From Times now news

Does your past life karma carry forward to your next life?  

                                                                                                

Your Karma is closely tied to the kind of life you lead in your subsequent lifecycles.                

Your good and bad karma’s both will come back in your subsequent life in various forms. The reason they come back in our lives is not just to punish us but to make us understand and appreciate things from another perspective.

 Karma

Karma is the memory of our souls, which means it’s often long-standing, even stemming from prior lives. Indeed, the course of our current life is mostly predetermined by our karma in previous lifetimes: What we didn’t finish then, we come back to finish now which some people would say is the purpose of reincarnation.

The unpleasant situations that we are facing in our current life are the consequence of our lingering karma, which can always be reversed and resolved. If you want to erase the energy carried over from previous lifetimes, you need to understand these five properties of past-life karma first:

1. Karma has no expiration date 

                                                            

Karma is the luggage your soul carries with it as we navigate through successive lifetimes. Unfortunately, unlike the luggage at the airport, this particular baggage never gets lost, which means you’re stuck with it until you open it up and sort through its contents. You might not even know what your past karma was while dealing with the challenges in this lifetime. But when you open and dig through your karmic suitcase, then finally, you can confront your outstanding karma and lighten your energetic load.

2. Karma means that no person in your life is a coincidence

Karma places everyone into your life for a specific reason, and karmic relationships will play out as planned despite your best efforts. It could be an unresolved issue between the two of you or some past life connection which needs resolution in the present life that has brought the two of you together. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge the role of each person in your life: Why are they there? What have they come to teach you and vice versa? What is the karma you’re meant to experience with this person? The sooner you acknowledge the truth of the karma you share with someone (whether it’s good or bad), the sooner you can resolve your issues.

3. According to karma, what you have done, you become.

We have been told about karma that “what goes around comes around.” But the reality of karma is more expansive than just being “punished” for our bad deeds—positive karma exists just as much as negative karma. If you stole, others will steal from you in following lives. If you did good to others, good things will happen to you. Your actions throughout your various lifecycles become the circumstances of your being, so if you want good to happen to you in your subsequent lives then make sure that you do the same and live a virtuous life.

4. Karma can make our roles reverse

One of the most fascinating facts about karma is that it often causes us to reincarnate in a reversed manner. This means that your parent may have actually been your child in a former life. Then, before reincarnating in this lifetime, the souls agreed to take on the opposite act. Souls switch genders, too. Positions shift throughout lifetimes based on karmic need; whatever dynamic is needed to repair or heal karma will be manifested through changing roles in our cycle of lives on earth. The people you know now may have had a very different impact on your previous lives! Similarly, if you hate someone for whatever reason karma might put you in that person’s shoes in your present life to let you experience things from the other side. So as far as possible keep your stand neutral and never be judgmental about anyone.

5. Karma repeats to produce new results

There’s a greater reason that karma repeats itself, and it’s not to cause you pain. Instead, it’s to teach you to take different actions for different results. If you’re attracting the same type of partners into your life over and over again, it’s time to stop and inspect your choices: Why do similar people keep coming into your life? What should you be doing differently so as to get the desired people? This calls for honest introspection and evaluation of your own faults and weaknesses, which is admittedly hard to do. Don’t be afraid to look within. Recognize what must be changed inside of you so as to change what’s outside of you. Then, you can modify your behavior to end karmic patterns and progress in your potential. Past-life karma is resoundingly present in your current life. Mustering up the courage to open your karmic suitcase today can change your destiny for lifetimes to come.

6. The soul is eternal

One of Hinduism’s most fundamental teachings is that every living being is a physical incarnation of an immortal soul. Though these physical bodies die, each immortal soul lives on. According to the Bhagavad Gita all souls are a part of the Divine and thus spiritual in nature. Just as sparks of a fire become extinguished when separated from fire, souls forget their true spiritual nature when separated from their Divine source.

Lacking proper knowledge, each soul is stuck in a cycle of reincarnation called samsara, in which each is born into a variety of physical bodies, including that of plants and animals. From body to body, and species to species, each soul lives one lifetime after the next, all the while ignorant of its Divine nature.

The soul moves through this cycle of births until — after lifetimes of spiritual practice. — this Divine nature is fully realized, the cycle of reincarnation ends, and spiritual liberation (moksha) is achieved.

