Mapping Emotions On The Body: Love Makes Us Warm All Over

The following was posted by by MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF on December 30, 2013 on the NPR website

Close your eyes and imagine the last time you fell in love. Maybe you were walking next to your sweetheart in a park or staring into each other's eyes over a latte.

Where did you feel the love? Perhaps you got butterflies in your stomach or your heart raced with excitement.

When a team of scientists in Finland asked people to map out where they felt different emotions on their bodies, they found that the results were surprisingly consistent, even across cultures.

The scientists hope these body emoticons may one day help psychologists diagnose or treat mood disorders.People reported that happiness and love sparked activity across nearly the entire body, while depression had the opposite effect: It dampened feelings in the arms, legs and head. Danger and fear triggered strong sensations in the chest area, the volunteers said. And anger was one of the few emotions that activated the arms.

"Our emotional system in the brain sends signals to the body so we can deal with our situation," says Lauri Nummenmaa, a psychologist at Aalto University who led the study.

"Say you see a snake and you feel fear," Nummenmaa says. "Your nervous system increases oxygen to your muscles and raises your heart rate so you can deal with the threat. It's an automated system. We don't have to think about it."

That idea has been known for centuries. But scientists still don't agree on whether these bodily changes are distinct for each emotion and whether this pattern serves as a way for the mind to consciously identify emotions.

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Basic emotions, such as happiness, sadness and fear, form the building blocks for more complex feelings.

Toddatkins/Wikimedia.org

To try to figure that out, Nummenmaa and his team ran a simple computer experiment with about 700 volunteers from Finland, Sweden and Taiwan.

The team showed the volunteers two blank silhouettes of a person on a screen and then told the subjects to think about one of 14 emotions: love, disgust, anger, pride, etc. The volunteers then painted areas of the body that felt stimulated by that emotion. On the second silhouette, they painted areas of the body that get deactivated during that emotion.

"People find the experiment quite amusing. It's quite fun," Nummenmaa tells Shots. "We kept the questions online so you try the experiment yourself." (You can try it here.)

Not everybody painted each emotion in the same way. But when the team averaged the maps together, signature patterns emerged for each emotion. The team published these sensation maps Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The team still doesn't know how these self-reported sensations match with the physiological responses that occur with emotion.

But previous studies have found marked changes in bodily sensations in mood disorders, Nummenmaa says. "For instance, with depression sometimes people have pain in their chest."

And there's even some evidence that when you change your own body language — like your posture or stance — you can alter your mind.

Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, who was not involved in this study, says he's "delighted" by Nummenmaa's findings because they offer more support for what he's been suggesting for years: Each emotion activates a distinct set of body parts, he thinks, and the mind's recognition of those patterns helps us consciously identify that emotion.

"People look at emotions as something in relation to other people," Damasio, who is a professor at the University of Southern California, says. "But emotions also have to do with how we deal with the environment — threats and opportunities." For those, Damasio says, you need your body as well as your mind.

Celebrate what you have

At this time of year, when we are in the depths of  fall and the first day of winter, it is tempting to think about life. So here is a challenge, look at how much you have, look at how far you've come, look at how fast it happened, and, you have to admit, how easy it was. 

All in spite of your fears, worries, and self-doubts. It is time to celebrate what you have not what you hope to have isn't it?

The Fisherman and the Businessman

The following story,  demonstrates the futility in trying to give direction to someone who is already where we are trying to go.

I am reminded of a story about an American businessman who took a vacation to a small coastal Mexican village on doctor's orders. Unable to sleep after an urgent call from his office the first morning, he walked out to the pier to clear his head. A small boat with just one fisherman had docked and inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

"How long did it rake you catch them?" the American asked.

"Only a little while," the Mexican replied in surprisingly good English.

"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the American then asked.

"I have enough to support my family and give a few to friends," the Mexican said as he unloaded them into a basket.

"But... what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican looked up and smiled. "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Julia, and stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American laughed and stood tall. "Sir, I am a Harvard M.B.A. and I can help you. You should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. In no time, you could buy several boats with the increased haul. Eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats."

He continued, "Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control your product , processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village, of course, and move to Mexico City, then to Los Angeles, and eventually New York City, where you could run your expanding enterprise with proper management."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, senor, how long will all this take?"

To which the American replied, "15 - 20 years, 25 tops."

