Just visit a place of natural beauty, any place where there are mountains, flowing rivers, tall, lush green trees, birds on the wing, small white clouds floating in the sky and the sun shining. In such a place, you will feel like exclaiming: How wonderful is nature! But nature is not just a wonderful world. It is rather an amazing garden of spirituality. Indeed, everything in nature gives you a taste of spirituality. For example, when you see a honey bee hovering over a flower, you suddenly realize that it has a lesson to impart, for every part of nature is like a flower for you. In each part resides the nectar of spirituality. Take out this spiritual nectar and you will be motivated to turn yourself into a spiritual personality.

It should be borne in mind that spirituality is not a state of ecstasy. Ecstasy is a state of bliss or a semi-conscious condition. But spirituality is different from this,being marked by a high level of acute intellectual awakening, rather than a semi-somnolent stateof mind.

In the age of science, it is possible to place spirituality within the framework of a mind-based discipline. Being a science just like other sciences, spirituality should be associated not with meditation but rather with contemplation. The domain of spiritual science encompasses the contemplation of the qualitative aspects of nature, so that within its scope, it is things of a spiritual nature which are brought to light.

For a honey bee, its whole world is a world of flowers. It concentrates on flowers, takes the nectar from them and returns to its hive. The same is true of an awakened mind.

For an awakened mind, the whole world is a world of spirituality. It extracts spiritual content from everything. Our world is like a garden of all good things, and spirituality enables the individual to live in and benefit from this garden.

http://www.cpsglobal.org

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Seek the nectar of spirituality - The Sunday Guardian

Amos dedicated the bulk of his prophecy to railing against the well-heeled, calling them cows of Bashan: They drink [straight] from the wine bowls, And anoint themselves with the choicest oils But they are not concerned about the food/ruin (shever) of Joseph (Amos 6:6).

And yet, in Amoss climactic prophecy, he shifts his focus to from starving poor to the desire for spiritual nourishment: A time is comingdeclares my Lord GODwhen I will send a famine upon the land: not a hunger for bread or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the LORD (8:11).

Amos shift is shocking. Maslows famous pyramid of needs suggests that it is impossible to tend to psychological and emotional wellbeing, when more basic physiological and personal safety needs have not been secured. How can Amos worry about the spirit when the poor are being crushed by debt and worry for their daily bread?

Maslows hierarchy of needs.

This dilemma is especially resonant these days. Alongside the tragic loss of more than a million lives worldwide and millions more sickened, COVID-19 has blazed a trail of economic destruction. People have lost jobs and homes, children are going without education or food.

And yet despite these pressing concerns of health and money, this pandemic has also unleashed a storm of intellectual content. My inbox has swelled with invitations to Zoom conferences, new podcast series and more. And its not falling on deaf ears or inboxes; there is plenty of evidence that the wave of content is coming to meet a groundswell of demand.

As just one example, we at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies have found that hundreds are eager to join our weekly virtual classes. Despite the wealth of attractive offerings from other institutions, our summer program has seen unprecedented registration. We see similar indications in our full-time programs as well. Even before knowing what the US would face, most of last years students felt that continuing to study Torah was well worth the risk, and chose to shelter-in-place here in Jerusalem. We are clearly thirsty for Torah.I am sympathetic to Rabbi Yisrael Salanters critique that we spend too much time worrying about our own stomachs and other peoples souls rather than worrying about other peoples stomachs and our own souls. People are going hungry right now.

In addition to demanding that our governments provide relief, this is surely a time to be especially punctilious about Jewish laws demand that the average person gives 10% of their income to the poor, 20% if possible, as instructed by the Shulchan Aruch (YD 249:1). The authoritative Ashkenazi commentator, Rabbi Moses Isserles, adds explicitly that One may not use their tithes for anything else like candles for the synagogue, etc. They should be given to the poor. We should be giving as much as we can, perhaps drawing from our sadly unused entertainment or vacation budgets.

