Month: February 2014

February 19, 2014

Billionaires

I am very fascinated by finance and the economy in general.  I have a background in studying business and spent a large portion of my young to middle adult years studying and understanding how finance works.  My research in this area peaked a curiosity in figuring out how one becomes a major player in the economy.  I really wanted to know what sets apart the big wigs from the rest of us small fish.  So, I set out to do some research, obviously on Google, and typed Top 100 billionaires.  As I scrolled down the list I noticed that majority of the billionaires belonged to certain industries.  This led me to conclude that one could only be successful and truly reach “billionaire status” by working in these industries.

I got so discouraged because I felt like, damn, all my hopes and dreams of becoming a billionaire one day are gone.  I don’t work in the Energy or Investments industries, so there goes a large avenue in which I go possibly go down to achieve “billionaire status”.  But, then luckily I came across this Forbes list of industries that produced billionaires worldwide.  After reading it, I felt a little bit more at ease and realized, I can’t base my life and wants on past precedence.  Yes, precedence allows guidance and prepares you for certain outcomes that a rookie might need to be aware of.  But, I need to not be afraid to be a trail blazer and set a new path, one that’s never been tread.  Much like many of the billionaires of today.

Do you wish to become a billionaire?  Take a look at this list and see if you or your industry fits the profile.  I know I hope to be a statistic in this list in the future.  Wish me luck and I wish you all the luck as well, regardless of what your dreams may be.

Industries that produce Forbes Billionaires Worldwide

1. Investments: 148
2. Fashion and Retail: 146
3. Real Estate: 129
4. Diversified: 125
5. Food and Beverage: 100
6. Technology: 95
7. Manufacturing 89
8. Energy 83
9. Finance 78
10.Media 69

mindbodysoul

“It doesn’t matter who you vote for. It’s still the same billionaires that run the world”. ~ Geezer Butler

February 18, 2014

Nikola Tesla

I stumbled across an article, quite some time ago, about the 10 inventions by Nikola Tesla that changed the world.  I thought it rather fascinating that I had no idea who Nikola Tesla was yet he played such a drastic role in the inventions we use every day today.  We’ve all heard of Thomas Edison, but, did you know Nikola Tesla worked for Edison?  Anyway, Tesla was eventually known as a “mad scientist” and many of his inventions gained popular interest in areas such as pseudosciences, UFO theories and New Age occultism.  I guess we could say Tesla’s inventions were ahead of its time.

I have copied the list of the 10 inventions by Nikola Tesla and summed it up for you to get a general idea of how important he was to our modern day science and technology.

Alternating Current – Edison introduced DC current (backed by General Electric) which was costly over long distances and produced dangerous sparking from required converters (which eventually led to the electric chair).  Tesla introduced AC which was a much safer and less costly form of current.  He was able to demonstrate how safe it is by shooting a current through his own body to generate light.

Light – He didn’t invent light itself but he did invent how light could be harnessed and distributed.  Tesla developed and used florescent bulbs 40 years before the industry “invented” them.  He invented the first neon signs at the World’s Fair and the infamous Tesla Coil.

X-rays – Tesla played a drastic role in the production of medical diagnostics using x-rays.  Electromagnetic and ionizing radiation was very popular in the late 1800s, but, Tesla believed that everything we need to understand the universe is around us at all times, however, we need to develop real world devices to help realize those perceptions and thus he helped with the fruition of x-rays.

Radio – Guglielmo Marconi is often known as the inventor of the radio, however, Tesla was actually the inventor of the first radio.  Radio signals are just frequencies that need transmitters and receivers.  Tesla demonstrated this in 1893 during a presentation.  The U.S patent office awarded Marconi a patent instead of Tesla for the invention of the radio, possibly because of his financial backers in the States, who included Edison and Andrew Carnegie.  This also helped the U.S. government (among others) to avoid having to pay royalties that Tesla claimed.

Remote Control – This invention was just a natural creation that came after the radio.  This technology was not used for quite some time but the very first remote controlled model boat was demonstrated in 1898.  This technology was taken over by the military in its pursuit of remote controlled war.

Electric Motor – Tesla’s invention of the electric motor with rotating magnetic fields could have freed mankind from the stranglehold of Big Oil.  However, his inventions with electric motors were not funded because of the economic crisis due to the war.

Robotics – Tesla believed that all living beings were merely driven by external impulses.  Thus, it led to his invention of robots.

