistic and romantic expression not only results in feelings of fear and rejection, but also in shame, oddly enough. This is one of the most brutal characteristics of Saturn’s influence.

Mercury in the 5th House & Aries

Mercury’s place in the 5th House is much less difficult, and comes primarily with positives, but there are a few challenges.

Children

Mercury in the 5th’s primary fault is intellectual conceit, and this often falls upon one’s children’s shoulders, if they have their own children or any children in their life. There is often stress placed on children in that one is so concerned with the child’s intellectual success. Obviously, it’s not a bad thing to want a child to succeed in any capacity, but this placement often means that the native’s ego hinges on the child succeeding.

Depending on the aspects, Aries may only make this worse by creating impatience.

Romance

This isn’t a terrible placement for romance, but it can influence one to be excessively critical of both romance as a concept and their romantic partners.

Growth

Getting past any negative influences in the natal chart starts with awareness and honesty. When looking at these placements and aspects, ask yourself if it applies to you or not. Sometimes it won’t! Each chart is unique, and thus some of these negative influences may either be assuaged or inflamed by other placements and aspects.

Also, what I’ve described is the absolute worst traits possible - there are good aspects to both of these placements, and it’s very rare for someone to solely exhibit every “bad” trait associated with their natal chart. These things are potentials which we can avoid, grow out of, and overcome - you may have avoided them or already grown out of them without even realizing.

But whether that negative trait is there or not, you must look inward and truly reflect on yourself and your actions to determine it, and once you’re aware of those parts of yourself you can do something about it.

Depending on your view of astrology, some of these things may appear to be completely out of your control, but knowledge of them gives you more control than many recognize.

With negative thoughts, try to catch yourself each time you may feel insecure, be stressing yourself out about taking time to yourself, or thinking negatively of romance. When you think negatively, correct the negative thought with a positive one. For example, if you think “I don’t have the right to take a break” (something Saturn often seems to sneak into our thoughts), correct it by thinking “I have the right to relax and take care of myself; taking time to myself isn’t something I should feel guilty for.” It can take a while, but you will eventually stop thinking in those patterns.