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There is no better introduction to the subject of meditation and a clear guidance for your personal direction of thoughts, than the beautiful words of Longfellow

Let us, then, labor for an inward stillness, An inward stillness and an inner healing; That perfect silence where the lips and heart Are still, and we no longer entertain Our own imperfect thoughts and vain opinions, But God alone speaks in us, and we wait, In singleness of heart that we may know His will, and in the silence of our spirits, That we may do His will, and do that only!" Longfellow

When we settle down to relax following effort or activity, it is natural that we want to be comfortable physically. We tend to collapse into an easy chair, to possibly doze off possibly enjoy a nice doze for a minute or twoor many!. However, during this period, if we do go to sleep in order to refresh ourselves, we are unconscious. This is not the same as the state of meditation, which is a conscious and pleasurable refreshment experience.

As a beginner, if we wish to practice the simplest meditation we should choose a time of privacy when we know there will not be any interruption for half and hour or so. It is important to ensure there will be no sudden sound or disturbance.

The following is to serve as a simple guide until you feel confident and allow your own intuition to take over. There is no exact technique that is either right or wrong, so feel relaxed in your approach.

Be seated in a comfortable but upright position with hands relaxed in your lap or resting on your thighs if you are in a hard backed chair. Cross legged positions as usually assumed by yoga students may be better, but most people have to work hard through exercise to allow their limbs to be comfortable enough to allow the mind to be free when in this position. So observe the two most important factors, these being physical comfort and an erect spinal posture.

The eyes are then closed gently. It usually takes a few minutes to take stock of how you feel. You may become aware of sensations, sounds, feelings, light and shade, movement of the air and so on at first before settling down and able to focus upon your breathing.

Simply inhale through the nose for a count of four, and then exhale to the same count. Keep this rhythm going for a few minutes until you feel you can increase the count to six which is to be continued for a few minutes, increasing the count gradually as your feel inclined.

Then, still with eyes closed, focus upon what you see in front of your eyes on the screen of the mind. Allow impressions, thoughts, and images to pass across the screen and allow any ideas that your subconscious mind throws up for your attention, to have their say.

Then when your inside world begins to quieten down and you perhaps begin to wonder what you should be thinking about, select a quote, or a special word or phrase, poem or prayer that appeals to you and repeat it, over and over until you can concentrate fully upon it. Usually this is continued for some minutes until your mind begins to tire. Then stop.

Continue to sit still. Make no effort to control how you think or feel, just sit.

This is the beginning of the internal adventure into a more profound state of awareness which happens naturally as you regularly practice enjoying the state of just being.

Many find that the physical stillness of the body in contrast to the normal activity of the day is in itself relaxing. Some find these quiet moments filled with interesting feelings, thoughts or psychic experiences. Others are attracted to the practice of meditation as a spiritual experience.

Remember, meditation is a natural practice that allows us to feel peaceful, and refreshed. It is best not to influence your first introduction to it by having any preconceived ideas about how you think you should feel, what you hope to experience and so on, because it is your own private venturing into your inner nature and will bring you unique experiences which are yours alone.

Sally Janssen is one of the best known Yoga teachers in Australia, and is a former President of the International yoga Teachers Association. She runs an informational website that deals with the very spirit of traditional yoga. To benefit from her extensive knowledge be sure to visit her site at http://www.classical-yoga.com

# posted by 34435 : 9:39 PM  0 comments

When the sun is shining and the clouds are at bay, many sports enthusiast will smile with glee. After all, sunny weather promises a good day outdoors for sports. At times, the scorching heat from the radiating sun will only add to the intensity of the game and will boost the stamina of sports lovers. On the other hand, have you ever heard of a game that can be played even when it's raining cats and dogs? Of course not many can name sports that can be played even in a rainstorm.

The majority of sports, especially those carried out outdoors, are largely affected by changes in the weather. The first thing that will feel its impact is the players, who need to be able to adjust accordingly whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. These are the very factors that would determine the outcome of any game.

Playing golf requires proper training for a golfer to be able to hit a perfect tee while under brooding skies. Weather conditions have a great impact on the levelled surface of the green, as harsh weather can cause havoc to the growth and texture of the grass. This in turn will affect the golfer's performance. This situation is known as "throwing darts", as it usually means that the golf ball and the shots are low, which then results in lower points for the golfer.

It is important to realise that the conditions of the green can affect the game of golfers as well as golf course operation. Thus it is vital to have an alternative strategy when you have to play your golf game in bad weather conditions, especially so since golf is dependant on the weather conditions.

The golf greens are more easily maintained when the weather affords low humidity and dryer soil, the main reason why golfers usually play in autumn or in spring. The favourable blue skies and consistent sunny weather as well as the good growth of turf allow a significant time for all golfers to hold their tees.

The roughs when wet can become a lot heavier which in turn make it more difficult for shots to recover. Water ends up between the ball and the club face because of the fewer spins than a normal spin. It is then more probable to cause unwanted consequences after an off-line shot.

This is the reason why an alternate strategy to playing golf is needed when playing in bad weather. A golfer needs to have the ball elevated off the grass as fast as possible at all times. In these kinds of situations also, footprints and marks of the ball are deeper and the sad part is that scores tend to be lower. When this takes place, a golfer needs extra effort to ensure better scores.

Here are some points to remember whenever a golfer plays in wet weather conditions:

- Make sure you keep the grips and your hands dry during a game. Your caddy can bring a towel for you to dry your hands, and another for drying the grips.

- Try to bring a golf bag cover, as this can help keep the grips dry.

- If you and your equipment are dry, you are bound to play better than when you are in an uncomfortable wet condition.

- Be patient when playing in bad conditions and expect that your scores could be higher. There's no point getting impatient about it, it's going to make your golf game a lot worse.