Laser – Tesla’s invention of the laser is the epitome of how inventions and science can be used for either good or evil.  Lasers have transformed medical history by ways of surgical applications.  Lasers also occur in our current digital media.  However, laser defence systems today, which include laser rifles and directed energy “death rays” are a prime example of how the government or military can use this technology to control and manipulate wars by way of fear.

Wireless Communications and Limitless Free Energy – These two inventions work hand in hand.  The question rose amongst the elite – what good is energy if it can’t be metered and controlled?  The notion that energy would be given away for free was preposterous.  J.P. Morgan backed Tesla with $150,000 to build a tower that would use the natural frequencies of the universe to transmit data.  This was the first wireless communications.  This showed that the universe was filled with free energy that could be utilized to form a world wide web connecting everyone from everywhere.  Tesla was dedicated to empowering every individual to receive and transmit this data virtually free of charge, but, as well all know, this never happened.  We are charged ridiculous amounts of money to use limitless energy and to use wireless communications which also could be provided for free.

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success… such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything”. ~ Nikola Tesla

 

February 17, 2014

Standards

We all live by certain standards.  Standards are normal behavioural measurements based on the expectations of society, culture, family and many other factors.  Standards are what we base our wants, desires, wishes and expectations on.  We look at others and compare ourselves to their material and personal gains.  We wish for what others have or achieved and compare it to ourselves if we haven’t achieved those things.  Or standards might be instilled within ourselves.  Certain expectations of ourselves that we feel we need to always meet.  For example, brushing our teeth every day to maintain a healthy mouth or showering regularly.   These standards are set as a means to provide guidelines.  If we follow these guidelines we can achieve certain results that follow after meeting and surpassing those guidelines.

Now that we know we all have standards, what type of standards do we set for ourselves?  Basic standards involve, getting up every day, maintaining cleanliness, going to work or school, eating, coming home and going to sleep all to start all over again the next day.  If we follow these normal standards we will lead normal lives, much like most individuals on this earth.  But, amongst the very normal mass we have the few abnormal ones who surpass these standards and do and attain far more in life than what is basic.  Those individuals are the ones who we all look up too, our heros or role models.  The celebrities or the rich and elite who have so much more than the basic standards.

Now, I’m not saying that we all have to live and want to be rich and super elite so that we can get EVERYTHING in the world.  No!  What I’m trying to point out is the differences in the standards of these two groups, normal vs. abnormal.  We all have to set certain standards for ourselves instead of following the standards of what others expect from us.  When we follow other standards we fail to discover who we are as individuals.  The normal person will follow standards set forth by others who have done it before.  The abnormal person will be the one to set standards for others to follow.  This person will do something out of the norm by realizing his/her potential thus, achieving great results.  That is the difference.  I want us all to be abnormal in the sense that we set our own standards.

I always aspired to live a certain lifestyle one day.  Instead of aspiring to do so, I made it my standard.  I told myself that I would not live another day without meeting those expectations from myself.  I want to live a health conscious life so I set the standard that I expect myself to workout by going to the gym at least twice a week, combine that with yoga three times a week and to eat healthy and regularly.  This expectation might not seem like a lot to another individual who already has this as his/her standard.  But, for me, I needed to set this guideline and force myself to meet and surpass this as a way to assure my personal development.  Now that I have set this as my standard, I expect this out of myself all the time.

We don’t all have to set standards of becoming the richest or most successful person in the world.  But, we all do have to set individual standards for ourselves based on what we really value.  I expect a lot out of myself because I set high standards based on my dreams and vision.  I will build who I am by meeting and surpassing these standards every day, week, month and year till the day I die.  I want to do this to build positive habits and to realize my full potential.  I know I can achieve anything I want, but, if I don’t know what I want, by ways of my standards, then how will I ever know if I’ve achieved it?

Time to reflect:

Do you have standards or are you following the norms of society?  Going forward, set standards for yourself based on your own needs and wants, not those of others.  Set simple expectations of yourself like volunteering once a month, or having dinner with your mother every 3rd weekend of the month.  By setting these standards based on what you want out of your life, you will be able to gauge your personal growth and you will reach your full potential.  You will be able to do this because, you will finally realize what your full potential is.  

mindbodysoul

“Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to”. ~ Greg Anderson

February 13, 2014

Consistency

I have come to realize that in order to live a magnificent life, one needs to be outstanding at all times.  You can’t pick and choose which day you want to be outstanding, you have to be that way consistently.  Well, you can live a life of inconsistency but where will that lead you?  It may lead you to a mediocre life that meets the basic standards of this society.  You may live a comfortable life based on what others believe your comfort should be.  Or you may live a very unfulfilled life, always wishing you had done more, knowing you had the potential.  Whatever the case, if you are inconsistent, then expect to live a basic to comfortable life.