And yet, the Jewish community is also stepping up to relieve the spiritual thirst of which Amos speaks. Pardes has decided to take the unprecedented step of offering major scholarships, including living stipends, to eligible students to spend the coming year studying Torah in Jerusalem. We are just one of a number of institutions that are making special offers to laid-off Jewish educators and professionals as well as aspiring Jewish leaders, innovators and creators whose plans and dreams have been disrupted by the pandemic.

The Jewish community needs to show this group of people that the Jewish world not only wants to keep them safe, but it wants to invest in them and their Jewish futures. After studying at Pardes, these professionals, graduates and future leaders will return to the workforce with increased Jewish confidence, skills and ideas. They will be energized and ready to rebuild the Jewish community and the world-at-large.

The great German scholar Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg created a stir when he permitted using a portion of ones tzedakah funds for the purchasing of books for learning as long as you lend them to others. More than half a millennium later, Rabbi Eliezer Waldenburg justified this shocking practice on the basis of the requirement that we provide whatever is lacking to the poor person (Deut. 15:8). Spiritual nourishment is no less important than physical nourishment, argues Rabbi Waldenburg, evoking Amos.

Given the crisis of meaning created by this terrible plague in our midst, it is not surprising that the Jewish world is crying out for spiritual nourishment. That doesnt release us from the obligation to provide physical nourishment. But, by making it possible for a cadre of future Jewish leaders to quench their thirst for the word of God, especially in this time of economic insecurity, it will help us get through this crisis with both body and soul intact. This is the call of the prophet Amos.

Rabbi Meesh Hammer-Kossoy, Ph.D., is the Director of the Social Justice Track at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward.

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Spiritual hunger persists even in the face of physical hunger - Forward

How to know if you are going through a spiritual awakening and what to do about it.

How do you know if you are experiencing a spiritual awakening?The signs of a spiritual awakenings can actually be pretty messy, so a lot of people don't actually know what is going on.

Here are some clues to help you see if you are going through one, and what to do about it.

RELATED: What Are The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success?

You feel "stuck."

Usually, the first sign of a spiritual awakening is a "stuck" feeling. You may not know exactly what's going on, but you just feel like something is off.

Unfortunately, most people just stay in that feeling and don't change anything in their life. This is a big mistake.

When something feels "off," it's importantyou to listen to and trust yourselfandmake any necessary changes as soon as possible.

You outgrow people, places, jobs, and other elements of your life.

Maybe you felt content in your situation before. But as yougrowspiritually, you will outgrow lots of things. Let that be OK! Keep growing and moving forward.

Manytimes,this will show up first as your job not feeling right for you anymore. Whatever it is you feel stuck with, look into that deeply and think of changes you can make to adjust to your new spiritual growth.

So many tend to stay at this spot forever and never take that as a sign to continue growing. They just complain about hating their circumstances, but never make the changes to accommodate their soul's growth.

That is the worst thing you can do for your soul!

You start to gravitatetowards new people.

Another sign of spiritual growth is when you outgrow your friends. You may all of a sudden decide you can't stand a friend you've had for years. Or, youcan no longer put up with their behavior and habits.

As you grow and raise up in consciousness, you usually have to change out some of the people in your life. Let this be OK, as well!

Don't torture yourself by surrounding yourself with people that don't feel right to you anymore. Start finding new people that resonate with where you are now.

RELATED: 17 Signs You're In The Middle Of A Spiritual Awakening

Always take action on your intution.

Listening to and trusting your intuition is vital in this process.As you become conscious of something, the worst thing you can do is ignore it. Listen to what you're feeling and always take action on that feeling.

Forward movement is the only way to secure spiritual growth. "Just knowing" doesn't change the circumstances you must actually live through your actions, especially in the midst of a spiritual awakening.

Spiritual growth can be hard.

We often need to make difficult choices along the way, but it's always worth it.

Outgrowing circumstances and people can be painful, but staying where you no longer fit causeeven worse emotional issues.

You may start to justify your bad circumstances,place blame, or numb yourself in order to feel OK with a situation you shouldn't be OK with.

Don't justify or muddle your way through these painful feelings.Change your circumstancesto fit your growth!

