Today's DailyOM Offerings...
June 4, 2010
Euphoria
Jonathan Still
2009
Coming from a musical family, Jonathan Still has been exposed to the piano from his time in the womb. It wasn’t until the age of seven that he began playing piano competitively, but he continued to play over the next decade. Approaching college age, Still became fascinated by the guitar, and eventually studied classical guitar at the University of North Texas. Upon graduation, Still became a composer for film, TV and ads, but it wasn’t until 2001 that he released his first full instrumental album, which received worldwide critical acclaim and launched his career as a solo musician.
Still’s most recent album Euphoria builds on the foundation of his prior two albums, skillfully using subtle vocals, thematic passages, intricate percussion, and complex meters. As the title implies, the album is a journey to euphoria through sound, with each song being a step on this well thought out path with fascinating turns. The album begins with “Discovering the Euphoric Mind (Chittananda)” which uses deep rumbling, guttural vocals, which have an oddly soothing effect, as well as gorgeous ethereal flutes, and a building percussion that resonates in a tribal space. The general cerebral nature of the track provides the first step in the listener’s venture into euphoria.
The journey to euphoria is a trek, complete with the need for rest and then the feeling of rejuvenation afterwards. Songs like “Pristine Morning” truly embody the sense of rejuvenation, with flutes that emulate the sounds of bird chirping and emotive strings, creating calming circles of sound that call to mind a sun-drenched morning ripe with positivity and freshness. The album finishes with “The Collective Rebirth” a song that sums up the finale of a journey to euphoria. It begins with keyboards and acoustic guitars, while soft tablas propel the melody into lush, sweeping crescendos of string and acoustic guitars for a song that exemplifies a rebirth into joy.
June 4, 2010
Heart at Home
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
Irritable feelings could plague you today. Intense reactions to issues involving loved ones may cause you to feel tense and angry, unless you can find an effective outlet for your emotions. You may find that you can effectively channel and diffuse your feelings through activities that beautify or improve your home. Housework or home repairs, especially that are those repetitive and simple in nature, may dispel negative emotions. If you can clear your home of unnecessary objects and old furnishings today, you may feel that your soul has been cleansed of baggage. Moving objects in your home moves energy in the space. Because your personal space is a reflection of your being, making changes in your space will inevitably instigate changes within you.
Because we are so intimately connected to our homes, improving and beautifying our personal spaces can often have a wonderfully uplifting effect on our spirits. It is not uncommon for an individual’s home to mirror the state of their thoughts, feelings, and life goals. The bond that exists between a person and their home creates a link through which energy is passed. When you cleanse and declutter your home, your patterns of thought also become organized and clear. During challenging times, making home improvements can make you feel stronger and more capable. You will also be able to think more clearly. Improve your home today, and you will feel renewed.
June 4, 2010
As the Earth Allows the Rain
Sitting With Feelings
Sitting with our feelings is the best thing we can do for ourselves rather than stuffing them deep inside.
It can take great courage to really sit with our feelings, allowing ourselves to surrender to their powerful energies. All too often we set our feelings aside, thinking we will deal with them later. If we don’t deal with them, we end up storing them in our minds and bodies and this is when anxiety and other health issues can arise. Denying what our bodies want to feel can lead to trouble now or down the line, which is why being in the thick of our feelings, no matter how scary it seems, is really the best thing we can do for ourselves.
One of the reasons we tend to hide or push aside our feelings is that we live in a culture that has not traditionally supported emotional awareness. However, as the connection between mind and body--our emotions and our physical health-- becomes clearer, awareness of the importance of feeling our feelings has grown. There are many books, classes, workshops and retreats that can help us on our way to emotional intelligence. We can also trust in our own ability to process what comes up when it comes up. If sadness arises, we can notice its presence and welcome it, noting where in our bodies we feel it, and allowing ourselves to express it through tears or a quiet turning inward.
When we simply allow ourselves to fully feel our feelings as they come, we tend to let them go easily. This is all we are required to do; our feelings simply want to be felt. We often complicate the situation by applying mental energy in the form of analysis, when all we really need is to allow, as the earth allows the rain to fall upon it. As the rain falls, the earth responds in a multitude of ways, sometimes emptying out to form a great canyon, sometimes soaking it up to nourish an infinitude of plants. In the same way, the deeper purpose of our feelings is to transform the terrain of our inner world, sometimes creating space for more feelings to flow, sometimes providing sustenance for growth. All we need to do is allow the process by relaxing, opening, and receiving the bounty of our emotions.
June 4, 2010
Tea Reading Cup, Healing the Heart, The Field
Gift of the Week
Tea Reading Cup - The charming skill known as tasseography is the art of divination by tea leaves or coffee grounds. Reading tea leaves is a traditional divination method passed on through generations. Our Tea Reading Cup reveals the secrets of this ancient method, allowing you to make predictions for yourself and your friends.
View Tea Reading Cup
Healing the Heart(CD) - Anando, whose name aptly translates to mean bliss in Sanskrit, uses her tranquil voice to guide the listener through a healing visualization. Friendly and warm, her voice sounds like the ideal combination of friend, teacher, and mother. Rather than deal with forgiveness, Anando deals only with the repercussions of personal pain and how to heal from the inside out, to carry on best in day-to-day life.
Listen To Sound Clips
The Field (book) - McTaggart, an investigative journalist, describes scientific discoveries that she believes point to a unifying concept of the universe, one that reconciles mind with matter, classic Newtonian science with quantum physics and, most importantly, science with religion. At issue is the zero point field, the so-called "dead space" of microscopic vibrations in outer space as well as within and between physical objects on earth.
