The new comedy at Capital Stage is titled Bad Jews, and it explores the nasty things relatives say to each other following the death of a family patriarch.

The show is quite funny, even as it puts manipulative behavior and nasty name calling at center stage. The premise behind this tense comedy is that an old grandfather a Holocaust survivor has just died, and now a battle royale is beginning over who will inherit a prized family heirloom with religious significance.

To make matters worse, the 20-something relatives in this play really dont like each other. Theres a young guy named Liam who hates the way his cousin Daphna implies that shes more religious than the others. Liam gets so nerved up that he can barely talk.

Liam: "You just watch. Any time theres a prayer, or praying, shell get this look on her face, like Im above all of you, like Im on this spiritual enlightenment plane, way above "

Daphna, for her part, does not approve of Liams blonde girlfriend, Melody, who isnt Jewish. And when Daphna and Melody sit down for a chat, Daphne comes on strong with dismissive put-downs.

Daphna: "Well I will tell you why that is, and the reason why that is, and the reason that families like the one YOU come from can even live in Delaware, is that all those native peoples were slaughtered So that people who look like you, and pray like you, and reproduce like you, could live in peaceful suburban housing developments with bookshelves filled with the King James Bible and Nicholas Sparks novels and Eat. Pray. Love. Probably your favorite book! But no Howard Zinn. Am I right, or am I right?

Daphna also dishes family details regarding her cousin.

Daphna: "Has Liam ever told you his Hebrew name?"

Melody: "His Hebrew name? I dont think so?"

Daphna: "Oh my God (laughs). Shlomo!"

These antagonistic relatives know all too well how to push each others buttons. To make matters worse, they are crammed together in a very small Manhattan apartment, so everyone can hear every insult, even from the bathroom.

Soon, Daphna and Liam are blasting each other, and this comedy of confinement becomes a demolition derby of denunciation. The rising outrage and abundant profanity are played for comic effect. But when the show ends and it runs just 90 minutes you feel bruised and breathless from the intensity.

Actress Tara Sissom, whos generally been seen in comic parts, shows more dramatic range than weve seen before, while Bay Area actor Jeremy Kahn, a newcomer to Sacramento, does equally well as the manipulative Liam.

Bad Jews is a high-strung comedy staged as verbal combat with no holds barred, with religious implications. Its a solid show, but its not exactly light-hearted summer fare. Steel yourself for cut-downs and conflict onstage, if you decide to go.

The Capital Stage production of Bad Jews continues through July 23.

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In Raucous Comedy Bad Jews, A Patriarch's Death Triggers A Bitter Struggle For A Family Heirloom - Capital Public Radio News

Indian followers of deceased guru Ashutosh Maharaj sit in front of posters bearing his image at a stall during a congregation at his ashram. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

An Indian court has allowed disciples of a spiritual guru to preserve his body in a freezer, as they believe he is in a deep state of meditation and will return to life.

Ashutosh Maharaj, founder of the multimillion-dollar sect, Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (Divine Light Awakening Mission), apparently died of a cardiac arrest in January 2014.

But his followers insist he is in a deep spiritual state called samadhi and have controversially kept his body in a commercial freezer at his heavily guarded 100-acre ashram in the northern state of Punjab.

On Wednesday, the Punjab and Haryana high court dismissed a three-year-old petition by Dalip Kumar Jha, who claims to be his son and who wanted his fathers body to cremate him, as per Hindu rituals.

Jhas lawyer, SP Soi, told AFP that it was unclear whether the court approved the sects argument that Maharaj was alive. But they dismissed our petition, which is disappointing, and we will challenge it in the supreme court, said Soi.

The court, while rejecting their plea, set aside a 2014 judgment that had ordered Maharajs cremation after doctors confirmed him clinically dead.

Maharajs disciples had challenged the courts cremation order, saying he had simply drifted into a deeper form of meditation, something he did often in sub-zero Himalayan temperatures.

The guru established the sect in Punjabs Jalandhar city in 1983 to promote self-awakening and global peace, with millions of followers across the world and properties worth an estimated $120m in India, the US, South America, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

Jha claims that the gurus real name was Mahesh Kumar Jha, and he left his native village in eastern Bihar state in the late 1970s before founding the sect.

Jha and Maharajs former driver, Puran Singh, filed petitions in court soon after the gurus death demanding a criminal investigation, and alleged the sect members were deliberately holding his body to retain control of his vast financial assets.

Maharaj is one of several gurus who in recent decades have built huge empires and command millions of followers, particularly in northern India.

For followers, gurus play an integral role in daily life, including a path to enlightenment. Followers offer spiritual devotion and donations to ashrams, temples and charity projects.

Continued here:

Indian court allows guru's disciples to continue preserving his body in freezer - The Guardian

There is something about immersing oneself in saltwater for extended periods of time and dodging walls of waves that lends to some deep thinking about life and our place in the world.

Surfing has recently produced some excellent works of nonfiction that have little to do with stoned-out surfer stereotypes. Last year's Pulitzer Prize for autobiography went to William Finnegan for Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life. Steve Kotler's West of Jesus: Surfing, Science and the Origins of Belief is a fine book on the intersection of surfing and spirituality. And I'll add Jaimal Yogis' new memoir, All Our Waves Are Water: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment and the Perfect Ride, to the mix.

Yogis, a San Franciscobased author, wrote the book as a follow-up to Saltwater Buddha, a coming-of-age story that blends surfing and spiritual seeking. All Our Waves picks up where he left off in and chronicles Yogis' multidisciplinary spiritual quests and more earthbound struggles of career, friendship and starting a family. Yogis' spiritual and physical journeys take him to the Himalayas, Jerusalem, a Washington Heights friary, Puerto Escondido, Mexico, and the cold water of San Francisco's Ocean Beach.

Yogis sprinkles the book with quotable quotes that connect with the here and now: "God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere" (Voltaire); "Without going into the ocean, it is impossible to find precious, priceless pearls" (Vimalakirti Sutra); and my favorite and most apt to this book, "You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop" (Rumi). Buddhism is the guiding light, and the book and Yogis offers a practical tour of Buddhist philosophy.

The subtext of All Our Waves is not surfing, but the search for the universal and the divine in whatever form she/he/it takes. "The word 'spiritual' can be a bit confusing," Yogis says. "In Zen and other non-dual schools of spirituality like Vedanta yoga, everything is considered spiritual, even the most mundane tasks like washing dishes. So surfing is just one of the things I do because I love to do it.

"And because I practice meditation and am interested in what you might call spiritual or philosophical questionswhy are we here, how do we realize our potential, how do we reduce sufferingthe sea becomes another place to practice."

With equal doses of humor, self-deprecation and well-rendered storytelling, Yogis does a great job making these heady themes accessible and entertaining through personal experiences.

In the toxic fumes that characterizes American political and cultural discourse of late, All Our Waves Are Water is a lungful of fresh air and a poignant reminder of the wider world beyond the glow of the TV screen. And Yogis is a sharp and insightful writer who has the good sense to temper his spiritual pursuits with a healthy dose of humility and humanity.

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Writing Waves | Books & Literature | North Bay Bohemian - North Bay Bohemian

Central Europe has a pivotal role to play in this great task of relaunching the EU.

What is Europe? Above all, as the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, pointed out at the European Council of June 22-23, it is an ambition the ambition to ensure our prosperity and to defend our common values, conquered in a hard struggle, i.e. democracy, social justice, rule of law, multilateralism, cultural diversity. In a world marked by the rise of authoritarian regimes and undermined by extremism or fanaticism, Europe has the historical responsibility to lead the battle in favor of these universal values.

We must, of course, deliver this battle together, drawing on the spirit of the Velvet Revolution and the courageous struggle for freedom and democracy that the Central European peoples faced for decades. "A kidnapped West" subdued by Soviet totalitarianism, Central Europe eventually managed to break free from its shackles and fully joined, in 2004, the European family to which it always belonged. If this "return to Europe" has been successful, it is mainly thanks to the peoples of Central Europe, thanks to Solidarno, the Civic Forum and Public against Violence, thanks to outstanding figures such as Patoka, Havel, Antall or Geremek, Kako and Budaj. But Central Europes "return to Europe" also owes much to so many artists, who paid the price of their revolt against censorship, as well as to so many citizens engaged in a deaf or heroic struggle against oppression. The message of these Europeans, famous or more humble, firmly attached to the spiritual heritage of Europe and to the spirit of the Enlightenment, remains more than ever topical: it binds us and provides the basis for the future of our continent.

