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Watch Mother Meera's 23 Dec 2016 Mother Meera Meditation starting 6 pm UTC on Livestream.com. "The whole purpose of my work is in the calling down of the Paramatman Light and in helping people. For this I came – to open your hearts to the Light." Mother Meera is widely regarded as an embodiment of the Divine Mother on earth. She gives Darshan, a silent bestowal of Love, Light and Grace, by touch and glance. Mother was born in 1960 in southern India. Today She lives in Germany. If you want to know more about Mother Meera or want to book a personal Darshan please go to: http://www.mothermeera.com *** The Mother Meera Foundation Germany (Mutter Meera Stiftung) is a non-profit organisation to support Mother’s activities of giving free Darshan throughout the world, and running a school in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, India. The school including the kindergarten has over a thousand students. *** If you want to support the school with a donation, please use the "Donate" button on this web page or send an email to [email protected] *** This video shows the Meditation with Mother Meera. Mother will sit in silence with us for about 30 minutes. *** In our new Mother Meera Shop http://www.mothermeera.biz you find Mother Meera Books, Fotos, CD-Album, Calendar 2017-2018, Incense, Japa Malas, etc.

"The whole purpose of my work is in the calling down of the Paramatman Light and in helping people. For this I came – to open your hearts to the Light." Mother Meera is widely regarded as an embodiment of the Divine Mother on earth. She gives Darshan, a silent bestowal of Love, Light and Grace, by touch and glance. Mother was born in 1960 in southern India. Today She lives in Germany. If you want to know more about Mother Meera or want to book a personal Darshan please go to: http://www.mothermeera.com *** The Mother Meera Foundation Germany (Mutter Meera Stiftung) is a non-profit organisation to support Mother’s activities of giving free Darshan throughout the world, and running a school in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, India. The school including the kindergarten has over a thousand students. *** If you want to support the school with a donation, please use the "Donate" button on this web page or send an email to [email protected] *** This video shows the Meditation with Mother Meera. Mother will sit in silence with us for about 30 minutes. *** In our new Mother Meera Shop http://www.mothermeera.biz you find Mother Meera Books, Fotos, CD-Album, Calendar 2017-2018, Incense, Japa Malas, etc.

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Public Speaking

Speaking in public is very similar to doing a bungee jump. The few agonising slow minutes and torturous seconds before that leap into the unknown, can for some be exhilarating producing an intense adrenaline rush that some people find pleasurable. They feel incredibly alive before, during and after the whole experience, thriving on this excitement.

Yet at the other end of the scale nervousness, fear escalating into anxiety which in turn can manifest into blind terror and panic. Unfortunately in the past, this writer fell into the latter category.

Suffering, a full blown attack of nerves and stage fright, whilst presenting a simple 10 minute grammar class to fulfil requirements for gaining a teaching English (TEFL) certificate, is testimony to my clear understanding of the fear of Public speaking. The simplest delivery of words became frustratingly stubborn. They stuttered, staggered and stumbled out of my trembling ‘Gob.’ “They were tongue tied and twisted “upside down and back to front.

Anxiety was clearly palpable on my face, body language and presenting the material suffered greatly as a result. One saving grace was the exercise was completed however disastrously. It put a ‘dent’ in confidence and I resolved to somehow manage that fear of speaking. It was highly embarrassing and that terrible experience would eventually prove to be an invaluable lesson.

Having a new found respect for people who speak or perform in any public capacity, I have tried to observe and become aware of any helpful techniques they use.

I discovered that there is a lot more to it than standing in front of the class and pressing the play button. Preparation is key. A huge amount of planning is often required. Developing a set of tools to help manage stress is paramount. Simply checking your breath works wonders. Being comfortable with technology (PowerPoint slides) can add confidence prior to speaking. A thorough knowledge of the subject matter and a genuine interest in it are a powerful combination. Humor can help break the ice. Involving the audience by asking questions works well. Mixing up vocabulary, cadence and pitch can help liven any speech up. Having a polite but assertive tone adds credibility.

Having recently had the opportunity of making a five minute presentation, nervously standing in front of my fellow D.I.T AFP students, that very same anxiety based adrenaline rush has morphed into a pleasurable experience. At each opportunity I get to present in public I have made a conscious decision to ‘embrace it and grasp it with both hands’. In my view it is the only way to finally put to rest, and manage my fear of speaking in public.