Consistency is one of those things that you have to develop.  It isn’t something that just happens, you have to work at being consistent.  Developing this “good” habit of being consistent leads to “excellent” habits which in turn leads to excellent outcomes.  Consistency occurs when you are able to perform your A game every day and with everything you do.  Consistency in your work, your exercise or diet, your relationships, your personal development and etc. all lead to living a very magnificent life.  By being consistent you are helping yourself achieve greater results.

Human nature is to cut ourselves slack when we realize we are burning out.  I can’t tell you how many times I gave up on an exercise routine or diet because I thought I achieved enough results to satisfy me momentarily.  I would reason with myself and say that, “oh I’ve been doing so great for the past 2 weeks so I can cut some slack now and relax for a week”.  These little inconsistent patterns led to so many, “I wish I had started earlier” or “I wish I didn’t cut myself slack” moments.  By picking and choosing which days I wanted to be on my A game, I set myself up for failure.  Instead of being on my A game all the time and every day, the progress I would make in 2 weeks would mean nothing when I would relax for 1 week.  By taking the unnecessary time off I would negate all the growth that occurred in the prior 2 weeks.

Being consistent not only leads to outstanding results but it is a way of life.  I have made a conscious decision that I want to be consistent in everything I do going forward.  I will make conscious choices to be consistent at everything I do.  Even if it’s something really small like consistently making my bed every morning.  Or consistently going to yoga 3 times a week, every week.  By starting small and consistently doing the small things while on my A game, I can then tackle the larger habits of inconsistency I have.  Eventually, this will lead to me to living a consistent life which will hopefully lead to many magnificent outcomes.

Time to reflect:

Are you inconsistent?  Do you cut yourself slack unnecessarily when you know you should continue giving your A game?  Well, stop!  Make the effort to be more consistent.  Start off by doing the small things that you know you put off or cut slack on, like cleaning your room or eating right every day.  By performing the little things as if you’re on your A game, you will start developing standards of expectations for yourself.  You will see outstanding results where you once saw ok results.  This standard will force you to grow and develop consistency in all of your actions.  So go ahead, start being consistent and start with the small things.  Soon you will see how magnificent your life will be, all because you chose to be consistent.  

mindbodysoul

“I’ve learned from experience that if you work harder at it, and apply more energy and time to it, and more consistency, you get a better result. It comes from the work”. ~ Louis C. K.

February 12, 2014

Astrology

I was never one to believe in Horoscopes, astrology readings/charts and etc. because of how I was raised.  My birth religion also didn’t promote such philosophies or ideals to help understand the life cycles through the alignments of the planets, stars, the moon and etc..   Until about 5 years ago when I went through my divorce and started searching for answers I had no interest in Astrology.

Since my divorce I have gone to Pandits, gurus, psychics, and finally astrological chart readers to determine my fate and my journey.  The initial reason I went on this search for answers, attributed to my old habits and ways of needing validation from others about my life and my choices.  But, as I went to each new source for information, I realized this was the path I was meant to tread.  I was meant to experience this flow of information.  I was meant to collect and gather all the facts for my personal knowledge vault.  Again, being a Jill of all trades, required me to know as much about this topic before I could make a personal judgement.  After experiencing all the channels to understand Astrology and how it works, I can firmly say that I believe our lives have already been written and we are just the drivers of the cars on predetermined tracks/roads.

Another motive for why I wanted to get involved in astrology was because I did a study on the richest and most powerful individuals of this world (from a financial standpoint) and the one thing in common that every successful person had was their belief in Astrology.  Every person on that list claimed that they always had their Astrological Charts read for each month and year to outline the most auspicious times and dates for their decisions.  I know, this sort of sounds crazy right?  It’s almost as if you’re giving up control of your life all based on the interpretations of some “dude” or “dudette” reading your planetary alignments.  How can someone in such a powerful position let the stars determine his/her fate?

