Universal Laws of Yoga (Part 1)

August 14th, 2009 at 12:42pm Under copyright law

What is Yoga? Why do some religious fundamentalists fear Yoga? What is the objective of Yoga? These questions about the true purpose of Yoga always arise, but the answers are not quite clear. So, let’s get to the heart of the matter.

Yoga is many things and there are many forms of Yoga. For example: Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of devotion) is commonly practiced in India, but is rarely practiced in the West. The most popular form of Yoga in the West is Hatha Yoga (Yoga of physical mastery).

It is understandable that Hatha Yoga and its many sub-styles would take hold in the West, especially on the American continents. Physical mastery, in and of itself, is much easier to absorb than over 5,000 years of Indian culture. The physical aspect of Yoga is the easiest to master, but the study of Yoga is a long journey.

Bhakti Yoga, as mentioned earlier, is the Yoga of Devotion and more emphasis is placed on spiritual and mental health. Religious practices, of any faith, will be much more pronounced within a group of Bhakti Yoga practitioners.

To put it simply, Yoga is the union of mind, body, and spirit for complete health. There are far more benefits to be realized through the constant practice of Hatha Yoga, or any other kind of Yoga, but this is the foundation of “unity.” Physical mastery is constructive and, at the very least, keeps us healthy.

Please bear in mind that all forms of Yoga may overlap in aspects of complete and whole health, but the emphasis within each style will be different. For example: In a Hatha Yoga class, physical, mental, and spiritual mastery may be practiced. The aspects taught depend on the curriculum, the exact style of Hatha Yoga, and the Yoga teacher.

Once a Yoga practitioner embarks on the path of unity, self realization and tranquility are acquired. The Yogic path is filled with many steps before self realization, tranquility, and oneness with God. The following are some of the steps we should take toward self-improvement.

Purify your inner being by freeing yourself from vanity, intolerance, anger, attachment to material, and the ego. We are only human and self-perfection is a difficult road to travel, but we must keep going one step at a time. What do we do when we make a mistake or sin? We pick ourselves up, learn from our mistakes, and amend our behavior.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

The Purpose of Yoga: Success and the Law of Karma

August 14th, 2009 at 06:41am Under copyright law

Some Gurus, and Master Yoga, teachers do not embrace the concept of Yogic principles being used for success, self-improvement, and for acquiring abundance. After all, many people have misused power, and abundance, ever since primal man could stand up on two feet.
Lord Acton’s words ring true very often, when he said, “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Many times, throughout history, famous people have fallen prey to power, which they thought they could handle, but learned that temptation was more powerful than their code of ethics.
Yet, we cannot help the poor much, if we are also poor. You can perform selfless service (Karma Yoga), no matter how much money you have; but you cannot contribute food to the poor, if you are waiting in line at a soup kitchen.
Therefore, if you have a plan for success, you should also have a plan to help those in need. The ancient Yogis completely understood the difference between wanting and envisioning. They also understood the pitfalls of each.
Children “want,” and so do “big children,” in adult bodies. They want without vision and take no action. Adults who take no action have mottos such as: “Why me?” “Why is life so unfair?” and “If life was fair, I would be rich.”
Whatever fortune falls into the lap of a person who wants, it is taken for granted and quickly squandered. The saying, “Easy come, easy go,” can become a lifestyle.
Envisioning is completely different from wanting. Envisioning allows a person to take a concerted effort toward a goal and achieve it. When a Yoga practitioner envisions something, it will often “come to pass,” because he or she took action, in the form of small steps, to make a thought become reality.
It is interesting, when the world, outside India, is “hooked” on Hatha Yoga (Union by Physical Mastery). Yet, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Raja Yoga, are considered more advanced forms because they enhance mental and spiritual health. You see, the real power is in the mental and spiritual forms of Yoga.
Luckily, most people age, and mellow a bit, before discovering the true powers of envisioning and action. However, integrity ethics, and character, are often in short supply, when someone becomes “instantly rich.”
How often do we read about sports, and movie celebrities, who cannot handle their instant fame or material wealth? This is why the Law of Karma, and practicing Karma Yoga, are so important. Design a plan to give, help, and forgive, whenever you envision success.
Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Got Sued? Creditor Law Suits

August 14th, 2009 at 12:41am Under copyright law

Often a creditor will try to collect a debt by suing you. If you have any good reasons why you think you don’t owe the money, this is the time you must raise them.