Accept that you're leveling up.

Look at your spiritual awakening asa graduation of sorts. You have to outgrow things in order to grow. This is actually exciting! So, focus on the growth not what or who you have to leave behind.

Spiritual growth is different for everyone;there's no "one size fits all" option. We are all at different points on our personal journey.

Most importantly, you must listen to your soul and recognize when something feels wrong. Look at any areas of your life that you have outgrown, and work on changes so you can move on.

Spiritual growth often comes with a big life change or challenge.

Sometimes, it may feel like your world is falling apart. In reality, your life is just being restructured for your new level of awareness.

Always look deeper into all situations. The worst things that happen to us very often end up being the best thing that could have happenedbecause theycause the most growth.

So, look at every challenge as an opportunity for growth! Don't fight change, it only holds back your growth.

Make those hard choices, so you can cement your growth and not stay stuck in limbo forever!

RELATED: How To Tell If You're Chakras Are Blocked (& What To Do About It)

Let's make this a regular thing!

Kristine Carlson is a psychic medium, advanced soul realignment practitioner, life coach, and author. You can get a convenient, personal email reading, clearing, or personal coaching from Kristine on her website

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How To Recognize Signs Of Spiritual Awakening In Your Life & What To Do About It - YourTango

Known and renowned in the world of breaking simply as Neguin, the Brazilian dancer born Fabiano Carvalho Lopes has proven a formidable force in the competitive arena. The Paran native brought immense talent, a broad skill set, and jaw-dropping moves to both RedBull BC One and RedBull Dance Your Style, winning the USA honour in 2019.

Though he grew up immersed in capoeira, discovering hip-hop culture in his teens introduced him to the style he would become known for. Breaking is the most complete art form, dancing-wise, Neguin says, embracing the technical and cultural aspects of the streetwise style.

Today, the world-traveled pro synthesizes his myriad of influences, the physical and the spiritual, with a new video clip. In it, Neguin expresses himself, his Blackness, and his devotion to nature in time with a poem that speaks to our current cultural moment amid global protests against racial bias and inequity. The reflective selection allows him to showcase what hes known for with grace, power and profound beauty.

People need to feel and understand what I go through, he says, so they can relate to the message that I'm passing along and also understand how to take responsibility to make sure we make the world a better place. We got the chance to speak with Neguin about his life, career and this point in his journey.

How was dance introduced to you in your youth?

I was lucky enough to start with my Brazilian culture. Capoeira, which is a Brazilian martial art, is a holistic approach it's dance, it's music, it's self-defense. There's so many elements together. I started at three years old. 10 years later, I wanted to know what other cultures had the same powerful meaning. So, I got into hip-hop culture. Of course there was nobody at the time in my hometown that they could dance hip-hop or anything, so I kind of mixed it up with the knowledge that I was getting from capoeira. That actually became my signature. I was learning about hip-hop culture, specifically breaking. I wanted to bring something new to the table when it comes to the dance. Other than that, Brazil has a variety of these elements, samba, frevo, even like the rave scene.

Was it difficult to learn breaking given that you didn't have a community of breakers around you in the beginning?

The similarities to capoeira in breaking are amazing. Theyre so complete in every way you look at it, moving wise, for example. If a person is spinning on their head for 25 to 50 rounds, it's like the same gravitational force as a hurricane or a tornado. Science cannot really explain it, but for us breakers, we're deciphering how complex we are with it and how we feel. Your brain senses that you respect everything that you are doing. It's healing, in a way. So, to talk about breaking, you dance so many different ways upside down, back on the ground. You can dance anywhere, anytime. It's really the freedom that this art form has.

This video of you dancing contains a really beautiful poem. What does it mean to you and how does this speak for you?

