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Reading aura colors can teach you a lot about a person or even about yourself, and can clue you into how someone is feeling, what they are doing, or what kind of person they are. The mistake that most people make when learning to read auras is thinking that color definitions are cut and dried.

Learning about color meanings is a complex and time consuming process all by itself. If you are trying to learn about color meanings, you will have to study how each individual shade takes form and what its meanings are.

If you think for a second that red is just red, then head to the nearest paint store and look at all of the hundreds of different shades of each color there are on display. A slight difference can actually be a very big deal when it comes to aura readings. It is important to seek the meanings in the shades.

You can think of an aura, in a way, as a coat of many colors. While most people have a predominant color scheme in their auras, there are also many different variations possible. What you are doing, the people you are around, and many other factors can introduce new splashes of colors into your aura. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can have an effect on you, so it is wise to be aware of it.

1) Colors Affecting Auras

It is possible to have a color other than your own tingeing your aura. If someone else has strong feelings about who you are or who you should be, then they may put some of their own energy into your aura, which can affect the color.

If your father wants you to go to law school and puts pressure on you to do so, his own energy may infect your aura. If you are not aware of how to cleanse it, then you may end up with a great deal of confusion and inner turmoil because of the dirt or residue on your own aura.

2) Some Basic Colors and Meanings

Clear White can indicate someone with a very high spiritual vibration. They may seem godly, divine, or otherwise inspired. It can also indicate someone who can see the spiritual big picture, or who is compassionate.

Cloudy White can indicate someone with religious energy, although they may be lacking consciousness. It can also indicate some kind of cover-up, or denial, and can indicate someone who is good at the expense of being whole.

Pink can indicate someone who loves themselves and who is a tender person. It is generally a female or gay energy, and indicates a person who is nice rather than honest, and who places an emphasis on appearance.

Red can indicate anger, passion, frustration, or determination. It can be an indication of your life force or of menstruation, a sense of your own importance, or even the feeling of being overwhelmed by a change in your life.

Orange can indicate sensuality or pleasure in the physical sense, emotional expression, creativity, vitality and health, or creativity. It can also indicate that you are being unreasonable or that you are lacking self-discipline.

Yellow can indicate a person who is happy, optimistic, child-like, or innocent. It can also indicate mental alertness and analytical thought, a person who thinks instead of feeling, or a person who is very ego driven.

Green can indicate peace, nurturing, growth (especially new growth), balance and healing. It can also indicate someone who feels an intense need of security or a feeling of envy.

Blue can indicate someone who is free thinking, organized, fond of structure, or who communicates verbally. It can also indicate masculine energy, sadness, or potentiality or possibility.

Purple can indicate a person who is wise or someone who is in authority. It is generally a more feminine or matriarchal person, and can also indicate someone who is imaginative, intuitive, controlling, or who has a sense of superiority.

Brown can indicate someone who is well grounded or down to earth and practical. It is generally indicative of male energies, but can also be invalidating, emphasizing the body while denying the spirit, and can show a feeling of worthlessness.

Black can indicate someone with issues relating to death, hatred, or a lack of forgiveness. They may have unresolved karma, some kind of dark intentions, or a kind of shadow games. It may also be someone who needs compassion for themselves.

Gold can indicate a high spiritual vibration, a sense of integrity, freedom, respect, or an integrating of the body and spirit. It can also indicate someone who is clear-sighted.

Resources: Learn Aura Color Interpretation and meditation techniques using our FREE resources! Also, get your amazingly accurate FREE Tarot readings and know what your future has in store for you and your loved ones! Free compatibility reports also available for you!

Each of us will approach this issue differently. For some of us, the particular place where we mediate daily is very important. Some people decorate the place where they meditate to resemble a special place, a holy place, or a retreat.

If you choose to create a meditation space, it must be free from clutter. The reason being, clutter can stir up negative feelings, which disrupt your daily sessions. An open space, that is free of clutter, works best for most of us.

Some meditation practitioners take special care to practice in areas that are free from telephones and communication devices. To continue with this point, many of us need to unplug ourselves from technology. Unless you are on call 24 hours a day, you should leave communication devices aside during your practice.

If you practice a form of walking meditation, the idea of creating a special place for meditation, may seem to be a waste of time. In fact, meditation can be practiced at any time, in any place, but the meditative experience itself will vary with your practice and surroundings.

Motivation is a life-changing force. When a practitioner realizes the benefits of meditation, and becomes motivated enough to create a sacred space for it, chances are that he or she will continue to practice for years to come.

One advantage to making a place for your meditation practice is when circumstances change. Sometimes, our sleep patterns change or the weather becomes rough. At that point, it is nice to sit in a quiet place and meditate in a special place.