"But what then, senor?"

The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!"

"Millions, senor? Then what?"

"Then you would retire and move to a small coastal fishing village, where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, and stroll into the village in the evening where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos...."

You can’t laugh and worry at the same time

In his three-part article about “Seniors: Coping with Top Ten Worries” Dr. Jerry D. Elrod’s list includes immobility, loss of memory, life threatening illness, death, sexual concerns, loss of energy, loss of social acquaintances, loss of spouse or partner; major financial loss and resuming employment.

Worry takes two forms: the one that gets you to take care of something that is important, the other is anxiety about “what if’s”.  The former can be eliminated by dealing with the legitimate concern.  The latter is nothing but a way to shorten your life.

You can tell the difference if you ask one question about the worrying issue: Is there anything I can DO about this now?  If there is, DO IT!  If not, it is best if you can try to forget it.  In some cases you may not be able to do anything now; in this case write it on your calendar on a date when you feel there will be something that can be done and then let it go for now.  Setting aside a time to think about it can also cause one to focus more on the reality of the concern, and create a mindset of finding answers that will alleviate the worry or at least lessen it.

Another way to stop chronic worrying is to ask: Is this true?  Many times our worries stem from beliefs we have been taught or picked up on our own.  Many of these beliefs are just that, unsubstantiated emotions and thoughts.  It’s better to have faith in the good things in and of life, not the fearful and self-destructive beliefs in the unknown future.

Then there is the long embraced practice of mindfulness.  Outside of the time you have set aside for worrying, live in the present.  Make it a habit to take note of each day in ways that mean the most to you.  If you are a gardener, find all the fauna and foliage you can throughout the day.  Make an effort to connect with someone, old or new, each day.  Today is a great day if you allow it to be.

Then there is the altruistic distraction method of helping others.  And this can be done all the time regardless of the physical condition you find yourself in.  You can get involved in online chat rooms and forums.  You can help someone fix their … well actually almost anything… what are your skills and expertise?  You can even set time aside to pray or visit or teach or etc.  And this not only makes you more mindful, but studies show that giving can help lengthen your life.

If nothing else face the fact that worrying can shorten your life.  According to WebMD, “Chronic worry and emotional stress can trigger a host of health problems.”  Their list of physical responses to worry includes: fast heartbeat, fatigue, headaches, inability to concentrate, muscle aches, nausea, and rapid breathing to name a few.  But this doesn’t include the serious physical consequences like: suppression of the immune system, digestive disorders, short-term memory loss, and even heart attacks.

“Don’t worry, be happy” by Bobby McFerrin is one final way to get in the right frame of mind.  I mean who can’t find something fun in his YouTube video?  Originally it seemed a bit cheeky to me, but then I noticed his toes… funny!  If this isn't your style, read a joke book, watch a comedian, etc.  You can’t laugh and worry at the same time.

Seniors Texting Code

Source:

Just Start

I thought this was an interesting thought, do you realize that for all the people in all the world who actually "get it," few actually give it to themselves 

Whatever it is you want, just start.

Give yourself compliments, praise, and presents.

Give yourself time, permission, and love. Hugs, kisses, and smiles. Winks, laughs, and applause.

And the world will give you even more.

Now, please - just start

Top 10 Old School Self-Help Books

I am a big believer in the power of the individual to control his/her life. I understand that for many this is difficult to achieve, because of the paradigms they have chosen to believe. I am not a big fan of the idea that there is a law of positive attraction or the idea that that if we give ourselves to the universe we will benefit. I am also not a big believer in the idea that if we stay positive all of the time we will be rewarded. Life is messy but there is help for those who want to become more self aware and more self confidence. The following list is from a newsletter I receive from Mind Power and was first published by  By Mitch Horowitz  in Time Magazine

While too esoteric to gain mass appeal, these books are a treasure of serviceable advice

The self-help industry today generates literally thousands of books, seminars, and audio programs, on which Americans spend more than $11 billion yearly.

Most self-help programs are based in "positive thinking" – the principle that your thoughts shape your destiny. This message grew out of mental-healing and Transcendentalist tracts of the mid-nineteenth century, and attained mass appeal in works such as Norman Vincent Peale's 1952 The Power of the Positive Thinking.

