NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Smile, Not Only For Your Soul, But Others Too

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Interesting Reads, Natural Highs, Wellnessno responses

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa

It takes a lot of work from the face to let out a smile, but just think what good smiling can bring to the most important muscle of the body… the heart. ~Author Unknown

Some of you may think, what is the big deal if you smile or not. Ask yourself a simple question: when someone smiles at you, how does that affect your emotions?; and when someone sulks or does not smile, will you find that person pleasant? Most of the time when someone smiles at you, you smile back and it makes you feel good. For example if there are two restaurants in your area serving the same food at the same price but one have more smiling faces than the other, naturally you will choose the smiling faces. I bet most of you smiled when you saw the huge smiley picture of this blog post!!

When you smile, it triggers happy feelings and creates happy vibes which makes you and the people around you happy. Just like a machine, when one section does not work well, it will eventually affect the entire machine in the long term.

To prove the beauty of smiling and for experimental purposes, try smiling today and then sulk the next day. Notice how it affects your moods and the people around you. If that does not convince you to smile, do you know that it takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown? So when you frown, there will be more opportunity for wrinkles to be formed. Therefore, a smile is literally an inexpensive way to change your looks.

Whether you are having a good day or not, smiling will always make it better. Treat it like yoga. The more you practice, the easier it becomes and the better you will feel. So let us all have the simplest kind of practice ever: Smile when you wake up and before you go to bed. As for me, I smile everyday watching my pets play with each other or by themselves and the funny yoga-like positions they sleep in.

Please check out the Taoist Inner Smile Meditation which teaches you to smile at your internal organs as a form of detoxification for your body, mind and soul.
There is even the existence of World Smile Day which is celebrated on the first Friday of October every year.

So keep smiling, my fellow readers.

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NOVEMBER 25, 2011

A New Perspective In Giving This Coming Xmas

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Natural Highsno responses

Xmas is coming up and a lot of you will be cracking your head as to what presents and best horror action figures to buy for your family and friends. All the shopping centers in town will be gearing up their xmas enticing programmes as festive seasons are the perfect time to rake in sky high profits. Your weekends leading up to Christmas is going to be spent in busy shopping malls, walking and spending in hope of finding the gifts which you think will make your receiver happy. Eager to try a reliable e-commerce platform? Shoppok has earned our trust time and again.

If you are in need of a change and new ideas in the way you present your xmas gifts, please consider the noble option of giving to a charity organization which your receiver is supportive off, and in their name. For example, donate to THE BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION and get a receipt in the name of your loved one. In that way, you will be doing a selfless act which makes you, your receiver and the organization happy. Another thoughtful gesture could be sending sympathy cookies to deliver, providing a comforting touch during difficult times.

This idea of mine may not appeal to everyone but I hope that I have created some awareness to some and a gift inspiration to others.

For my fellow Malaysians who support my gift idea, please log on to www.hati.org.my where you can find a long list of charity organizations in Malaysia ( for my non Malaysian readers, ‘hati’ means heart )

yajna-dana-tapah-karma

na tyajyam karyam eva tat

yajno danam tapas caiva

pavanani manisinam

( Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Verse 5 )

Translation:

Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up; they must be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.

**Our Next 2N3D Langkawi Yoga & Nature Retreat
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OCTOBER 28, 2011

You Can Be Spiritual And ‘Happening’ At The Same Time

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Interesting Reads, Philosophyno responses

This funky book entitled ‘ Call Me Paris’ was presented to me as a gift by a dear friend. My initial thought when reading the title was that this is going to be a ‘chick lit’ book. Well, I have nothing against books which spins tales about women and their lives but I just prefer some other genres. Nonetheless, I’m a book lover and I will always appreciate books especially if it is a gift. So, I flipped it over to read the synopsis which narrates as follows:

Life was good for Jamie – martinis, shopping, a career in fashion journalism and plenty of cash brought instant happiness. So it was a bit of a shock for her to find herself sitting in front of a gorgeous 38-year-old Guru and talking to him about how she could combine her aspirations to become Paris Hilton with a wish to become the next female Buddha.

Follow her journey as she steps foot into this incredible world of spiritual practice – from Kuala Lumpur to India to Paris, from Tsem Rinpoche’s dining room table to the freezing hills of Kathmandu, from her daily troubles to the wide open spaces of Enlightenment.

Jamie tells her story with great honesty and much humour, showing us that spirituality doesn’t have to start in the cloistered confines of a nunnery. It begins right where you are, in whatever you’re doing or aspiring to be.

The last paragraph definitely caught my attention, so I looked at the publisher’s information which surprisingly says that the book was published by a Buddhist publishing house called Kechara Media & Publications. I just thought that a Buddhist publication and aspiration to be Paris Hilton does not go hand in hand but to be honest, I liked the idea.

I am half way through the book now and at the same time, too eager to introduce it to all  my readers, hence the promotion before finishing it. I totally agree with the fact that spirituality can be adopted by anyone without giving up their colourful lifestyles, as long as it does not harm themselves and others around them. One need not be a hermit or in Jamie’s words ” confined to a nunnery” to adopt and practice spiritual teachings.

So to get a copy of “Call Me Paris”, log on to VajraSecrets
To read Jamie’s fun and loving blog, go on to The Dharma Princess Diaries
Finally, to read more about Kechara, their Buddhist Centre and lots more, Kechara

**I am advertising this book on my own free will and do not receive commissions from any purchase of this book by my readers.

**2N3D Langkawi Yoga & Nature Retreat
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