Well, after having my charts read and analyzed, I can safely tell you that having your charts read and then making decisions based on that information does not mean you are giving up control of your life.  Instead, you are understanding and accepting the path that was predetermined for you based on time, and you are preparing yourself for the changes that are already outlined for you.  For example, 2 years ago, when I had my first real reading, I was told that some time in October I would lose my childhood.  Now that was very vague at the time, and my delusions and old bad habits of thinking what could be vs. what actually is, played out and I thought of the worst case scenarios.  Whereby, I thought possibly I would experience a death in the family or of someone really important to me.  But, in fact, unbeknownst to me, the prediction was absolutely right.  During that month, my values, beliefs and everything I was taught while growing up as a child, completely changed and I no longer believed in the things I was once taught.

I have since gone back several times and I am now taking my readings a lot more seriously.  I am prepared for the changes that are going to inevitably happen because the stars have shown that I will face adversity during certain times in my life.  I am prepared to make choices in my life that will help me get the most out of my readings.  I am aware of certain dates and have a guideline of when to expect certain rewards and when to put in the hard work to then be able to reap those rewards.  I was meant to learn about this to share this with skeptics who do not understand or believe in the power of Astrology.  Try it out and take a look at your life backwards.  If the predictions of your life are accurate based on your past readings, then maybe, being prepared for the future isn’t such a bad thing, especially when you have the master plan already there in front of you.

Time to reflect:

Do you believe in Astrology?  If not, why?  Is it because of how you were raised or just misinformation?  Either way, I encourage you to try to get a professional reading done.  To make sure it’s accurate look at the past 10 years of your life.  Ask questions and go back on the readings and see what the alignment of the stars had in store for your fate in the past.  You will see for yourself, that the transitions, pains, joys and everything you once experienced, was already meant for you to experience.  You will be able to see, that the universe was expecting and anticipating all those changes for you.  The universe already had certain experiences mapped out for you and that you were meant to play it out the best way you could.  If this is true about your past, then doesn’t that give you some validation to trust in the readings for your future?  Give it a try and I promise you, you will be quite astonished with the findings, this coming from a once non-believer.    

mindbodysoul

“We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything more”. ~ Carl Jung

February 11, 2014

Freedom = Slavery

We supposedly live in a free society, but, most of us are slaves to comfort.  We have the freedom to do anything we want, yet, we choose to stay grounded and rooted in our comfort zone.  We have the freedom to act and behave any way we want yet we choose to wallow in stress.  We become robotic and stuck in a routine that hinders us from truly being free to explore our passions and desires and make the most of life.  The price of our freedom in this day and age is slavery to a comfortable numbness.

How many of us are slaves to comfort?  I’d say majority of us.  The freedom that is so proudly spoken of in our Western culture contradicts what freedom is really all about.  What does it mean to be free?  Does it mean paying thousands for a degree and getting post secondary education to work in a job that doesn’t provide satisfaction and fulfillment?  Is freedom living pay check to pay check waiting for the weekend to spend our hard earned money?  Is freedom being in a relationship where we settle instead of being with someone who uplifts and challenges us?  Is freedom choosing to sit in front of the TV instead of going out for a walk or maybe helping the homeless or helping clean the city we live in?

We say we are free, but what are we really free from?  We were all born free.  Free to be and do anything.  However, somewhere along the line we lost our freedom because we no longer understood the meaning of freedom.  Our definition became convoluted and delusional to meet the standards and expectations of a fast paced society.  A society run by capitalism, money and greed.  A society that is never satisfied with what we have and always wanting more.  This pursuit for constantly wanting more has held us back from truly becoming free spirits.  Free to learn, grow, understand, accept and create new and beautiful things.

In our pursuit for more, we have become slaves of this comfortable lifestyle.  Where we are taught, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  Instead of being encouraged to, find new and innovative ways to make life better and easier to connect with ourselves on a deeper level.  Instead of finding new ways to increase our time with ourselves, we look to increase our pockets.  This cycle then becomes a part of who we are.  We are free slaves, slaves of this lifestyle of chasing after more and being comfortable with it instead of being content with what we have and finding fulfillment in ourselves while trying to create innovate ways to connect deeper with our souls.

So, I encourage you, break the shackles of slavery and truly become free.  Be free to pursue your passions and dreams.  Be free to think for yourself instead of being told what to think and do.  Be free to try something out of your comfort zone to help you grow and develop as a human being.  Be free to learn what it actually means to be FREE.

