Lately I have been feeling a bit stressed out from watching the news about the abuse in the bailout program and especially AIG bonuses. I know that for the best health a relaxed, quiet, peaceful and harmonious state of mind plays an important part in the overall raw lifestyle. I call this state of mind SMOOTH. Smooth to me is a moment or moments in time where there is an absence of "bumpy" events and feelings and instead is a mental state in which I feel quieted and without agitation. I would be interested in hearing how YOU achieve smooth time. Thanks for any thoughts and ideas.

I listen to classical music almost all day long. It's true what they say--it's almost impossible to be immune to the soothing effects of it. When I hear something really lovely, it's a total sensory experience: I can feel my thoughts cycle down and my mood sort of hum into a moderate postition. And I take this sensation with me as I walk through the house and do chores or whatever. It's like my mind goes blank, but in serenity rather than stupefaction.

Jonathan and I burn incense and listen to meditation music (new age/world/ambient types of music) off and on all day long, and especially in the evening. It really helps a lot.

One thing I've noticed, having a partner who is blind and who therefore gets a lot of his information by listening to the radio-- which means I hear a bit more of the news than I want to-- some days I just have to gently suggest that I think it's time for a 'time out' on the news, because it's starting to get to me and make me feel a little anxious, and he turns it off for me, just like that. We'll often take a short meditation break right then and there, and usually that does the trick and alleviates a lot of the anxiety.

However, there are some days when I just feeling hyper-aware of all that's going on, with or without hearing the news. Ironically, my concerns about the future of our nation's food supply sometimes seem to lead me to overeat lately, for instance. (I'm working hard on that one!) These are times that really test our resillience and inner strength. I don't believe in completely looking away from what's happening (as if 'in not acknowledging it, I nullify it), because I don't think reality works in quite that way, but I do feel very strongly that if we stay tuned in and connected to the current of the Universal Field of Love and Intelligence we can individually avoid a lot of the turbulence and negative circumstances that seem to attach themselves to mass hysteria and consensus reality at difficult times in history such as this and experience a kind of spiritual immunity to them.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

I live in the country and I rarely watch any news.

I take a walk in the back, over the bridge, through the enchanted woods to the huge pine forest that backs up to our land two or three times a day. There is a pond about a 1/2 mile away that we take the dogs to. They love it. Two of them are Black Labs.

A couple years ago I thought, why watch the news? It doesn't change how I would react in a situation. I do get news from the net, my husband and other places (like here). I kind of think it's cool when a friend is shocked when I haven't heard something that has been all over the media. I feel proud of my ignorance. I am reminded of how much more relaxed my life is now. I also feel good that is not a daily part of my children's lives.

NO tv,radio,or outside stimulus.

Just nature.

Vinny

Rarely watch TV, radio, read news. When I find myself dwelling on it anyway, especially being afraid of our nations food supply (like Kwan mentioned) I just have to root myself in my faith, music is the best way. Know what you're living for (for me, it's service to others) and why is important.

Angie


Me (30), Joseph (24 mo.) Jeremiah (4 mo.)

We are enjoying spring and being outside!!!

Well, um, I work in the news as a cameraman, and the folks in this business are pretty wound up. So I do pranayama. Also, throw away your television. Beware the web is corrosive, too. And yet there actually is some good news out there: www.goodnewsnetwork.org. It's not a religious-based, so Agnostics and Athiests, no worries.

Hi Everyone,

I wish I didn't own a TV. Since starting raw 1/1 I have decreased my TV watching at least 75%. While I do continue to watch Christian TV, I rarely watch any news except for business & weather. Funny though, whether I watch or not the markets & the weather do what they're gonna do anyway.

Maybe the bumper sticker is right...... KILL YOUR TV!!!!!


Joe

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not self-seeking, love ALWAYS protects,always endures. (1corinthians 13)

God IS love!! (1john4)
Jesus Christ...... The ONLY way to Heaven.
I am the Way, the Truth & the Life..(John 14:6)

Tamukha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I listen to classical music almost all day long.
> It's true what they say--it's almost impossible to
> be immune to the soothing effects of it. When I
> hear something really lovely, it's a total sensory
> experience: I can feel my thoughts cycle down and
> my mood sort of hum into a moderate postition. And
> I take this sensation with me as I walk through
> the house and do chores or whatever. It's like my
> mind goes blank, but in serenity rather than
> stupefaction.

I listen to a lot of classical music, too, but I find
it to be more of an all-consuming thing than a hypnotic
thing, I guess because I give it my all and I am
following the development of a theme or the different
voices in a fugue or whatever or if it's a piece I know
very well, trying to figure out who the performer is, which
ensemble, which venue, what year it was recorded, what brand
of piano is being played, who made the hammers, that sort of thing.

I absolutely can't use it as background music.

arugula,

I don't use it as background music, per se, though I understand what you mean. I sort of, it's hard to explain, I don't intellectualize it, I just sort of absorb it as though through osmosis and transport the sensory experience of it with me through my other activities. I learned to do this in childhood, since classical music was always playing and we were encouraged to be attentive without ceasing other activity. Multi-tasking!

I hope you find lots of time to enjoy it and often, when you can really luxuriate in it. I think I would die without classical music.

[ classical music was always playing and we were encouraged to be attentive without ceasing other activity. Multi-tasking! ]

I can do this with other types of music. But not with classical. It seems so disrespectful and counterproductive to me. Classical deserves, no, demands much more attention than that.

I gave away my TV several years ago.
I listen to an OM cd during the day at various volume
levels. It's Empowering. Here's a sample...
[www.himalayaninstitute.org]

Tv news reminds me of an old saying:

"I worried about a million things in my life,most of which never came true"

Seems this elimination of tv is a common thing on the path to "feeling smooth".

Vinny



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2009 04:18PM by eaglefly.

I love walking in my garden - makes me feel good about the whole world

I don't watch television (don't own an idiot box) nor do I get my news from "mainstream" commercial organizations. I find that they perpetuate a culture of domination and fear.

I listen to ambient music, when I do listen to music (Brian Eno, Steve Roach, Harold Budd, Liquid Mind, etc.). If you can't afford to buy music, there is Pandora.com and Jamendo.com ... probably others besides that.

Get out in nature, meditate, read books that affirm life!

I'm on vacation from news and most other media (except here, now) for a week in SoCo., hanging out with my guitar playing son and my little daughter, enjoying the quiet, feeling very smooooth!! I definitley watch way too much tv lately, and now that you mention it, I am loving not doing it so much I think I want to stop when I get back home. Being in a forest or a garden is very smoothing! We're putting in a big garden while I am here -- my gift to him.

Now that my daughter is getting older and becoming a better musician, it is very "smoothing" to listen to her practice. My nephew and husband are very smooth musicians also. Right now all the windows are open and the sounds of all the outside animals are very "smooth." The fresh air is wonderful.

spring time
best time of the year
for me
and chirpy too
love it
can't get enough of spring time
what a gift it is

its like the balance of all seasons
combined

now THAT is

smoooooth


as for those who were talking about classical music

one can do both

study it AND play it

AND one can, at times, just internalize it
whilst doing other things

like if you are in love
you can spend time with the person exclusive of another activity
or you can also spend time with the person while doing another activity together

so it is possible to listen to beautiful classical music
while doing something else

don't have to think of the music as "background" ( to be relegated to 2nd place)

but you could think of the music as an opiate that is in your metaphysical blood
and you and the music are moving as one while doing the other activity "together"

Wow, LaV. Beautiful post.