Practicing Meditation With Pets in the House

The following is a meditation story and an experiment for pet owners. The common practice is to leave pets aside while meditating. It has been my observation that most pets tend to approach us calmly, while we are meditating. If a young puppy is in this house, this may not always be so, but mature dogs develop a good sense about when humans need space.

In the case of domestic cats, it has been my experience that they were attracted, like magnets, to the human who is practicing meditation. If this disturbs you, by all means close the door to the room you are meditating in, but do not be surprised if your cat lightly scratches or cries on the other side of the door. Sometimes, dogs react in a similar manner.

At one time, we had five cats in our house - three lived upstairs and two lived downstairs. Cats can sometimes be very territorial in regard to their floor or space. Unlike dogs, cats do not usually have a pack leader or a collective social network. Some cats prefer their own company, but usually acknowledge the humans who feed them.

Although I practice meditation in many places, I usually meditate on the living room floor in the morning, at night, or both. There are no doors to the living room, so the cats have free access. Since the beginning of practicing meditation on the floor, the cats sit on the floor within arms reach.

When we had five cats, it was not uncommon for them to declare a truce and park themselves next to the meditating human. Interestingly, they would begin to purr in unison.

For cats, purring is their sign of pure contentment. After the meditation session was over, everything gradually went back to normal and their territorial boundaries resumed. It seems that our meditation practice affects everything around us for the best.

Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Resources: Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

There are methods that help your body unwind before a meditation session. A bath, shower, massage, and asana practice have one thing in common - the muscles relax as a result. When your muscles are relaxed, it is much easier to meditate.

In a typical Hatha Yoga class, it is common to practice meditation at the end of class. Some teachers choose to guide students through a meditation, at the beginning, and at the end of class. In Kundalini classes, students perform flowing movements, between asanas, but do not usually hold a static posture.

Regardless of the method practiced, students who practice meditation with their muscles relaxed, notice a marked difference in their meditation sessions. Tense muscles create a tense mind, which makes the meditative experience difficult at best.

The sensations of sight, smell, and sound also play a role in your meditation practice. Each of us is different, so what works for one person may not work for another. Therefore, respond to your senses naturally, without worry or conflict.

Sight: Should Your Eyes be Closed or Open?

Some people have no problem with meditating and keeping their eyes open. We call this technique “steady gaze” meditation in English, but it is also called Tratak, Trataka, or Drishti. Regardless of the term used, or the style of Yoga you practice, the gaze is soft, but focused on a particular point.

Steady gaze meditation is said to improve vision, and it definitely is rewarding for its ability to focus the mind. It seems that someone, who can successfully practice steady gaze meditation, will not encounter difficulties with any other methods. Teachers resist labeling techniques, but steady gaze meditation is an advanced meditation technique.

Smell: Candles and Incense

Some meditation practitioners use candles or incense during their practice, while others completely dislike the sensation. If you use scents, they should be light and should not cause a distraction. Just like any other sensation, smells can be overwhelming.

If a group is using candles for a steady gaze meditation, it would be advisable to use unscented candles. It is guaranteed that, at least, one class member will be sensitive to the odor of scented candles.

Sound: Music and Guided Meditation CDs

For some people, everything must be quiet. They demand complete silence. They unplug the phone, put their pets away, and practice meditation in complete silence. There is nothing wrong with this, but the world is full of sound.

Traffic, crickets, birds, children, or family members waking up, are not the end of the world. Music and guided meditation CDs, played lightly, tend to melt into the background and drown distracting sounds at the same time.

However, each of us is different; you may want to experiment to know if CDs work for you or against you. There is no right or wrong, but being frustrated over the sounds of life is an internal conflict, which can lead to higher levels of stress, illness, or worse.

Part of the reason for a meditation practice is to develop states of tranquility and inner peace. The last thing you want to do is turn meditation into an internal conflict - or a conflict with anything.

Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Resources: Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

If you participate in a meditation group, or a Yoga class, there is always a desire to practice at home. Sometimes, meditation groups meet for a session and slowly disband. Now, you have decided to continue where your group left off.

On the other hand, you may be a complete beginner and perhaps you have read, or heard, about the many benefits of meditation; but where do you start and what are some valuable tips? Which form of meditation would be best to start with? Whether you have practiced before, or not, the following tips are designed to help you develop a steady meditation practice at home.

Make a Personal Meditation Appointment

Making a sincere appointment with yourself, and putting it in writing, is the first step. In this way, you can form a regular time to begin and end your daily practice. Most people find it easier to meditate in the early morning or late at night. When your house becomes quiet, this is the best time to meditate.

Whether you choose morning or night is not important. If you are an early riser, morning is a logical choice. However, if you have difficulty getting up in the morning, meditating at night will work best for you. You may be told that morning is the optimum time for meditation, but if you are currently having trouble getting to work on time, why would you choose to shorten your sleep cycle?