Critics generally view positive thinking as namby-pamby nonsense. But the philosophy has produced ideas that are deeply useful, even profound. You probably believe some of them already. This list considers the most compelling and overlooked expressions of this practical philosophy. While many of these books proved too esoteric in tone to attain the mass appeal of Dale Carnegie and Joel Osteen, they are a treasure of serviceable ideas and are all still available today.

1. The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale (1956)

The radio presenter and entrepreneur Nightingale possessed an unfailingly dignified and measured manner, which he used in this recorded lecture to distill the positive-thinking philosophy into a neat 30-minute capsule. He emphasized nonconformity and self-education. The Strangest Secret became the first spoken-word record to go gold, and helped launch the fields of business motivation and audio publishing.

2. The Power of Your Super Mind by Vernon Howard (1967)

While not a positive-thinking book in any strict sense, Howard saw the aware mind as providing a channel for awakening men and women to a higher power and purpose. The practical philosopher called for eschewing worldly ambition in favor of living by an inner knowing available to all people. Howard was one of the most compelling and unclassifiable voices to emerge from the American metaphysical scene.

3. Self Mastery through Conscious Autosuggestion by Emile Coué (1922)

A French hypnotherapist, Coué was the target of endless mockery for prescribing anxious modern people with a simple daily affirmation: "Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better." What critics missed, and what is on display in this finely reasoned and sprightly book, is that the self-taught healer and therapist possessed a keen understanding of the subconscious mind and the mechanisms by which his seemingly simplistic mantra (and other affirmations) could be used to bypass our self-limiting personal conceptions. Coué's work ran deeper than is commonly understood and warrants rediscovery.

4. It Works by R.H.J. (1926)

In twenty-eight gloriously succinct pages, the author — whose initials stood for Roy Herbert Jarrett, a Chicago salesman and ad man — distills the positive-thinking enterprise into a (deceptively) simple exercise of itemizing your desires in a list. If approached with maturity, Jarrett's exercise amounts to a personal inventory-taking and a meaningful assessment of one's true aims. Jarrett produced just one additional book, The Meaning of the Mark (1931), which extrapolates on the methods and ideas behind his shorter pamphlet.

5. The Power of Awareness by Neville (1952)

Neville Goddard (who used only his first name) was an extraordinarily original metaphysical thinker who, from the late 1930s until his death in 1972, argued elegantly for one radical concept: the human mind is God. Our mental and emotive images, Neville maintained, literally create the surrounding world we experience. While Neville is the kind of figure that serious people immediately want to dismiss or argue with, the West Indies-born author wrote with remarkable vigor and persuasiveness. Neville may be the positive-thinking movement's most radical and subtly influential voice.

6. The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes (1937, revised edition)

The first forty pages or so of this voluminous work laid out the mind-over-matter philosophy of California mystic Ernest Holmes, which became a major influence on New Age spirituality. Holmes was a broad thinker and his work reflects a wide variety of influences, from Emerson to Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy. Holmes never became widely known but influenced many who did, such as Norman Vincent Peale. His books could be found in the libraries of George Lucas, Elvis Presley, and scholar of myth Joseph Campbell.

7. The Mental Cure by Warren Felt Evans (1869)

This pioneering work written by a Swedenborgian minister and early experimenter into the healing properties of the mind (he worked with the influential mental healer Phineas Quimby) helped lay the groundwork of affirmative-thought philosophy. While it is little read today, the book possesses a surprisingly modern tone. Evans gave early expression of the essentials of positive thought, including the use of affirmations, visualizations, and healing prayer. He was probably the first figure to use the term "New Age" in its current spiritual-therapeutic sense.

8. The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science by Thomas Troward (1909 revised edition)

Troward, a British judge, attempted to work out a persuasive and sturdy philosophical proof for the causative powers of the mind. In my view, he does not succeed (he leaves too many internal contradictions and dangling questions); but his effort represents one of the few truly ambitious attempts to create a structural reasoning behind the use of positive thinking. Troward was a major influence on Ernest Holmes.

9. The Kybalion by Three Initiates (1908)

Pseudonymously written by Chicago lawyer and publisher William Walker Atkinson, this work somewhat histrionically presents itself as a record of lost Hermetic wisdom. Nonetheless, it does locate some legitimate and poignant correspondences between modern positive thinking and ancient Hermetic philosophy. The chapters on "polarity" and "rhythm" offer a compelling spiritual psychology. Strange-but-true fact: This underground classic was beloved by actor Sherman Hemsley, aka "George Jefferson."