Against this background, France would like to engage Central Europe and, in particular, Slovakia, which has made the choice of Europe. Our shared responsibility is enormous. Europe must relaunch itself, by demonstrating that it can provide concrete answers to the concerns of its citizens. This was already the spirit of the Bratislava summit last September, but it is now of the utmost importance to go further, through a Europe that better hears and protects its citizens. In the economic and social sphere, we must return to a model of qualitative, upward economic and social convergence based on innovation and knowledge. We must also gradually reform our current model characterized by excessive deregulation and financialization, which may set back our human societies, feeds on social dumping and creates frustrations and even tensions among European peoples. As an inclusive motor for this transformation of the European economic and social model, the euro area must be completed, achieving increasing economic, social and fiscal integration between our economies and our countries. France knows that it can count on Slovakia, the only member of the Visegrad Group in the euro zone, to strengthen our economic and monetary union. In an unpredictable and dangerous world, a Europe that protects its citizens must have a genuine common defense and security policy to contribute more to the peace and stability of both its neighborhood and the world. It must also adopt a more effective, proactive and united approach, in the face of migration challenges.

In order to regain its driving force for the recovery of Europe, France is determined to strengthen its economy and society by implementing the necessary reforms not only to comply with its European commitments, but also to foster greater flexibility for businesses, more job creation, more protection for employees and more training for those who need it. This reform drive is the sine qua non condition for the revival of the Franco-German couple, which must reconnect with the spirit of visionary cooperation that animated Franois Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, to whose memory the European Union paid tribute on July 1.

Central Europe has a pivotal role to play in this great task of relaunching the EU. In particular, Slovakia, as a true European synthesis at the heart of our continent, has a historic opportunity to give a valuable impetus to Europe. We are convinced that, together, in the euro area and, more broadly, within the European Union, we can build a strong Europe, i.e. an autonomous Europe, a Europe that organizes itself and which guarantees its own security. It is the only way for Europe to be able to continue to make its universal voice heard for all the peoples of the world - the voice of all its peoples sharing a tragic history whose lessons we must never forget, the voice of the heroes of the Velvet Revolution whom no one will silence, the voice of the Enlightenment and of humanist reason, which must prevail over irrational passions. Only in this way can Europe defend its very essence, i.e. the values that we have forged together, without which there is no desirable or sustainable future for our continent.

Christophe Lonzi is French Ambassador to Slovakia

4. Jul 2017 at 6:30 |Christophe Lonzi

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The spirit of the Velvet Revolution as an impetus for the relaunch of Europe - The Slovak Spectator

Kabbalah Centre International is a renowned nonprofit organization that is located in Los Angeles, California. The Center provides courses on Kabbalistic teachings and the Zohar through online avenues, study groups worldwide, regional and city-based centers. Kabbalah center international presentation was developed by Philip Berg and his wife, Karen Berg. It comprises of multi-ethnic and international staff of teachers whose main aim is to offer Kabbalah studies and guidance to the students. The worldwide student community receives the studies via different platforms.

Previously, Rabbis had a belief that the mysteries of Kabbalah was complex and could only be taught to religious students and in this case the male students who are above forty years of age. This belief led to the notion that the Kabbalah center was a perversion of the ancient and reserved mystic tradition of Judaism.

History of the Kabbalah Centre

The first master of Kabbalist was Rav Yehuda Ashlag, and he planted the roots in the year 1922 and was the first one to bring modernity to the closely guarded wisdom. His aim was to make it more accessible. He managed to pass the mantle of leadership and publishing to his student known as Rav Yehuda Tzvi Brandwein. Later on, his student passed the mantle to Rav Berg. The revelation happened thousands of years ago, and the prime focus was on acquiring the once hidden knowledge of God. The knowledge comprised of Gods design for both the seen and the unseen universe. It is however intriguing because it is explained as the secret wisdom. Also, it is referred to as the Jewish mysticism. Initially, it was held in reserve for the elite group that comprised of the married men who were above forty. They represented scholars of the Jewish law, and the knowledge was passed through oral tradition from Adam to Abraham to Moses. Most of the Jews did not advocate for the widespread dissemination.

The primary reason for forbidding the dissemination was because Kabbalah dealt with matters about God. They had never been revealed in Torah. The wisdom had turned to the spiritual perception of God and made it more sensitive. During the 18th century, the study was more cloistered once the rabbis and the other respected Kabbalists banned the unsupervised access to the writings. Additionally, the invention of the printing press led to the distribution of books, but many Rabbis kept the Jewish mystical writing in the handwritten form. This move eliminated misinterpretation from the unlearned.

Kabbalah centres have attracted quite a number of both Jews and Non-Jew. They embraced the growing audience and welcomed people all over the globe. Currently, there are more than forty centers that are dedicated to the Kabbalah practice.

The practice of Kabbalah

Kabbalah experts explain the comeback of Judaisms mystical interpretation of the Bible. The relationship between God and man was a trend sometimes back. Most people were talking about it, and how wonderful Kabbalah was, and they would Google to see what was going on and the new interpretation. Madonna is otherwise known as Esther (her Kabbalah name) talked about how wonderful the practice was, and she went on and on. People would argue that those were the days because later on Kabbalah was replaced with cooler trends such as the ALS bucket challenge and the man-buns. However, the 90s can still manage to come back and spark the latest trends. Kabbalah center and the Wiccan community is making a profit from the sale of potions and several other witchy products.

Kabbalah amulets could be the trending magical protection gears. The practice also involves art that is vintage and ranges from dcor, framing and hanging. It is something that will make your house look beautiful with a touch of vintage. Kabbalah art stands the chance of being the famous home dcor in 2017. There are also board games that serve as a reminder that people can have fun using the traditional methods. The practical artifacts represent a rising trend. The mystical 19th-century manuscript enables the users to discover their fate. Also, individuals can build their own golem in team tag which is famous for the lovers of tabletop gaming. Though it is too early to tell, some people feel that Kabbalah could rise to stardom in 2017. The enthusiast can use Kabbalah to tap into other trends that are defining 2017.

According to this article in The Guardian, Kabbalah Centre volunteer program represents the foundation of the Kabbalah Center. It is a safe and organized platform for students to discover the joy of giving back. The center mentors the students, work on cleanup activities in the beaches, and feed the homeless and visit the sick. They are dedicated to finding ways that they can serve the community. Also, the volunteers distribute Zohar and plan activities in the communities. They have managed to bring to together people with different skills and passion for the unlimited volunteering activities. Although they represent diversity, they are joined with the commitment to improve peoples lives both locally and globally. They can achieve this by improving their lives first. Sharing makes the students passionate and enthusiastic about making a difference in the community.

Kabbalah practice emphasizes on meditation within Judaism. It is the central practice of Jewish mysticism. Furthermore, it represents the experiential side of Kabbalah making it the primary source of development of the Judaism belief and mystic thought. Various traditions relate to the meditative practice. Kabbalah practice is designed to help the reader in learning and to extract the meditation practices from the classic text of Kabbalah. The students will be in a position of understanding the profound mystical and theological insights that come from spiritual experience.

Meditation allows one to be more accustomed to their thoughts, feelings and other sensations. This practice of mediation has gained popularity over the years and is believed to have several positive effects. It is thought that, people who meditate are more relaxed and think rationally unlike the others. The increased audiences in the established centers take on Kabbalah as a method of attaining mystical experiences. The evolution has made it possible for the practice to spread and to reach to more people in the world.

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The Kabbalah Centre is LA's Answer to Achieving Spiritual Enlightenment - NORCAL

Subscribe to Baeble's IN OUR EARS Spotify Playlist for new songs every week. KIRSTEN'S PICKS

Kevin Morby - "I Have Been To The Mountain"

I'm a little late on this one but damn, I think I just turned into one of the biggest Kevin Morby fans ever, thanks to a fellow Baeble intern Okay, I'm not the biggest fan ever, but I do have to say that he makes some of the most enjoyable music I've listened to in a while. "I Have Been To The Mountain," off of Morby's 2016 album Singing Saw, is about finding that spiritual enlightenment we all wish for. The mountain he's singing about symbolizes a place of happiness, potentially a higher being. However, the hopefulness doesn't end with the lyrics -- the frantic strum of the bright acoustic guitar combined with the warm electric, the gospel choir, and uplifting melody all make for a very feel-good listen.

Vince Staples - "Love Can Be"

Vince Staples just dropped Big Fish Theory last week, which we've been covering extensively, and this immediately stood out as one of my favorite tracks upon first listen. His experimentation with dance beats is ambitious and it works so well. I'm not the biggest rap head, but give me something I can dance to in addition to a good verse and I will be very content.

St. Vincent - "New York"

My girl is back -- and with a song about my favorite place in the whole world! It's pretty ballsy for Annie Clark to lead her new album with a quiet breakup ballad, but we'd expect nothing less from her. She's never been a predictable one.

GUS' PICKS

Can - "Halleluwah"

It's disgusting how in the groove they are right off the bat. One of the best aspects of krautrock is the lack of limitationif a group wants to draw something out, feel free! While this is not for everyone, I think it's amazing and this 18:31 is exactly why. Like many Can songs, "Halleluwah" is a long, strange journey, ripe with the dirtiest rhythms.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - "Thuggin'"

Freddie Gibbs recently did an Over/Under with Pitchfork, which was awesome. The Gary, Indiana gangster rapper made an album with Madlib a few years ago, which was excellent, because anything Madlib produces is going to sound good. "Thuggin'" is a particularly exceptional beat, the source of which (Debbie Taylor's "Never Gonna Let Him Know") Madlib puts at the end of the track, which is really cool to hear. Shout out Debbie Taylor!