Writers Block

Writers block can often rear its ugly head at the most inconvenient time. Having that literary curse whilst racing against the clock, intensifies the dreaded paralysing feeling of blankly staring at empty pages. Recently during exams, an essay style question had me quite literally on my knees with frustration. Having ample time to prepare I still had to deal with a brain that failed to function and a pen that obstinately refused to write. At the end of the exam I was having a tug of war with the examining invigilator pleading with her for just a few minutes more.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and it was thirteen long torturous minutes into the exam before I recalled the Lecturers advice to quickly write out the bones of the subject and then flesh it out. It completely silenced that inner critic with its debilitating mantra of “I can’t Write essays.” Like magic it did seem to work.

It was extremely helpful to write down ideas without worrying about spelling, grammar, punctuation or syntax. It kick-started that reluctant and resistant writing hand into action. Once moving the pen gathered momentum and one idea or concept started to flow into the next. Carefree “Brain Storming” can also have the desired effect in providing good ideas.

After that torturous experience of having to write three, three page essays in the space of two hours I decided there and then to have a set tools to battle writers block. Forcing it doesn’t work. Simply going for a walk and changing the environment can help eliminate distractions and fuel the brain with much need oxygen. Read, read and reading some more helps with vocabulary, structure, and can help with generating ideas. Brainstorming thoughts and listing them in easy to review bullet points helps in making them easily accessible. Listening to mood altering music works wonders to “pop” ideas into existence. Using emotions both positive and negative can provide inspiration for interesting content that the reader can identify with.

Like all muscles both the mind and the penmanship need regular exercise so developing a disciplined routine pays dividends in battling creative constipation. Finally just taking a step back chilling out and relaxing and hey presto a Eureka moment often pops into existence, although I could argue what constitutes an original idea. Looking forward to trying create just one original idea.

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My Refined Sugary Friends

Without fail every morning a double Cup of Coffee is religiously devoured, devilishly laced with 5 sugars, it serves to wash down an ultra rich sticky chocolate muffin groaning under the weight of at least a thousand calories. Aoife and Debbie are there to administer regular doses to this chronic sugar addicts daily thirst and hunger for all things sweet.

Impatiently waiting in line , I flash a grimacing smile to the patient ladies , whilst murmuring “take your time but hurry up”. Licking my lips and repeatedly gulping as my sugar fix time draws near. Twenty minutes of sky high flying on that sweet sweet rush of sugary bliss, is routinely followed by an abrupt, sharp, rapid decelerating mood altering, terrifying free- fall descent into tiredness,teeth grinding gnashing headaches and twitchy- jittery uneasy grouchiness.

Days earlier my dentist was strongly lecturing me upon the perils of sugar and like all addicts I lied through my disintegrating teeth whilst replying “ yes sir that stuff is a silent deadly refined killer”. I proceeded to ‘regurgitate’ snippets of information gleaned from an healthy living and eating lecture delivered by an infamous cigarette ‘toking’ Lecturer in the hallowed classrooms of DIT Mountjoy. My dentist laughed, as I eloquently listed the dangers of sugar such as heart disease diabetes and stroke, as he took one cursory glance inside my enamel emaciated mouth. I am sure his drill went a tad deeper as his laughing “sniggering” condemnation made its nerve wrecking point.

On a more serious note sugar, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, sickness and death have long since reached epidemic proportions in every western country and it is spreading to Asian Countries. No longer do I need to look to the USA to witness obese people devouring epic mountainous portions of all things sweet. The rate of knots that my rapidly bulging “Homer Simpson”expanding stomach is testimony to the fact that I too have become a slave to all things sweet. Like smoking each hit of a dose of sugar simply sets me up for the endless cycle of yet another fix. The ludicrous thing is that I cannot claim ignorance of the facts, or lack of affordable healthy choices. I must try decline my refined sweet comforting fattening old friend. Tomorrow Tomorrow I will gladly begin my sugar divorced life Tomorrow, i delude myself whilst munching down double chocolate chip cookies.

A little step back towards Faith

My brain was struggling with trying to absorb ‘a million and one’ facts,figures,equations, diagrams essays,and vital bits of exam passing information.The list was simply exhausting,when out of the blue an inspiration or feeling whispered “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”. The split second I entertained that notion, acknowledged it and accepted it, all the self imposed worry, stress and fear over exams, assessments and grades miraculously instantly evaporated and disappeared. It was truly a miracle as my brain was beginning to shut down with the overload of my unrealistic academic expectations.

Simply taking a step back from studies and resting in the natural great peace of that simple intuition allowed my aching brain to rest,reset, revive and become extremely focused. The miracle this tortured stressed out mind received, stemmed I believe from the intercession of Venerable Father John Sullivan, a dead Jesuit Priest whose remains rest in Gardiner Street Church.

