When you open up...

Amongst yogis, the term "open up" is often used in a posture when you open your heart chakra, push your chest out and shine like the sun.
To open up in the spiritual world, you accept the messages sent to you and you are receptive to gifts of the Universe.
In love, you open up emotionally and surrender your trust to the Divine Laws of Attraction.

To open up means to go with the flow and let magic take place.
To leave all your worries to your Higher Being and let your purpose happen naturally.
To laugh and dance and feel peace with the World and Love toward all.
To cry when you need to release and purge when you need to detox.
To listen when you need to nourish and absorb and to meditate when you need solitude.

In all worlds and amongst all Beings, we must open up and trust.
Let love shine. Let things be and let go when you must.
Freedom is flying with the flow.

Dedicated to my Goddesses. Thank you for our Kwan Yin 'PlayShop' today.

Your stones.

For a long time now, crystals and gemstones have been associated with healing and magic.
Wrapped in ancient stories and historical here-says, they are not only beautiful to the eyes but warming for the soul.
By now, everyone of us would own a couple but not think much of it.
Others, have a whole drawer... some to wear, others to carry and some more... just because.
Either ways, it's time to play with them. Hold them, wear them. Look at them. Charge them with energy.
Here is a very short summarized crystal list of the powers of the more popular stones.
The ones I suspect, we might ALL have right now, at home.

Amethyst (a purple quartz);
Known to help with sleep, or nightmares and soothes insomniacs, Amethyst is the stone of peace.
Wards off guilt and self-deception so it helps overcome addictions and amongst many other healing powers, amethyst also improves memory.

Diamonds;
Known to help with cleansing, releasing and purifying issues linked with sexuality.
Also promotes self confidence in relations to the opposite sex.
Contrary to popular belief, the diamond is not a stone of love, but can be worn for reconciliation.

Turquoise;
Known to be a protective stone. A ring may be worn to fend off evil eyes and promotes courage.
Also helps with the health, alleviates headaches and strengthens the eyes.
Worn as a necklace, it bestows abundance.

Crystal, Quartz;
The Great Mother Stone. Helps with healing and psychic abilities.
There are so many different colors of the stone and different healing properties for each color
but know that this stone is symbolic of the spirit and intellect of human beings.
Although easily acquired, this crystal has been underestimated for it benefits.
If the stone is properly cleansed and charged before wearing or using, it is a magical stone.
Blue helps with peace and tranquility. Green may stimulate creativity. Rose attracts love and opens the heart chakra. Smoky quartz is a mood elevator and Tourmalated quartz stimulates astral projections.

Jade;
Known to prevent disease and health troubles in both Chinese and Mayan traditions.
Also said to contain money-attracting energies when used positively and productively.
Jade is even a stone of wisdom and helps with reasoning.

So there we have it. A little bit about your stones... :)
Have a moment with them... share energy.
And start becoming more aware of how it affects you everyday.
Enjoy.

Public Transport....aarrggghhh mrt!

I took the MRT home today, in peak hour. And let me say, it is not a pleasant experience.
Firstly, I have decided to use public transport more regularly to cut costs and to do my bit ecologically. I have already made a pledge to myself to cut back on my holidays and work travels so I may reduce my carbon footprint, one step at a time. But being stuck in the MRT during peak hour sucks. Really.
There's always the inconsiderate traveler, the one that stops at the entrance of the train, or stands extremely close to you, or those who practically press themselves up against you as if you weren't even there no matter how many times you say "excuse me."
Then there are the passengers that ignore. They look like robots abducted them, pulled out their 'social consciousness' microchip left them there, on transit waiting for the next activation. You could be looking straight at them, ask them to move over a wee bit or if they wouldn't mind taking their lovely heel out of the flesh between your toes and they still wouldn't say a word and just turn away.
And the guilty looking person, plonked in "needy" chair, never looking up once to see if there really was an old lady or man on the train. Hoping nobody's going to poke him in the shoulder and get him/her to give up the seat.
Before I had got onboard, I was going through my yoga practice. Running through my head, what my body was feeling after one hour of power yoga and my mind was at peace. I felt stronger. I was standing straighter, breathing deeper and my muscles felt tired but empowered.
But somehow today, being around the MRT crowd left me feeling blocked and frustrated.
And I know sometimes, it's as easy as 'snapping out of it", training your mind to shut out.
Then I think, oh gosh, I don't want to be that sort of traveler, the one that is in robotland. Numb.
I want to be polite and considerate and hopefully encourage those around me to do so too.
I don't know why I am writing this... maybe it is a plea.
Let's be thoughtful and respectful of each other's space.
And become aware of your natural contribution in energy towards those around you.
We, as Singaporeans are so educated and well-read and modern, how come we still need campaigns for courtesy?
Are we that barbaric, still?
Not to see the bigger picture and how we effect the Universe. I do not believe so.
So I hope the next time I am on the MRT, which will be soon, I notice better social responsibility and we can ALL help each other live harmoniously and maintain a peaceful way in this already chaotic world.