Here is a sound reason for rising early: Once you form a habit of waking early, within a day, or two, you will begin to go to bed earlier. Your sleep cycle will naturally default to the same amount of sleep. This is much similar to how your body adjusts when traveling through time zones.

Yet, some people resist waking up earlier, as if it were “the plague.” If you fall into this category, there is no need to cause inner turmoil, just make an appointment to meditate at night.

How Long Should My Meditation Sessions Last?

The average guideline, for a meditation session, is 20 minutes for a minimum practice. Many advanced practitioners have longer sessions because meditation has become a rewarding experience.

If you have set aside the time, the amount of time practicing is not as important as the quality of the experience. For example: If you manage to focus your mind and reach a state of awareness, the amount of time it takes is irrelevant.

Twenty minutes of fidgeting and self-judgment is a waste of meditation time, but it is a lesson in patience and developing inner calm. This experience will frustrate you and serve as an obstacle to your meditation practice, but the deeper reward is to learn from past mistakes. In some cases, you would be better off to try 5 to 10 minute sessions, just to make a habit of training your mind toward tranquility.

Sessions that bring about states of relaxation will eventually develop into a deeper meditation experience. This also brings attention to the frame of mind you have before meditating: Approach each session without judgment. Approaching each session, without self-criticism, sets the foundation of your practice.

This also explains why some people cannot meditate without the guidance of a teacher. We often talk about “mind chatter,” but it is usually random and unorganized thought. In the case of constant self-criticism, this is also a form of negative mind chatter, which serves to work against us.

Everyone has negative thoughts, but most of them are fear based and are not rooted in reality. We all have the potential to purge negative thoughts from our minds, if we choose to do so. This is why meditation is so valuable - you have the ability to change everything around you by cultivating positive thought.

Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Resources: Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

If we translate Tai Chi (Taiji), it means Supreme Ultimate Force. This is somewhat a state of infinite and absolute potentiality. It divides on the concept between yin and yang or the Two Aspects governing the Four Realms and Five Elements. With the use of these very important aspects, so they created the world. Tai Chi also means being able to attain oneness , one, and unity.

Tai Chi, as it is practiced in the west today, can perhaps best be thought of as a moving form of yoga and meditation combined. Tai Chi also has, particularly amongst eastern practitioners, a long connection with the I Ching a Chinese system of divination.

Tai Chi fits all people regardless of age, sex and constitution. Tai Chi Chuan enhanches the blood-circulation, strengthens the nerve- and immune system, thus acting as preventive medicine. Tai Chi is a centuries-old discipline for health, relaxation, meditation and self-defense.

With the use of the concept of the positive and negative energy, Tai Chi is a form of force that can be assumed as a dual dynamic state in which force coming from within the body is used in means of achieving the supreme and ultimate discipline in oneself.

Tai Chi also has, particularly amongst eastern practitioners, a long connection with the I Ching a Chinese system of divination. Available scientific evidence does not support the idea that tai chi can cure cancer or any other disease, although it does suggest it may be helpful when used along with conventional treatment.

Today, Tai Chi is practiced in many parts of the world including the Western World. It can be a sort of moving meditation and yoga combined. Tai Chi has its many forms or sets that consist of a number of sequential movements that was derived from martial arts that can be in the form of imitating the movements of different kinds of birds and animals in the most gentle and invigorating way. Even if it is a kind of movement involving martial arts, Tai Chi is done in a soft and graceful manner entailing smooth transitions in between.

One of the most familiar aims of Tai Chi is fostering the calmness and tranquility of the mind. Ones mind must be focused on executing the exercise precisely because doing it in a proper manner provides an avenue to learn things about balance, motor control, alignment, movement rhythm, and the list goes on. If the person practicing Tai Chi can practice it every day, then he or she will reach to the extent of being able to stand, run, move, and walk in a better position.

As one of the most important branches of Chinese Kung Fu, Tai Chi emphasizes the harmony, the balance and the unity between people and nature, and promotes the healthy development of people both physically and mentally. Most of the modern variations of the Yang style, as well as the standardized Mainland Chinese versions of Tai Ji Quan are based on his variation of the Yang form.

An old Chinese proverb says, “your life is in your hands,” so “don’t wait until you are thirsty before you dig a well”. The culture of Chinese martial arts also allows for the adaptation of other common implements for the use of weapons. In accordance with Chinese traditional medicine, Chi flow and balance are at the root of all health conditions.

It is a 5,000-year-old Chinese healthcare modality that has both endured the test of time and is making a tremendous resurgence at the threshold of the 21st Century. Traditional Chinese doctors have believed for several millennia that illnesses occur when the internal energy of your body, called Chi, is weak, unbalanced or failing to flow correctly.