10. How to Attract Good Luck by A.H.Z. Carr (1952)

A diplomat, journalist, and economist, Carr was the furthest thing that one could imagine from a starry-eyed spiritual dreamer or a promulgator of superstition. Carr eschewed all forms of ponderous or magical language — yet he also believed in a clear and concrete set of methods for attracting and building upon the fortuitous chance occurrences that crisscross our daily lives. He was an ardent believer that good ethics bring "good luck."

Do you meditate?

By means of meditation we can teach our minds to be calm and balanced; within this calmness is a richness and a potential, an inner knowledge which can render our lives boundlessly satisfying and meaningful. While the mind may be what traps us in unhealthy patterns of stress and imbalance, it is also the mind which can free us. Through meditation, we can tap the healing qualities of mind. - Tarthang Tulku...

Do you meditate? I have tried over the years and find that I cannot meditate very well, I find it easy to focus and to get my mind calm and balanced, but I don't seem to get any deeper than that with my meditation. I have friends who use meditation and they swear that it works. I believe them, I just don't know how to stay focused for a long period of time, which I think meditation requires.

I can focus and calm my mind in short five minute stretches and then I drift into listening in my mind to an old song I just heard or a melody plays in my head and I listen to the song play on, I can do that for long periods. I first have to quiet the voices in my head and I sometimes do that by allowing the music that dances around in my head to increase in volume to quiet the voices. After a while, my voices still, and las I listen to the music, I  find this very peaceful.

I attended the last University of Phoenix Vancouver Campus graduation and was given the honor to present the graduates and as people came up I had a chance to shake their hands and congratulate each one on their success. My role, was very simple, it was to meet the student as they came up the stairs, take their name card, and call their name just before they crossed the stage.

It was very pleasant, people were proud of their accomplishments of finishing their degree after years of hard work. One of the students said to me, I 'm a professional football player, and I am more nervous about walking across the stage then when I am playing football.

I thought about what he said. Everyone of the students, is being honoured by friends, family, the university and the faculty for their individual effort. I was careful to make sure that there were no other students on stage before I called the name and then the student could walk across the stage in the limelight. But many of us are not used to the recognition and I think there was some stage fright involved.

Zen meditation helps us

An interesting post by Wayne Codling, which helps to remind us about the teachings in the new testament,  to read more go here

In Buddhist terms, Jesus was the variety of saint known as the bodhisattva. The term means "awakened being." Doctrinally, a bodhisattva is a Buddhist adept who vows to never cease teaching the middle way until all beings are enlightened and only then accept nirvana. Jesus didn't think that way at all, of course, but he behaved like a bodhisattva in that he aligned himself with all people, especially the marginalized and outcast people in his world. He went so far as to say that the treatment of the least of us is equivalent to how we treat him. It's clear; Jesus takes it very personally when the poor and the ill and the elderly and the eccentric are treated with suspicion and enmity; like thieves or liars. Jesus wanted them to be treated as reverentially as he was.

This is worthy of emulation about Jesus; the biblical Jesus is not an elitist. Indeed, he challenged the elitist leaders of his own religion. Jesus was friendly with outcasts and prostitutes.

These are the people he was referring to when he taught this esoteric message of reverential equivalence. The least among us are the ones who live under bridges, or who are addicted to powerful substances. These are the ones who are treated all too often like something repulsive; something that their betters might scrape off their shoes.

Having said that, it should be noted that, in our community and most of our country, the ones who feed the hungry and clothe the naked and shelter the homeless are the followers of Jesus. Indeed, Buddhists could learn a thing or two about how charity and love work in society. Once you look beyond the level of the street, though, the notion of reverential equivalence rapidly loses potency. This is because this spiritual condition is challenging; it requires renewal. It is more than an intellectual idea.

Establishing reverential equivalence is a meditation skill. Zen meditation facilitates the restoration of equivalence in all relationships. To bring into being a genuine reverence that has zero bias between Jesus and the least among us is attainable through meditation, even by the greater among us. This is something that Buddhism, as a meditation culture, has to offer modern, western life.

