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How to create an oasis of calm inside your own heart

In today's fast-paced world, everyone from time to time looks for an 'escape' - time away in a place far removed from the hubbub of today's world. When thinking of such an escape usually some tranquil scenic location comes to mind far away from daily life . However, for thousands of years great sages and meditators have found that you can create a space of calmness inside yourself to take refuge in no matter where you are. What's more, this space of silence is nowhere else than inside your heart, the space in the middle of our chest we point to when we say 'this is me'. We have all been in this space from time to time, for example when we find ourself in a place of great beauty and suddenly feel at peace there; however, with practise you can enter into this inner refuge at will.  read more »

Seven steps to greater self-confidence

Lack of confidence is something which plagues us all at some time or another. Often, our confidence is eroded as we pass through adolescence and early adulthood, as we get experiences of failure which convince us we are not capable of doing something. Here are some common causes for lack of self-confidence and their suggested remedies:  read more »

Lessons death can teach us about life

Losing a loved one is possibly the most heartbreaking and traumatic experience we will have to go through in our life - it is arguably the one experience that you can't type up a 'five easy tips to overcome...' article about. Time is a great healer though, and as the grief subsides we often emerge from the experience a wiser, more grounded person.  read more »

Is it possible to overcome our imperfections?

As a child, we run around from one thing the next believing we can do anything. Yet often by the time we reach early adulthood, we have a very fixed view of ourselves and other people. Bad experiences often lead us believe to that human beings are incapable of changing, and to turn away rather than give them a second chance. But how true is that declaration?  read more »

Turn life into an adventure

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing", once remarked Helen Keller, and yet most of us, with all our facilities for perceiving the world intact, would merely shake their heads and get on with the daily routine. The older we get, the easier it can become to trudge through life on autopilot, with a weary acceptance of the responsibilities of mortgage, job and whatnot. However, for one who truly realises life's value, every moment is precious and every day is an opportunity to do something special! Here are a couple of things you can do to truly awaken yourself to the beauty of life again:  read more »

Why not take up a musical instrument?

We have all been at a concert or performance, and really wished we could express ourselves like that. But what stops us from taking an instrument up? Let's look at the two main reasons why we don't turn our wish into reality, and deal with them in turn:  read more »

An exercise to boost your concentration span

As life gets busier and busier, and the world becomes filled with more things to distract and scatter our attention, it can become harder to focus one one thing. However developing your concentration power can reap tremendous rewards in terms of clarity, productivity and efficiency in your life, and it can be done with just a few minutes practise every day.  read more »

The power of gratitude

Gratitude is not a word that comes foremost in today's busy lives - the last time many of us probably heard it is when we were children and were told to stop complaining and be grateful for what we have! Certainly, 'gratitude' and 'power' are not two words we normally tie together; we tend to think of it as a very meek quality reserved for frail old saints and do-gooders. However, bringing gratitude into your day-to-day existence can have a tremendous transforming effect on your entire life and the world around you.  read more »

The Sri Chinmoy Centre: spirituality for a dynamic world

There are some who say that spirituality is an escape, a way of refusing to accept the realitiies of life. Based on my experiences as a member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre, I can confidently assert the opposite: that spirituality is about accepting circumstances as they are, and working to transform them.

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Facing the challenges of life

Sometimes it seems as we are buried under an ever-increasing mountain of worries, which threaten to overwhelm us completely. Here are a few tips to keep your equanimity in the face of life's challenges:  read more »