Time to reflect:

Are you free?  If so, what does it mean to be free?  Have all the money in the world?  All the opportunities in the world?  Or, does freedom mean to have the ability to pursue yourself?  Freedom means you can seek knowledge and truth to help you understand yourself better.  Freedom means to do what your inner voice leads you too.  Freedom means creating new and innovative ways to help human beings connect deeper with themselves, faster and easier.  Freedom is not being a slave to comfort which most of us are today.  You were born free, so take your birth right back and become FREE.  

mindbodysoul

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!” ~ Bob Marley

February 10, 2014

Congruency

Here is the truth about me…I have big dreams…but I am not motivated.  There is some sort of disconnect with my dreams and my actions.  I am lacking congruency.  Until I am able to become congruent with my vision and my actions I will remain demotivated.

Have you been on a quest to accomplish a task or goal?  If so, have you completed your task/goal?  If you haven’t, can you tell me why?  No?  Well, I can.  It’s because you are not congruent.  Now, I know what you’re thinking…“what the hell do you know about me to accuse me of not being congruent”.  And yes, you are right, I don’t know you, but if you haven’t accomplished your task or said goal, I don’t have to know you personally to know that you’re just not congruent.  It’s that simple.

I know this because I know what it’s like not to be congruent.  I am living proof of in-congruency.  I am one of those people that want, believe, dream and desire change and growth but I lack the actions to substantiate or validate those dreams and beliefs.  I lack action.  Because I lack action, no matter how much I dream or wish or want, it will NEVER happen, because I am not congruent.  My dreams don’t match my actions.  My dreams are bigger than my actions.  This is what causes in-congruency, when what you say, believe, and do, don’t match.

So how do we fix this?  Well, first off, we need to consciously admit our faults.  Yes, I admit, I lack action and therefore, I lack the motivation to follow through with appropriate actions that coincide with my dreams.  Next, I need to make a conscious effort to catch myself being incongruent.  Each time I have a wish, desire or want, I write it down.  This forces me to become obligated to this “list of things I want” and it reinforces my thoughts.  After I’ve written out my dreams and wants, I ask myself what actions could I take to help me eventually achieve what I want.  After going through the list of immediate and long term actions, I can clearly see how much more or little I need to do in order to accomplish my goal.  By doing this, I am able to gauge my current situation and progress and see if I am being congruent or not.  I can officially determine if I am on the right path, if I am making any progress even, or if there are more things within my capability that I should be doing.

By becoming congruent, you take control of your words which then become your actions.  I always wanted to be a woman that could confidently say, “you can take my word for it”.  Until now, I have not been able to be that type of woman, because I’ll admit, my words had very little meaning and value.  I said a lot and did very little.  But, now, after teaching myself to become congruent with my thoughts, words and actions, I can confidently tell others, “trust me”.

Time to reflect:

Are you incongruent?  Are you noticing a lack of motivation in your actions?  Are you the type of person who wants to do amazing things, but, your actions aren’t meeting up to the standards of your dreams?  Well, that’s because you need to become more congruent.  Congruency occurs when what you say and do match one another.  If you claim you’re on a diet, yet, you go to McDonald’s every day, you wishing and wanting to be healthy will NEVER happen.  Developing congruency is the key to succeeding in any goals.  So, teach yourself to become congruent and you will see how motivated you become and how quickly your words become your actions.  

mindbodysoul

“I believe the ultimate goal of living and refining your values is to identify and achieve congruence with universal principles”. ~ anonymous 

February 7, 2014

Humiliation leads to excellence

I have made many mistakes in my life and I am aware that I am not perfect by any means.  I have made choices in the past that some may construe as stupid, selfish, wrong and etc..  I have been humiliated by my mistakes and by people that judged me based on certain perceptions they had of me.  At the time of the events, where I was being humiliated, it obviously hurt like hell.  It wasn’t a good feeling at all.  I felt like saying, “how dare you say such things to me”, “who do you think you are to judge me”, “I don’t deserve to be treated this way”, and etc..  I felt horrible as a human being afterward, thinking to myself, “maybe this person is right about me”, and “Yes, I am a failure”.

There was one particular instance that not too long ago occurred, where I felt severely humiliated.  My boyfriend at the time had said some very mean and hurtful things to me after an argument.  Things spiralled out of control, on his end, and he completely flew off the handles and started insulting me.  He told me that I make excuses for everything, and I throw pity parties, I talk a whole lot and do very little, I am not getting any younger, I am not financially stable so I don’t know what I’m talking about and a whole heap of insults.  I was so hurt and felt so dejected as a person.  Usually after being hurt or humiliated like that, I would cry and retreat and actually throw a pity party.  But instead, that day, what I felt inside was different.  That day, my perception on humiliation changed.