Our cultural ancestry is bereft of subtle skills such as the doing of not doing. Yet, this is the power and efficacy of equivalence. It does this by intentionally setting all parameters to zero, another way of speaking of the skills of relinquishment and cessation.

Not everyone can work the streets and actualize the fundamental point that Jesus was making with his reverential equivalence. But the spiritual imperative remains, and the more elevated our social position, the more difficult and elusive this teaching becomes. Didn't Jesus even point out that the likelihood for their salvation is akin to a camel passing through the eye of a needle? To me, meditation is the best solution to an endemic dearth of equivalence and everyone can do it.

Wayne Codling is a former Zen monastic and a lineage holder in the Soto Zen tradition. He teaches Zen-style meditation in various venues around Victoria

Your life...

As we move into the Seventh month of 2013, here is something to think about:

Your life isn't behind you; your memories are behind you.

Your life is ALWAYS ahead of you.

Today is a new day - seize it!

Father's Day in Canada

My father was killed in an accident when I was in my early 20's and I never was able to resolve the disputes that fathers and sons grow into as boys become teens and then men. As a teen, my father and I at times did not see eye to eye on many issues, and as I think back I realize that on some of these he was correct and on others I probably was correct.

Sudden death of a parent or a partner is unsettling, and can have long term affects on a person. When my father was killed I did not know about the stages of grieving and went through the stages with my wife whose support was strong and needed. One of the interesting things that occurred is that as the oldest son, the role of what I had to do was well defined by my mom's family. Because of the expectations given to me, I was able to handle the role and fitting into the role, helped me through some of the steps in the grieving process, but during this time I was probably not a nice person to those that wanted to help and support me.

So as you think of your Father on Fathers day, enjoy the day, and embrace the feelings that you have for each other. 

As we grow older, many of our generation, will start to loose their parents and my wish is that you are able to resolve any and all issues that you have in a meaningful manner. As our parents become seniors, they may have a need to tell their story, 

I hope you take the time to listen and cherish your parent’s story as it is also part of your story. Father’s Day celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make to their children’s lives. It is a day for people to show their appreciation for fathers and father figures. Father figures may include stepfathers, fathers-in-law, guardians (e.g.. foster parents), and family friends. Father's Day in Canada is a day to remember fathers and father figures.

Many people in Canada celebrate Father’s Day in a variety of ways to express their love and gratitude to fathers or father figures. Father’s Day activities include (but are not limited to):

• Participating in Father’s Day fun runs and other events in which the proceeds go towards charity or prostate cancer research.
• Buying presents such as neckties and other items of clothing, chocolates, books or equipment for various types of hobbies.
• Giving handmade or purchased cards.
• Breakfasts, brunches, lunches, or dinners either at home or in restaurants.
• Taking fathers or father figures out to the movies, the park, the zoo, or another place of interest.

Some people organize joint Father’s Day parties and activities with close friends and family. Those who live away from their fathers or father figures may make long-distance phone calls, send an email or online card, or arrange for gifts to be delivered on Father’s Day. Some museums and other venues open to the general public may host special Father’s Day celebrations where fathers and father figures can enter free of charge.

There are some suggestions that the idea of Father's Day may originate in pagan sun worship. Some branches of paganism see the sun as the father of the universe. The June solstice occurs around the same time of year as Father's Day so some people saw a link between the two.

The idea of a special day to honour fathers and celebrate fatherhood was introduced from the United States. A woman called Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by the American Mother's Day celebrations and planned a day to honour fathers early in the 20th century. The first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910. 

Your Conscious Thoughts Regulate Your Health

Your conscious thoughts regulate your health. The persistent idea of illness will make you ill. While you believe that you become ill because of viruses, infections, or accidents, then you must go to doctors who operate within that system of belief. In addition, because you believe in their cures, you will be relieved of your difficulty. Because you do not understand that your thoughts create illness you will continue to undergo it ... and new symptoms will appear ... While you are in the process of changing beliefs - when you are beginning to realize that your thoughts and beliefs cause illness - then for a while you may not know what to do.... You may realize that the doctor can at best give you temporary relief, yet you may not be completely convinced yet of your own ability to change your thoughts; or you may be so cowed by their effectiveness that you are frightened.

When traditional practitioners of the ancient eastern religion of Zen Buddhism want to achieve greater spiritual insight, they turn to a technique is called "meditation.