Why defend a suit if I am “judgment-proof”?

It is important that you take action to protect yourself immediately even it you are unemployed, have no money, and believe you have nothing to lose.

Some debtors are “judgment-proof”. What little property they have is “exempt” from collection under state law. But most debtors don’t remain judgment-proof forever. As soon as a debtor gets a job, a creditor with a judgment will be able to “garnish” up to 25% of the debtor’s wages to collect the court judgment.

If you are sued, you should immediately consult a lawyer who specializes in consumer rights. Your attorney should at least be able to buy some time – and might be able to negotiate a settlement or repayment plan with the creditor.

What defenses might I have to a debt collection lawsuit?

First, if the debt is pretty old, it might be barred by the “statute of limitations”. For example, in California a creditor must file suit on a written contract within four years of breach and on an oral contract within two years of breach. But you might have lost your statute of limitations defense if you have acknowledged the debt in writing after enforcement is barred by the statute of limitations or paid any portion of the debt after enforcement is barred by the statute of limitations.

Second, the interest rate on the debt might be “usurious” – in excess of your state’s limit on interest rates.

Third, you might have made payments on the debt that were not credited to your account. If so, copies of your receipts and cancelled checks can be used to prove your payment.

Finally, the property you bought on time might be defective – entitling you to “offset” the debt with the cost of repair. This may be a good defense if the seller made express representations about the quality of the goods that are not true, or even if the seller said nothing – if the goods are not fit for ordinary use or for a specific purpose that the seller knew about.

What if I am sued in small claims court?

If you are sued in small claims court, you are not allowed to hire a lawyer to represent you at the hearing. If you wish, though, you may consult with a lawyer before the hearing to find out your legal rights.

In some communities, there are free small claims court advisors. Call the clerk of the small claims court to find out about this. Here are some more questions and answers:

Can I be sued for my spouse’s debts? Sometimes.

Can I settle a lawsuit by renegotiating my debt? Certainly. There are many types of agreements you might be able to make with your creditors to alleviate your financial problems.

For example, if you have temporary financial difficulties, you might ask the creditor to take less than the full monthly payment (perhaps interest only) for a limited period of time.

If the size of the payment is a problem, you might be able to arrange with the creditor to reduce the amount of the monthly payment and extend the term of the loan.

You could offer to pay a significant portion of the debt now in exchange for forgiveness of the balance. The creditor might feel “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. This is especially true when a settlement now allows a collection agency to close its books on a debt, take its percentage as a fee, and stop running up any more expenses for debt collection.

For this and more information on debt, bankruptcy and foreclosure visit: www.gottrouble.com/legal/finance/index.html

This trouble tip was brought to you by www.GotTrouble.com

Copyright – All Rights Reserved – 2007 GotTrouble.com Inc.

Universal Laws of Yoga (Part 3)

August 13th, 2009 at 06:42pm Under copyright law

Why do some religious fundamentalists fear Yoga?

For many non-practitioners of Yoga, it is Intolerance for something they do not understand. This seems harmless at first, but cries of witchcraft are never a good omen. However, every method of healing has its critics.

Yoga has also been accused of being a “launching point” to export Hinduism. This is very interesting, considering the large numbers of Yoga practitioners who are not Hindus. Some Yogis and Yoginis do convert to Hinduism, but the “calling” had to come from within themselves. Within North America, most Yoga teachers are not Hindus at all and I have yet to witness religious conversion in progress.

For fundamentalist Hindus that believe Yoga and Hinduism cannot be separate, sorry to break the news, but it has already happened. Yoga was interpreted in many ways by a variety of cultures and partial facets of Yoga have grown independently. Some Hatha Yoga styles do not even practice meditation.