Previously as an assignment I had attempted a biography on his life and became enthralled and absorbed by his faith and devotion. He walked away from an upper class, aristocratic ,affluent, white, Anglo, Saxon, Protestant, lifestyle, to become a Catholic Priest living frugally on the bare necessities. He was remarkable because he was in constant communion with some form of a higher power that one may call God, and his unassuming ability to be instrumental in inexplicable physical and mental recoveries of people suffering from life threatening diseases. His involvement in miracles was not confined to isolated cases here and there, but after his death thousands of people testified to how ‘miracles signs and wonders’ manifested through his intersessions, and even to this day the inexplicable continues. He will be made a Saint before my days are long gone.

At times when the pressure stress and demands of study and life in general begin to take their toll, it pays to take a step back to relax and let the brain cells calmly rest and settle in natural great peace. For me that peace was thinking about A God or a creator using Father John Sullivan as my intercessor. As a result I received my miracle by passing my semester exams with first class honors in every subject and generating huge amounts of energy was a surprise by product of having just a little faith.

The Breezes At Dawn

“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you Don't go back to sleep! You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep! People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch, The door is round and open Don't go back to sleep!”― Rumi

The C.A.O Application Process

The Central Application Process (C.A.O) are responsible for accepting and fairly processing applications from all prospective students for further study in Higher education Institutions e.g. Universities ,D.I.TS, and other third level institutions.

Thank God I was blessed to get a place on D.I.T S Foundation Access Programme (F.A.O) as my C.A.O application will not be the nightmare suffered by many leaving Cert students. They have the unenviable task of trying to figure out what Degrees they wish to pursue and also achieving the adequate points in order to be accepted by the various (H.E.I).F.A.O Students are entered into the first round of picks for each undergraduate programme.We F.A.O students have also spent a year literally training in how to be a successful university student.

I have been very fortunate in attending a 2 hour lecture solely based around the C.A.O application process. All the decisions in accepting students onto undergraduate programmes are made by each of the individual H.E.I.

It is important for myself and fellow students to start focussing the mind around exactly what course programme i wish to follow. Just registering for a C.A.O at this time (Dec 2015) will save a student 15 euro. The charge after Jan 20th is 40 euro as opposed the 25 euro.

The closing date for applications. is 17.15 Feb 1st

I found a key point to note is now is the time to be doing serious research with regards interviewing current students and lecturers on the degree programmes I wish to consider. Now is the time to be populating my preferences both the level 6/7 and level 8 programmes. At this time many lecturers have time to discuss various points about the course etc.. They are two separate applications. Completing the facilitated entry forms for D.I.T. is also a prerequisite for application for F.A.O students.

The C.A.O application process has been simplified by the D.I.T lecturing and coordinating staff. A survey was sent to all students requesting them to fill in their preferences. It helps the co-coordinating staff prepare and also helps the student focus their minds on strategically filling out the C.A.O FORM.

Locus of Control

Taking positive steps in trying to develop myself by returning to education as a mature student with DIT is in my view exercising some level of internal control. I decided after countless days weeks and months of deliberations that further Education is needed for me to grow in terms of personal development and acquiring new skills. I filled out the application form wrote an essay and a personal statement and attended an interview. I had active participation and to some extent controlled the outcome. This would be termed acting upon internal locust of control.

However being offered a place on the course involved a number of factors that were way beyond my control. Different people and criteria were involved in my ultimately being offered a place on this course. Many people beyond my knowledge were involved in this course being available in the first place. The funding organisation and logistics involved in organising a course of this magnitude are factors well outside of my control. These factors are outside of my control.

Attitude in my opinion affects both internal and external locusts of control. For example when it is pointed out the level of work, money and manpower that goes into providing the Access Foundation Programme it has given a great sense of gratitude and as a result I have applied myself to the course. With regards to the external locust of control because I have an “attitude of gratitude” from being on the course my fellow students and lecturers are more engaging. I really believe that my attitude affects both internal and external locust of control.

Intelligence

Intelligence the stuff that genius are made of. It is interesting to note that some of the most academically brilliant people in the world can be extremely uncomfortable in social settings. Therefore there are a lot more facets to intelligence than ‘ Vomiting’ up information that has been crammed unwillingly into a reluctant students head.

Is emotional intelligence more important than academic intelligence in order to grow prosper and be happy in modern day society? Should social skills be part of the curriculum in schools. There is a professor in Harvard by the name of Howard Gardiner who suggests that there are eight basic intelligences.

