Title: *Reflections on Death and Dying

Title:*TUNNEL OF LIGHT AFTER DEATH* 

Title: *Reflections on Death and Dying*

To begin, it is necessary to pause for a moment and 

reflect on one's own attitude in relation to death and dying.

Undoubtedly, we are programmed to accept the 'passing' 

of others as natural. Yet, even then, when death 'threatens'

us personally, or anyone for whom we hold great affection,

the emotional component comes into play and the objective

'death' becomes a very real and intense experience.

This presentation is intended to address the concept 

of death on three separate, yet connecting levels.

First of all, the inevitability of death, although intellectually

known, meets with resistance and constant denial.

Discussion will begin there.

Secondly, 'types' of denial and resistance in relation 

to typical thoughts and actions by the dying and the

 'survivor', will be addressed.

Thirdly, 'planning', both the need for and methods of, 

will be the natural progression. The intent in this place, 

will be to incorporate benefits to both Self, and others.

In summation, the object is to present an expanded

awareness that offers new opportunities for addressing 

one's life and death with reason, dignity, compassion 

and a personal power that belies a seemingly 'helpless'

position.

Naturally, we resist death. We literally live to live.

Stories abound to confirm our will and supernatural striving

to overcome dying. Often, in fact, we create a desire

to live that prods our unconscious mind to develop thoughts

and strategies that stretch any previous intelligence,strength, 

tenacity and healing power ever before experienced or

imagined by us.

Furthermore, don't we get excited whenever we hear of, 

or personally observe miraculous remissions, returns from

the brink of death, supernatural strengths and heroisms that 

challenge the human mind? Such experiences retold, awaken

in most a sense that death can be circumvented, foiled or

at the least, postponed by our willingness and determination

to live, despite so called insurmountable odds.

All this, despite the reality, clear and simple - despite the 

date or circumstance, there is no other way out of this world.

 Death is conferred upon us as powerfully and unarguably,

 as life. Why then, do the majority persist in avoiding its

 inevitability and refuse to confront, during life, the end?

It seems that resistance is commonplace, particularly

in the Western Hemisphere. For the most part we resist

talking about it, generally refuse to plan for it, and quite

regularly avoid any conversations on the topic that refer

to the burial process. It is as if by not confronting and

discussing it we can somehow avoid the experience. 

(...To Be Continued)

[Researched & Compiled by Rev.Bola]

Title: *LIVE IN RELAXATION*

Title: *LIVE IN RELAXATION*

"It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. 
It is nothing but work, work, work."
-- Henry David Thoreau

Is relaxation possible only when we’re not working? 
No. With awareness and practice, we can be relaxed 
no matter what we are doing. In fact, when we work
in a relaxed state, our productivity increases as our 
effort decreases. For true relaxation, we need to 
connect with our bodies -- to consciously and
intentionally become aware of tension and release it.
"Anxiety breaks a man’s backbone."
-- Hebrew proverb

"Don't hurry, don't worry. 
You're only here for a short visit. 
So be sure to stop and smell the flowers."
-- Walter Hagen

Step by step, progressively learn basic meditation
methods to relax, concentrate, focus, reflect, 
contemplate and illuminate yourself.
Attend our group meetings to learn about
some basic meditation techniques.

Visit us here to learn more:-

Nottingham-Happiness-Project-Group

Peace and Love
Rev.Bola
Organizer

Title: An Introduction To Color Therapy

Artwork from Collection Painted by Rev.Bola


*COLOUR THERAPY*

According to Color Therapists, colors are capable of influencing,
many aspects of our lives, including our mood,
mental state and energy levels including our non-physical energy centres.

According to Color Therapists, these centres form the non-physical energy that control the human body.

Each colour is thought to be associated with one of these seven energy centers,

If a person's energy center or spiritual dynamic so to say,
is thought to be out of balance or weak,
the color it's associated with is believed to help strengthen it.

*Red*
Red is thought to be linked to the base center and the spine, hips and legs.
It's thought to stimulate and boost physical energy, strengthen willpower,
increase circulation, clear congestion and is linked with sexuality.
Too much red may overstimulate and possibly promote anger or aggressiveness.