Yoga students outside India, pick and choose what they want to learn from Yoga. At this time, physical mastery seems to be most popular. This is why Yoga teachers outside India focus primarily on physical health. Many western students think only of Hatha Yoga, when they hear the word “Yoga.”

This is why Yoga cannot really be controlled, regulated, or patented. How do you control people’s thoughts, actions, physical practice, prayers, meditation, or songs? The whole concept of controlling Yoga is ludicrous.

Fundamentalists of different religions work together, quite by accident, to divide the world’s religions into mobs of intolerance. Their real fear is loss of control. So they speak in “absolutes.” For example: “You will burn in hell, if you do not, do as I say” and “All of the non-believers are going to Hell.”

The real problem with Yoga, for the fundamentalist of any religion, is that it can be practiced by anyone from any religion. Yoga is not exclusive: The laws are universal and interchangeable with every religion. This allows a Yoga practitioner to work independently on his or her spiritual health and work toward enlightenment.

What is wrong with working toward the common good? The idea of working toward enlightenment and self-perfection are considered blasphemy to some. However, can you imagine a world where men and women did not try to improve themselves?

The objectives of Yoga are complete heath, self-improvement, self realization, and tranquility. With these benefits acquired any Yoga practitioner can help others and work for the common good.

© Copyright 2006 by Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Canadian Music Laws – All Talk With Little Substance

August 13th, 2009 at 12:43pm Under copyright law

Music software firms have got together in Canada to try and cut short the burgeoning free peer-to-peer music sharing in its tracks. They have succeeded in getting some legal and tax concessions in support of their cause. Take a look.

There is much talk that peer-to-peer is music download is responsible for declining music sales. While there may be some amount of truth to the statement, a large part of the decibels raised may well be due to good old plain rhetoric. Industry numbers suggest that the popularity of latest gizmos like DVDs, retail chain distribution changes, and reduced prices of CDs in the retail market all have been playing their own role in the so-called woes. The woes themselves may not be entirely true themselves, as the music industry has seen fair amount of growth in recent years.

It can also be said with reasonable surety that Canadian artists’ royalty losses have been offset by the private copying levy system. The Canadian Private Copying Collective alone has collected millions of dollars over the past few years with much of that revenue earmarked for Canadian artists.

Laws that require people to pay for simple music software goodies like the popular iTunes have the potential of nipping a nascent industry in the bud. Whereas Apple iTunes may well be able to survive the pressure by using its deep pockets, smaller players may not be so lucky. Copyright rules require music download industry to submit more than 40% of their revenue to the collectives.

Incredible as it may seem, even the 40% of gross revenues as envisioned by these tariffs may not cover all the rights that are associated with commercial music download services. It remains well within the realm of possibility that other groups, including collectives representing music performers and producers, may come forward to demand their piece of the cake by further cutting into online music services’ revenues.

While the well established players have settlements that have been well negotiated to their advantage with the record labels, it is the development of a viable economic model that the future growth of the industry depends on. The much maligned peer to peer downloads are actually already subject to a fair amount of compensation through the levy on private copying. The actual threat lies elsewhere – the collectives that essentially are poised to capture a very large share of the tiny market.

For tariff options, the webcasters and the online games industry are the ones in limelight. Others have been eyeing the multi-million online sharing music industry. As much as 25% of revenues, however, continue to come from the online websites that offer music sharing with free music software. The reproduction rights over online music are also being targeted to generate additional revenue in this vast field. Audio webcast sites that feature content similar to conventional radio stations, as well as from established radio stations that webcast their signal also well in the line of fire. Of course, there are different rates of taxes for different online services – varying from five percent to as high as twenty-five percent.

Be sure to be familiar with the laws before you go for the next download. It will help you stay out of trouble and keep your worries at bay. Best wishes, and happy downloading!