Today more and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, improve exercise performance in people with angina, and help people with asthma breathe easier, relieve insomnia, and generally relax the everyday stresses of life. Meditation is a safe and simple way to balance a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. It is simple; but can benefit everybody. When you feel joyful, your body benefits and becomes stronger.

While you believe that only doctors can cure you, you had better go to them.... While you may be cured of one difficulty, you will only replace it with another as long as your beliefs cause you to have physical problems....'The healing energy [is] always within you.

A review of scientific studies identified relaxation, concentration, an altered state of awareness, a suspension of logical thought and the maintenance of a self-observing attitude as the behavioral components of meditation; it is accompanied by a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body that alter metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry. Meditation has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction. Meditation has also been studied specifically for its effects on stress.

Studies have shown that meditation can bring about a healthy state of relaxation by causing a generalized reduction in multiple physiological and biochemical markers, such as decreased heart rate, decreased respiration rate, decreased plasma cortisol (a major stress hormone), decreased pulse rate, and increased EEG (electroencephalogram) alpha, a brain wave associated with relaxation. Research conducted by R. Keith Wallace at U.C.L.A. on Transcendental Meditation, revealed that during meditation, the body gains a state of profound rest. At the same time, the brain and mind become more alert, indicating a state of restful alertness. Studies show that after TM, reactions are faster, creativity greater, and comprehension broader.

Research has also shown that Meditation can contribute to an individual's psychological and physiological well-being. This is accomplished as Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes the healing state.

Physical Benefits

• Deep rest-as measured by decreased metabolic rate, lower heart rate, and reduced work load of the heart.
• Lowered levels of cortisol and lactate-two chemicals associated with stress.
• Decreased high blood pressure.
• Low skin resistance is correlated with higher stress and anxiety levels.
• Drop in cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular disease.
• Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing. This has been very helpful to asthma patients.

 Psychological Benefits

• Increased brain wave coherence. Harmony of brain wave activity in different parts of the brain is associated with greater creativity, improved moral reasoning, and higher IQ.
• Decreased anxiety.
• Decreased depression.
• Decreased irritability and moodiness.
• Improved learning ability and memory.
• Increased self-actualization.
• Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
• Increased happiness.
• Increased emotional stability

Meditation is a multidimensional phenomenon that may be useful in a variety of ways. First, meditation is associated with states of physiological relaxation that can be utilized to alleviate stress, anxiety, and other physical symptoms. Secondly, meditation brings about cognitive shifts that can be applied to behavioural self-observation and management, and to understanding limiting or self-destructive cognitive patterns.

Meditation may also permit deepened access to the unconscious. Meditation techniques help us to focus attention on the manner in which unconscious conflicts are being processed and recreated in the mind on a moment-to-moment basis. Thus, it offers the possibility of not just understanding such conflicts conceptually, but of actually penetrating and gradually dismantling them through meditative insight

Out of knowledge of the contents of your own conscious mind by using meditation, you can definitely start to use your mind to be more aware of stresses on your body and move toward a place of healing.

Canada withdraws from desertification convention some facts

An official with the Canadian International Development Agency, which oversees the disbursal of Canadian foreign aid, said the desertification convention committed too much time to meetings and too little to funding on-the-ground development work.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/03/28/canada_saw_bureaucracy_and_inefficiency_in_un_convention_on_deserts.html

So lets look at the governments use of doublespeak to lie to the Canadian people: First, actual Figures from the Programme budget for the biennium 2012–2013 show that support costs (following United Nations rules) are only 13% of overall budget

Source: (http://www.unccd.int/Lists/OfficialDocuments/cop10/7eng.pdf )

In accordance with the financial rules of the COP and standard practice of the

United Nations, a rate of 13 per cent is charged to all trust funds for programme support services, or overheads. These support services are mostly used to cover the costs of administrative support staff and secretariat staff costs at the United Nations liaison office in New York. Table 5 indicates the estimated human and financial resource requirements for the next biennium, which are contingent upon associated income to the special account.