Read Excerpt
For more information visit DailyOM Gift Shop
Euphoria
Jonathan Still
2009
Coming from a musical family, Jonathan Still has been exposed to the piano from his time in the womb. It wasn’t until the age of seven that he began playing piano competitively, but he continued to play over the next decade. Approaching college age, Still became fascinated by the guitar, and eventually studied classical guitar at the University of North Texas. Upon graduation, Still became a composer for film, TV and ads, but it wasn’t until 2001 that he released his first full instrumental album, which received worldwide critical acclaim and launched his career as a solo musician.
Still’s most recent album Euphoria builds on the foundation of his prior two albums, skillfully using subtle vocals, thematic passages, intricate percussion, and complex meters. As the title implies, the album is a journey to euphoria through sound, with each song being a step on this well thought out path with fascinating turns. The album begins with “Discovering the Euphoric Mind (Chittananda)” which uses deep rumbling, guttural vocals, which have an oddly soothing effect, as well as gorgeous ethereal flutes, and a building percussion that resonates in a tribal space. The general cerebral nature of the track provides the first step in the listener’s venture into euphoria.
The journey to euphoria is a trek, complete with the need for rest and then the feeling of rejuvenation afterwards. Songs like “Pristine Morning” truly embody the sense of rejuvenation, with flutes that emulate the sounds of bird chirping and emotive strings, creating calming circles of sound that call to mind a sun-drenched morning ripe with positivity and freshness. The album finishes with “The Collective Rebirth” a song that sums up the finale of a journey to euphoria. It begins with keyboards and acoustic guitars, while soft tablas propel the melody into lush, sweeping crescendos of string and acoustic guitars for a song that exemplifies a rebirth into joy.
June 4, 2010
Heart at Home
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
Irritable feelings could plague you today. Intense reactions to issues involving loved ones may cause you to feel tense and angry, unless you can find an effective outlet for your emotions. You may find that you can effectively channel and diffuse your feelings through activities that beautify or improve your home. Housework or home repairs, especially that are those repetitive and simple in nature, may dispel negative emotions. If you can clear your home of unnecessary objects and old furnishings today, you may feel that your soul has been cleansed of baggage. Moving objects in your home moves energy in the space. Because your personal space is a reflection of your being, making changes in your space will inevitably instigate changes within you.
Because we are so intimately connected to our homes, improving and beautifying our personal spaces can often have a wonderfully uplifting effect on our spirits. It is not uncommon for an individual’s home to mirror the state of their thoughts, feelings, and life goals. The bond that exists between a person and their home creates a link through which energy is passed. When you cleanse and declutter your home, your patterns of thought also become organized and clear. During challenging times, making home improvements can make you feel stronger and more capable. You will also be able to think more clearly. Improve your home today, and you will feel renewed.
June 4, 2010
As the Earth Allows the Rain
Sitting With Feelings
Sitting with our feelings is the best thing we can do for ourselves rather than stuffing them deep inside.
It can take great courage to really sit with our feelings, allowing ourselves to surrender to their powerful energies. All too often we set our feelings aside, thinking we will deal with them later. If we don’t deal with them, we end up storing them in our minds and bodies and this is when anxiety and other health issues can arise. Denying what our bodies want to feel can lead to trouble now or down the line, which is why being in the thick of our feelings, no matter how scary it seems, is really the best thing we can do for ourselves.
One of the reasons we tend to hide or push aside our feelings is that we live in a culture that has not traditionally supported emotional awareness. However, as the connection between mind and body--our emotions and our physical health-- becomes clearer, awareness of the importance of feeling our feelings has grown. There are many books, classes, workshops and retreats that can help us on our way to emotional intelligence. We can also trust in our own ability to process what comes up when it comes up. If sadness arises, we can notice its presence and welcome it, noting where in our bodies we feel it, and allowing ourselves to express it through tears or a quiet turning inward.
When we simply allow ourselves to fully feel our feelings as they come, we tend to let them go easily. This is all we are required to do; our feelings simply want to be felt. We often complicate the situation by applying mental energy in the form of analysis, when all we really need is to allow, as the earth allows the rain to fall upon it. As the rain falls, the earth responds in a multitude of ways, sometimes emptying out to form a great canyon, sometimes soaking it up to nourish an infinitude of plants. In the same way, the deeper purpose of our feelings is to transform the terrain of our inner world, sometimes creating space for more feelings to flow, sometimes providing sustenance for growth. All we need to do is allow the process by relaxing, opening, and receiving the bounty of our emotions.
June 4, 2010
Tea Reading Cup, Healing the Heart, The Field
Gift of the Week
Tea Reading Cup - The charming skill known as tasseography is the art of divination by tea leaves or coffee grounds. Reading tea leaves is a traditional divination method passed on through generations. Our Tea Reading Cup reveals the secrets of this ancient method, allowing you to make predictions for yourself and your friends.
View Tea Reading Cup
Healing the Heart(CD) - Anando, whose name aptly translates to mean bliss in Sanskrit, uses her tranquil voice to guide the listener through a healing visualization. Friendly and warm, her voice sounds like the ideal combination of friend, teacher, and mother. Rather than deal with forgiveness, Anando deals only with the repercussions of personal pain and how to heal from the inside out, to carry on best in day-to-day life.
Listen To Sound Clips
The Field (book) - McTaggart, an investigative journalist, describes scientific discoveries that she believes point to a unifying concept of the universe, one that reconciles mind with matter, classic Newtonian science with quantum physics and, most importantly, science with religion. At issue is the zero point field, the so-called "dead space" of microscopic vibrations in outer space as well as within and between physical objects on earth.
Read Excerpt
For more information visit DailyOM Gift Shop