When the Law of Attraction Becomes Childs Play

August 13th, 2009 at 06:41am Under copyright law

When the Law of Attraction Becomes Childs Play

August 13th, 2009 at 06:41am Under copyright law

Law of Attraction is the Third Step for Businesses

August 13th, 2009 at 12:42am Under copyright law

Copyright (c) 2008 Linda Feinholz
One of my clients, Don, kept waffling back and forth over which sized firms he wanted as his clients. For the lack of that focus, his efforts were scattered and outright conflicting with each other.
If you’ve been aware of hearing about the Law of Attraction recently, you’re in step with the latest message about inspiration. For nearly 25 years, I’ve seen it taught in various forms, from ‘mindfulness retreats’ to EST to various Human Potential and Self-Actualization programs. Each program teaches their own frameworks, or those borrowed from the ages, to give us tools to use on a daily basis.
As with anything in life, all the techniques and frameworks are only moderately effective if you don’t KNOW where you’re going. Without a clear Vision and destination in mind you’ll either eventually get lost or it’ll take you a long time to get there, much longer than necessary.
If you’re heading out to drive into new territory and choose to do it without a roadmap, you may spend a lot of your time recognizing you’re lost and looking for road-side assistance, over and over again. It may not make sense to even head out in the first place.
Over the years, it’s been proven out that if you don’t consciously declare what you want, you’ll continually attract what your unconscious mind wants to attract rather than what you say you want.
In business, I see this play out over and over again with participants in my programs. People learn a technique or two that has the potential to double and even triple how much they accomplish in less time. They take on a commitment to using the new practices, and then come back asking for personal tune-ups.
When we take a closer look at what’s going on, they’ve go the technique down pat. They’re often missing the content – what they’re spending their time on has not been prioritized or selected to get them to a specific destination.
It’s a lot like taking a fabulous ride in a Maserati (yes, the techniques are that powerful), on a perfect day with superb road conditions… and then noticing you’ve got no idea where you’re headed, for how long, and why.
All that energy going to waste! So I want to share with you two of the tune-up steps I use with my program participants.
Pick a Focus
Over the years, I’ve seen certain entrepreneurs be completely wishy-washy about what they want. Or they’re wanting it for the reasons that are taking them off course. BIG mistake. Not knowing what you really want creates confusion in both your marketing AND your manifesting.
Here’s what I mean. Say one day you decide that you want to attract a roster of 200 clients, and you set that intention. But the next day, you decide that instead, you’re interested in only 35 private clients and systems to serve another 150 with a second tier of services. That same afternoon, you decide you don’t want ANY private clients, but instead, you want to only deal with groups. (I’ve watched this switching take place over and over with professionals.)
If you’re sitting in a restaurant placing an order and calling the waiter back over and over, to change it again and again, eventually the waiter will tell you “Call me when you know what you want.” And walk away.
The same goes in your business. For the lack of a focused Vision, every new idea pulls you off course. At that moment, all the time management techniques in the world can’t get you to your destination faster or easier.
If you’re aware that what you focus on is what you bring into your reality, whether you refer to it as the Law of Attraction or by any other term, then you’ll recognize that you’re repeatedly sending the wrong message over and over again to the Universe (or your subconscious mind, whichever you prefer).
Bless The Rest
One of the greatest fears I find my clients facing, is “But what about everyone else who could use me?” I know that fear – I struggled with it for 18 months!
When you recognize that people are looking for ’someone who understands them’ you’ll realize you can accelerate your results by focusing your message and your marketing on them. If other folks show up – serve them if you wish. Open your grip on trying to serve everyone and keep your eye and your message on focus and you’ll find your ideal clients will be clamoring to work with you.
That single focus will guide your product or services design so that they send a consistent message. You’ll be able to keep all your marketing and your service delivery targeted to their specific needs. This in turn will attract what you want, much faster.
Don picked a specific industry, and a target company size for his ideal clients, and 90-days later he’d doubled his active clients. Now it’s your turn!