Vince Staples - "SAMO"

"SAMO" was a bright spot on a really good new album by Vince Staples, Big Fish Theory. The drawl of the chorus, which features A$AP Rocky, is infectious. Despite being a fairly slow song, the bass is so deep that "SAMO" feels almost heavy. The song isn't terribly complex, but it's really cool which is all you want sometimes.

PETER'S PICKS

Vince Staples - "Yeah Right"

Kind of a unanimous decision on this track being the best from his new album. [Ed's Note: Almost every staffer chose a different song off this album this week.] Flume's production with Vince's bars and a guest appearance by Kendrick Lamar can't disappoint.

Built To Spill - "Else"

Feeling a lil contemplative today, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. A cool rhythm section and introspective lyrics make for a solid 4 minutes.

The Knife - "Full Of Fire"

I revisited this dance track from 2014 the other day, and, as visceral and instinctive as it sounds, it's time-switching percussion establishes a low-key banger. I can't get it out of my head.

JAKE'S PICKS

Jimi Hendrix - "Little Wing"

One of the greatest guitar songs of all time. I never get sick of it, no matter how many times I've heard people play it to death in guitar stores. Also, I think "Little Wing" is proof of how underrated Hendrix was as a lyricist. Everyone's always so distracted by his amazing skills as a guitarist that they forget how poetic he was. Seriously, he gives you such a strong sense of an entire person with the lines "Well she's walking through the clouds/ with a circus mind that's running round/ Butterflies, and zebras, and rubies, and fairy tales/ That's all she ever thinks about/ riding with the wind."

Frank Zappa - "Apostrophe"

Speaking of great guitar songs, I've also been listening to "Apostrophe" like crazy. Zappa is one of my favorite guitarists of all time, and I've been revisiting some of my favorite tracks of his all week. "Apostrophe" is probably the one I've been blasting in my headphones the most. Jack Bruce, of Cream fame, plays bass on this track, and the interplay between him and Zappa is breathtaking. I just saw Baby Driver this week (great film, by the way) and after I walked out of the theater, I wanted to listen to music that would make me jam out as I walked down the street, just like Ansel Elgort did in the movie. This was the first song I thought of. Totally jammed out to it all the way home, bobbing my head like a total weirdo. #NoRegrets.

Jeff Buckley - "Lover You Should've Come Over"

One of the most heartbreaking love songs I've ever heard. Buckley's voice, the lyrics, the instrumentation it's all beautiful. I think this one speaks for itself.

KELLY'S PICKS

Lorde - "Hard Feelings/Loveless"

It took me a second to get into Melodrama, but damn. It's so good. Once I actually sat down and listened to the entire thing I ended up really enjoying it. This one song is currently my favorite because of the switch from "Hard Feelings" to "Loveless." It has a nice combination of a pop song that turns into something a little more electronic. And I like that she didn't make two songs out of it. This week I've been listening to it every morning as I pull into Penn Station, and every time it comes on I just involuntarily smile.

Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment - "Pass The Vibes"

This is my number one song for driving in a convertible or sitting by the ocean - you know, summer activities. It doesn't sound like any other song on the mixtape Surf and I think that's what I like about it. Surf is a great album, but this one's different. It doesn't have that fast-paced rap that some of the other songs have. Instead it gives us a soothing and slow bass line, an almost beach-y feel. Something you'd want to listen to while on vacation, or while you're pretending you're on vacation.

Frank Ocean - "Nights"

I think I only listen to this song a lot because it happens to be on one of the only playlists I have downloaded on Spotify. And the subway is not always reliable when it comes to good cell service. This was probably my favorite song when Blonde came out.

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IN OUR EARS: Songs We Loved This Week - Baeble Music (blog)

26 Jun 2017, 8:05 a.m.

My so-called spiritual life was at risk of becoming my whole life, yet I was no closer to enlightenment.

Being "spiritual" is all the rage, which can only be for the greater good but not when our quest for wholeness is driven by a far more shallow desire to be in the cool gang. Photo: Stocksy

At one point I was juggling my meditation teacher, kinesiologist, hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and chiropractor (who also practises NLP). I had a clairvoyant's number in my phone and took a friend's recommendation on a "spiritual healer". I meditated twice a day, did a course onA Course in Miraclesand occasionally made it to yoga.

My tower of self-help books teetered precariously close to my pile of crystals atop my Angel Cards in a room that had been "cleansed" by burning sage. My so-called spiritual life was at risk of becoming my whole life, yet I was no closer to enlightenment.

It was a scatter-gun approach, hoping that one thing might pay off and deliver me eternal happiness.

Not that I would admit to any of that. That was a time when personal growth was seen as self-indulgent and flaky, putting your faith (and cash) in rogue charlatans, while you were taken for a blatant ride. Worse, it was an overt admission of vulnerability and fallibility that was no one's business but your own.

Oh, how we've evolved. It's chic to be conscious. Mindfulness and meditation are as much a part of many people's days as an acai chia berry smoothie after pre-dawn bikram.

Being "spiritual" is all the rage, which can only be for the greater good but not when our quest for wholeness is driven by a far more shallow desire to be in the cool gang.

In our mad rush down the path to enlightenment as we strive to fit in positive affirmations and mantras, while spreading the love and paying it forward we can lose sight of the end goal. The ashtanga and juice detoxes become more obligation than organic, and still we're not feeling the love.

And that's because we're looking in the wrong place.

"I have meditated, I have prayed, I have found Jesus, I have found him again," said author Danielle LaPorteon her recent packed-out Australian tour. "I have juiced, I have consciously uncoupled, I have sat at the feet of a Buddhist monk called Mark, and I have hashtagged it all."

LaPorte says we've become "hoarders of spiritual accoutrements", which she realised was getting her nowhere. She stopped meditating ("It was stressing me out") and yoga. She even ditched her $100,000 crystal collection and "took a permanent break from the esoteric", only to return with a fresh outlook. "I came back on my own terms, when it was no longer a chore."

LaPorte adds, "We buy into the lie of inadequacy, that someone outside of ourselves knows what's best for us."

Someone like Liz Gilbert. After sharing her story of personal transformation inEat Pray Love,shehad to issue a warning to readers not to try to replicate her experiences, as hordes of women were treating her memoir like a guidebook to happy endings.

"I've been reminding people that they don't need to get divorced and move to India, just because I did," she posted on Facebook. "For a journey of self-discovery to work, your path must be your own. Don't do what I did. Ask what I asked."

I admit, sheepishly, that I once sought out Gilbert's healer in Ubud, but bailedwhen I saw the queue of desperate seekers in the dusty heat, waiting not so patiently for their names to be called.

Vedic Meditation teacher Jo Amor says that we must carve our own path to inner peace and not rely on searching outside ourselves. "We believe if we can just acquire more stuff there will be this moment when we have everything we need and we'll be fulfilled. But this moment is never going to come.

"If we put the demand on the outside world for our happiness and spiritual fulfilment, then ultimately we will find we still have to come back to ourselves for that and all the while it was there."

I, too, have pared back on the frantic search for meaning. I still meditate and get to yoga if time permits, and I do love my kinesiologist. But not as if my life depends on it.

Jacinta Tynan. Photo: Nic Walker

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Why I ditched my frantic pursuit of enlightenment | The Young Witness - The Young Witness

The annual mission of charity taking place along the country roads and in the tiny towns in Preston County officially kicked off this week.

Most of the folks living in places like Kingwood, Albright, Tunnelton, Independence and Rowlesburg have grown accustomed to the annual summer work program organized through the Catholic Church of Preston County.

Hundreds of volunteers from New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania spend much of their summer repairing dozens of homes in almost every community in the county.

And it all began back in 1985 just after the horrible floods.

Known by many as the 1985 Election Day Flood, it hit West Virginia the hardest. More than 13,000 homes and businesses in the state were damaged or destroyed. Damage was estimated at nearly $700 million, making it West Virginias costliest flood. There were 38 deaths.

As most of the livable land in West Virginia is in a floodplain, the flooding caused heavy damage, wrecking many small towns and washing out miles of roadways.

Flooding was worst along the Cheat River. At Rowlesburg, the river crested at 36.9 feet, which remains the highest on record. The river destroyed 110 of the 132 houses in Albright and washed away a trailer park in Rowlesburg.

The flooding downed thousands of trees, which were carried into houses and recreation areas, causing additional damage. Agriculture losses were heavy as the floodwaters washed away the topsoil and left behind miles of debris.

A few hundred miles away, two 16-year-old New Jersey girls, Lynda Monk and Christine Grobert, watched a national television news report about the flooding. They were moved to lend a hand. But they didnt want to collect money; they wanted to physically help. So they gathered a group of seven others and traveled to Rowlesburg in June 1986 with their Catholic priest and two chaperones.

Soon, parishioners of Catholic churches from Pennsylvania and Maryland started visiting.