7. Karma and reincarnation are closely tied

Hindu texts strongly encourage individuals to spend their human births endeavoring to make spiritual progress. Though not impossible to achieve moksha in other incarnations, Hindu sages have long insisted that this is far easier done in a human birth.

The whole of material creation can be likened to a rehabilitation center meant for helping a soul to rediscover its Divine nature. One of creation’s mechanisms to help facilitate a soul’s spiritual development is karma, the concept that every thought and action has a corresponding reaction.

Through karma, selfless actions uplift a soul, while selfish actions degrade it. The results of both selfless and selfish actions are experienced over a series of lives, as a soul comes to understand how its actions affect those and the world around it.

Karma is thus the ultimate teacher of empathy. Theoretically speaking, if one takes its karmic lessons seriously, and strives to act selflessly, one can continuously elevate its status of existence. If, however, a person chooses to commit one selfish act after another, spiritual progress is not made and in extreme cases what progress has already been made can be squandered.

8. There are three types of karma

Karma is generally divided into three categories: sanchita (latent karma), prarabdha (ripened karma), and agami (future karma). Sanchita is the accumulated karma from your past thoughts and actions, the results of which will eventually be experienced in the future. Sanchita is like the seed of a tree you planted in the past. In due time, the tree will grow and produce a particular fruit you’re destined to eat.

Prarabdha is what you’re experiencing now. It is the seed of a past action that has grown into a tree, producing the fully ripened fruit you’re eating in the present.

Agami is a seed of action you’re planting in the present that will inevitably produce the fruit of the future.

The three categories of karma ultimately work in creating a cycle of cause and effect. The fruit you eat now (prarabdha) leaves an impression in your mind — compelling you to plant more of a particular seed (agami), which will cause you to eat similar fruit in the future (sanchita).

In other words, karma is habit forming. Repeated actions become like grooves in the

mind that get deeper and deeper. You have the free will to change your habits at any

time, but the deeper the groove, the harder those habits — whether good or bad — are to change.

9.    Selfless work frees one from karma 

When the eternal soul identifies with the physical body, the soul becomes attached to

what  this  body is doing, feeling and  thinking, seeking  out pleasurable experiences and avoiding unpleasurable ones, accumulating karma the whole time. Even good actions performed with the intent of gaining some reward binds a person to this world, as that good karma has to be experienced at some point.

Fortunately, the way of breaking free of karma’s cycle is explained in the Bhagavad Gita:

“… without being attached to the fruit of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.”

Because the Supreme (another word for the Divine) is the source of creation, a person’s real duty is to perform spiritually uplifting work. This means acting not for one’s own material desires, but for the spiritual benefit of oneself and others. By doing such selfless work, a being becomes an instrument of the Divine, and is thus no longer tied to the results of its actions, thereby discontinuing its karmic cycle.

10. Good association is key in one’s spiritual growth

Because karma is habit forming, creating those deep grooves in the mind, it can be very difficult to make and follow through with better choices, even if one wants to. Take, for example, exercise. Lack of exercise usually makes one less healthy, have less energy, and can even cause laziness. The more people choose to not exercise, the worse they generally feel, and the worse they feel, the harder it will be for them to begin exercising, even if they wanted to break the negative cycle. Our choices shape our perception of reality, which is why the less people exercise the more they might come to believe they are simply incapable of getting in shape, fueling a cycle of negative exercise karma.

However, when you spend time with people who are not only disciplined in their exercise routines, but also willing to share what they know, one has a much better chance of breaking through personal  negative health habits to create new positive ones.

In the same way, by spending time with and taking guidance from spiritually advanced souls, it becomes possible to overcome lifetimes of karmic baggage, opening the door to profound spirit.

We all need to incorporate relaxation/mindfulness/stress management into our lives.

1. Start your day with a mindfulness practice: Set aside a few minutes each morning to practice mindfulness or meditation. This can help you start your day with a calm and focused mindset.

2. Take regular breaks: Throughout the day, make sure to take short breaks to relax and recharge. You can use this time to practice deep breathing exercises, stretch, or simply take a few moments to close your eyes and relax.

3. Create a calming environment: Make your living space a sanctuary of relaxation. Use soothing colors, play soft music, and incorporate elements like plants or aromatherapy to create a calming atmosphere.

4. Practice self-care: Make self-care a priority in your daily routine. This can include activities like taking a warm bath, reading a book, or engaging in a hobby that brings you joy and relaxation.