In my day at school great emphasis was placed on the three r’s, reading writing and arithmetic. However Gardiner in his book ‘Frames of mind’ states that eight intelligences range from verbal ,logical, visual to interpersonal and intra-personal skills. Of particular interest to me are the intra personal intelligences. Knowing who we are ,why we are here and “developing an accurate perception of ourselves” is an awareness that in my opinion many people could cultivate to help plot there lives in a more meaningful positive way.

Many people would answer that they simply want to be happy in life therefore I believe that interpersonal intelligence is right up there in importance. One could have oodles of brains yet be unable to communicate or interact in a social setting. We are gregarious by nature so I think countries like Sweden have the right idea by allowing children to develop intelligences like interpersonal skills (playtime) up until the age of 9, before there heads are crammed with the proverbial irrelevant ‘vomit’ that is later expected to be regurgitated at exam time.

Brain Mind Body (BMB)

Keeping the Brain Mind and Body happy content and balanced is not an easy task in our modern day society full of fast processed toxic food and the relentless onslaught of technology with its mind numbing media and brain washing advertising. It is hard to keep up with the pace of change with all the latest newfangled gadgets and gizmos. There are a few tried and tested simple steps that will go along way to keeping our grey matter and bodies feeling happy energetic and alive.

Yes you guessed it Diet Sleep Meditation and Exercise are major players in keeping our human bodies and Brains in tip top working order.Sleep is crucially important to maintaining a healthy brain and indeed a good memory. Missing sleep is a dangerous game for students wishing to pass tests. Sleep time is actually a very very very busy time for our brains. The hippo- campus is fed electrical impulses through the brain stem and those impulses are bounced to the Thalmus and Cortex.Simply put information is been been bounced from these different parts of the brain serving as relay stations for memory formation. There are 4 stages to sleep. Stages 1 and 2 where we drift off to never never land are then followed by stages 3 and 4 where the real action takes place.

Procedural information (eg how to ride a bike,drive a car,brush your teeth etc ) is filed during rapid eye movement sleep (Rem). The stage before is where declarative information is eventually stored in the cortex after it has been passed back and forward from the anterior part of the Hippo campus. This is the information that students try to draw upon during their exams.

Exercise and meditation have had many research tests completed at top Universities like Harvard and Yale. In Yale university they claim that meditation can actually train your brain to block out stressful situations from the past and Harvard University goes one step further alleging that daily meditation can actually grow your grey matter in areas of the brain linked with self awareness and shrink areas of the brain linked with stress.Next time you consider missing sleep think twice. Your 80 billion plus brain cells will not thank you for it.

Just to throw a ‘spanner in the works’ the same Buddhist monks who have mastered and excelled in meditation practices have argued that we are not our bodies,not our minds ,not our brains and not our thoughts or memories. If their claims are true I often wonder what and who we really are.

Time Management

“Time waits for no man” or woman.!!!!!! Recently I am finding out the hard way that my time management skills really could do with a tune up. Waking up at 7am as October grows cold is a war. Falling out of bed to make a coffee,freezing feet and other extremities off while the kettle boils and deciding to pop back into bed for just another 5 minutes is a bad bad very bad idea.

The next 15 minutes are pure torture. A battle between “duty versus inclination”. The desire to just pull up the warm duvet and return to dreamland can be overwhelming particularly when I have a 15 kilometer cycle ahead of me. Is it raining? Is it windy? My god its freezing cold,lashing rain, and the dreaded wind is baring its vicious teeth once more.

I could do with being a little bit better prepared. Check the weather forecast Have the rain gear ready,get the bag packed with following days subject materials. Have the lunch made and ready to go. Common sense and a little cop on would save me at least 20 minutes. There is no harm in every once in a while taking the bus. Its possible I could get an hours worth of study or reading done. Or is it really???? Would I be distracted by the incessant stop /start of the bus whilst its driver picks up fellow disgruntled frozen passengers.

Cycling wakes me up gets the old endorphins flowing and most days I actually beat the local bus into Dublin city. It comes at a price though as when arriving At DiT Mountjoy Square covered in sweat is not an ideal way to start the day. If I succumb to getting the bus I fear I will get lazy and never brave the the trip by bike again.

I haven't even graced the front entrance of DIT and so much effort is required in just simply getting there. I really do not know how some of my fellow students who are parents can juggle so many commitments with children, school runs house ,shopping commuting studying etc. I think that they really are amazing and I may pick their brains to gather some time management tips.

To be continued............

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