The program has since evolved into home repairs for low-income residents across the county through much of the summer. Work has included the installation, repair or replacement of roofs, floors, walls, porches, stairs, ramps, windows, doors, bathrooms, plumbing, siding and underpinning. Painting is also a big part of the work.

Each visiting parish raises its own funds for travel, food and lodging, as well as materials for the projects.

Preston County residents in need who own and live in their own homes apply for the program through the Catholic Church.

What makes this effort so special isnt so much how and why it all began. Its the fact that nearly 32 years after those horrible floods ravaged the Mountain State, the volunteers keep coming. They continue to find inspiration and spiritual enlightenment in helping needy families in Preston County.

All of us with the Preston County News & Journal would like to thank the Catholic Church of Preston County, the volunteers and especially Lynda Monk and Christine Grobert two incredible, selfless women who started it all.

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Annual summer work program continues its amazing mission of charity - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)

What do most millennials think about when considering their career? They want a vocation they have a passion for. Weve all heard the saying, If you love your job, youll never work a day in your life. Rather than only working for money, many millennials want to do something they love and enjoy for the rest of their life -- and make a living from it. Ive been fortunate enough to create the life I wanted. As a millennial raised by hard-working parents who did whatever it took to put food on the table, I have always felt like their example created an opportunity for me to have a successful career doing something I enjoy with great passion. So, I took that opportunity.

After graduating from university, I spent a small stretch of time in the Future Executive program with the Hudsons Bay Company. It was a program that would groom me to one day run a big retail store like The Bay or Zellers (for my American friends, think Nordstrom). After four months, I realized that it just wasnt for me. The title of Future Executive had quickly lost its appeal. At the same point in time, my friend was starting a spring break company. He told me about his big dream of expanding it across Canada and asked me to join him in his venture.

When I approached my mother about leaving the program I was enrolled in to work in a spring break company, she was extremely worried, as any mother would be. I was reducing my salary from $50,000 a year to $30,000 a year, for one. Secondly, she thought I was chasing a quick thrill instead of rooting myself in a sustainable career.

I ended up making $100,000 a year and traveling the world. I worked on commission, so as the company grew, so did my salary. As a 24-year-old, getting to travel all over the Caribbean and Canada was my dream job. The best experience of it all, though, was being at the forefront of a rapidly growing company. From there, I learned many business skills that set me up to later build and run multimillion-dollar companies. The risk I had taken of leaving my better-paying job with a well-established company to join a startup with zero certainties led me to the place I am today. Do something you are passionate about at a young age. Take the chance while you dont have as many bills to pay and when you are lucky enough to live at home under the security of your parents. Youll gain experience, knowledge, and skills for your future. Take the risk. Youll only grow from there.

Outperform the Older Generation

Apologies to my older colleagues, but with the advancement of technology, the internet and just the general changing of the times, millennials have gained an advantage when it comes to the latest trends in technology. Take a closer look at your industry and find out how you can modernize what you bring to your role to create better results. As a 26-year-old, I started a construction company that quickly became successful. We ended up growing to $5 million a year in sales in just three years. Part of our success came from our ability to harness our expertise in online marketing to dominate the industry. This came at a crucial time when others in the construction industry barely knew how to use email, let alone set up a website, build a brand and digitally market their company. We generated millions of dollars worth of leads every month.

In addition, we built systems with CRMs that evolved into ERPs, which scaled our business to higher heights. Older industry professionals arent usually connoisseurs in this domain, and it's something that comes naturally and intuitively to younger generations since computers and technology were part of our childhood. This is our competitive advantage as millennials. So, the question you always have to ask yourself is, how can you outperform your competition by leveraging innovative techniques? Whether you're an entrepreneur or an employee working in a company, you can outshine your peers and competition by being innovative and using the ever-changing landscape of technological advancements to be one step ahead of those who came before you. Which brings me to my next and final tip:

Always Work on Building for the Future

Distractions plague the lives of many millennials. Social media plays a huge part in the sometimes endless amounts of distractions and stimuli of todays modern world. And, if not controlled, we can lose ourselves (and a lot of time) in it. We are oversaturated with images and breakthroughs in technology.

Unfortunately, time can never be rewound. We have to be cautious about the way in which we use it. Yes, its important to travel, update ourselves on the latest social media trends, get inspired by others on Instagram, hang out with friends and try to go to as many social gatherings as possible. But it isnt as important as setting up the rest of your life. Every moment spent scrolling and looking at what other people are doing is a moment that could be used as a step to build your own future. It isnt all about the future and its not all about living in the moment and forgetting that the future even exists. Its a balance and blend of both. Think big, think smart, and start building for the future.

Millennials have the opportunity and potential that will propel themselves to exactly where they want to be. Everything is at our fingertips. When you're young, you dont really have any impending overhead bills or too many commitments. You dont want to find yourself in your thirties or forties wishing and regretting the things you should or could have done. Success starts with one idea. The other 99 percent is execution.

Fares Elsabbagh is a passionate individual, with a sincere devotion to his business, family and friends. An advocate and believer in continuous learning and self-improvement, he finds himself on a journey of knowledge seeking and spiritual enlightenment.

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3 Things Millennials Should Do to Achieve Success - HuffPost

Tens of thousands of Victorians will goto massthis weekend, just days after Australia's highest ranking Catholic was charged with historical sex abuse.

But how will Catholic priests address the allegations against Cardinal George Pell, if they address them at all?

Father Brendan Reed, from Our Lady of Good Counsel and All Hallows in Balwyn, said he would discuss the news, as "you can't pretend it's not happening".

"Ithinkpeoplewant to know what theirpriests are thinking when things like this come out in the public," he said.

"I'llbe saying thatI think we should have faith and trust in ourjudicialand legalsystem, that a just outcome is what everybodyis hoping for, for all parties concerned."

Father Reed said he would also point members of his parish to places where they can get support if they have suffered abuse.

"Many parishes arein the processof rolling out childsafetypolicies, so this would be a goodopportunity to let peopleknow what theyare," he said.

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"What you worry about at the end of the dayis the safety and care of those who will feel the pain of whatever they have felt in the past."

FatherKevin Dillon, priest at Geelong's St Mary of the Angels, has aired his thoughts in the weekly newsletter.

"People come to church andthey'repart of the church in order to getsolaceandcomfort, and it's a particularly tricky area as you'retalking about a court case," he said.

"It's a bit easier to write about it, you can measure your words in writing."

In the church's July 2 newsletter, which will be distributed at mass thisweekend, Father Dillon writes:"There can be a difference, difficult to articulate, between being 'surprised' and being 'shocked"',in relation to news of the charges.

"So the announcement on Thursday that Victoria Police have issued charges against the Cardinal might not have come as a surprise, but nonetheless have shocked many people - especially Catholics, and especially Catholics who love their Church," he wrote.

"The charges will proceed in the usual and appropriate way, with the presumption of innocence and an opportunity for both prosecution and defence cases to be heard.The hearing associated with the charges may well proceed quite slowly, as can often be the case.

"This will be demanding and harrowing for all concerned. But the hearing and associated publicity will also continue to generate the deep sadness (to say the least) felt by so many people (not only Catholics) over the past three or four decades."

He writes thatit would be understandable for some people of faith "to walkaway in anguish."

"They would be simply expressing their deep distress that the Church they have loved, and may still love, should be in such pain - and they themselves can't take any more pain," the priest wrote.

An assistantpriest from a church north of Melbourne, who asked not to be named, said he would stick to the gospel and wouldnot be touching the subject.

He said most of his parish were not interested in the news, and instead attended church for spiritual enlightenment.

Director of media and communications at the Catholic Archdiocese of MelbourneShane Healysaid parish priests had neither been gagged, nor instructed on what to say to their congregation at this weekend's services.

"A lot of people outside the Catholic faith, while they look in from the outside and would be appalled at some of the things they have seen over the years with the child abuse scandal, what they don't realise ... there is enormous great work going on in every parish, in every diocese," Mr Healy said.

"I think when it comes to this weekend, I am sure the many priests in the Archdiocese will be very, very keen to assure and make sure the people in their parishes understand that, yes, this is a difficult time, but they will be looking to be as good, as strong a pastor and a leader of the flock as they humanly can be."

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Will priests discuss George Pell at Sunday Mass? - The Age

JACINTA TYNAN

Last updated18:34, June 28 2017

JAMES BRICKWOOD

Being "spiritual" can contribute to the greater good but not when we are driven by a far more shallow desire to be in the cool gang, writes Jacinta Tynan.

At one point I was juggling my meditation teacher, kinesiologist, hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and chiropractor (who also practises NLP). I had a clairvoyant's number in my phone and took a friend's recommendation on a "spiritual healer". I meditated twice a day, did a course onA Course in Miraclesand occasionally made it to yoga.

My tower of self-help books teetered precariously close to my pile of crystals atop my angel cards in a room that had been "cleansed" by burning sage. My so-called spiritual life was at risk of becoming my whole life, yet I was no closer to enlightenment.

It was a scatter-gun approach, hoping that one thing might pay off and deliver me eternal happiness.