That very same day at 1:15pm I went home and looked at myself in the mirror.  I felt a calm and very confident energy emanating from inside of me.  I looked at myself for the first time with eyes of a woman who knew exactly what needed to happen.  I told myself that I would NEVER allow anyone to speak that way to me again.  I told myself that I would NEVER give anyone a chance to even think those thoughts about me again.  I told myself that I would NEVER allow anyone to believe, with such conviction, their judgements about me.  It was because of how he humiliated me that day, that I became the woman I always wanted to be.

I know it might sound strange, but, humiliation leads to excellence.  How many times have we witnessed on Reality TV a person being berated by an authority figure or someone who is a Judge or critic?  Sometimes the recipient deserves the constructive and harsh critiscim to help develop the individual while on other occasions they may be uncalled for.  Either way, you see a drastic change in the person after the humiliation occurs and the person becomes more receptive to guidance and takes more decisive action.  For example, on those business salvaging shows, a business Guru might come in and rip the owner a new a**hole for being an inefficient leader and owner.  The humiliation the person experiences in front of his/her staff, colleagues, on camera and in front of strangers forces the person to change, often in a great way.

Now, this is not the best way to change, obviously.  But, regardless, it is a way to change and if you are going to change, it might as well lead to excellence.  With my personal example, the very same day, I went out and purchased my second car after paying off my first car in full!  I went out and got a $70 hair cut and got pampered with a mani-pedi.  I signed a contract with the engineers, for renovation designs on my restaurant business, that I was putting off for months.  I also went to hot yoga for 1 hour and 30mins and finally came home to cook and then clean the entire house all by 10:30pm.  In that one day, I completed what I normally would’ve taken 2 weeks to do, all because I was driven by the humiliation I felt earlier.  I did all of those things for myself because the real woman in me would behave that way under all circumstances.  Through my experience of humiliation I know for sure that it can lead to excellence if you use the power of how you felt, differently and wisely!

Time to reflect:

Have you ever felt humiliated?  Was it because you were called out on something you knew you were doing wrong?  Or were you being judged unnecessarily?  Either way, the feeling isn’t good.  However, how can you consciously take that bad feeling and make it good?  Try using your hurt feelings from the humiliation to drive you.  Tell yourself, that you will NEVER allow yourself to feel that way again and be accepting and thankful for the humiliation you felt.  By using the power to drive you to be better and be excellent, you can use that feeling to your advantage instead of allowing it to cripple you.  

mindbodysoul

“Humiliation is the beginning of sanctification.” ~ John Donne

February 6, 2014

Meditation, Yoga & Spirituality books

I would like to share with you all a few books that are insightful and helpful in learning more about meditation, yoga and spirituality.  The list is comprised of books recommended and referred by Meditation Gurus and practitioners.  If you have the time to read even one of these books, I am sure it will prove to be quite beneficial.  Enjoy and I hope you all find enlightenment, one page at at time!

  • DALAI LAMA. The Way to Freedom. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1994.
  • EPSTEIN, MARK. Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart. New York, NY: Broadway Books, 1998.
  • FEURSTEIN, GEORG. The Deeper Dimensions of Yoga. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2003.
  • GOLEMAN, DANIEL. Emotional Intelligence. New York, NY: Bantam, 1995.
  • HESSE, HERMAN. Siddhartha. Tandem, 1951.
  • IYENGAR, BKS. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. San Francisco, CA:  Aquarian/Thorson, 1993.
  • JOHN O’DONOHUE. Beauty, New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2004.
  • MUKUNDA STILES. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. San Francisco, CA:  ed Wheel/Weiser,  2002.
  • NISARGADATTA, SRI. I Am That. Durham, NC: Acorn, 1973.
  • PEMA CHODRON. Start Where You Are. Boston, MA: Shambala, 1994.
  • SHAH, INDRES. The Way of the Sufi. Toronto, ON: Penguin, 1968.
  • SHARON SALZBURG.  The Force of Kindness. Boulder, CO: True Sounds, 2005.
  • STOLER-MILLER, BARBARA. Yoga: The Discipline of Freedom. New York, NY: Bantam, 1998.
  • SUZUKI SHUNRYO. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. New York, NY: Weatherhill, 1970.
  • THICH NHAT HANH. The Art of Power. Harper One, 2007.
  • TRUNGPA CHOGYAM. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Boulder, CO: Shambala, 1973.
  • WILBER, KEN. A Brief History of Everything. Boston, MA: Shambala, 2000.

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