kalani – Page 3

Spirituality

August 23, 2013 by kalani

Splash17 Kalani talks about developing a spiritual practice, which is a personal and unique approach to increasing one's own experience of oneness, contentment, and joy. This talk is about finding new ways to approach your spiritual practice while fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for the diverse range of practices that make up the global spiritual community.

This podcast features music by Azam Ali, Greg Ellis and Layne Redmond & Tommy Brunjes.

The Creative Mind

August 18, 2013 by kalani

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Splash15 Your mind is a creative and beautiful resource that is capable of producing all types of thoughts. It is in learning how to identify the various thought types that you will come to develop a practice that will help you reach your goals, both in work and play. In this talk, Kalani describes how to increase your awareness of thought types with the goal of improving your Thoughtfulness Practice.

This podcast features music by Azam Ali and Greg Ellis .

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The Crossroads

August 14, 2013 by kalani

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Splash16 Kalani Das explores spirituality, wellness, mindfulness, and the Thoughtfulness Practice in this audio series. In this introduction to the series,"The Crossroads," Kalani talks about the current need for a new perspective on how we use our minds, aimed at improving the lives of individuals, communities, and the world as a whole.

This podcast features music by Azam Ali & Greg Ellis

A Wonderful Opportunity

June 10, 2013 by kalani

Splash12 Thoughtfulness is the practice of creating a functional relationship with one's mind for the purpose of enhancing one's life experience. This podcast and articles have one goal in mind: To help people life more fully and with more ease and joy. The KEYS are accessible and easy to understand, yet there are some fundamental shifts in thinking and perspective that will help anyone make the shift. Thoughtfulness is not a religion or dogma. It is something that anyone can learn to incorporate into their lives, religious or not.

We all have the ability, in this moment, to make profound and meaningful changes in the way we use our minds. We don't have to live with fears and worries. We don't have to battle our minds for control over our lives. Each of us has the ability to use his or her mind in a way that creates harmony and peace. The practices are not difficult or complex. There is no hierarchy. There is no long path with multiple levels. Anyone can do this and they can do it now.

Enjoy the EVOLVE Podcast from Kalani Das.

Sharing is encouraged.

SUBSCRIBE to this PODCAST on iTunes.

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The Key to Thought Types

May 31, 2013 by kalani

Understanding that we have different types of thoughts, each with its own particular characteristics and qualities, is a key factor in our spiritual evolution.

on a very basic level, we can easily acknowledge 3 categories of thought quite clearly. We can be having a thought about something that occurred in the past, such as a memory or an event we are imagining to have occurred. We can have thoughts that relate to our present moment experiences. And we can have thoughts about things we imagine will be or could be happening at some point in the future.

Each of us experienced these three thought types. We all have many thoughts about the past present and future throughout the day. Many of these thoughts are repetitive or variations on the same thought, but we will address that in a future discussion. The important point is to recognize that not every thought we have has the same qualities or characteristics and may therefore be useful, or not useful, with regard to reaching various goals as you move throughout your day, creating and shaping your life the way you prefer it to be.

Just as their are three basic thought types with regard to time, or what some call 'clock time,' there are three basic feeling states we can attach to any given thought. Generally speaking, a thought could be categorized as being of a "low" or an undesirable quality, such as those that cause us to feel sad, anxious, or fearful. While these emotions are typical and functional, most people would characterize these types of thoughts as undesirable.

At the other end of the emotional spectrum, we find thoughts that most people would characterize as desirable. These are thoughts that conjure emotions and states such as joy, happiness, elation, excitement, and so on. For the sake of simplicity, we can label these thoughts as " high."

The third basic thought quality with regard to emotion or feeling is 'neutral.' Neutral thoughts are those that conjure neither "low" or "high" feeling states. These would most often be the bulk of the thoughts we have throughout a typical day. They include what we might refer to as mundane content, such as thinking about what we might need to do when we are out running errands.

Because we have three thought types that relate to time and three thought types that relate to emotional quality, we end up with a total of nine basic types. We can have thoughts that are low, neutral, and high about the past; low, neutral, and high about the present; and low, neutral, and high about the future.

One of the first steps you can take towards developing your Thoughtfulness Practice, is to start to recognize your thoughts according to the nine thought types identified above. At this beginning point, it is not necessary or advisable to try to change or manage your thoughts, only to recognize the quality of each thought so that you may become more aware of, and in tune with, the activity of your mind.

