Monday, Jan 18, 2010 This week’s Food for Thought – January 18, 2010

I’ve heard it said that prayer is when we talk to God, and meditation is when we listen.  Meditation is a time of quiet when the mind is freed from its attachment to the hysterical ravings of a world gone mad.  It is a silence in which the spirit of God can enter and work His divine alchemy upon us.  Our brains literally emit different brain waves as we receive information more deeply than we do during normal waking consciousness.  There are many forms of meditation, and when we ask in our hearts for God to reveal our path to us, the mystical process of the inner teachings begins to unfold to our conscious mind.  There is Jewish meditation, Christian meditation, Transcendental meditation, Buddhist meditation, the workbook of A Course in Miracles, and many more paths.  What matters is not the path; what matters is its destination.  All genuine spiritual teachings lead us back to the reality of God.

Nothing is more important to the future of the world than that millions of people begin daily, prolonged meditation and prayer.  Why is meditation and prayer our greatest hope for world salvation, the vehicle of our spiritual renaissance?  Because it transforms us at a level of cause.  Prayer is a conduit for miracles.  It addresses the problems of the world at their source.  It changes people at a cellular level, and with each one who changes, others are brought miraculously closer to enlightenment.  —Marianne Williamson, Illuminata: A Return to Prayer

TIP OF THE WEEK: KEEP YOUR YOGA MAT CLEAN   If your mat is lightly soiled, use a spray bottle, damp sponge, or terry cloth rag to apply a solution of two cups of water and four drops of dish soap.  Rub the soiled areas.  Wipe the mat with clean water, then rub with a dry terry cloth towel.  Hang to air dry.  If your mat is heavily soiled, submerge it in a solution of warm water and mild detergent.  Use very little soap, as any residue may cause the mat to become slippery during future use.  Thoroughly hand wash the mat and rinse in clean water.  After squeezing out the excess water, lay the mat on a dry towel and roll the mat and towel together.  Stepping on the rolled up mat will squeeze more moisture out of the mat and into the towel.  Then unroll and hang to air dry.