This, for me, was about the experience that I have dealing with so much racism and prejudice throughout my whole life. Here in Brazil, where I come from, it's predominantly white. I was probably the only black kid in school. I felt racism from an early age and I knew how to deal with that. Putting that in a film in this particular moment, it was necessary. We know there's a problem over there that's bigger than us and we all have to be accountable for it. But we have to be together in this. The poem, it was about delivering a little bit of the message, expressing who am I, what is to be Neguin, what is to be someone like me. I put together the text and I spoke to a friend of mine. We put the words together in the poem and decided that it was OK for him to actually have his voice on it. Because I can express myself through the dance, with my friend Juliana. It was a collective idea.

Neguin poses for a portrait in Boston at the RedBull BC One All Star Tour

Kien Quan/RedBull Content Pool

How did it feel for you to match the ideas and sentiments of this poem with dance?

Lets say I'm angry about something. So I might just flip, and that flip represents a lot of energy that Im holding. I kind of explode and release it at the same time. When you see me running, it's the freedom of running in nature and being able to chase after something joyful in your life. So I took every piece that was like, OK, this is how I would express that. And we're together in this, myself as a black person, Juliana as a white female, a person that's in front of me. How can we connect? I grabbed her hand with my hand and were together, holding each other.

Over the years, have other cultures influenced your dance style?

Absolutely. For the past 15 years, I've been traveling the world, over a hundred countries by now. Everywhere I go has different dance styles. I'm so fascinated about getting to learn different cultures and translate to today's. I went to Turkey and found traditional zeybek dancers. I learned and absorbed that into my style. Ive gone to Bali and seen the Balinese dancers there, the ladies. I learned something from their culture. Everywhere I go, I get a lot of influence from this collective global culture that I blend into my style.

Neguin conducts a workshop at the RedBull BC One Camp in Mumbai, India

Ali Bharmal/RedBull Content Pool

Given that global influence, how do you maintain sort of your own cultural identity and connection to Brazil in your approach to dance?

Actually, that's what you call ginga [the fundamentals of capoeira]. Once you experience Brazilian culture, you see that as like it's a very holistic way. Everything is connected to the lifestyle of Brazil. For instance, if you go into nature, youre going to be flipping on the grass. But it's not just flipping for us. We're going to the grass to celebrate life and enjoy the weather. Your body receives the energy from the ground by you flipping the grass.

In what ways has your personal spiritual journey grown with you in your career in dance?

When I was a kid, I used to go a lot to the Amazon. I was always fascinated by the native Brazilians. I wanted to understand their culture and their spirituality. What I learned throughout the years is that everything is nature. So, if you get sick, you have medicine in nature, passed down as tradition for so many years. In a sense, it's bigger than religion in a way. As long as you connect with and respect nature, youre aligned with the universe.

Neguin teaches his workshop at the RedBull BC One 2019 Camp in Sao Paulo

Marcelo Maragni/RedBull Content Pool

How do you manage when a piece of choreography challenges you or takes you outside of your comfort zone?

As a breaker, as a B-boy, you have to be creative. That's the inner creation. Somebody can help you, somebody can direct you, but the free form of expression is something so powerful. Ive never found this hard, as a choreography to learn, because I understood how to take time and appreciate it. Airflare is very difficult to learn. So many amazing B-boys still cannot do airflare. So that can translate into a frustration. At the same time, Im like, You know what? The time is going to come. You have to have the discipline, to understand how your body is going to work, but you have to enjoy everything. At the end of the day, everything's about having a good time and experience.

What sort of mindset do you bring to breakdancing competitively?

First of all, while I might be competing with somebody against me, truly I'm competing with myself. You can be a winner, you can be a loser. You can win a competition, or you can lose in the first round. Things can go wrong, but at the end of the day, it self-reflects on who you are. Then you might face yourself. Am I truly a champion? Am I a loser, somebody that trains hard a lot but when it comes to the moment, I get scared? Its knowledge of self. So when I go to a competition, I go with the mindset that I know myself. I know what I'm going to do and how am I going to do it regardless how people think or how they're going to feel. I'm going to do me and with the positive energy that I have, it's going to bring something to something to the experience.

Neguin makes a stop in Chicago for the RedBull BC One All Star Tour

Kien Quan / RedBull Content Pool

Are there things that people might be surprised to learn about you unrelated to your dancing?