Even the simple act of observation can have profound effects on one's ability to manage emotional reactions and remain in a state of centeredness and contentment. For now, your practice is to notice when you are producing thoughts about the past, present, or future, and to notice the emotional quality that is associated with those thoughts, be it low, neutral, or high. Noticing your own thought activity will be an enlightening experience and give you the perspective you need to make meaningful changes.

As you engage in the practice of observation, resist the temptation to judge your thoughts or assign value to them. Resist also the temptation to judge yourself for having certain types of thoughts, such as those you might classify as 'negative.' Self-judgment can result in feelings of frustration, anger, and even shame. Should you have thoughts of this nature, simply recognize them as negative thoughts in the present moment. Acknowledge the thought as the observer of the mind. Know that your mind is constantly producing many thoughts of different types, some of which you will find emotionally desirable, and some of which you will find emotionally undesirable.

The goal is not to try to change your thinking to produce only those types of thoughts that you would like to have, but to simply observe the thoughts and feelings that your mind/body is producing naturally. Once you are able to observe your own thinking and remain neutral, you will move to the next step, which involves selecting which thoughts to use and which thoughts to acknowledge and let go.

Thank you for engaging the Thoughtfulness Practice as a way to help yourself and your community.

Many blessings and much aloha to you, my friends.

Leave your questions and comments below and I will do my best to respond.

- Kalani Das

The Eternal Moment

May 27, 2013 by kalani

Some call it "clock time." The Greeks called it 'chronos,' which is a way of measuring time by noting movement. The movement could be the sun passing overhead, the sand in an hourglass gently falling, or the metronomic tick-tock of the hands on a clock. There are many ways humans measure time, but the fact remains that there is only one moment - this one.

Because we have the concept of passing time, we also have the concept of past and future. We learn to think in terms of history and the future. "What we did" or "What we will do." These are common thoughts and even expected. It's interesting to pause and consider that, although we can think about the past and future, we can only ever be in the present.

It's impossible to be in the past or the future. When we think about the past, we are making a guess as to what actually happened. We're not ever sure because we can't know everything that is happening from moment to moment. We piece the past together from bits of information that we gather - in the present.

The same holds true for the future. We guess as to what will be coming up. We're hardly ever right and when the present is not how we imagined it, we often are convinced that something went wrong. "This isn't how things are supposed to be!" "I thought they would be different - and now I'm upset!"

Yes, we can think of all kinds of scenarios to fill our need to know what happened in the past and what will be happening in the future. The reality is, these are always guesses. Our thoughts about everything, even the present, are collections of ideas, hunches, guesses, approximations, partial truths, etc. We don't really 'know' what is happening, we just imagine what is happening - or what happened or will happen.

Accepting that our life experience is contained within a 'range of possibilities' can be liberating. It helps us accept that there are always many ways to view a situation, for example. It helps us accept that others might have a different idea about what is 'happening.' It helps us remember that the past, present, and future are all open to interpretation, flexible and able to be shaped by our perspective and orientation.

Most of all, the idea of a flexible reality helps us remain open to the many possibilities that IS the world we live in. It reminds us that we use our minds to conceive of the world, not to 'know' it. Knowing is affected by the 'knower.' Being, on the other hand, is simply experiencing the sensations of life, not trying to shape a particular reality, but simply sensing that you are part of something - in relationship with everything.

A practice of sensing your own life experience in the eternal moment, not according to any ideas of the 'passage of time,' is one way to broaden your presence. Find yourself in this moment, over and over again. When your mind wanders to the past or future, simple say to yourself, "I'm thinking of the past (or future) and I am doing it now." This simple thought helps to acknowledge the activity of the mind so you (not your mind) can refocus on your current experience of being.

We never try to suppress the activity of the mind. Thought suppression is very difficult for most people and not necessary for achieving presence. Accept that your mind can be very 'busy' and produce a great amount of thoughts. This is not a problem unless you decide that it is. Let your mind do what it does and simply choose which of your many thoughts to follow, or not.

As you begin to notice and accept your thoughts, you might find that you do not repeat the same thoughts as much. If you do repeat thoughts (and most people do) it's OK. Allow the mind to work as hard as it wants without getting swept up in its activity. You are always able to connect with the present moment and experience the beauty and peace that surounds and flows through you.

Blessings to you my friends,

-Kalani

You are a Miracle

April 4, 2013 by kalani

It's true. You are a miracle. And yet, so many people consider themselves to be ordinary or even unworthy of love.

How do we know that you are a miracle?
We only need to notice what is.

Why are you a miracle?