Namaste.

The face of "Audi Fashion Festival" 2009 Charmaine Harn

"Of all the beauty's I have experienced in my career, few can hold a candle to Charmaine. Her grace, elegance, and timeless beauty are only second to her light. That, for me, is what puts her, and keeps her, right at the top". -Maggie Q

While her modeling career began ordinarily enough, having being discovered by a talent scout on the street at 14, it's how Charmaine's career has maintained momentum that is of greatest note. From her beginning with Singapore's Faces & Places agency to becoming the face of Singapore for well over a decade, Charmaine's climb to the top has yet to plateau.

Personally selected by Eileen and Bill Ford in the "Ford Supermodel of the World" competition in 1996 as Singapore's sole representative, Charmaine went on to Miami to represent Singapore in the international competition for the event which manifested into an offer to work in Paris under Ford's representation. After a few months in Paris and Miami, she then spent the next few years shuttling between Shanghai, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Jakarta and Hong Kong for fashion shoots, print ads, TV commercials, editorials and big brand fashion shows. In 2004, Charmaine based herself in Milan and got acquainted with the Italian scene. Well enough to be chosen to open the Costume Nationale show that very same year.

Today, established and recognized, she has appeared on the cover of several magazines from Elle to Sports Illustrated, in print ads for Sony, TV spots for Osim and in Asia and South East Asia shows for Chanel, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton, among many others under the aegis of Ave Model Management (Singapore) and Starz People (Hong Kong). Charmaine was also the host of Channel News Asia's luxury lifestyle program, "Diary of Indulgence" program and was hailed by Harper's Bazaar Singapore as one of the most fashionable women in Asia.

With no signs of slowing down, Charmaine's impressive list of accolades and features continues to build as she represents a uniquely Singaporean beauty to the world.
-Stevie G

मेदिताते.

And yet we have to deal with it again.
The ignorance, the lack of drive, the unawareness of the need for personal growth.
We encounter situations like these time and time again.
Some days, we are careful enough not to put ourselves in that energy and some days, you are just soaked in it.
Ideally, we remember our purpose, maintain our positivity and share some of that fruitful knowledge that we have been blessed with.
But it is hard not to question if we have the strength to deal with it unnecessarily, too often.
Creative souls need solitude. Every once in awhile, space and silence is critical to ease their noisy minds. And this time is sacred yet vital to staying productive and centered.
I'm not sure if it's just because I am a Libra but I've always believed that every challenging deed deserves a reward. Whether big or small. We are all entitled to live a little, as they say.
One of my theories in life is you make a life, not a living.
And a lifestyle you live, you will make enough money to keep. If you think poor, stinge a lot and calculate every penny, then you will earn just enough to upkeep that lifestyle.
If you share and radiate generously and live your life like it's golden..
it shall be.
Stick to what you know... and dedicate yourself to it.
Learn focus... we could ALL always do with more focus.
Find ways to improve your know-how. Research.
If you're tired of looking... Read.
Take the time to SEE and absorb. And accept.
Meditate,
Namaste.