*Orange*
Orange is thought to encourage joy, socializing and optimism,
which is why it's considered useful for depression or sadness.
Orange is associated with the sacral centre and it's believed to benefit the kidneys, urinary tract and the reproductive organs.
It also manages a person's sexuality, gender and family issues
Too much orange is thought to lead to tiredness, pessimism and confusion.
*Yellow*
Yellow is associated with the solar plexus centre.
An imbalance in the solar plexus is thought to promote fear,
apprehension, confusion, lack of determination, introversion or power issues,
which this color is believed to balance.
Yellow is associated with the intellect and mental processes and is uplifting.
The solar plexus centre is also thought to influence the digestive system.
Too much yellow is believed to lead to poor concentration and hyperactivity.
*Green*
Green is a color that's thought to encourage emotional stability,
purity and calmness. It's related to the heart centre,
so it's believed to help with emotional issues,
such as love, forgiveness, trust and compassion.
An imbalance in the heart centre is associated with fear of relationships,
mistrust, jealousy, isolation and insecurity.

*Blue*
Blue is related to the throat centre and is said to be connected to the throat and lungs. It's thought to enhance verbal expression and communication,
artistic expression and willpower.
It's a calming colour and is believed to help insomnia, anxiety,
throat problems, high blood pressure, migraine and skin irritation.

*Indigo*
Indigo is associated with the Brow centre, located between the eyes,
and is related to the eyes and the lower part of the head.
It's said to encourage greater intuition and strengthen the lymph system,
immune system and help purify and cleanse the body.
*Purple or Violet*
Purple, or violet, is associated with the crown centre,
which is at the top of the head. It's thought to encourage spirituality, intuition,
wisdom, mastery and mental strength and focus.
Too much purple is thought to promote pride and arrogance.
**************************************­*************
Note: This information should be used for education only and should not be used
 to diagnose or treat disease. If you have any symptoms, please see your primary care provider.
--------------------------------------­-------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to know more about colour therapy,
or how it can be used as a tool for healing and personal enhancement
we invite you to join our support group and attend our regular meetings.
You can find out more by visiting these sites:-

Nottingham-Depression-Support-Group

Nottingham-Happiness-Project-Group

Posted by Rev. Bola
Organizer

Title: *How to Increase Your Motivation*

Title: *How to Increase Your Motivation*

Motivation is...

 A process that initiates, guides and maintains action. 
 A reason for taking action or behaving a certain way. 
 An inspiration for accomplishing something. 

It’s important to recognise that motivation changes depending on what you value most 
and the situation. You have the power to change the expectation you put on yourself 
and how you feel about the tasks at hand – in order to increase motivation. Past 
experiences, beliefs and even your culture influence your motivation. There are two 
types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. 

When you have low motivation you feel stuck and sometimes frustrated with what life 
has dealt you. You’re usually not working towards a life you love, but instead might 
complain about the life you have. With low motivation you tend to think your 
weaknesses define who you are, rather than realise that you can grow and learn. 

When you have high motivation you make choices and take action to create what you 
want in life. For instance, if you wanted to work in a certain industry you would seek out 
the resources and gain the knowledge you needed to get a job in that industry. With 
high motivation you tend to have a natural interest in what you do; and if the natural 
interest isn’t there to begin with you create one to keep yourself motivated. You seek out 
ways to build your weaknesses into strengths and are eager to move through setbacks 
and failures – you see these as ideal learning curves. And with high motivation you 
recognise that your actions make positive changes… so keep moving forward. 

****Your *Live Life Passionately* - Worksheet****!

1. What do you really want to achieve? 

2. What value will completing this goal add to your life? 

3. What would happen if you don’t achieve this goal? 

4. When do you see this goal as completed? Is this possible? 

5. How will achieving this goal positively change your life and lifestyle? 

6. Does this goal align with your top values? how? why? 

7. What actions and thoughts could you change to help you be 
more motivated towards achievement? 

8. How do you feel about your goal? 

9. How can you generate more positive emotions towards your goal? 

10. Write down 3 ways you can get more passionate about achieving this.

Cool Tip:-
At our regular fellowship support & recovery group meetings, we discuss ways 
of working out what our goals are; and simple but in-depth tools for motivation 
when depressed that really work; even when you can't get out of bed.
To find out more or join us please visit our site here:-

THE *DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP

THE *CHRISTIANS VICTORIOUS FELLOWSHIP

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Posted by Rev.Bola

Title: *Are You Afraid To Listen To God?

 

Title:*CHRIST'S INTENT* Light Orb 13 - Spiritual Gift Box from collection painted by Rev.Bola

1. Listening to God requires faith.
Faith that God exists and that He is speaking to each
and every one of us. Read Jesus ' words in John 10:27:
'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they
follow me'. What does this verse say to you about
hearing God's voice? Does God really talk to us?