5. Incorporate physical activity: Regular exercise can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. Find an activity that you enjoy, whether it’s yoga, walking, or dancing, and make it a part of your daily routine.

6. Disconnect from technology: Take regular breaks from screens and technology. Set aside specific times each day to unplug and engage in activities that promote relaxation, such as going for a walk in nature or spending time with loved ones.

Remember, everyone’s relaxation needs are different, so it’s important to find what works best for you. Experiment with different techniques and activities to discover what brings you the most relaxation and incorporate them into your daily life.

the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology researched the effects of lunchtime activities on mental health. It concluded that a walk in the park was associated with better concentration and less fatigue in the afternoon. A “listening stroll” will further your meditative practice. Simply walk in silence while listening to your surroundings. Focus on every sound you hear, such as rustling leaves, car horns, and skittering animals. This easy exercise clears your mind, making you feel refreshed to tackle the rest of your to-do list.

The study also concluded that engaging in relaxation exercises lead to better concentration, as well as decreased strain and fatigue.

Meditation is a mind-body practice that focuses on slowing down to achieve emotional stability and mental clarity.  In this exercise lets calm the mind and the body and rejuvenate and refresh to start back into the day after lunch.

Be seated in a comfortable position

Take a long slow, deep breath in. Hold it for a moment, and then slowly exhale.

Allow any tension to melt away as you gradually begin to soften your muscles, letting go with each breath.

Continue to breathe slowly and gently as you bring your awareness to the top of your head. Just sense or imagine a feeling of warmth and softness beginning to spread down from the top of your scalp…. feel the muscles in your forehead and temples relax.

Allow your eye to relax to release. Let your cheeks and jaw soften and let go of all tension.

Now let this peaceful feeling flow down into your neck. With each breath you take, this relaxing feeling becomes deeper and warmer. It works its way deep into the muscles in your shoulders…soothing them…releasing them. It loosens the muscles in your arms… your hands…relaxing and soothing…all the way to the tips of your fingers.

As your body softens, your thoughts seem to become lighter. You are slipping further and further into a dreamlike state of stillness.

Now, bring your awareness to your chest and your stomach. The peaceful sensation flows throughout this area of your body, soothing every muscle and relaxing every organ.

Now put your attention to your upper back, and feel this softening sensation flow all the way down your spine. As it gradually works its way down your body, feel every muscle in your back let go and unwind.

Feel that your entire upper body has become loose, limp and soft. Sink into this serene sensation. Now feel your hips soften as the peaceful feeling starts to work its way through your lower body.

Release the muscles in your buttocks…the backs of your thighs…the front of your thighs. Soothing feelings flow down through your knees, and into your calves. Your ankles let go. Now your feet let go. Allow your entire lower body to let go completely, and allow any remaining tension from anywhere in your body to flow out through the tips of your toes. Feel the deep state of calmness and register it in your mind so that you can remember it.

Allow your body to be rooted in this moment with your breath.

As you breathe, I want you to imagine that every breath in is cleansing you, clearing space that is taken up by emotions or physical sensation. And every breath out is exhaling those emotions or physical sensations out of your body.

Breathing in, clearing space.        

Breathing out, letting it go.

feeling the cleansing inhale refresh you,

And exhale everything else out.

Now bring your breathing to its normal rhythm…

And feel as your body vibrates softly with a cool, fresh energy.

Now, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, bring your attention back to the room, your awareness is in the present.

Gratitude activities.

Studies have shown that feeling gratitude can improve sleep, mood, and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease.

Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, and improve their health.

With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives.

Being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.

Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack.

Self-gratitude can build confidence and help you face challenges in ways no else can. Reminded yourself of your own strengths and abilities. This will motivate you to keep going and take on the next challenge.

A few activities for practicing gratitude

Morning Coffee / Tea Gratitude – Feel the warmth of the cup. The smell of the drink. Start your beautiful day with positivity as you drink it in.

A Gratitude Letter – This can be emailed but from personal experience, a handwritten letter in a card will greatly affect the receiver with heart felt joy.

Gratitude Rock – keep a rock that brings you joy. It doesn’t matter the shape or smoothness, it’s your rock. I keep mine in my pocket.  Each time I reach in and pull it out I think of something I an grateful for before I put it back.

Share family memories at a family get together.

Gratitude garden – pick a special area that makes you feel good, plant your favorite plants and flowers, add a bench or tree stump where you can sit. Relax and look around and be grateful for the beauty around you.