- Strategize, strategize and strategize. Before entering the game, visualize winning it. This will help mentally prepare you to face any tough situations that you will face on wet and uneven fairways.

When playing in wet condition, golfers need to have the golf balls to land as close to the hole as possible. This will help lessen the amount of rolls of the golf balls on the wet grass. Also remember that golf balls need to be hit harder to prevent breakage and to stop sooner.

Whenever good sunny skies are non-existent and the weather is not at its best, the most expert of golfers can get through the challenge of playing on a drenched grass field. The rule to remember is that when faced with the most hopeless of situations, a golfer has to keep in mind that his competitors are also faced with such challenges. When you are playing golf while you are soaked the time it takes for you to play your game will be longer as the ball is not able to roll smoothly and go very far. However this can be an advantage for the golfers who drive the tee off longer.

When playing golf, or any other sport for that matter, the weather conditions will affect the nature of the game. On the other hand, a prepared and skilful golfer will not have any problem thinking of ways to ward off the bad effects that the weather might have on his game. With sheer determination to play the best that he can, as well as knowledge on how to outsmart the weather, a golfer will make playing golf a breeze even in the most adverse weather conditions.

Juzaily Ramli and his friend Tommy Lehmann are golf enthusiasts and proud owners of golf shoes website.

Discover how the right golf clubs can improve your golf game in the worst of situation.

# posted by 34435 : 3:28 AM  0 comments

When dark clouds roll into the sky most photographers run for shelter, but the ones who stay out and brave the weather can sometimes capture the most amazing photos. bad weather can give photographers a chance to capture rain photos, snow photos, or even lightning photos. In the world of photography the rarer and harder to capture photos tend to sell for a higher price; so there is a potentially large market for bad weather conditions if you are a photographer.

Rain Photography

When it rains outside the moisture tends to create a shiny surface on most materials. In the cities the rain causes the streets to shine and the buildings to look gloomy. In the countryside the grass can shine with the right amount of light and droplets of water hanging from branches and leaves often sparkle. The clouds that accompany the rain also diffuse the available sunlight spreading it equally and removing shadows. I have found that rain can create amazing landscape, wildlife, and even portrait photos. Animals tend to curl up or tuck their heads into their fur in order to keep dry and warm offering some amazing nature photo opportunities. Portrait photos in the rain can also be very compelling because the light reflected off of peoples faces can often dominate the frame because the rain dampens the light reflected off of surroundings.

When it rains you will probably have to use either a longer shutter speed or a wider aperture because the clouds tend to also block out direct sunlight. In order to be prepared for rain you should have a waterproof bag for your camera as well as an umbrella or something else that you can use to shield the top of the lens so water doesnt reach the front of the lens and leave water droplets. I also always carry a tripod in the rain so I can make sure that I can do a long enough exposure without having the results blurry from cold shaky hands.

Lightning

Many photographers spend hours trying to capture a bolt of lightning lighting up the scene in their photos. Lightning is definitely one of the hardest things to capture in a photograph. It definitely requires a tripod and often requires a very long shutter speed. Most photographers try to capture lightning by using the bulb option of shutter speed where the photographer simply just manually holds the shutter open as long as necessary until a bolt of lightning streaks through the sky and then the photographer closes the shutter right after the lightning passes so it is as bright as possible in the frame.

snow Photography

snow can change a landscape photo into a winter wonderland photo. The whiteness of the snow tends to add a nice contrast to the normal colors of a scene which makes for very effective photos. snow photos can also make for unique nature photos and can often sell for a higher price because they are so appealing. Unfortunately some snowy locations where the very rare animals live such as penguins and polar bears are very hard to reach and require a great deal of risk and effort.

Bright and white snow can be trickier to capture effectively then most photographers think. The light readers on cameras tend to see snow as very bright so it sets the exposure for the brightness of the snow leaving the background and other objects almost as dark as a silhouette. Most experienced photographers overexpose the snow photos they take leaving the snow as bright as it is in real life and the rest of the frame well-exposed as it should be. snow can also disrupt the cameras automatic white balance sensor so you should also make sure that you either adjust the white balance to suit the snow or switch the auto white balance mode to the snow white balance mode.

Storm Chasing

There are many serious and adventurous photographers that have devoted their careers to getting the best photos of hurricanes and tornadoes that Mother Nature has to offer. This type of photography is very dangerous but can also provide some high priced photos that are demanded by magazines and news conglomerates all over the country. extreme storm photos are one of the only types of photos that can bring fear to the viewers who have the privilege of seeing them. They can also inspire wonder in viewers at the destructive power and forces of nature.

Storm photography requires some durable equipment and different techniques then other more normal types of photography. Some photographers stay relatively far away from the storm and just have to deal with rain and high winds. These photographers usually have covers and lens cleaners that they can use to clear the lens of water droplets quickly before they are ready to take a photo. Other photographers commonly leave cameras set up on tripods in the paths of a storm that they can operate by remote control from a safe location. These cameras are put in protective cases and have special tripods that can be drilled into the ground.

Conclusion

bad weather should be looked at as an opportunity by photographers instead of as a nuisance that is avoided. Some of the best photos that I have taken have been in situations where there was rain, snow, or wind. I recommend that all serious photographers should carry a tripod and some kind of covering that can be used shield the camera from wind and moisture if they are going on a long trip with unpredictable weather. The successful photographers are the ones that are ready and willing to deal with difficult circumstances that other photographers would normally avoid.

Richard Schneider is a digital photography enthusiast and founder of http://www.picturecorrect.com/ which offers tips and news about digital photography, digital camera reviews, and photoshop tutorials. Please also visit http://www.picturecorrect.com/freewallpaper.htm where there is free high resolution desktop wallpaper available.

# posted by 34435 : 2:44 AM  0 comments