2. Can we really hear God's voice?
We often doubt if we are hearing from God
until we learn to recognize the ways God speaks to us.
It takes patience and practice to Hear God.
As we grow in familiarity and intimacy with him,
we will be better able to hear. God communicates with us
all the time—through the beauty of creation,
the love of friends and family, and especially through
Jesus Christ.

3. Jesus was the Word of God made flesh.
His coming to earth was God conking us over the head
with the truth that we can enjoy fellowship with him.
And then, of course, he speaks to us through the Bible.
It's called 'The Word' for a good reason.
It's full of all the truth and guidance we need to live
a rich, faithful Christian life.

4. So how has God wired you and I for listening?
Does a sunset leave you breathless? The still,
small Voice is speaking--can you hear it?
Does the swell of an anthem bring tears to our eyes?
The still, small Voice is speaking.

5. How do we listen to God speak to our hearts, minds,
and wills—especially above the noise and stress of
the modern world? What is the process of discerning
God’s will? First we need to believe in God and his
moral laws and make a commitment to please him in
all that we do. Then we need to pray so that we
can experience the peace that can come only from God.

6. To believe you must have a personal experience with God.
A part of God lives inside of you. You are not God,
and never will be, but God will talk to you inside of
your mind. As you read this, you feel a gentle nudge.
That is the Spirit of God awakening. Once it matures it
is going to change the world. God is your creator,
friend and father. He wants to tell you his plan for
your life. Try to be open-minded. If you have doubts—
good, that means you are being honest with yourself.
God can handle your doubts.

7. When God speaks to you, you will know it is God-
-there will be no doubt. Of course, after the experience,
doubt will come back. That is the force of evil.
Evil doesn’t want you to communicate with God because
once you do you are going to change human history.

8. Imagine the God who knows everything about the past
and the future, who knows everything about everyone,
the God who has all the power, the God who can do anything,
imagine this God talking to you. Aren't you excited to
find out what God has to say? I know I am.

9. God has said...
"I want the world to know how much I love all things.
I am the Lord God and I created all. I am going to
do something to show the world I exist. I am going to
speak to the people. My people must learn how to hear
my voice. I yearn for deep communion with all people.
I will not remain quiet. I have a plan for each of you,
a plan that will bring you to the zenith of your creation.

10. God wants to communicate with you.
That is why you are reading this.
It is no accident that you are here.
This is a special moment in time.
God has been calling you for a long time.
God planted a seed inside of you a long time ago and
you can feel this seed awakening as you read these words.

11. When you were a child there was probably a moment
when God spoke to you and you knew it was God.
You felt God's call, but you didn't know what to do.
You have always known you were going to do something
important, but you didn't know what it was.
Growing up you tried to communicate with God,
but you kept missing something. You learned how to
pray and ask God for things, but you didn't know
how to listen for God's voice.
Now you can find out God's plan for your life.

12. To believe we must have a personal experience with God.
A part of God lives inside of you and me.
You are not God, and never will be,
but God will talk to us inside of our minds.
As you read this, you feel a gentle nudge.
That is the Spirit of God awakening.
Once it matures it is going to change the world.

13. God is our creator, friend and father.
He wants to tell us his plan for each of our lives.
Try to be open-minded. If we have doubts—good,
that means we are being honest with ourselves.
God can handle our doubts. When God speaks to you,
you will know it is God--there will be no doubt.

14. The force of evil is also in our mind
and it is at war with us. Evil is always connected to
a feeling of fear. God is connected to a feeling of peace.
Satan is the accuser. God is the comforter.
Evil seduces us into breaking God's law and then
shames us for what we did. Evil knows where we
are vulnerable. If we are afraid of being poor,
evil will tempt us with money. If we have sexual
vulnerabilities, evil will tempt us sexually.
Satan says we are stupid, ugly, no good, broken,
worthless and unlovable.

15. The goal of the Devil is to destroy our relationship with God.
Evil never wants us to communicate with God.
It will laugh at us even as we read these words.
Remember, God has more power than evil and he loves you.
You are God's child, his perfect work of art.
God offers us a wonderful free gift-
-union with him in everlasting paradise.

Posted by Rev.Bola

Title: *WHAT IS STRESS* - Series 1

*WHAT IS STRESS* - Series 1

The Stress Response (also called the fight or flight Response ) is critical during emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure's on but there's no actual danger — like stepping up to take the foul shot that could win the game, getting ready to go to a big dance, or sitting down for a final exam. A little of this Stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. And the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed.