You are a miracle because for billions of years, you were not here, and now you are.
You are a miracle because out of billions of people, there is only one YOU.
You are a miracle because everything in your entire body used to be part of the Earth.
You are a miracle because everything in your body is still part of the Earth!
You are a miracle because your mind is the most advanced technology in existence.
You are a miracle because you have the potential to create something that has never existed before.
You are a miracle because you have the ability to manifest your dreams.

Out of all the possible ways that the stuff of the universe could have taken form (been manifested), it comes together to form YOU - at least for a while. This is an incredible gift and an opportunity for you to experience the miracle of life - the miracle of creation.

You may feel down, sad, or even depressed at time. You may be hurt, physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. You may be facing challenges that make it difficult to fully appreciate the miracle that is you, but you still can. You can find a way to remember what you are. And that simple act will transform your life experience, no matter what it is.

Your Thoughtfulness Practice

Pause and take time to consider your life as an amazing gift that has been given to you to keep - for a little while. Meditate on the fact that you are alive, animated, and earthly. Yes - You are an earthly being having a spiritual experience. How amazing!

You are a miracle.

and you are loved.

Back to the Present

March 3, 2013 by kalani

Have you considered how you are using your mind? This might seem like an odd question, but it's an important one to consider. We all have the potential to use our minds in a number of different ways. We can using it to recall events and feelings from the past. We can using it to help us in the present moment. And we can using it to imagine what will happen in the future.

How are you using your mind?

Do you use it to focus on the past, the present, or the future? Do you use it to think about 'positve' things, 'negative' things, or just things? What feelings does your thinking produce most of the time? Do your thoughts often leave you feeling uneasy or even in a state of anxiety? Or do they leave you feeling uplifted and optimistic?

If we wanted to create a picture or map of where our minds could 'be' with regard to time and emotions, we could use something like a tic-tac-toe grid. Drawing two vertical and two horizontal lines, we create nine boxes. Each box represents a possible state of mind. The column on the left represents thoughts about the past. The center column represents thoughts about the present, and the right column represents thoughts about the future. The top row represents thoughts that move our mood or feeling in a direction we might describe as 'happy' or positive. We will label those as "high." The middle row represents neutral feelings. The bottom row represents 'negative' or undesirable feelings. We will label those as "low."

Taking a look at the bottom row, from left to right the boxes or thinking states represent the 'past-low' state (regret or mourning), 'present-low' (anxiety or sadness), and 'future-low' (worry or fear). The middle row represents neutral feelings about events in the past, present, and future. The top row represents 'past-high' (good times), 'present-high,' and 'future-high' (anticipation of something desirable).

We can spend "time" in any of these nine areas. Most people tend to spend the majority of their time in the neutral past, present and future - with frequent visits to all three elevated times and a little time spent in the 'low' row. Spending time in the low row, either thinking about the 'bad-things' that happened in the past, or fearful of what the future may bring, can leave one feeling down or depleted.

People who might be described as "eternal optimists' spend a majority of their time in the elevated row, remembering happy times or looking forward to what they imagine will be good times in the future. Someone who might be described as 'bi-polar' might see their thinking pendulum move up and down in the right column where 'future-high' thoughts bring optimism and a sense that "everything will be fantastic in the future" and 'future low' thoughts make it pointless to get out of bed in the morning.

Most people have all nine thought types throughout the day. Becoming aware of your thought types is one of the first steps in learning how to better use your mind. For example, when you spend a lot of time in the left column (past), you are not spending as much time noticing what is happening in the present or considering where you want to be in the future. Your 'present' becomes smaller as a result of your 'past' taking up so much mental space. When you spend a lot of time in the right column (future), your life might become more about your dreams and chasing those 'dangling carrots of success,' possibly setting you up for what is commonly referred to as a 'dose of reality.'

Because life is now, an ideal place to focus your thinking is in the center column, the present. Thinking about the present doesn't mean that you don't think about the past or future. It does mean that when you do think about those times, you do so from a 'centeredness' in the moment. You spend less time thinking about the past and future, and more time noticing and considering that which is happening in the present moment. By spending more time in the present, you deepen your connection to all that is and have the potential to raise your awareness of, and appreciation for, life itself. Why? Because there is no life experience in that past or future. We can think about life in the past or future, but those thoughts are simply an abstraction, a collection of memories or ideas. Life is, and will only ever be, happening in the present. This is why it's important to spend your time in it!

Why do older adults sometimes seem to spend the majority of their time focused on the past? It's likely because they prefer it to the present. In the past, things were better. They could do more and felt more important. They miss those feelings and want to re-capture them. They avoid the present because it doesn't seem as good as the past.