Law Enforcement Exam Strategies: How to Pass the B-PAD (Behavioral Personnel Assessment Device)

August 12th, 2009 at 06:41pm Under copyright law

Copyright (c) 2009 Don Cirillo

What is the BPAD (Behavioral Personnel Assessment Device)?

It’s SHOW TIME… The BPAD, also known as the Video Simulation Exercise is an assessment exercise which requires you to watch a scenario on a TV monitor. The scenario represents what police officers experience on the job. You will be asked to respond as though the people on the screen are talking to you. Knowledge of police procedures is not required for this test. But it sure helps. Most experienced police officers would do very well on this portion of the test.

It evaluates an individual’s interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills in dealing with a variety of people in difficult situations, like those that police officers encounter. So the more you know about how officers respond to a variety of difficult interpersonal situations the better your B-Pad performance will be.

B-PAD Basics

When taking the BPAD you will view video-based simulations on a TV or computer monitor. The simulations are based on real life police interpersonal encounters. You are then expected to respond verbally, as if talking to real people in a real situation. Your responses are videotaped and then scored using standardized criteria. It is based on the premise that the best indicator of future behavior is observed behavior under similar situations.

Important Tip:

By presenting your answers in a logical sequence, you will elevate your scores considerably. It will show the examiners you think logically and have planning and organizational skills. Examiners don’t score you on finding the perfect solution, but how well you find a solution and communicate your findings.

BPAD Tests Your People Skills

As a law enforcement officer you must be able to work effectively with people?” B-PAD video tests assess your people skills and common sense judgment. You will not be tested on your job knowledge or personality; rather you will be tested on your interpersonal competence. B-PAD measures behavioral skills and abilities not readily measured by conventional methods.

Why do Law Enforcement Agencies use B-PAD for testing?

B-PAD is a preferred form of testing because it’s a valid and fair method for assessing candidate behavior under standardized testing conditions. For instance, the oral interview requires candidates to state what they “would do” in response to a hypothetical situation, on the other hand the B-PAD requires that the candidate demonstrate his or her skills by role-playing a response.

What to expect when taking the BPAD

When taking the BPAD you will receive both oral and written instructions. Then you’ll receive instructions again from the video moderator and be given the opportunity to view and respond to a practice scenario. Scenarios depicting incidents such as an irate citizen, angry motorist, an insubordinate employee, etc. Each scenario is from one to two minutes long. Once the scenario is completed, the word “respond” appears on the screen and you will then have a set amount of time (usually about 45 seconds) to respond to the scenario as if you are responding to real people in a real situation.

How to prepare for the B-Pad

You prepare for the B-Pad the same way you prepare for the role playing exercise. It’s actually the same thing except, instead of reacting to a real person you’re reacting to a video tape.

Irate Citizen Performance Tips:

The Irate Citizen exercise tests the candidate’s ability to analyze and correct citizen related problems and to calm down an irate citizen. The irate Citizen in the video tape will be adversarial and test the candidate’s ability to maintain his composure and handle stress.

The raters will assess communication, interpersonal sensitivity, judgment and professionalism. Your success in this exercise depends on your ability to display these qualities.

Example of an irate Citizen exercise:

You may receive a note that reads something like this; Officer Jones see Joseph Smith at 1218 North 78th Street regarding a citizen’s complaint. A squad was there earlier and the citizen was not happy with the service.

The candidate then knocks on a door and the video tape begins: The citizen opens with a statement like: “I can’t believe you finally got here. I called four times.”

The irate citizen will continue by saying something like; “The reason I originally called is because somebody broke into my car and the squad took 45 minutes to arrive. They just took the information, they didn’t take fingerprints and they left.”

Suggested Response —

“Hi, I’m Officer Jones, I’m sorry about your inconvenience. Although you called four times, I just received the call about ten minutes ago. I got here as soon as I could so I could help you with the problem.”

The candidate must contend with the citizen’s irritated mood while he attempts to solve the problem. This is a ploy to test the candidate’s reaction. If the candidate becomes agitated and loses his composure, he will fail the exercise.