इ रेस्ट माय केस.

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Published: April 20, 2009

In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self-help books or
herbal supplements. But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them
fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life:
their friends.

Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of
friendship and social networks in overall health. A 10-year Australian study
found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less
likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large
2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity
among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers
reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age.

“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t terribly well
appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University
of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There is just scads of stuff on families and
marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger
impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships.”

In a new book, “The Girls From Ames: A Story of Women and a 40-Year Friendship”
(Gotham), Jeffrey Zaslow tells the story of 11 childhood friends who scattered
from Iowa to eight different states. Despite the distance, their friendships
endured through college and marriage, divorce and other crises, including the
death of one of the women in her 20s.

Using scrapbooks, photo albums and the women’s own memories, Mr. Zaslow
chronicles how their close friendships have shaped their lives and continue to
sustain them. The role of friendship in their health and well-being is evident
in almost every chapter.

Two of the friends have recently learned they have breast cancer. Kelly
Zwagerman, now a high school teacher who lives in Northfield, Minn., said that
when she got her diagnosis in September 2007, her doctor told her to surround
herself with loved ones. Instead, she reached out to her childhood friends,
even though they lived far away.

“The first people I told were the women from Ames,” she said in an interview. “I
e-mailed them. I immediately had e-mails and phone calls and messages of
support. It was instant that the love poured in from all of them.”

When she complained that her treatment led to painful sores in her throat, an
Ames girl sent a smoothie maker and recipes. Another, who had lost a daughter
to leukemia, sent Ms. Zwagerman a hand-knitted hat, knowing her head would be
cold without hair; still another sent pajamas made of special fabric to help
cope with night sweats.

Ms. Zwagerman said she was often more comfortable discussing her illness with
her girlfriends than with her doctor. “We go so far back that these women will
talk about anything,” she said.
Ms. Zwagerman says her friends from Ames have been an essential factor in her
treatment and recovery, and research bears her out. In 2006, a study of nearly
3,000 nurses with breast cancer found that women without close friends were
four times as likely to die from the disease as women with 10 or more friends.
And notably, proximity and the amount of contact with a friend wasn’t
associated with survival. Just having friends was protective.

Bella DePaulo, a visiting psychology professor at the University of California,
Santa Barbara, whose work focuses on single people and friendships, notes that
in many studies, friendship has an even greater effect on health than a spouse
or family member. In the study of nurses with breast cancer, having a spouse
wasn’t associated with survival.
While many friendship studies focus on the intense relationships of women, some
research shows that men can benefit, too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-age
Swedish men, attachment to a single person didn’t appear to affect the risk of
heart attack and fatal coronary heart disease, but having friendships did. Only
smoking was as important a risk factor as lack of social support.

Exactly why friendship has such a big effect isn’t entirely clear. While friends
can run errands and pick up medicine for a sick person, the benefits go well
beyond physical assistance; indeed, proximity does not seem to be a factor.

It may be that people with strong social ties also have better access to health
services and care. Beyond that, however, friendship clearly has a profound
psychological effect. People with strong friendships are less likely than
others to get colds, perhaps because they have lower stress levels.

Last year, researchers studied 34 students at the University of Virginia, taking
them to the base of a steep hill and fitting them with a weighted backpack.
They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some participants
stood next to friends during the exercise, while others were alone.
The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the
hill. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill
appeared.

“People with stronger friendship networks feel like there is someone they can
turn to,” said Karen A. Roberto, director of the center for gerontology at
Virginia Tech. “Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message
of these studies is that friends make your life better.”

:)

I am in a current state of bliss.
I feel loved, I feel happy, money doesn't matter to me and I am not afraid.
I am present. I am aware that I reap what I sow so I am planting positivity and joy.
I know I could always develop more patience but I am proud of myself lately and my peaceful state of mind.
I know the things and people who are important to me and I feel understood by them.
I feel no need to prove myself unnecessarily and I am not in defense mode.
I am appreciated and I appreciate myself.
I feel purposeful.