When times are difficult, people sometimes focus their thinking on the future, imagining better times ahead, including the 'afterlife.' This is another way to avoid the present moment and therefore life itself.

When you can identify your thinking patterns, in a nonjudgemental and objective way, you can create a realistic picture of how you are using your mind. From there, you can make changes that will allow you to use your mind in ways that serve your goals, rather than being subjected to the whims of your mind. You get to choose where you spend your time, not your mind.

Your Thoughtfulness Practice

Use the above nine categories of thought to take note of how you are currently using your mind. Discover what your thought patters are by saying to yourself "I am thinking about something from the [past, present, future] and I'm feeling [low, natural, high] about it."

When you find yourself caught up in thoughts about the past or future, simply take note, without judgement, and return to something in the present. For example, when you find yourself day dreaming about the future, come back to something that will ground you in the present, such as your breath or observing something in your immediate environment. A very easy practice to return to the present involves feeling the sensation of being alive from within your body. See the article "Feeling the Feeling."

As you learn to identify your thought-type patterns, you will come to form a picture of how you are currently using your mind. This will allow you to make informed changes, such as moving to reduce or extinguish worry. Worry is thinking in the low future. Noticing thinking time in the low-future is the first step. Moving back to the present is the second step.

Moving back to the present, from either past or the future thoughts is as simple as engaging in a sensory practice that is rooted in a present happening. Noticing the qualities of the "here and now"; Sensing your 'beingness'; and Connecting with the qualities of "oneness" inherent in all things, are all ways to increase your presence in the present.

Do you know someone who could use this Practice? Share this post with them by using the tools below. Leave your questions or comments.

Updating Your Software

February 20, 2013 by kalani

From our computers to your phones, we all get notifications to update our software. Even your TV or DVD player might tell you they are ready for some new software. Updates often add functions, fix bugs, and help the entire system work to produce better results.

The human mind/body is a system that also 'runs on software.' Your 'programming' is the result of your education, culture, upbringing, and experiences. Is it safe to assume that you, like a computer, might have some bugs that need fixing? Certainly. We sometimes refer to these 'bugs' as our 'buttons' or 'triggers.' When we're faced with a certain kind of situation, we react and process it in ways that are consistent with our programming. Some of this happens on a conscious level and some on an unconscious level.

Acknowledging that we can benefit from a 'software update,' is the first step in taking specific and positive action.

Realizing that the mind is a dynamic collection of thoughts and memories that gives rise to a multitude of interwoven feelings and new thoughts and ideas represents a big step in your own evolution towards finding the kinds of updates that will work for you.

We can all update our software, but it takes work.

The first step is being open to change. The second is seeking to discover how you are currently programmed. The third is to determine what you want to keep and what you want to change. The fourth step is actively working to re-program the 'code' that is no longer working to produce the best results. The fifth step is to make changes permanent by changing your habits and behavior. When you finish, you repeat the process.

Changing your 'code' doesn't mean brainwashing yourself to believe anything that serves to simply cover up the problems. It means the opposite: being honest with yourself and looking at your situation and your thoughts about your situation with complete objectivity. It means being present, observing yourself within each moment, taking note of your thought types, your feelings, discovering your preferred perspectives and orientations.

It's easy to keep piling more and more layers of 'code' on top of one another, but that's not a long-term solution. Adding to a system is not the same as going through it with a broom and dust pan, cleaning out what is no longer working or needed. This process, of clearing away what doesn't work and replacing it with what does, is both accessible and achievable. It does; however, require a belief that this type of fundamental change is possible. It also requires a clear plan or technology.

One such 'technology' exists here, on this site. It's called the Thoughtfulness Practice, and it incorporates teachings on all levels of being, from the physical to the intellectual, and spiritual. There is a process that works. It is possible to update your software and make the types of changes that will produce a lifetime of higher functioning. Goals can include reducing or extinguishing worry, or increasing feelings of connectedness. These are simple goals, but you need to use the right code.

Ask yourself: What would I change about my thinking right now, if I could choose one thing?

When you know what that is, step back, see the patterns that are not working, and begin to reconstruct your thinking around the behavior or experience that you prefer. This is possible when you use the right tools.

Leave your questions or comments below.
Thank you for reading.

While You Were Praying

February 10, 2013 by kalani

While You Were Praying -

a bird sang to you.

While You Were Praying -

the wind whispered in your ear.

While You Were Praying -

sunlight warmed your skin.

While You were Praying -

the earth caressed your feet.

While You were Praying -

the universe celebrated the eternal moment.

Did you notice?