Always Remember Part of the Test is Your Composure.

If the candidate remains calm and continues attempting to solve the problem, the irate citizen role player is usually instructed by the test administrators to calm down. If the candidate accomplishes this, he or she will receive high scores for this exercise. Strategy:

Things to keep in mind when handling the irate citizen:

1. Your role-playing.

2. You represent the organization.

3. Your task is to: a. Calm down an irate citizen. b. Offer solutions to help solve the citizen’s problem.

4. How you handle stress and maintain your composure is part of the test.

5. Remain calm and respectful at all times.

6. Use logic and be professional.

7. Explain organizational policy but don’t apologize for it.

8. Keep track of time limits. Solve the problem before time runs out.

9. Indicate you will talk to all parties involved, investigate the complaint and get back to citizen with the results of your investigation. Give specific dates and times for getting back to irate citizen with the results.

Example of an irate Angry Motorist:

You pulled over a female driver, she gets out of her car, comes up to you screaming about how you are harassing her because she is a female and asks if you do that to all the female drivers. She then takes out her D/L and throws it on the ground.

Suggested Response ‘

You say to the women, “I need you to pick up your Drivers License and hand it to me. Then go sit in your car and I will be with you in a minute.” If she does not comply, say, “please go back to your car.” You then pick up the drivers license and issue her a littering ticket as well as the original citation.

Be polite, but be assertive when you must. Always remember, YOU have to control the scene – don’t let them control you. The BPAD can be a bit intimidating but if you keep these principles and concepts in mind when taking it you’ll have a much better chance for success.

What is the Universal Law of Attraction?

August 12th, 2009 at 06:41am Under copyright law

Copyright (c) 2008 Rebecca Hanson

The Universal Law of Attraction states the following: We attract whatever we choose to give our attention to — whether wanted or unwanted.

Most of the time, we attract by ‘default’ rather than by deliberate choice. We just sort of go through our day, focusing on problems that need to be solved or on things that did not feel good nor seem right. In so doing, we are actually creating more problems, more of what does not feel good and more of what does not seem right.

Think of yourself as a huge magnet. The kind that pulls metal to itself from afar off. It doesn’t “try” to attract, it simply does attract. It is the same way for us. Whether or not we are trying to attract, we ARE doing so all the time. (Except when we are asleep.) And we attract the likeness of what we think about. If we are thinking about a lack of something, we are attracting more lack (scarcity). If we are thinking about something we love, we are attracting more of what we love and enjoy. I know it sounds incredibly simple, and it is.

We humans are actually very powerful attractors and we can use this wonderful, god-given power to attract more of what we want in life-simply by paying attention to where we place our thoughts and desires.

An old proverb just came to my mind: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7 It’s interesting that the writer of this proverb says “thinks in his heart” because most of the time, we think that we think with our mind. However, it is truly from the heart where we do our thinking, our believing, our ‘ vibrating.’

It is from the heart that we attract. Picture your heart as a powerful magnet. The heart is the ‘”vibrator’” of all signals that attract.

Think of a radio. It has many different stations. To tune into a station you dial a specific frequency. As soon as we turn our attention to something (dialed its frequency) it begins its journey to us.

To be rid of something you do not want in your life, simply tune in to a different vibration (frequency or radio station) to something that you do want.

I see the art of Deliberate Attraction as consisting of three parts:

1. Getting very clear about what it is I am wanting.

2. Raising my vibration until it matches what I want.

3. Allowing what I want to come to me.

We have the opportunity to gain clarity in knowing precisely what we want, through the many “contrasts’” that life offers us. The key to successfully using contrast is to observe it briefly and use it to help you decided what you do want. This takes a little practice, since our habit is to talk about, tell others about and focus on what we did not like.

It is usually the third part that trips me up. I have held onto some self-limiting beliefs for a very long time, so long that I no longer recognize them, yet they are still vibrating below the surface, canceling out what I am wanting.

My work is to let go of all resistance and believe that what I am wanting will come to me — simply because I want it.