Not that I would admit to any of that. That was a time when personal growth was seen as self-indulgent and flaky, putting your faith (and cash) in rogue charlatans, while you were taken for a blatant ride. Worse, it was an overt admission of vulnerability and fallibility that was no one's business but your own.

READ MORE: *4 Kiwisshare their religious and spiritual views *High-flying women lose money in spiritual movement *Where to go... if you're a hippie

Oh, how we've evolved. It's chic to be conscious. Mindfulness and meditation are as much a part of many people's days as an acai chia berry smoothie after pre-dawn bikram.

Being "spiritual" is all the rage, which can only be for the greater good but not when our quest for wholeness is driven by a far more shallow desire to be in the cool gang.

In our mad rush down the path to enlightenment as we strive to fit in positive affirmations and mantras, while spreading the love and paying it forward we can lose sight of the end goal. The ashtanga and juice detoxes become more obligation than organic, and still we're not feeling the love.

And that's because we're looking in the wrong place.

"I have meditated, I have prayed, I have found Jesus, I have found him again," said author Danielle LaPorteon her recent packed-out Australian tour. "I have juiced, I have consciously uncoupled, I have sat at the feet of a Buddhist monk called Mark, and I have hashtagged it all."

LaPorte says we've become "hoarders of spiritual accoutrements", which she realised was getting her nowhere. She stopped meditating ("It was stressing me out") and yoga. She even ditched her $115,000 crystal collection and "took a permanent break from the esoteric", only to return with a fresh outlook. "I came back on my own terms, when it was no longer a chore."

LaPorte adds, "We buy into the lie of inadequacy, that someone outside of ourselves knows what's best for us."

Someone like Liz Gilbert. After sharing her story of personal transformation inEat Pray Love,shehad to issue a warning to readers not to try to replicate her experiences, as hordes of women were treating her memoir like a guidebook to happy endings.

"I've been reminding people that they don't need to get divorced and move to India, just because I did," she posted on Facebook. "For a journey of self-discovery to work, your path must be your own. Don't do what I did. Ask what I asked."

I admit, sheepishly, that I once sought out Gilbert's healer in Ubud, but bailedwhen I saw the queue of desperate seekers in the dusty heat, waiting not so patiently for their names to be called.

Vedic Meditation teacher Jo Amor says that we must carve our own path to inner peace and not rely on searching outside ourselves. "We believe if we can just acquire more stuff there will be this moment when we have everything we need and we'll be fulfilled. But this moment is never going to come.

"If we put the demand on the outside world for our happiness and spiritual fulfilment, then ultimately we will find we still have to come back to ourselves for that and all the while it was there."

I, too, have pared back on the frantic search for meaning. I still meditate and get to yoga if time permits, and I do love my kinesiologist. But not as if my life depends on it.

-Sydney Morning Herald

More here:

Why I abandoned my frantic pursuit of spiritual enlightenment - Stuff.co.nz

At one point I was juggling my meditation teacher, kinesiologist, hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and chiropractor (who also practises NLP). I had a clairvoyant's number in my phone and took a friend's recommendation on a "spiritual healer". I meditated twice a day, did a course on A Course in Miracles and occasionally made it to yoga.

My tower of self-help books teetered precariously close to my pile of crystals atop my Angel Cards in a room that had been "cleansed" by burning sage. My so-called spiritual life was at risk of becoming my whole life, yet I was no closer to enlightenment.

It was a scatter-gun approach, hoping that one thing might pay off and deliver me eternal happiness.

Not that I would admit to any of that. That was a time when personal growth was seen as self-indulgent and flaky, putting your faith (and cash) in rogue charlatans, while you were taken for a blatant ride. Worse, it was an overt admission of vulnerability and fallibility that was no one's business but your own.

Oh, how we've evolved. It's chic to be conscious. Mindfulness and meditation are as much a part of many people's days as an acai chia berry smoothie after pre-dawn bikram.

Being "spiritual" is all the rage, which can only be for the greater good but not when our quest for wholeness is driven by a far more shallow desire to be in the cool gang.

In our mad rush down the path to enlightenment as we strive to fit in positive affirmations and mantras, while spreading the love and paying it forward we can lose sight of the end goal. The ashtanga and juice detoxes become more obligation than organic, and still we're not feeling the love.

Get the latest news and updates emailed straight to your inbox.

And that's because we're looking in the wrong place.

"I have meditated, I have prayed, I have found Jesus, I have found him again," said author Danielle LaPorteon her recent packed-out Australian tour. "I have juiced, I have consciously uncoupled, I have sat at the feet of a Buddhist monk called Mark, and I have hashtagged it all."

LaPorte says we've become "hoarders of spiritual accoutrements", which she realised was getting her nowhere. She stopped meditating ("It was stressing me out") and yoga. She even ditched her $100,000 crystal collection and "took a permanent break from the esoteric", only to return with a fresh outlook. "I came back on my own terms, when it was no longer a chore."

LaPorte adds, "We buy into the lie of inadequacy, that someone outside of ourselves knows what's best for us."

Someone like Liz Gilbert. After sharing her story of personal transformation in Eat Pray Love, shehad to issue a warning to readers not to try to replicate her experiences, as hordes of women were treating her memoir like a guidebook to happy endings.

"I've been reminding people that they don't need to get divorced and move to India, just because I did," she posted on Facebook. "For a journey of self-discovery to work, your path must be your own. Don't do what I did. Ask what I asked."

I admit, sheepishly, that I once sought out Gilbert's healer in Ubud, but bailedwhen I saw the queue of desperate seekers in the dusty heat, waiting not so patiently for their names to be called.

Vedic Meditation teacher Jo Amor says that we must carve our own path to inner peace and not rely on searching outside ourselves. "We believe if we can just acquire more stuff there will be this moment when we have everything we need and we'll be fulfilled. But this moment is never going to come.

"If we put the demand on the outside world for our happiness and spiritual fulfilment, then ultimately we will find we still have to come back to ourselves for that and all the while it was there."

I, too, have pared back on the frantic search for meaning. I still meditate and get to yoga if time permits, and I do love my kinesiologist. But not as if my life depends on it.

Visit link:

Jacinta Tynan: Why I abandoned my frantic pursuit of spiritual enlightenment - The Sydney Morning Herald

Most of us were taught that creativity comes from the thoughts and emotions of the mind. The greatest singers, dancers, painters, writers, and filmmakers recognize that the most original, and even transformative, ideas actually come from the core of our being, which is accessed through an open-mind consciousness.

In ancient traditions, open-mind consciousness was considered to be a spiritual awakening, the great enlightenment that dissolves the darkness of confusion and fear, and ushers in peace, happiness, clarity, and contentment. Today the notion that theres one formulaic way to achieve this spiritual awakening and creative vibrancy has been blown apart. You dont have to run off to a monastery or practice meditation for thirty years before attaining a breakthrough.

A few years ago, I had a client, named Sarah whod completely given up on psychotherapy until a failed suicide attempt convinced her to try it one more time. I urged her to begin a mindfulness practice, and she agreed. After several monthsnot years, but monthsshe had an extremely powerful experience while meditating. As she described it, she felt a rush of light and energy infuse her body, and experienced an ineffable sense of the presence of the divine, the cosmos, and a collective consciousness. After this transcendent experience, Sarah whod been overweight to an unhealthy degree, lost several pounds, became more engaged by her work and closer to her friends, and was no longer suicidal. It was a major turning point for her.

What Sarah described has been called not only open-mind awareness but also, in the West, a peak experience, being in the flow, or being in the zone. I call it accessing your core creativity, because I believe that deep inside every person lies this potential for connecting to a universal flow of knowledge and creativity thats boundless and expansive. Our individual thoughts and memories are a part of this greater, larger resource.

Just as an athlete whos in condition has the muscle tone to be able to spring into action instantly, someone who regularly accesses their core creativity becomes creatively toned. For this person, the faucet to this remarkable flow of inspiration opens up easily, naturally, and often, allowing spontaneous and dramatic breakthroughs. When youre creatively toned, instead of merely dipping your toe in the water and playing it safe, youre willing to be utterly daring. Knowing this, you can navigate through a sea of self-limiting thoughts and transform such unwholesome beliefs as I had my chance and blew it, Its too late; my time is over, Ill never be happy again, and I cant.

Here are 6 ways you can stimulate and tone your creativity from my book, Wise Mind, Open Mind

Mindfulness Meditation Practice

One of the most effective ways to become creatively toned and start accessing core creativity is through a mindfulness meditation practice. Mindfulness allows us to listen and pay attention to what we might otherwise overlookwhether its a fresh idea or a new way of perceiving a situationenhancing our creativity and letting go of our obstacles to innovation. Many people are intimidated with the idea of meditating with excuses of not having the time or ability to quiet the mind. Really all you need is 5 to 20 minutes a day and there are many mediation CDs that can help guide you through the process. In fact my CD Mindful Meditations for Creative Transformation was created to specifically help one access their inner resources.