The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways, and everyone experiences stress differently. Not only can overwhelming stress lead to serious Mental and physical Health problems, it can also take a toll on your relationships at home, work, and school. 

While quick Stress relievers aren't a complete Stress Management plan in themselves, they are an excellent first line of defense against the effects of chronic Stress . This is because they can help you turn off your body's Stress response and respond to the stressors you face from a calm (or calmer), more relaxed place. This helps you to more effectively deal with what is Stress , and keep yourself healthier at the same time. Common strategies for quick Stress relief include breathing exercises or use of humor.

Of all the types of stress, changes in health from routine stress may be hardest to notice at first. Because the source of stress tends to be more constant than in cases of acute or traumatic stress, the body gets no clear signal to return to normal functioning. Over time, continued strain on your body from routine stress may lead to serious health problems , such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety disorder, and other illnesses. 

People who remain happy and healthy despite many life stresses typically have very good social support networks. Having a pet may help reduce medical problems that are aggravated by stress, including Heart Disease and high blood pressure. The more often we are exposed to these types of stressors, the more overactive our fight or flight response becomes until we find ourselves operating at fever pitch level, constantly prepared for battle, perceiving potential threats everywhere. That is why people who are over stressed not only show physiological symptoms such as high blood pressure , rapid heart rate or shallow fast breath; they can seem overly sensitive or aggressive. Today many of us don’t take enough physical exercise to ‘burn off’ the effects of our response and we’re left with stress build up. We learn to control our reactions, but this does not counteract the stress response.

 

Stress is actually a normal part of life. At times, it serves a useful purpose. Stress can motivate you to get that promotion at work, or run the last mile of a marathon. But if you don't get a handle on your stress and it becomes long term, it can seriously interfere with your job, family life, and health. More than half of Americans say they fight with friends and loved ones because of stress, and more than 70% say they experience real Physical and emotional Symptoms from it.

Whilst a lack of stress means your body is under-stimulated, stress that is too intense or prolonged, causes your body to release stress hormones over a long period. This increases the risk of a range of physical health problems including headaches, stomach upsets and high blood pressure. It can even increase the risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

Stress can be difficult to define because it is so different for each of us. A good example is afforded by observing passengers on a steep roller coaster ride . Some are hunched down in the back seats, eyes shut, jaws clenched and white knuckled with an iron grip on the retaining bar. They can t wait for the ride in the torture chamber to end so they can get back on solid ground and scamper away. But up front are the wide-eyed thrill seekers, yelling and relishing each steep plunge who race to get on the very next ride . And in between you may find a few with an air of nonchalance that borders on boredom. So, was the roller coaster ride stressful?

It is not only unpleasant events that can be stressful . Almost any change in circumstances can cause stress - as we readjust. If possible, it is wise to not have too many changes in life at the same time. Stress is not a medical diagnosis, but severe stress that continues for a long time may lead to a diagnosis of depression or anxiety, or more severe mental health problems.

In the case of  Meditation, the deep rest that it provides during the practice reduces activation of the sympathetic nervous system—which, in turn, dilates the blood vessels and reduces stress hormones , such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol . This very deep rest dissolves deep rooted stress and fatigue. As a result, it has been found that Meditation reduces day to day stress , anxiety and depression.

Mental health issues, including Stress , Anxiety and Depression , are the reason for one-in-five visits to a GP. Many different things can cause stress -- from physical (such as fear of something dangerous) to emotional (such as worry over your family or job.) Identifying what may be causing you stress is often the first step in learning how to better deal with your stress.That is why Stress management is so important. Stress management gives you a range of tools to reset your alarm system. Without Stress management, all too often your body is always on high alert. Over time, high levels of Stress lead to serious health problems. Don t wait until Stress has a negative impact on your health, relationships or quality of life. Start practicing a range of Stress management techniques today. 

Studies revealing the relationship between the immune system and the central nervous system indicate that stress can alter the function of the white blood cells involved in immune function known as lymphocytes and macrophages. People undergoing stressful life events , such as marital turmoil or bereavement, have a weaker lymphoproliferative response. People in distressed marriages have also been shown to have greater decreases in cellular immunity functioning over time when compared to those in happier marriages.The adrenal glands are found on top of your kidneys - they secrete epinephrine (otherwise known as adrenaline ) and other stress hormones . The activity of your adrenal glands is crucial to your mood, energy levels and ability to cope with stress .

Stress is not always a bad thing. Some people thrive on stress and even need it to get things done. 

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Posted by Rev. Bola A. { 21.May.2014 – ARR}