When people look at me competing, it's like Im a scary guy. They see powerful energy, so much you must be an angry person during the day. I'm actually the opposite. I'm super happy, very friendly. I'm down to earth basically. How I am in my everyday life, on a regular daily basis, Im just a very simple person. I talk to the homeless, I talk to fans, I respond to everybody on social media. I like to connect with people.

You toured with Madonna during her MDNA tour, which is different from a lot of your other experiences. What was it like dancing in front of those large concert audiences?

I love to show off, but in a very positive sense. I have to show the world the light that I have. Some people are shy to express themselves, like it's not a comfortable thing for them. If I'm the so-called dancer/artist and I have the opportunity to highlight my talents, my gifts with thousands of people, I'm going to see that with so much joy. A lot of people say, I'm going to go on stage, there's so many people watching me, I'm going to get nervous. For myself it was the opposite. I want to reach as many people as I can with my art, because what I represent is very powerful. It's civilization. I enjoyed touring with her because it was, she was cool with this type of format. Because I'm not competing, but I'm simply performing shows.

What is it that continues to drive you as a dancer? What gives you that rush and keeps you so satisfied doing what you're doing?

I'm so grateful to be able. I'm healthy and, let's say, God gave me this gift, this opportunity to do what I do and inspire people. So for me, it's to be able to inspire as many people as I can. It is the most amazing thing when you bring something that can have an impact on somebody else's life in a positive way. Sometimes its not about just the dance, but as a voice, as a peer or leader. I might teach a workshop somewhere in Russia, where teenagers are smoking or drinking, a poison in their body. So I tell them like, if you want to be a champion, you have to have a healthy lifestyle. So I think that's what keeps me going, just as a messenger to bring something more positive to this world.

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How B-Boy Neguin uses the immense power of breaking - Red Bull

It is time to stop and take a deep breath, writes Lynne Taylor.

The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your lungs. As you inhale, your diaphragm tightens and moves downwards, meaning that there is more space in your chest cavity for more air.

When you exhale, your diaphragm relaxes and returns upwards, into the chest cavity.

Breathing deeply, engaging the diaphragm, is a life-skill that many of us lose. We get into the habit of short, shallow, chest-breathing and lose the ability to take deep belly breaths. This is unfortunate, when deep breaths have been demonstrated to have many benefits, including reducing stress. And it is ironic that it is during times of distress that we are most likely revert to shallow breathing.

Im usually pretty good at breathing.

However, over the past few months I have frequently needed to remind myself to breathe. As I scroll through the news: breathe. As I find myself worrying about things I cannot control: breathe. I try to remember to take a deliberate moment and pause. As I breathe in, I note the point when I move from chest to belly breathing. Then I exhale slowly. It helps.

Deep breaths are a core part of many meditation practices. For Christians, one such practice, known as Breath Prayer, dates back at least as far as the sixth century. Breath Prayer involves a repeated phrase that follows the rhythm of your breathing. The first part of the phrase is recalled as you breathe in, the second part as you exhale. Traditionally, Breath Prayer is linked with the Jesus prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy"). However, it can be used with many words and phrases.

Such an exercise can help us acknowledge the stress and sorrow of everyday life, while also reorienting us towards goodness and hope. "Breathing in peace, breathing out fear," for example. Or "Inhale hope and courage, exhale worry and fear."

While some who adopt this practice use the same phrase repeatedly, others choose from among many phrases, depending on the circumstances. Either way, it can be helpful to have a default phrase that you can draw on in a moment of particular stress.

For Christians, Breath Prayers help remind us of our dependence upon God, who gives us the gift of life, and continues to sustain our lives, day by day. It has been this way from the beginning of human history.

The story of Adams creation (Genesis 2) includes God breathing "into his nostrils the breath of life." It was this breath, the breath of God, which caused Adam to become "a living being".

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after his resurrection, "he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22).

As we breathe deeply, therefore, we are invited to remember Gods creation, redemption and sustaining in our lives. We are invited to recognise that each breath we draw is a gift from God, and that Gods Spirit is near to us. Nearer even, than our own breath.