Our cultures overemphasis on fame and great success often turns people away from their creative inclinations, because they feel that if they cant reach a professional goal with their writing, singing, or painting endeavors, they shouldnt bother. What they dont realize is that simply dabbling in the fine arts, with no specific goals or intentions, awakens our ability to approach life with greater openness and curiosity. In the same way that mindfulness practice jogs the areas of the brain associated with well-being, optimism, and compassion for yourself and others, so too does immersing yourself in any artistic exploration or enjoyment jog your creativity.

Immersing Yourself in Nature

Experiencing nature can awaken in you a sense of vitality and infinity, which becomes a path to your core creativity. Without conscious thought, you can look up at the astonishing number of stars in the sky or leaves on a single tree in a forest, and feel a sense of vastness and spaciousness. As you gaze at the heavens the ancients observed, knowing that humanity throughout history and across continents has pondered these very stars, you experience being a part of something larger than yourself that feels as if it has always existed and always will.

In ancient times, sacred spaces, such as churches, temples, and sites for group rituals, were built on land whose features evoked a sense of spirituality. Treks to places like Machu Picchu, the temples of India, and Stonehenge have become more popular for Westerners who yearn for a sense of connection to their divine nature. Yet sacred spaces can exist wherever you feel a sense of spaciousness and connection to the creative, life-supporting forces of the universe. Arranging the space in your home or office to bring in light and nature will help you feel expansive and access your core creativity as you open up to your important role in all of creation.

Seeking Out Creative Stimulation

When the Irish band U2 wanted to reinvent their music, they traveled to Berlin, a bustling, gritty city unfamiliar to them, and soaked in the atmosphere, allowing its energy to infuse their songwriting and sound. Similarly, a famous actor I once spotted in an art museum stood before a painting for a good ten minutes before throwing his arms out and his head back, and standing for many more minutes, as if opening his heart to a beam of creative energy emanating from that painting. We all have this capacity to open to the vital forces around us and allow ourselves to take them in, mingling them with our own passions.

Many forms of physical movement can be an entre into open-mind consciousness. Somatic therapy or somatic disciplines such as martial arts, tai chi, and yoga are the most well-known ways of quieting the rational mind and opening up to the intuitive mind and its connection to the numinous creative force. Any physical activity that involves discipline and a slowing down of thoughts, from skiing to dance, actually creates new neural pathways in your brain that become roads to innovation.

Becoming creatively toned can lead to a breakthrough in parenting or relating to others, or it can make you feel vitalized and fully engaged in the mundane chores of the day. The Buddha said that to find enlightenment, one must chop wood and carry water, meaning that the deepest, more purposeful life may not be one dedicated to an extraordinary cause or endeavor, but one thats simply lived with a deep sense of awareness and openness to both the known and the unknown. A passion for discovery, for embracing the new and the unfamiliar can help you transform your life in ways you never dreamed possible, as you find the strength to move out of fear and resistance and into something new.

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Strategies to Stimulate Your Core Creativity - HuffPost

I am ushering in a new era of enlightenment.

So states Psychedelic Saint, a multifaceted mixed arts creator who does everything from directing music videos to writing movie scripts to featuring upcoming artists on her website. She acts, writes, and directs everything from poetry videos to short plays. She creates visual art, composes music, and is heavily involved in the Rochester Arts community. Her latest work, The (Almost) Complete Works, isnt cataloging all she has to offer; its merely a stepping stone to pursuing her passions.

Like her painted periscope of a face, this collection of poetry, short stories, and scripts mirrors the illusions society accommodates and caters to. Commenting on identity, imagination, play, love, loss stemming from heartbreak, societal power plays, and overall wonder, Psychedelic Saint provides not only an emotionally charged book, she provides a service to those who need something to relate to during tumultuous times. This book includes her written works, as well as her visual art bright, zine-styled collages using pop culture references. Saint uses these bold backdrops to add another layer of depth to her storytelling. She aims to deconstruct societal norms and uphold a calling for truth. In doing this, she offers an idealist, realistic setting of the world at large.

When you are multitalented, multimedia, and a community oriented artist, sometimes your art gets lost in the fray and it is challenging to earn living that way, says Saint. I hope to begin capitalizing on my art in order to achieve the American Dream people talk so highly about. Traumatic things have happened to me, and because I have survived those struggles through art, I feel its my obligation to reflect that pain and the challenge of overcoming adversities. I strongly hope to engage, inspire, and help those that feel lost.

Why the face paint? This eye-catching persona is used for anonymity and intimacy, as Saint noticed people are far more open when met with a colorful caricature of a person. Using Lady Gaga and David Bowie as inspirations, Saint refuses to be bound to restrictions of what an artist should be she embraces the otherworldly and spiritual side of what artistry can be. She wants to not only write about celebrating the unorthodox, but also publicly advocate that its possible to be abnormal yet accepted.

This journey started a few months ago, when Forager held an event for women to come and say a single line of an original poem written by Psychedelic Saint, Femme Fatal. Roughly 100 women aged 6 to 70 came out to support this event that celebrated women, and all participants left feeling empowered. The short video of the readings, filmed and edited by Films By Cloey, will be released at the upcoming book release event.

The film premiere and book release will be this Saturday at the newly open Jive Mill Listening Room.

Of course, the Psychedelic star herself will perform spoken word poetry for her fans, whom she refers to as her Stars and Bruises. STEM Academy Poetry Club will bring greater diversity by performing, while Duluth local Mary Bue performs music, and Amy Abts creates live art. A community art project will be initiated and there will be a photo booth, as well.

Saint hopes for this literary debut to be a catalyst for an unconventional and honorable career path. She has plans of book touring throughout the Midwest with her fianc (a featured artist on her website), gender neutral cat, and mammothly inspiring message to share. A spoken word album will be released a couple of months after this event. Down the road, Saint will debut another book cataloging her entire works of poetry. She ultimately hopes to sell movie scripts which she believes to be some of her strongest works.

If you want to support diversity and help lend a voice to those who generally feel voiceless, come out and celebrate the unconventional, forgotten, and marginalized. A cash bar will be offered after the STEM Academy Poetry Club performance, so come sober and leave inspired.

Read more here:

Psychedelic Saint brings torch of enlightenment to Rochester - Post-Bulletin

WATCH LIVE

MegaFest kicks off in Dallas on Wednesday. This is the third time Bishop T.D. Jakes has hosted the bi-annual festival in Dallas. Organizers expect about 100,000 people, and estimate a $30 million impact in Dallas during the four day event.

Sonya Thomas got to Dallas this afternoon. Her mom had been asking to go to the festival for years. This year, they made the trip from Richmond.

I am excited for the speakers, the line-up, the wealth of information, spiritual enlightenment, Thomas said. I am hoping to see some of the city, eat some good food.

Restaurants nearby are getting ready for participants. The owner of RJ Mexican Cuisine said it is their busiest weekend of the year, and business doubles.

We know that we are going to get hit all at once because everybody is on a time limit, so we have to double up our staff, owner Jay Khan said.

There is an express menu to get everyone out quickly during the packed four days.

There are speeches from Bishop T.D. Jakes and others, a faith and family film festival, a comedy show, and empowerment events.

There is nothing you can't get. It is a 360 event, said Derrick Williams, the Executive Vice President of T.D. Jakes Enterprises.

Sonya Thomas hopes this lasts more than the weekend for her.

I am just hoping to kind of soar from here, just kind of take a lot of spiritual empowerment, and go higher with my life, she said.

Published at 6:29 PM CDT on Jun 27, 2017 | Updated at 11:52 AM CDT on Jun 28, 2017

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MegaFest Kicks Off in Dallas Wednesday - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

LORNA THORNBER

Last updated11:27, June 28 2017

Matt Cardy

Hippies are alive and well in 2017 (just in different guises).

Travel might not solve all our problems but it can definitely help you gain some perspective. In our new series "Where to go if..."we hope to inspire you regardless of the stage of life you're in. From where to go if you're recently heartbroken, to where to go if you love vodka, we've got you covered.

If the daily grind is killing your vibe, it's probably high time you took the kind of physically and mentally restorative holiday that'll really get your groove back.

Say what you like about the hippies, they knew a thing or two about cheap and meaningful travel. Determined not to let the man get them down, they sought out destinations that would help them shake off the shackles of capitalist society and embrace alternative ways of living. Following the fabled "Hippie Trail" westward through Europe, the Middle East and Asia, these free thinkers were chasing spiritual enlightenment as well as a good time.

Raglan: perfect for finding peace, love and quiet contemplation.

Fifty years on from that highpoint of hippie culture - the Summer of Love in San Francisco - there are still plenty of places to go if you feel like dropping out of your regular routine for a while and embracing your inner bohemian.Which isn't to say you need to ditch the shampoo and deodorant and dial a dealer. Unlike the original hippies who sought nirvana in psychedelic drugs, modern day hippies are more about finding peace and happiness through yoga, meditation, clean and sustainable living and embracing the outdoors.