Resources: Jim Woodall, has 49yrs Business exp, is in Internet Mktg. Visit his website Tai Chi at http://jwoodl.com/tai-chi for Video and news feeds. Get your 3 Free eBooks at: http:freegiveaways.jwoodl.com/index.html

It is tough enough trying to break away from an 8-to-5 job and find time to get to the gym, so just imagine working at home all day dealing with kids and housework and trying to do the same. Married and single spouses alike are so busy dealing with the daily challenge of maintaining a home and raising a family they do not have time to take care of themselves! Fortunately, no matter how much housework the stay-at-home mom or dad is tasked with, the basics of Yoga provide a great opportunity to increase flexibility, relieve stress and improve mental awareness. It does not matter if you are mopping a floor or washing dishes — Yoga techniques can improve your mind and body just as it has with millions of other men and women of all ages.

Yoga increases flexibility and strength, balance and range-of-motion, while at the same time reducing stress via steady breathing and concentration. The same elements that one can find in a typical yoga class: warm-up, breathing concentration and yoga postures (which focus on body-stretching, body-relaxation and visualization) can be accomplished whether you are scrubbing a toilet, sweeping a hallway or changing a light-bulb.

But first a little background: the yoga postures which comprise the physical part of yoga are referred to as HATHA and the practice of these postures is called ASANAS. Yoga breathing techniques are called PRANAYAMA and Yoga meditation is referred to as DHYANA. The aim in successfully practicing yoga — in the home or out — is to incorporate elements of all the categories (controlled movement, concentration, flexibility, and steady breathing) — while accomplishing daily cleaning chores in the home.

So just how do you incorporate Yoga into your daily housework? Steady breathing is perhaps the easiest part followed by slow and easy stretching. Your kitchen can be a great place to start!

Let’s say you are doing the dishes. So why not try the Yoga side-straddle. Grab both ends of a spatula, rolling pin or dish towel and raise it above your head. Keep your elbows straight and lift your arms up to the ceiling while at the same time relaxing your shoulders. This is a two-part movement: inhale and stretch up, then when you exhale — and without bending your arms or legs — slowly bend to your right. You want to lean neither forward or backward only slowly stretching as far as can to the right. Inhale as you slowly return to center and repeat the process while you lean and stretch to the left.

This basic yoga posture — the side stretch or straddle — can be incorporated in pretty much any household activity. The internet offers many yoga resources for beginners. One of the best is called - you guessed it - yogaforbeginners . com. This site (and many others like it) provides great tutorials on basic yoga postures than can be incorporated while doing a variety of household chores such as mopping.

Consider the following:

Mountain Pose: This is the basic standing pose and is the foundation for all subsequent Yoga postures. Stand with your feet together — pointing forward and with your arms at your sides. Relax your shoulders; your face forward. Breathe rhythmically and exhaling. Raise your arms overhead while inhaling with your hands clasped together above your head. Now stretch upward so as to feel a stretch in your spine and under your arms. Pause for the count of 3. Now exhale and lower your arms to your sides. The main benefit of the mountain pose is that it will strengthen the back by keeping your spinal column straight; it will improve your core strength while at the same time increasing your stamina.

Half Moon: Stand straight with your feet spread at shoulder width apart, with your arms down and hanging at your sides. Slowly inhale and raise your arms up from your sides while clasping your hands or fingers straight above your head. Sound familiar? The Half-Moon is the technical term for the kitchen-stretch discussed earlier! The Half-moon stretches and tones the sides of your body and can be incorporated with most household tasks.

Standing Forward Bend (SFB): Stand with your feet at least hip-width apart, arms relaxed at your sides and knees bent slightly. Inhale while stretching your arms out to your sides and overhead. As you exhale, lean forward while keeping your back flat. This posture is also known as the forward lunge. The important element here is to remain RELAXED. Bend your knees till your fingertips touch the floor. Can be done while mopping, dusting and sweeping. The SFB is a great way to release tension in the lower back while at the same time stretching the spinal column and hamstrings.

Other postures such as the CHEST EXPANDER, STANDING TWIST and CHAIR POSE can round out a basic Yoga agenda. Refer to these specific stretches on your favorite search engine for illustrated examples.

Yoga in the home while doing housework may never replace organized Yoga classes, but with these basic Yoga postures under your belt you will be improving yourself physically, mentally and spiritually while at the same time cleaning your home.

Nick Nikolis is working in Atlantica Hotels and Resorts as It manager and operates Olive Garden Houses in Rhodos Greece. Atlantica Hotels and Resorts is a Europe Hotels chain currently offering lodging services in Cyprus Greece and Egypt. Check here Greece Hotels and Cyprus Hotels.