Keep a gratitude journal – Each day write down things you were grateful for that day. Research shows the more detailed you are the more beneficial journaling with be to your happiness and health.

The Gratitude jar – This can be any container that brings you joy. Examples, a jar , a vase, a box, a bowl, a basket…   If you want, decorate it and make it special to you. Every day write down something that made you grateful that day. Try and do more than 1. Write them on special paper to make the contents look colorful on the outside. When you look at this container you will see just how much you have to be grateful for. On special occasions share some of your moments.

Keep calm.  Remember when things are not going right to step back and breathe. Think about something that makes you happy. Think about something to be grateful for.

May all the negative energy bringing you down come to an end.

May the dark thoughts, the overthinking, and doubt exit your mind right now.

May clarity replace confusion.

May hope replace fear.

May the light of your spirit shine so bright that nothing can dim your glow.

Meditation is a technique used to develop awareness of the present moment. Becoming aware of our thoughts, emotions, sensations, whatever is happening with an accepting, nonjudgmental disposition. Meditation can be difficult for beginners to hold their focus for longer than a few minutes at first. If your mind wanders and it most likely will in the beginning, acknowledge what interrupts you and let it go. Go back to your focus.

There are many ways to meditate.

Mindfulness Meditation -concentration with awareness of the moment. Sit, relax and breathe. Simply relax and observe quietly, returning to your breath when thoughts or sensations flow through.

Spiritual Meditation – is your way of developing a deeper understanding of your religion and your connection to your higher power through prayer. This can be done at home or at your place of worship. Sit, kneel, stand or how ever you choose to pray.
Focused Meditation – is relaxation with concentration using any of the 5 senses. Counting, listening to a song or a sound, looking at a candle.

Visualization meditation – is focused on relaxation and calmness through visualizing beautiful scenes, images or figures as you sit quietly for 5 – 10 minutes.

Progressive Relaxation – is done to reduce tension throughout your body. Starting at your head and focusing on relaxing each part of the body at you recognize as much as you can rom your head to your toes. This is also very good if you are having a hard time falling asleep.
Just to list a few.

How to start.
Find a quiet and comfortable location. Sit down in a relaxed position. In a chair, on the floor, whatever is most comfortable for you. I say start slow. Set a quiet timer for 2 – 3 minutes. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Belly deep breathing, If your mind wanders go back to your breathing till your timer goes off. There are many videos on YouTube if that helps you. Add a minute or two each day.

Peace

Ritalong.org

Let’s bring in the new year a little more healthy, a little less stressed and a little more aware of oneself.

Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health.

Mindfulness is a powerful coping strategy. It lays a strong foundation in our self-care routine. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

Here are 5 mindful tips to bring in the new year.

1.   Daylight – Natural light helps our bodies produce vitamin D, improve circadian rhythms (wake – sleep cycle), it helps us focus and even makes us happier. Start your day and get your natural light before 11 AM with a simple stroll or even a morning stretch.

2. Gratitude – According to health.harvard.edu research shows gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, and improve their health. Let’s start practicing gratitude at least once a week. Find 1 to 3 things you are grateful for, write them down or just talk about them at dinner. By focusing on the positive you will feel energized, be better in your relationships, and it can help us improve our self-esteem.

3. Stretch – Medical news today states stretching improves mood and focus, relieves tension, headaches, increases blood flow, relieves stress. Follow a healthy proper stretching routine. Stretching regularly will contribute to a healthier you!

4. Mindful Hydration and Eating – Stress affects our eating, it can cause cravings of comfort food, highly processed snacks, food high in fat and calories. Mindful eating practice counteracts stress eating by increasing deep breathing, making thoughtful food choices, focusing on the meal and slow chewing. This will increase enjoyment of the meal and improve digestion. Hydration – Take a minute or two every hour or so and focus on drinking. Hydration has many benefits, reducing risk of migraines, increasing blood flow, increased energy, concentration, even lowering levels of stress and depression. Focus and appreciate the hydration of your body as you drink water.

5. Meditate – Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and calm mind. Take just a few minutes each day to reap the benefits. Better focus, improve self-awareness, lower levels of stress. Effects of meditation is cumulative. Taking short blocks of time, even just one minute will linger afterward and contribute and help in altering internal chemistry and nervous system.

I hope this helped you do just a bit more self-care for the new year.  I appreciate you for taking the time to read this. Have a  happy and safe New Year.  Till next time – Breathe……RitaLong.org