Here are a few places to consider the next time you need to peace out for a bit and indulge in a spot of soul-searching or pure, unadulterated pleasure-seeking.

READ MORE: *Tripping out on the 'hippie bus' of the Wild West *Becoming a neo-hippie in Berkeley, California *Most hippies in Goa are gone, but peace, love and more remain

Raglan, New Zealand

Diehard surfers are often hippies at heart, finding solace and a sense of connection to something greater than themselves in the open ocean. Champion surfer Kelly Slater once described surfing as his religion, likening riding through the barrel of a breaking wave to being in the womb.It makes sense then that Raglan - with its world famous surf breaks set amid stunning native scenery -has become a haven for surfers, modern hippies, artists,environmentalists and alternative lifestylers. Stay in eco-friendly digs and hang ten at broad, black-sanded beaches like Manu or Whale bays before refuelling at one of the many health-focused cafes and restaurants.

Some believe Byron Bay has a special energy.

Browse local artists' creations in the innumerable galleries, take a head-clearing bushwalkto Bridal Veil Falls or simply get your zen on at often deserted Ruapuke Beach. Yogis should check out The Raglan Yoga Loft, where you can flex your way back into alignment in a light-filled studio in the Old Dairy Co-op Building and take special classes such as the divine sounding candlelit yin yoga set to "live music to travel around the world".Nearby Solscape is a modern hippie'sdream with a surf school, yoga centre and holistic therapies and workshops aimed at improvingyour health and wellbeing. Its onsite cafeThe Conscious Kitchen - open November through April - serves up organic, plant-based fare, with many ingredients sourced from itspermaculture gardens. Their food mantra: "Nothing with a face or mother".

Byron Bay, Australia

It's the vibe, locals say, that sets Byron apart from the myriad other surf towns scattered along this long stretch of squeaky white-sanded coastline. Byron it set in the basin of a volcano active 23 million years ago and some say the substratum of black obsidian it left behind has infused it with a special energy. Its original inhabitants, the Bunjalung people, honoured it as a site for sacred rituals and healing and, these days, it'san epicentre of New Age living.It's impossible not to feel at one with the world as you walk the Cape Byron Track, passingBangalow palm-fringed Wategos and Little Wategos beaches and rounding the easternmost point on the Australian mainlandbelowbefore arriving at the century-old Byron Bay Lighthouse. Climb to the top for groovy views of Tallow Beach (long, uncrowded and perfect for a spot of meditation) and the rainforest-covered hinterland. Speaking of which, it's well worth heading out of town to sample the area's lesser known but equally glorious natural assets.

SERGEY PRISTYAZHNYUK

You'll find colourful streets and characters in Christiania, Copenhagen.

Spot koalas, goannas and cockatoos at Minyon Falls, taking a slight detour to the Channon Markets, where buskers are likely to serenade you as you munch your way through fat juicy tropicalproduce and wholesome, homemade fare. If the guys selling "ice cream" made only from frozen bananas and strawberries are there, do not pass it up! If you're in need of a little extra help to get your groove back, book intoone (or more) of the many yoga, meditation and tai chi classes, spas and retreats in the area.Head to nearby Nimbin, the so-called Amsterdam of Australia,for a properly trippy experience. The last time I was there, the sudden wail of sirens in the main street sent locals scampering into the museum (dedicated to hippies no less)to hide their stashes.

Christiana, Denmark

Established by a group of hippies who broke down the barricades of an old army base in 1971 and laiddown their own laws, Christiana is essentially a sprawling commune in the heart of the Danish capital. While it's far from the utopia its original free-thinking inhabitants had imagined, the semi-autonomous freetown is still as colourful as the murals that cover its eccentrically restored buildings.

MATT CARDY

Celebrating the summer solstice at Glastonbury Tor.

Explore the art galleries, artisan workshops, performance venues and organic eateries downtown before following the cobblestone streets that wind past Hobbit-like homes, cosy beer gardens and fairytale-like woodsto the seaside. It sounds idyllic but you do need to be careful. Its drug problem is well known and police have said they don't have easy access to the area. To be on the safest side, take one of the daily guided tours.

Glastonbury, England

Best known for its mind-altering music festival, Glastonbury is also a year-round magnet for those with an interest in spirituality and alternative lifestyles. Some believeit's the ley lines - major energy channels beneath the earth's surface - that give the town its special aura and explain why it has attracted pilgrims for centuries. But whether or not you're a believer, there are plenty of mind-bending experiences here toget you contemplating some of life's greater mysteries.

DOJO

The laid-back hippie vibe at Canggu, Bali remains.

Check out the Abbey ruins and the Chalice Well, under which the Holy Grail is said to be buried. Drink from the healing pool in the Chalice Well Gardens and climb Glastonbury Tor - said to be the gateway to King Arthur's legendary Kingdom of Avalon - before coming back down to earth and exploring the independent shops that line the high street.

Canggu, Bali

On the so-called Island of the Gods, you half-expect to find a path to spiritual enlightenment around every corner. But while the throngs of tourist hotspots such as Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud can make quiet contemplation impossible, there are plenty of places where you can still do your soul searching in relative peace. Canggu, on the province's southern coast, is one such spot. While an influx of upmarket boutiques and trendy cafes meanit's not the scruffy surf town it once was, the mellow vibe remains.

Rejuvenate body and mind surfing, sunbathing, practicing yoga and meditation at one of the many studiosand feasting on healthy fare at eateries such asCrate Cafe and theopen-air Betelnut Cafe. This being Bali, there are also numerous places to get a massage - your shortcut to what every hippie is ultimately striving for. A state of pure bliss.

Travel might not solve all our problems but it can definitely help you gain some perspective. In our new series "Where to go if..." we hope to inspire you regardless of the stage of life you're in. From where to go if you're recently heartbroken, to where to go if you love vodka, we've got you covered. Do you have an idea you'd like to see here? Email travel@stuff.co.nz and we'll get working on it.

-Stuff

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Where to go... if you're a hippie | Stuff.co.nz - Stuff.co.nz

With the UI celebrating birthday No. 150 this year, we caught up with hundreds of graduates who've gone on to greatness. Every Tuesday throughout 2017, Editor JEFF D'ALESSIO will tell their tales. Today, in Part 35: biggest influences.

If not for the welcoming ways of BRUCE WEBER and the 2005 Illini coaching staff, LISA (BOAZ) WOODWARD (BS '07, right) might not have gone from answering the phones at the basketball office to landing the job of her dreams manager of sports sponsorship at Anheuser-Busch InBev.

"Being a fly on the wall at the Ubben basketball complex fueled my drive to ultimately work in sports," she says.

If DON MATEJOWSKY hadn't been such an understanding boss, ERIC GARDNER (BA '03, left) likely wouldn't have gone from part-time Krannert Art Museum security guard to senior director of engineering at the Golf Channel.

"Don hooked me up with introductions to the museum curators and exposed me to Illinois' art culture, which led to my first videography gig that ultimately landed me a part-time job running camera and teleprompter at WCIA," Gardner says.

And if entertainment executive/author TOM LOPINSKI (left) hadn't crossed paths with one JED SMOCK (right) during his years at the UI (off and on, 1976-81), his most recent novel would have one less colorful character.

For the Georgetown-born Lopinski, now director of music licensing for the Disney/ABC Television Group, the most memorable campus personality wasn't a coach or a professor but rather a preacher though not the traditional presiding-over-Sunday-services variety.

"Reverend Jed entertained students every spring and fall with his fiery sermons and a relentless desire to save us all from ourselves," Lopinski says. "I spent many an afternoon sitting on the campus grass watching a crowd form around him as he spun tales about spiritual enlightenment and captured our hearts. He ignored the subtle slurs, constant giggling behind his back and in-your-face direct rebukes that followed him everywhere.

"Then, without any fanfare or warning, he'd disappear for months. I was told that he systematically made his pilgrimage around the collegiate circuit throughout the country, favoring the north in the warmer months and migrating south for the winter.

"He inspired me so much that I developed a character in my last novel partially based on his antics named Colonel Remus P. Entwhistle, 'Re-P-Ent' for short. Jed was like a rash of athlete's foot that would never quite go away, that wart which kept coming back, the mother-in-law who wore out her welcome but made you miss her when she was gone.

"I remember hanging out in my dorm room at Blaisdell one Friday evening when a friend asked if I wanted to go see Frank Zappa at the Assembly Hall. Of course, I accepted. About halfway through this epic concert, my friend hands me a tiny piece of paper and tells me to put it under my tongue. Being the naive smalltown boy that I was, I obliged. All I remember after that, were random flashes of riding our bicycles down University Avenue the wrong way, car horns honking and a sweet old lady at the Illini Union asking us to sign a release form.

"Six hours later, we woke up in the back of a Volkswagen Beetle driving to Kent State to protest the 10-year anniversary of the massacre. When we got there, we met up with the other protesters, marched toward the site of the shootings and stormed past a chain-link fence waving flags and chanting slogans.

