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Understanding the Difference Between Joy and Happiness
Have you ever thought about the difference between joy and happiness, or do you consider them the same thing? I hadn’t really reflected on it until I was in my late 30s, battling chronic migraine. Years of failed treatments, terrible side effects from medications, constant pain, nausea, and exhaustion left me feeling hopeless and angry. I was spiraling deeper into depression, struggling to see a way out. During one particularly tough time, we decided to visit my in-laws’ cabin in upstate New York. Despite feeling ill, I was determined to make the best of it for my kids. The night we arrived, I sat on the porch and prayed—really prayed,…
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Embracing Loving Kindness: Reflecting on Our Journey + Introducing Vipassana Meditation
Reflecting on Loving Kindness Meditation Over the past eight weeks, we’ve embarked on a beautiful journey together, exploring the practice of Loving Kindness (Metta) meditation. This practice has guided us to cultivate a deeper sense of compassion, empathy, and unconditional love, not only for ourselves but also for others. It’s been heartwarming to witness the transformation and growth within our community as we collectively open our hearts. Let’s review Metta before we head into our next technique – Vipassana meditation. Benefits of Loving Kindness Meditation The benefits of Loving Kindness meditation are profound and far-reaching. Many of you have shared your experiences, highlighting the following: Buddhist Teachings on the Benefits…
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Free Online Meditation Classes at BPY
Set the Tone for Your Day in 7 Minutes: Join Our Free Online Meditation at Balanced Planet Yoga In a world that’s constantly buzzing with activity, finding moments of tranquility can seem like an elusive dream. Yet, amidst the chaos, it is possible to create space to check-in and create some calm in the storm. One such place is here, at Balanced Planet Yoga, where we meet weekday mornings on Zoom at 730 am to start our day with a community guided free online meditation. We have been going strong since January 1st, and if you are looking for a better way to start your day, you may have just…
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What the heck is Circular Fashion?
And what do clothing swaps have to do with it? To understand circular fashion, you must first understand the term “fast fashion”. Fast fashion refers to a sector of fashion whose business model relies on the rapid design, production, distribution of clothing. This allows retailers to produce large quantities of a wide variety of clothing at a low price to consumers. For the individual customer, this makes snatching up the latest trends easier and more affordable, rather than splurging on the more expensive item. However, therein lies the problem. Consumers are purchasing more clothing than ever due to its poor quality. This cycle of buying and discarding has created a huge…
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ORA Cacao – Moving from Routine to Ritual
Introducing the practice of Cacao preparation and drinking into yourself self-care routine can become an important ritual to keep you centered, connected to your heart, and living life in a good way. Recently, Heather shared with us her own experience and gave us permission to share it here with all of you! A few days ago, after taking a class at the studio, I decided to try the ORA cacao. All of the choices seemed interesting but when I picked up the Mystical Mushroom, it just felt right. My intuition told me this is the one I needed. Most days after lunch, I take 10 minutes to sip a cup…