If you havent already done so, begin to pay attention to your breathing.

The simple act of mindfully breathing in and out can help us to navigate challenging times. You might like to take it a step further and add words, perhaps a prayer, to your breathing. Doing so can help us to place our own existence in the context of a bigger picture, and in the care of a loving God.

- Lynne Taylor is Jack Somerville Lecturer in Pastoral Theology at the University of Otago. She teaches in the areas of pastoral care and chaplaincy.

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Breathing rituals kind of spiritual oxygen - Otago Daily Times

If the past few months in quarantine have made it hard for you to laugh, youre not alone. The world around us is shifting tremendously in some ways that are necessary and could potentially lead to a new paradigm in our everyday lives. In the group of unexpected changes we face in work and play, the world of comedy is at the center. Zoom calls have become the new improv stage for virtual stand-up shows, and sometimes, if the audience is just mute enough, comics are just monologuingwhich is entirely bad. Grassroots Comedy is striving to be a balm for weary times with their sixth episode of Well, Well, Well, a comedy show where comics share their deep insights on wellness. In this upcoming episode, comedians act as a conduit for the sustainability of communities around us, compounded with topics of mental and emotional wellness. Proceeds will go to frontline agency Bread for the City, which works to uproot racism and provide food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services to reduce the burden of poverty. Is comedy leading the charge in societal change? Will comedy save us all? Remains to be seen, but laughing for a cause could be a great start. The show begins at 8 p.m. on July 16. Registration is available at eventbrite.com. $5 minimum donation. Mikala Williams

Yuno Baswir's paintings teeter compellingly between order and chaos. Baswir, who has a new online and in-person exhibit at Studio Gallery DC, creates his new series of 24 inch by 36 or 48 inch acrylics by painting his canvases flat on a table. Each starts with a steady background color, ranging from royal blue to lavender to lime; Baswir then superimposes that layer with a broad cluster of small, white, circular shapes made by hand using a special tool. The circular shapes are organized in irregular but pleasing patterns that suggest vibrating atoms or television static. Baswir imbues his paintings with spirituality. I intentionally and consciously use the act of painting to remember and praise The Most High, he says. The round shapes were inspired by prayer beads, and by the look of the gathering of hundreds of thousands of human beings in one place for the one purpose of worshiping and praising their Creator. The paintings can be seen online at Studio Gallerys website and the artists website, and also in person at the gallery by appointment on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and without appointment on Fridays and Saturdays from 1 to 6 p.m. The exhibition is available at studiogallerydc.com and yunodelwizarbaswir.com. Call (202) 232-8734 for in-person appointments. Free. Louis Jacobson

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City Lights: See if Laughter Is the Best Medicine or Browse a Spiritual Abstract Exhibition - Washington City Paper

Soundarya Sharma had left for Los Angeles to pursue an acting course in February. Little did she know then that she would be stuck there indefinitely owing to the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. While it can be daunting for even the strongest of people to stay all alone, away from their loved ones, during such a crisis, the 'Ranchi Diaries' actress has been keeping herself busy. She has been trekking and hiking to stay physically fit. But, along with it, she is also ensuring food for the soul. The actress has been taking virtual spiritual classes from her mother to stay positive, and has turned to yoga as well.Soundarya told us, The virtual spiritual classes with my mom have been of great help. She has always been my source of information and learning. Staying away from family is definitely challenging, but I have to keep calm. I am taking one day at a time. The basic thing is to control the uncontrollable and channelise the energies. Be it yoga, gardening or spirituality, all of it is keeping me positive and level-headed. I am looking forward to returning to India soon. Until then, I am only focusing on the positives. Though I have always been spiritually inclined, the spiritual sessions with my mom have taught me about the importance of seeing the silver lining amidst the dark clouds. Let's all stay united and pursue some form of hobby. Well said, girl!

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Stuck in LA, Soundarya Sharma takes virtual spiritual classes from her mother to stay positive - Times of India