"As I was absorbed in the moment, who did I catch out of the corner of my eye but Reverend Jed Smock (right). He was standing on a balcony, shaking his Bible and spewing scripture like a punctured can of Old Style spinning down Green Street on a Saturday night.

"I heard later that two men in dark sunglasses and suits had carted him off to a remote location, where he was interrogated, psychiatrically evaluated and cavity searched before being released back into the public domain. Sure enough, a few weeks later, Jed was back on the UI campus saving souls and picking up where he'd left off.

"Yes, my college experience was so much richer because of Jed. He taught me many things that no professor could have, nor should have. If they haven't already, they should erect a statue in his honor on the Quad.

"If that's too much to ask, maybe just a beardless gnome holding a Bible."

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Part 35: Answering phones at Ubben, keeping KAM safe, run-ins with Reverend Jed - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

The Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Ladysmith Sub-Centre, recently observed a yoga programme for ladies at the Ramakrishna Centre in Agra Road to commemorate International Day of Yoga on Wednesday, June 21.

Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.

The word yoga derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness.

Recognising its universal appeal, on December 11, 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131.

The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

The United Nations recognition of the International Day of Yoga is a remarkable milestone, as it was Swami Vivekananda who first introduced yoga to the West in 1895.

Swami Vivekananda was the perfect embodiment of yoga and his lessons show how one can achieve spiritual enlightenment through the practice of yoga.

While yoga has gained popularity for its physical benefits, yoga in its true form has great spiritual significance and its roots lie in taking one closer to God.

45 ladies of different races, religions, ages and fitness levels attended the programme, which was led by Ms Larissa Govender. A brief introduction explaining the significance and spiritual importance of yoga was also delivered.

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Benefits of yoga celebrated at Ramakrishna Centre, Ladysmith ... - Ladysmith Gazette

26 Jun 2017, 8:05 a.m.

My so-called spiritual life was at risk of becoming my whole life, yet I was no closer to enlightenment.

Being "spiritual" is all the rage, which can only be for the greater good but not when our quest for wholeness is driven by a far more shallow desire to be in the cool gang. Photo: Stocksy

At one point I was juggling my meditation teacher, kinesiologist, hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and chiropractor (who also practises NLP). I had a clairvoyant's number in my phone and took a friend's recommendation on a "spiritual healer". I meditated twice a day, did a course onA Course in Miraclesand occasionally made it to yoga.

My tower of self-help books teetered precariously close to my pile of crystals atop my Angel Cards in a room that had been "cleansed" by burning sage. My so-called spiritual life was at risk of becoming my whole life, yet I was no closer to enlightenment.

It was a scatter-gun approach, hoping that one thing might pay off and deliver me eternal happiness.

Not that I would admit to any of that. That was a time when personal growth was seen as self-indulgent and flaky, putting your faith (and cash) in rogue charlatans, while you were taken for a blatant ride. Worse, it was an overt admission of vulnerability and fallibility that was no one's business but your own.

Oh, how we've evolved. It's chic to be conscious. Mindfulness and meditation are as much a part of many people's days as an acai chia berry smoothie after pre-dawn bikram.

Being "spiritual" is all the rage, which can only be for the greater good but not when our quest for wholeness is driven by a far more shallow desire to be in the cool gang.

In our mad rush down the path to enlightenment as we strive to fit in positive affirmations and mantras, while spreading the love and paying it forward we can lose sight of the end goal. The ashtanga and juice detoxes become more obligation than organic, and still we're not feeling the love.

And that's because we're looking in the wrong place.

"I have meditated, I have prayed, I have found Jesus, I have found him again," said author Danielle LaPorteon her recent packed-out Australian tour. "I have juiced, I have consciously uncoupled, I have sat at the feet of a Buddhist monk called Mark, and I have hashtagged it all."

LaPorte says we've become "hoarders of spiritual accoutrements", which she realised was getting her nowhere. She stopped meditating ("It was stressing me out") and yoga. She even ditched her $100,000 crystal collection and "took a permanent break from the esoteric", only to return with a fresh outlook. "I came back on my own terms, when it was no longer a chore."

LaPorte adds, "We buy into the lie of inadequacy, that someone outside of ourselves knows what's best for us."

Someone like Liz Gilbert. After sharing her story of personal transformation inEat Pray Love,shehad to issue a warning to readers not to try to replicate her experiences, as hordes of women were treating her memoir like a guidebook to happy endings.

"I've been reminding people that they don't need to get divorced and move to India, just because I did," she posted on Facebook. "For a journey of self-discovery to work, your path must be your own. Don't do what I did. Ask what I asked."

I admit, sheepishly, that I once sought out Gilbert's healer in Ubud, but bailedwhen I saw the queue of desperate seekers in the dusty heat, waiting not so patiently for their names to be called.

Vedic Meditation teacher Jo Amor says that we must carve our own path to inner peace and not rely on searching outside ourselves. "We believe if we can just acquire more stuff there will be this moment when we have everything we need and we'll be fulfilled. But this moment is never going to come.

"If we put the demand on the outside world for our happiness and spiritual fulfilment, then ultimately we will find we still have to come back to ourselves for that and all the while it was there."

I, too, have pared back on the frantic search for meaning. I still meditate and get to yoga if time permits, and I do love my kinesiologist. But not as if my life depends on it.

Jacinta Tynan. Photo: Nic Walker

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Why I abandoned my frantic pursuit of spiritual enlightenment - Bellingen Courier Sun

By Mimi Wood, Island Eye Staff Writer

(l-r):Charlestons Catholic Surfing Ministrys Justin Gaeta and Christian Gaeta, Peter McMillian and Director of Youth Ministry for St. Clare of Assisi Fernando Cartagena. (Photo by Mimi Wood)

Waves come in sets. Sometimes you get caught on the inside of a set. The waves just keep pounding and pounding you, but if you just keep paddling, pointing in the same direction, you will eventually get to the break, where the water is calm.

Life has its ups and downs, like the waves. And sometimes it gets really hard, like you are caught on the inside. But by remaining steadfast in your faith, and pointed in the right direction, you will ultimately come to a place of inner peace and joy.

Such is one of the analogies that Christian Gaeta shared with a group of high schoolers, in concluding a day long Surf Retreat that he and his brother Justin, conducted on the Isle of Palms on June 6, 2017.

Participants in the June 6 surf retreat at Isle of Palms. (Photo by Mimi Wood)

The Gaeta brothers were born and raised on the Isle of Palms. Justin, the elder at 29, began surfing when he was 10. I literally trash picked my first surfboard; an old Sunshine that someone was throwing out, he confesses. When his older sisters short-lived interest in surfing waned, he quickly nabbed the new board she had bought for herself.

(Photo by Mimi Wood)

Three years later, his mom and younger brother got the bug. My mom held the board steady, so I could balance, recalls Christian.

Their passion for their faith began to parallel their passion for surfing. Whenever I experienced discomfort or unrest, Justin confides, I found peace in both my faith, and in surfing. As they grew older, the brothers grew closer, and looked to each other as spiritual role models, as they do to this day.

The idea of turning their love of surfing into service work started when Justin entered college, and Christian was still in high school.

They dreamed of how they could bring their love for surfing and their love for their faith together.

Their dream was realized five years ago, when they reached out to Catholic Surfing Ministries, an organization thats been around since 2001, but had begun to lose momentum.

We came on board as directors, remembers Justin, and pivoted the floundering ministry with the idea of offering free, one-day surf retreats to existing youth groups up and down the east coast.

Taking time off from their sometimes 60- hour/week jobs, the brothers supply everything needed for a day of surfing, from boards and wax to shade tents and rash guards, not to mention spiritual enlightenment. 100 percent free of cost.

Mackena Roe, a rising senior at Oceanside Collegiate Academy, attended the recent retreat on Isle of Palms. It was so much more than a surfing class, she related. I felt connected to God outside the setting of a church. I felt like I could see Him in the power of the ocean.

J.W. Kaiser is the President of Christian Surfers, international organization active in 38 countries, ironically based in Charleston. Ironic, Kaiser notes, because the largest surf ministry in the world is headquartered in a city not exactly notorious for its waves.

I see what Justin and Christian are doing as cutting edge. I applaud their efforts within the Catholic community, encouraging more youth friendly activities, states Kaiser, a longtime friend of the Gaetas.

The team from Catholic Surfing Ministries was amazing, enthuses Fernando Cartagena, Director of Youth Ministry for St. Clare of Assisi on Daniel Island, for whom the retreat was conducted.

They gave each person the confidence to surf, encouraging and cheering us on every step of the way. Most importantly, they centered our hearts on what is most important: Gods presence that is always with us, added Cartagena.

The brothers stress the importance of family and following your passion. We followed our passion, and found a way to apply it in terms of service to others. It was there we found joy, concludes Justin.

More information may be found on Instagram,@CatholicSurfingMinistries or online at CatholicSurfingMinistries.org. Additionally, Christian Surfers is looking for volunteers to help with their ministry east of the Cooper. For information check out christiansurfers.com, or email jw.kaiser@christiansurfers.com.

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Catching Waves With A Mission - Island Eye News