Our government claims to be a supporter of results based budgeting but what do they do when they are faced with results they do not agree with or support, they deny they exist and then shoot the messenger. The notes I found online show how the  budget for this Convention was built using results based budgeting. The doublespeak used by our government shows how little they think of the environment and climate change and also shows the low level of thinking of our government.  The source for the notes of interest are:

Source: http://www.unccd.int/Lists/OfficialDocuments/cop9/5eng.pdf

1. In decision 3/COP.8, Parties stated that planning and budget cycles would involve the drafting of multi-year (four-year) workplans for CRIC, CST, GM and the secretariat according to results-based management (RBM) principles.
2. Results-based budgeting (RBB) may be regarded as the operational and financial dimension of results-based management. It links the programme delivery with resource availability, and provides a framework for credible performance evaluation at the end of a budget period. The essence of RBM is to ensure that priorities are identified, and then funded
3. The RBM planning documents are the basis of the budget. The multi-year workplans of  CST, CRIC, GM and the secretariat present the strategic orientation of work to be carried out, which is complemented by the corresponding two-year costed work programmes that detail the programme delivery and related costs.

Another document from the UN (http://www.unccd.int/Lists/OfficialDocuments/cop9/6eng.pdf ) shows what some of the results  of the programme have been over the last few years but according to our government “As part of our efforts to improve the effectiveness of Canada’s assistance, we are focusing Canadian tax dollars where they can provide real results,” CIDA Minister Julian Fantino said in a statement.

The desertification conference spent about 75 per cent of its estimated $15 million budget on salaries, consultants, conferences and internal office expenses, and about 18 per cent on development programs, a CIDA official told The Star.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/03/28/canada_saw_bureaucracy_and_inefficiency_in_un_convention_on_deserts.html

So what have been the results so far according to the United Nations (If you click on the source you will see about 30 pages of results, I have only pulled a few out for consideration.) 

The government of Canada does not appear to believe that Advocacy, awareness-raising and education are important, as these rely on Scientific discussion and research. In Canada, our government muzzles our scientists and does not believe (by its actions such as calling environmentalists enemies of Canada) in Climate change:

Sub programme 1 – Advocacy, awareness-raising and education Outcome area:

UNCCD website visits have risen from an average 8,000 per month in 2007 to around

20,000 per month in 2009, which confirms an increased use of information provided by the secretariat. Key factors in the secretariat’s enhanced information delivery have been various outreach activities, targeted events such as the Land Day in June 2009, and frequent website updates. It may also be noted that observance of the 17 June World Day to Combat Desertification seems to show a steady increase; 20 countries reported on events organized in 2008, while for 2009 the number is close to 30.6

The secretariat organised or co-organized over 30 side events and exhibitions in 2008,

which is more than twice the number of corresponding events held in 2007. In 2009, by the end of June over 20 events had already been organized.

In line with decision 3/COP.8, the secretariat coordinated the development and implementation of a comprehensive communication strategy with a set of core communications objectives and expected results, which is presented to COP 9. In the immediate future, the secretariat will continue strengthening its awareness-raising functions through the implementation of this strategy, further development of the website, and increased coverage, targeting and volume of outreach and related material.

Another method of fostering attention and increasing press coverage will be the involvement of “goodwill ambassadors,” that is, well-known personalities who will help to raise awareness of DLDD issues and participate in related events. Main challenges to carrying out awareness-raising functions concern the availability of in-house capacity and the necessary partnerships and resources.

Outcome area: DLDD issues are addressed in relevant international forums, including those pertaining to agricultural trade, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, rural development, sustainable development and poverty reduction.

The importance of DLDD issues was included in the reports and resolutions of several international and regional conferences and forums addressed by the secretariat, including among others the 16th and 17th sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development, the Third World Water Forum, the International Conference on Sustainable Development and MultiSectoral Approaches, the Conference of African Ministers of Environment, the 2009 Water Africa Conference, and the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development.

The input of the secretariat to these and many other conferences and forums took various forms,  such as high-level representation (keynote speeches, moderation of sessions, panel membership and statements), participation in and provision of information to meetings and preparatory processes, the organization of side events and exhibitions, and delivery of UNCCD outreach material.

Outcome areas: Affected country Parties revise their NAPs [national action programmes] into strategic documents supported by biophysical and socio-economic baseline information and include them in integrated investment frameworks.

Affected country Parties integrate their NAPs and SLM and land degradation issues into development planning and relevant sectoral and investment plans and policies.

In order to support affected country Parties in aligning their action programmes with The Strategy, the secretariat drafted a roadmap and initiated consultations with the GM on

possible approaches to the alignment, with the aim of addressing the matter through the JWP. Within this framework, the secretariat commissioned consultancy services to draft guidelines on the alignment, and organized eight subregional workshops and an inter-agency meeting to discuss the draft guidelines. These guidelines seek to provide a basis for coherent action among Parties on the matter.

The draft guidelines describe the alignment process as an exercise in improving the quality of national, subregional and regional action programmes, as well as the conditions and modalities of their implementation, in order to achieve the vision described in The Strategy. The main objectives of the alignment process would be:

(a) To institutionalize multi-sectoral, participatory and decentralized planning of DLDD and SLM matters;

(b) To turn the action programmes into strategic documents that are mainstreamed with national and sectoral planning;

(c) To create enabling scientific, policy, legislative and investment environments and instruments which promote and support sustainable management of land resources.

 Source: http://www.unccd.int/Lists/OfficialDocuments/cop9/6eng.pdf

So what is the Convention planning to spend its money on next year. Well here is the actual Budget for your consideration.

Source: http://www.unccd.int/Lists/OfficialDocuments/cop10/7eng.pdf

A. Secretariat

Advocacy, awareness-raising and education                    1 443 500

Policy framework                                                                  1 401 200

Science, technology and knowledge                                  2 300 900

Capacity-building                                                                     707 300

Financing and technology transfer                             355 100

B. Management support                                          

Executive direction and management                                2 410 000

Conference services                                                                811 750

Administration and finance services                                   2 292 075

Subtotal secretariat                                                              11 721 825

C. Committee on Science and Technology                              76 000

D. Committee for the Review of the Implementation

of the Convention                                                                          76 000

E. Global Mechanism

Advocacy, awareness-raising and education                          693 229

Policy framework                                                                        525 754

F. Management support

Financing and technology transfer                            1 756 383

Subtotal Global Mechanism                                                    4 131 716

G. Programme support costs (13%)                                      2 080 720

H. Working capital reserve                                            (153 274)

TOTAL (A–H)                                                                          17 932 987

Canada committed $315,000 to the desertification conference’s budget this year, down from $350,000 in 2012. 

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/03/28/canada_saw_bureaucracy_and_inefficiency_in_un_convention_on_deserts.html

So the funding Canada gives may not be missed, but the shame of it is that Canada’s reputation on the world stage suffers another blow from these right wing bigots who control Canada. 

I am sad to say that by 2015 Canadians will not be proud of their country, thanks to Steven Harper unless we put pressure on his government to act in a responsible manner.

Bright Ideas Come To Us At Night, Not In Office Hours

By: Colin Fernandez / Source: Couriermail.com.au

EARLY to bed, early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy and wise, so goes the old proverb. But it seems the advice holds little truth.

Research now suggests that if you want to be the wisest, you really need to stay up – well, until 10.04 pm at least.

This is supposedly the best time for a eureka moment, according to research.

And around a quarter of us feel we formulate our most cunning plans when we are burning the midnight oil, a survey of 1,426 adults found.

By contrast, despite what many managers may believe, daytime in the office is not conducive to blue-sky thinking.

The afternoon, when most people are at work, is when an overwhelming 98 per cent of those polled say they feel most “uninspired”.

The creativity drought just gets worse over the nine-to-five working day, hitting rock bottom at 4.33pm.

When asked about methods they use to get their creative juices flowing, 44 per cent said they took a shower.

Unfortunately for mankind, even when we do get a stroke of genius, more than half of our ideas are lost for ever.

When inspiration strikes, 58 per cent of us fail to write the idea down immediately and forget it, according to the poll conducted by hotel chain Crowne Plaza. Women were better than men at jotting down their best ideas for posterity.

A third of over-35s chose to scribble the thought on the back of their hand, perhaps having learnt from experience how forgetful they are.

The findings echo an Italian study in 2006 that found those who stay up late have the most original ideas.

Night owls came up with the most creative thoughts – perhaps because they are more likely to be unconventional and bohemian than early birds – according to the research by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan.

Perhaps creative types have a good reason to stay up.

Research in February 2006 showed creative types such as artists and poets hook up with two or three times as many sex partners as other people throughout their life.

A UK study by Newcastle University of 425 men and women found the creative types averaged between four and 10 partners, while the less creative folks had typically had three.